#Games
With that last blog post I also pushed some new updates to my site. Trying to move my data out of apps/sites they don't need to be in, I've added my game and Lego collection.
This also marks an interesting point me for: this is the first game that's availabile phyiscally that've I've bought digitally.
I know that's the way the industry is going and I held out as long as I could but I couldn't resist this edition (which comes with a code not a disc).
I haven’t played any games in while so I’m excited to dig into The Last of Us Part 1 this weekend 🎮
On principle I didn't want to buy the EU version of The Last of Us Part I Firefly Edition because it doesn't come with a disc, but I need to accept digital is the way all games are going now. Also I really wanted that steelbook.
Brian Hamilton and Ben McCarthy have a Last of Us podcast starting this week, I can't wait. The trailer episode was very good.
I've missed being able to quickly search for a movie or TV show to grab the year or link when posting to Micro.blog. Which is why I built Lantern.
Saying goodbye to an okay blogging platform with an excellent name and replacing it with Lantern.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores trailer.
This looks great, can't wait.
exclusively for the PlayStation 5 console
Not suprised about this, the game was supposed to be PS5 only originally anyway.
This show is going to break me. Looks like Pedro Pascal is gunna nail it.
After watching IGN's Midnight Suns review I'm sold. This looks like a lot of fun.
FIFA 23 - Official Ted Lasso Trailer
I guess I'm buying a Fifa game for the first time since 1996.
I added Scott Pilgrim vs. The World to my wishlist a few days ago and yesterday it went on sale.
Not sure what else to do with my new found power.
I know it's free with PS++ (or whatever it's called) but I had to preorder a physical copy of Stray for my collection. Knock things over as a cat in a cyberpunk distopia with robots? Sold.
Sony's new gaming monitor, the INZONE M9, looks great.
Now to juggle the budgets so I can buy one.
Tony Hawk Confirms Plans for Pro Skater 3 + 4 Remake Were Abandoned After Blizzard Merger
This makes me so sad. The 1+2 remake was incredible and I really thought they were onto something good. Screw you Blizzard.
The Last of Us Part 1 is coming to PS5 in September. According to the trailer it's fully rebuild for PS5.
I will 100% be buying this.
Played Horizon Forbidden West on PS5. Better than the first one in every way. The ability to climb basically anywhere is great and I spent way more time changing the color of outfits than I should have done.
Playtime ~60 hours.
Played Vice City: Definitive Edition on PS5. The improvements from 3 are way bigger than I'd remembered:
- Bikes, helicopters, and planes
- Bail on a moving car
- Bonnets fly off by themselves
- Pay 'n' Spray wanted level delay
The missions are generally better in this than 3 as well.
"Like a giant metal hippo"
My very talented and handsome friend made a video about why they love Forza Horizon 5 and now I want to buy an Xbox Series X so I'll send them an invoice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWtwDqfnqlw
Stick around for the name rant in the middle, it's 🔥️
Played Deathloop on PS5. I enjoyed this but it didn't live up to the hype. Definitely not GOTY for me.
Played Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PS5. This game looks incredible but I think the biggest part of it is the resistance on the triggers; every weapon legitimately feels different.
Played Control Ultimate Edition on PS5. This was a hell of a lot of fun. The ashtray maze was incredible, it reminded me of the Matrix lobby scene.
Who had “everyone is horny over some big resident evil lady” on thier 2021 bingo card?
Played Destruction Allstars on PS5. Need to give this 6 months to see if they add anything else. Right now it feels shallow and kind of boring.
Played Skate on Xbox 360. This is really hard to get the hang of, especially with ~20 years of THPS muscle memory but once I did, I really enjoy just skating around.
Played Immortals: Fenyx Rising on PS5. Despite the similarities between this and Breath of the Wild, I really enjoy this (where I disliked BotW).
I hit some issues that needed a restart a couple of times and it doesn't have the polish of a "real" PS5 game but I had a ton of fun playing this.
Played Shadow of the Tomb Raider on PS4. Someone finally remembered Tomb Raider is supposed to be about tombs.
Played My Friend Pedro on PS4. This is ridiculously fun, although I’m not a massive fan of Pedro’s levels.
My Friend Pedro is amazing. I shouldn’t have waited this long to play it.
Played Untitled Goose Game on PS4. This was fun but very short. Not sure it's worth the full price.
Played Bugsnax on PS5. This is a lot of fun and feels like if the Pokémon catching gameplay had actually progressed it the last 20 years. I have some issues with it (no fast travel, a lot of loading screens, mission design seems messy) but overall I enjoyed it.
The story definitely didn't go where I expected it to.
Played Sackboy: A Big Adventure on PS5. This is a really solid platformer with a lot of variety. The music levels are a particular highlight.
Played Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PS5. This is a lot shorter than the first game but that works in it's favour: no more sneaking as MJ or doing dumb circuit board puzzles.
Played Astro's Playroom on PS5. This is a hell of a lot of run to play and is an excellent way to demonstrating what the DualSense can do.
Played Ratchet & Clank on PS4. I'd forgotten just how fun these games are and now I'm even more excited for the new one.
Played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 (100% Goals) on PS4. This is the perfect remaster. It's exactly like I remember it (it's not, the originals look terrible now) and adds a lot of modern touches that make sense and make this properly complete game. I'm going to be doing the challenges for a long time. The new soundtrack is incredible as well.
Played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 on PS2. This is a big change from the first three. Way more goals and the difficulty it way higher.
Played Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout on PS4. This is a lot of fun, but I hope there's some more variation added soon otherwise it's gunna get old fast. There's also a lot of luck required in addition to skill, which can make it a bit frustrating. Also, fuck the match the fruit level, it sucks.
Understanding The Last of Us Part II. Girlfriend Reviews is one of the best channels on YouTube.
The Last of Us Part II
Played The Last of Us Part II on PS4. Update: After speaking with Keenan I changed my mind about the order of the chapters.
After I finished this I looked up what the controversy was about this game because I honestly didn't know what I was supposed to be angry about. Turns out it's just straight dudes being straight dudes on the internet.
I loved every minute of this (despite being deeply stressed during infected sections). The traversal and stealth through areas is massively improved from the first game, the acting is incredible, and the story is just as good as the first one. I think my only complaint is about the order of the Seattle chapters. I would have preferred to play each day of the three day section alternately between Ellie and Abby (like the did for the final chapters when Ellie goes to the boat and Abby gets captured by the Rattlers). I struggled to keep in my head what was going on with Ellie on a specific day in Seattle while I was playing the same day with Abby.
Naughty Dog can do no wrong at this point and I'm very interested to see what their next project is.
Some interesting things I've found since completing the game:
- Colleen Fotsch, a CrossFit athlete, was the person who provided the character model/scan for Abby
- A blind gamer was able to complete the game thanks to the excellent accessibility options
- This part 1 and 2 supercut
Played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 on PS2. I really hope after the 1+2 remake we get a remake of this one (and 4).
Played Pokémon Sword on Switch. This was really good and they nailed the UK vibe (even if it is a bit over-the-top at times).
Played The Last of Us (Remastered) on PS4. I'm about 6 years late but it was so worth it.
Turns out The Last of Us is a pretty good game. Someone should have said sooner.
Played Get to Know Me: Video Games (One of those Twitter meme things). Favorite female video game character: Aloy, Horizon Zero Dawn
A game that's so bad but so good: Bishi Bashi Special, PS1
A game that hit an emotional spot in your heart: Gone Home
Favorite game developer or studio: Naughty Dog
Favorite male video game character: Sully, Uncharted
A game that not enough people talk about: Shadow of Memories, PS2
Favorite villain (Be mindful of spoilers): FizzCo, Sunset Overdrive
Favorite game as a kid: Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3
5 of your favorite video games: See this post
A game or series that you've never been interested in: Smash Bros
A game that never gets old: Mario Kart
A game that everyone should play at least once: Red Dead Redemption
Favorite genre: Single-player story-driven
That game you REALLY should have played by now: Last of Us
Favorite indie game you played recently: Golf Story
Played a bunch of Rocket League today and I’d totally forgotten how much fun it is. It’s easily been a year since I played.
Played Yoshi's Crafted World Demo on Switch. This game is delightful. Pre-ordered the full game immediately.
Yoshi’s Crafted World is delightful and I pre-ordered as soon as I finished the demo.
Played Detroit: Become Human. Damn this was good. Definitely need to play through again and be a bastard this time.
Played Marvel's Spider-Man (The Heist) on PS4. Fuck the guys with miniguns.
Played Red Dead Redemption 2 (Main Story). I still don't like the controls, but holy shit do Rockstar know how to make a good story.
I've already caught a Pikachu and Bulbasaur so my team is shaping up nicely.
Played Initial Thoughts on Red Dead Redemption 2. - I think they used the same cougar sound effect from the first one. When I heard it, I had flashbacks
- The map is huge, I'll be surprised if I finish this in less than 100 hours
- The controls for switching weapons, items, and clothing are so confusing
Played Marvel's Spider-Man on PS4. This is an incredibly fun game right from the start. The combat is fun and swinging through the city is amazing. The story is legitimately good and leaves it open nicely for a sequel.
When May said she knew all along I audibly gasped.
I'm convinced that if Insomniac hadn't made Sunset Overdrive, this game wouldn't anywhere near as good as it is.
Played Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Donkey Kong Adventure) on Switch. Not as good as the main game but still pretty enjoyable.
Played Toad Treasure Tracker (Demo). I really enjoyed playing the three demo levels while in handheld but in docked mode, the motion controls are massively annoying; it'll be impossible for me to play like that. I'll still get the game, but it'll be handheld all the way.
Played Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (Main Story) on Switch. I wasn't sure if I would like this game that much but it's a lot of fun.
Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! & Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! - Nintendo Treehouse. I complained on Twitter about motion controls in this game, but after watching this video I don't care. I want it now.
Played #GameStruck4. - Mario Kart 64
Other contenders:
- Pokémon Red/Blue
- The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
- GoldenEye 64
- Red Dead Redemption
- Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Life Is Strange
You: Mario Party is the best party game
Me, an intellectual:
Played Golf Story on Switch. I didn't actually finish this because I don't have the patience for the last tournament, but I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the game.
Played Life is Strange on PS4. Lots of problems with animation and frame rates, but the story and game mechanics are fascinating.
Played Horizon: Zero Dawn: Frozen Wilds on PS4. An amazing addition to the main game. Hard as hell though.
Played Super Mario Odyssey (Main Story) on Switch. This is going head-on against Jak and Daxter as my favourite platformer ever. Everything about this game oozes quality.
My only complaint is the requirement of motion controls for some sections of the game. Perhaps someone at Nintendo should have tried to complete the game without using them.
Played Uncharted: Lost Legacy on PS4. Perfect. My favourite Uncharted game.
Played Behold the Kickmen on macOS. Despite starting as a joke, Behold the Kickmen is a really fun game with a ridiculous story that I actually found myself caring about.
Played Firewatch on PS4. Mostly boring story and constant frame rate drops. Nope.
Played Horizon: Zero Dawn on PS4. One of the best games I have ever played. Amazing characters, beautiful world, great story. If you have a PS4, you must play this.
10 hours in, this is all I've unlocked of the map. This game is huge.
Played Trials Fusion on Xbox One. Pretty good. Gets impossibly difficult really quickly though.
Played Lego Harry Potter 1-4 on PS4. Despite the infuriating bugs that exist from the PS3/360 version, this is still a really fun game.
Played Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens on PS4. Easily the best Lego game to date.
Played Rise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox One. A bit of a let down after playing Uncharted 4, but a really enjoyable game.
Played Uncharted 4 on PS4. Amazing, beautiful game. Probably my favourite of the series.
Checking out that Pokémon game everyone’s been talking about
Hours of playing Uncharted have been training me for this moment.
Played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD on Xbox 360. The levels looks great but this does not play as well as the originals.