Games Beaten 2017

HLTB · Post by **Xeogred** » Fri Nov 24, 2017 12:20 am

Can never forget that Sudeki cover.

My friends and I were huge on the Xbox back in the day and I did see a friend play it. It looked okay.

Post by **Exhuminator** » Fri Nov 24, 2017 4:44 am

107. Bullet Witch | 360 | 2007 | 4/10

Bullet Witch is an Xbox 360 exclusive, developed by Cavia (of Nier fame) and released in 2006 in Japan, then later released in 2007 in the west. The plot concerns a "bullet witch" named Alicia, who is trying to eradicate a demonic army hellbent on destroying the world. She does this by using a broomstick-inspired "gunrod", which shoots magic bullets. She also uses very powerful elemental magic outside basic shooting. Though Alicia sadly never rides her gunrod-broom, she does have the ability to perform evasive acrobatic flips high in the air. As a third person shooter, Bullet Witch is quite simple. Its levels are linear, full of enemies to kill, and usually have a boss at the end. Some stages have gates that are only opened after killing specific types of enemies (usually hidden floating brains). After completing a level, the player is awarded experience points to spend on leveling up Alicia's HP/MP, gunrod, or magic. The player is also graded on their performance at the end of every level.

Unfortunately playing Bullet Witch is often anything but fun, due to a variety of serious problems. I'll describe in detail the three most annoying ones. First and foremost Bullet Witch's performance suffers often due to a terribly unoptimized game engine. You would think that with a team of over twenty programmers only focusing on one platform, Cavia could at least have maintained a steady 30 fps, but no. Not at all. And it's not like the graphics are amazing either. Secondly, the act of using magic in Bullet Witch is cumbersome to say the least. The player must navigate a screen filling menu system to choose a spell, and then cast the spell while a casting animation plays out. This is a problem because the game does not freeze time while this is happening. Often the player is getting shot to death while they are simply trying to select a spell three menus down the cast system, and even worse after a long casting animation plays, if an enemy hits the player during that time, it can cause the spell to cancel out entirely. It's infuriating to have that much difficulty casting magic in a game about being a witch. Lastly, Bullet Witch's level designs are atrocious, just straight up bad. They are often ludicrously huge, curiously empty, and force the player to traverse great expanses of nothingness, while trying to figure out where to even go (there's no waypoint system). Intuitive level design this is not folks. There are many other problems as well. From shoddy gunplay in a game about shooting, absurdly bad enemy AI, laughably bad difficulty balancing, a plot that is both infantile and insane... the list of design detriments is legion.

It's obvious I'm not going to recommend Bullet Witch in general. Maybe if the player is a big fan of P.N.03, Bayonetta, or Gunvalkyrie, said player may be able to eke a tiny bit of fun from this mess. On principle I can see how Cavia thought a game about a sexy witch killing zombie mutants with devastating bullet magic sounded fun. And to their credit, some of the spells in Bullet Witch are truly impressive to behold. But even with a development crew of over a hundred people, and two years of development time, Cavia blew it. The gameplay is not fun, the graphics are uninspired, the controls are fiddly, the OST is boring, and Bullet Witch runs like a clunky jalopy. I find it interesting this is the case, considering Cavia's previous effort; Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex on PS2, was actually a really great game. Sadly for whatever reason, Bullet Witch failed to reach that same level of merit. I guess if I had to end this negative review on a positive note, it'd be to say that Bullet Witch can be brutally difficult at times (on normal difficulty and above). So if you're looking for a tough third person shooter to play, Bullet Witch will accomplish that. To that end, I personally beat this train wreck out of spite, not enjoyment.

Post by **Exhuminator** » Fri Nov 24, 2017 11:39 pm

108. Pop Breaker | GameGear | 1991 | 7/10

Pop Breaker is a Japan-only GameGear release developed and published by Micro Cabin in 1991. Pop Breaker is a unique hybrid of shmup and logic puzzler. The player acts the part of a cute red haired pilot, who controls an offensive tank. The player must use this tank to destroy enemies, blockades, and ultimately a boss core on every stage. Driving the tank around, the player must also avoid traps, mines, and movement restriction areas as well. The player will need serious patience to overcome the fifty stages of Pop Breaker's campaign. Every Pop Breaker stage increases in complexity and reflex requirements, sometimes to the point of being seriously infuriating. Thankfully once the player inevitably runs out of lives, a unique stage password is displayed allowing the player to continue as necessary. It would have made more sense however, to show the stage password as each new stage initiated (being that this is a portable title), instead of forcing the player to run out lives instead. Pop Breaker is quite obscure, finding detailed information about it online isn't easy. But if you are the kind of open minded gamer who likes esoteric games with unique design, you may just enjoy Pop Breaker. A shmup that requires as much brains as it does bullets is a rare beast indeed.

Post by **BoneSnapDeez** » Sat Nov 25, 2017 2:58 pm

I approve.

Post by **ElkinFencer10** » Sat Nov 25, 2017 4:29 pm

Games Beaten in 2017 So Far - 127
* denotes a replay

January (10 Games Beaten)

February (12 Games Beaten)

March (6 Games Beaten)

April (9 Games Beaten)

May (14 Games Beaten)

June (10 Games Beaten)

July (20 Games Beaten)

August (9 Games Beaten)

September (14 Games Beaten)

October (7 Games Beaten)

November (16 Games Beaten)

127. Doom - Switch - November 22

Doom is a technical marvel on Switch. Panic Button can throw away their entire list of credentials; all they need to say to prove their talent and capability is "We ported the 2016 Doom to the Switch." Obviously there were some pretty significant sacrifices that had to be made to get the game running on the relatively underpowered Switch, but given that the Switch is a handheld system and that the game DOES run - and relatively well, at that - this is nothing less than programming wizardry. The box art is always WAAAAY better on Switch than PS4/Xbox One.

I previously reviewed Doom on PlayStation 4 when it came out last year, so this is going to be a relatively brief review that focuses primarily on the differences between Doom on PlayStation 4 and on Switch. First and foremost, the game is here and completely intact. This isn't like the ports of the original Doom to various consoles in the mid 90s where you'd have some levels shortened or omitted entirely to work around various systems' limitations. The entire non-stop adrenaline campaign is fully intact on Switch, and even multiplayer made the transition, although it's worth noting that even with the physical release of Doom, you have to download the multiplayer part of the game in a big ol' update. Given that you need to have internet access to play the multiplayer anyway, though, I think that's a completely reasonable way to save cartridge space.

Obviously with a game this gorgeous and this busy, getting it to run on any handheld is going to require sacrifices, and the sacrifices here are apparently. They absolutely do not ruin gameplay, though. The textures are noticeably lower in resolution, and the game renders at a maximum of 720p to match the screen's resolution, although it does on occasion dip to around 600p or so in particularly busy scenes (but since you're going to be busy slaughtering demons, you probably won't even notice). The other major sacrifice is frame rate, foregoing the original releases' target 60 fps for a target 30 fps, and unfortunately, that target isn't always met on Switch. I didn't find the drops to be severe enough to ruin gameplay, but others may be more sensitive to those drops.

While the game targets 30 fps, it can drop to around 20 fps during busy fights. There are some ways to get around this, though. I tried playing on various difficulty settings to test a theory, and the game runs significantly smoother the lower you set the difficulty due to having fewer enemies on screen at one time. On the highest difficulty (of the ones unlocked at start), the system, quite frankly, really chugged along, but on the lowest difficulty setting, I actually experienced very few frame rate drops. Obviously this is definitely a sub-optimal situation, and those looking for serious challenge probably shouldn't choose the Switch version of Doom if other platforms are available, but if you just want to kill 20 or 30 minutes killing demons from time to time on the way to work or while taking a crap, then this is a completely playable version of the game. When running on the lowest difficulty to keep the frame rate as stable as possible, I had zero actual complaints. Sure, I missed the higher resolution textures and 60 fps frame rate of the PlayStation 4 release, but the lower resolution textures and reduced frame rate are more than acceptable trade-offs for portability in my opinion.

The multiplayer, while obviously not the focus of Doom, was more disappointing than the single player to me. Frame rate seemed a bit more stable than in single player, but it stayed stable around 25 or 27 frames per second. Having grown up gaming on mid and low end PCs, I can deal with frame rates in the 20s, so I still had a pretty good time playing online, but I know that for most people, the frame rate is a deal breaker for the game's online mode. It is nice that the online multiplayer made it into the Switch version; long time Nintendo gamers are all too familiar with the tried-and-true tactic of completely omitting multiplayer in third party ports to Nintendo platforms, so its inclusion at all is a welcome feature for me.

Doom on Switch is definitely inferior to the original releases on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows, but don't let that turn you off of it entirely. The multiplayer leaves a bit to be desired, but if you're willing to play on a lower difficulty, there is a LOT of fun to be had in the game's campaign, even if the frame rate and resolution are a good bit lower than its beefier counterparts. The fact that Panic Button was able to get this game to run at all on a handheld, let alone getting it to run this well, is freaking astounding, and for a game this complex to run as well as it does less than a year into the Switch's life span bodes well for the little system that could. If you've got a Switch and are at all a fan of Doom, I definitely recommend picking this up, even if you've already played Doom on another platform.

Post by **Sarge** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 2:42 am

Previous games:

November:
106) Super Castlevania IV (SNES) (8.5) (11/11) (4 hours)
107) Transformers: Devastation (PS4) (6.5) (11/18) (5h56m)
108) Dracula X: Rondo of Blood (DUO) (8.0) (11/26) (2 hours)

Was going to type more, but I'm pooped. Dracula X is done. I've beaten it before, but it's kinda cool to be able to do it on real hardware. It's not my favorite, but it is very good. I also spent another three hours uncovering the hidden routes. No shame in looking them up, either; I found all that stuff legit a long time ago. Richter ending for both runs, although Maria, as usual, is a boss-owning machine.

Post by **ElkinFencer10** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 9:37 am

Games Beaten in 2017 So Far - 128
* denotes a replay

January (10 Games Beaten)

February (12 Games Beaten)

March (6 Games Beaten)

April (9 Games Beaten)

May (14 Games Beaten)

June (10 Games Beaten)

July (20 Games Beaten)

August (9 Games Beaten)

September (14 Games Beaten)

October (7 Games Beaten)

November (17 Games Beaten)

128. Onslaught - Wii - November 22

Apologies for the low resolution title image; decent looking cover artwork for mediocre WiiWare games is (un)surprisingly difficult to find. Onslaught is, as I mentioned, a WiiWare exclusive that attempts to answer the question "What if you took Earth Defense Force but made it a arcade-y first person shooter?" Before today, I wasn't aware that that question needed an answer, but an answer I have, and I can't say that my life isn't a little bit better having that question answered.

The game's story is definitely its weakest attribute; it's stupid and makes zero sense. Basically people on Earth experimented on insects to turn them into huge cybernetic creatures with the purposes of terraforming planets for colonization. They sent a ship load of these insect cyborgs to a planet as an experiment, and oops, they mutated and ended up massacring all of the teams that were later sent to investigate. You meet up with a couple of random special forces folks and go do bug killing things. I stopped paying attention around that time. The story's stupid, so don't worry about it. The point is that it's pretty much EDF but in a very arcade-y first person shooter. What I mean by that is that it feels and plays a lot like an arcade rail shooter except that there are no rails and you can move about freely. It's hard to describe, but I guarantee that you'll know EXACTLY what I mean if you play the game.

Visually, the game is actually pretty impressive. The Wii in general isn't exactly known for its graphical prowess, and WiiWare games especially with their roughly 500 MB limit tended to look...shall we say, minimalistic. Onslaught, while definitely not as good looking as The Conduit or Metroid Prime 3, looks much better than I was expecting. Unfortunately the controls are average at best, and the sound is just...not great. The motion controls are extremely twitchy which is in sharp contrast to the character movement; your crosshairs zip around the screen, but your character moves as if he were in a pool of pudding. You get used to both the sensitive aiming and the sluggish movement, but they're definitely not what I would call ideal. The audio, on the other hand, certainly isn't the worst I've heard, but it's certainly not something to highlight when trying to convince folks to play the game. The sound effects for the guns all feel rather hollow, and the music is remarkable only in how forgettable it is.

I know I've been perhaps a bit harsh, but Onslaught really isn't a bad game. I had a good bit of fun the two or three hours I spent playing it. It's just not a very memorable game. It looks good for a WiiWare game with a realistic art style, and once you get used to the somewhat janky controls, it's actually a good bit of fun to play, but it's definitely not a game I'd urge you to go download immediately. If you've got some Wii points left that you want to use before the service shuts down in a few months, then there are definitely ways you could use them, but you're not missing out on a classic or a hidden gem or anything if you forego Onslaught

Post by **Sarge** » Sun Nov 26, 2017 11:35 pm

I guess I can talk about Rondo of Blood a bit more.

So, I know that it's often held up as the pinnacle of the classic series, and it's not hard to see why in a lot of respects. I think that it might be one of the most cohesive games of the series; it sports some great-looking graphics, a killer soundtrack, and some gameplay that feels the most like an evolution of the NES games. However, I do think it's kind of overrated. I think that, despite its atmosphere, Super Castlevania IV might have it beat in that department; even if that game isn't designed very well around the increased whip versatility, it still feels more revolutionary than evolutionary, at least to me. Bloodlines is also a fine game, but something has always felt "off" about it to me; I think it's probably some small things with the controls and hit detection. And the forgotten one of the 16-bit era, the X68000 game, feels closer to the NES games with better graphics, and doesn't do anything special structurally.

Of course, that's probably the strength of Rondo. All those hidden paths are fun to uncover, and will keep you playing long after you see the credits roll. It's also one of the more accessible entries; it's a bit harder than SCIV, a bit easier than Bloodlines, but it's not brutal at all. Especially for a series vet, you'll roll through this one much easier than the NES entries. It also sees fit to give you an extra playable character, which we hadn't seen since CVIII. And she owns; Richter ain't got nothin' on a little girl, apparently.

So I can see why folks imported it back in the day, and they were smart to do so. If it was expensive then, it's downright exorbitant now. Fortunately it's playable in a couple of places now: the PSP remake includes the original (with a few emulation quirks) and is also purchasable on PSN for Vita, and the Wii Virtual Console has the untouched game. So don't go paying an arm and a leg for it! (Unless, you know, you're insane and going for a complete PC Engine CD set. Those prices...)

Post by **Segata** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 1:27 am

Mario Odysessy

Man what a charming and wonderful game. The game plays on Nostalgia like most Mario games but this time in the best ways ever IMO. The OST is fantastic. Visually a very nice looking game.The stages are like much larger stages in Mario 64 and focused on exploration. It's the most varied Mario levels in history. Not just typical Mushroom Kingdom forests Lava and Ice. You all know New Donk City but stuff like Luncheon and other stages just make it the most creative Mario in a long time. The boss fights while still Mario also has some classic Zelda style like boss fights. The many costumes are very creative and fun to dress up. The best part about exploring an area is even when you collect a moon or beat the stage's boss you are not kicked out. You are allowed to keep exploring. There are 999 moons so they are everywhere. MO is not open world but segmented like 64 and Sunshine but this time there is no hub world. The game isn't Sunshine hard but somewhat easy if just trying to beat the whole game but some sub stages and moons do test your skills. It has some Sunshine areas where fake Mario took Fludd but not nearly as brutal. Unlike 3D world, there is no cheat mode suit if you die too much. Since coins are the currency you will end up with a lot of them. When you die you only lose 10 coins and you will likely never run out. I finished the game with 260 moons and 5700+ coins and I am still playing. It's a great game. It's still Mario with some new stuff.

Post by **Juan Aguacate** » Mon Nov 27, 2017 1:27 am

Gravity Rush 2 - PS4

This is hands down the single most obnoxious title I've played this year. There literally wasn't a single mission in this game where I wasn't getting pissed off due to badly designed missions (why does this game have so many stupid stealth missions?), clunky mechanics, bad camera, garbage combat, and bad controls. If they were so desperate to create something that felt like an anime, maybe they should have made an actual anime instead of wasting our time with this pitiful excuse for a video game

1 out 10 for this arty, pretentious crap that cares more about its story, art and music than the ACTUAL F****ING GAMEPLAY.

Sonic Forces - PS4

I don't know why people hate this game. It's got great graphics, one of the best soundtracks of the year, and great gameplay. And by the time I did everything required to get the platinum I felt like I got my 40 dollars worth. I feel like a lot of people who hate on modern Sonic games just suck at them. Jim Sterling, to his credit, put up a positive jimpressions video on this game despite the majority of the internet running a smear campaign on this game. However, he noted that he had trouble with the homing attack, which I never had issues with while playing the game, and he described one level as horrific for having bad platforming. I know which level he was talking about, and I had an easy time with that stage because I used the hover gun which let me fly over the whole stage, moving from refuel point to refuel point (in order to stay in the air) bypassing all of the platforming bits that he complained about. It's actually not a "horrific" level, but an easy one that I can S rank consistently with ease. The game makes it pretty clear that making good use of your various weapons as the avatar makes those stages infinitely easier, so I don't know why he chose to play that stage the "hard" way and then complain that it's poorly designed. Yes, the platforming in that stage is more demanding than other levels, because they're not expecting anyone to be stupid enough to play through the stage that way.

I like Jim Sterling, his jimquisition videos are eye opening and entertaining. And he's the kind of maverick the game industry needs, but I'm just using him to illustrate my point. People are always criticizing Sonic games because they suck at them and somehow that's the game's fault. I see it all the time on youtube. There are people playing Sonic Forces like they've never played a 3D platform game in their life and saying that the game sucks.

Anyway, the game is fun, and better in some ways than Generations (I'm glad they removed the pointless trick system and drift mechanics that I thought were just annoying in Generations). Also, Sonic Forces has a far superior soundtrack to Generations. And it didn't bore me to death like Sonic Mania, a game that WISHES it was as good as Sonic 3 and Knuckles, the king of 2D Sonic games.

8 out of 10

Middle Earth: Shadow of War - PS4

If you can get past the loot box situation, I personally ignored them entirely, this game is even more fun and inspired than Shadow of Mordor, while still retaining everything that was fun about that game. They're plenty of fun new mechanics and upgrades. Sieges are epic and awesome. And the nemesis system is as fun and interesting as ever.

A great game tainted by WB's corporate greed. Lucky for them, it was all overshadowed by the colossal PR disaster that was Star Wars Battlefront II.

9 out of 10, with a point deducted for loot boxes

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