Games NOT Beaten: 2015

[dust_hound]

@Sarge:
i hear you there, and i think that it's one of the game's real strengths - probably i just prefer the use of the overworld exploration as more of a downtime where i can just chill out by riding around on my horse (in TP and OoT specifically), and hop off occasionally where i find something that looks bombable or whatever. Like the title screens for TP and OoT to me really sold what was a great part of those games - the freedom to roam and have it be almost like a meditative and relaxing process in itself, whereas in SS it felt like i couldn't find that respite.

@laurenhiya21:
Keep at it! The rest of a great game awaits you! (It obviously also awaited me, but i guess i was just looking for different things than the excellence that it had to offer).

[Exhuminator]

_

[retrosportsgamer]

I'm going to post both of these here and *maybe* if dreams do come true and I managed to beat them, I can finally post in the Games Beaten thread as well.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies (DS) - Opened every universe and every planet, plus every power-up. I've put a lot of time into this one and have beaten every level (including the bonus ones opened by syncing up my copy on the Wii) sans three. And they are all the same theme - kamikaze ships come at you one at a time from different directions and you have to survive each wave while trying to build up you score, which is incredibly challenging because there's only a small number of enemies on the screen at once (and you only have one ship). I've altered my strategies up too: sometimes I'll use my maxed out "power" buddy or I'll switch it up and use my maxed out "collect" mini so he can grab the gems I need for the multiplayer and I just concentrate (albeit with smaller fire power) on killing guys. I'll note that this game is exponentially more enjoyable on a 3DS because of using the circle pad vs the d-pad. You shoot with the face buttons, which is actually better than I had thought it would be - and is slightly better than using the classic controller's dual stick on the Wii because of the limited angles.

Geometry Wars: Dimensions (PS4) - This game is one of the best purchases I've made in the last year. Great control and layout on the PS4, awesome music, diversified levels - just a lot of fun. The biggest obstacle is the number of stars you need to open up boss levels later in the game. And I get what it does - you're encouraged to go back to earlier levels with your now-powered up homing missiles and collect/attack minis, and I've done that - grabbing all three stars on very challenging timed levels thanks to a supped up collect add-on. But even with almost every level at at least two stars (many 3), I'm still short of I think the second to last boss level(?). I'm good with challenge and replayability and I do want to note, all the classic modes are here with online leaderboards - this is the main adventure mode (there are also bonus stand alone games you unlock). So there is a ton of content and I've gotten my $14.99 worth, I just think my dream of beating the entire mode is dead.

[dust_hound]

I know it's a revered classic, and i absolutely love its style and music, but:

April 5 2015: Jet Set Radio HD (PS Vita)

I spent too long fighting with the archaic controls to be able to enjoy the game, and in the end it just left a bad taste in my mouth. I love well-designed games that are challenging because they're well-designed, but although JSR certainly IS well-designed in many regards, it seems as though Smilebit didn't really factor in the shitty controls as a part of that design. For me, this isn't another Gunvalkyrie (which i fully enjoyed, AND beat), where the controls were deliberately weird but well-tuned, and were a part of a 'system' which let the player gain expertise in controlling the game. Instead, JSR just seems to have been hamstrung by its weird controls - the floaty jumps combined with the rapid changes of direction when you move the left stick, the slow start when moving from a knockdown or after being struck by an enemy projectile, the seemingly hit-or-miss grinding - everything just frustrated me, rather than motivating me to learn it. I also have the game on Dreamcast, but thought it would be enjoyable to play on the go, but i think i'll consign it to the dustbin of history, where it can sit and look and sound amazing. Others probably have mastered the game's controls and enjoy it, but it took a little too much of my patience. Stick a fork in me, because i'm done.

[marurun]

Hi, my handle is marurun, and I have a problem.

You see, I haven't managed to beat a single game this year, even though I've picked up and begun quite a few. I think I have a problem...

[the7k]

Then you should start a review show! It's forced me to finish a lot of games I otherwise would not have!

With the notable exceptions of...

Fist of Jesus. The game has so many problems caused by sloppy design and the game just gets downright un-fun about 3 hours into it. Cannot be bothered to finish it, it's pure frustration.

Fighting Force. Holy crap, this game is bad. To think this was originally going to be Streets of Rage 4! Sega sure dodged a bullet there. Part of the problem is just that it's an early 32-bit game and issues like camera movement and 360 degree movement were still not solved or even recognized as problems yet. The other part comes from the fact that 99% of the enemies you fight are just the same basic enemy type with different clothing options.

[Bremaine]

Well this is going to be a long list. A few of these games I've yet to start, while some I have started but barely put a dent in.

Crackdown 2 - played a half hour of it and that was about it. Will get back into it soon though.
NBA 2K13 - Still playing it, but I am really awful when it comes to basketball games, then again I'm the same way in real life.
Metal Gear Solid HD Collection - Finished MGS2, but haven't touched the other games yet, will eventually.
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes - went through a bit of it, but got bored and haven't bothered with it since.
Watchdogs - Playing it off and on here and there.
Mass Effect - Played a bit of it, but haven't since. Also got 2 and 3 and obviously those have yet to be played.

There's much more though.

[Exhuminator]

Tomb Raider: Underworld on 360.

Time wasted on this: 5 hours

Positive aspect: Beautiful game from an aesthetics and graphics perspective.

Reality: Everything else is sub-par. Controls are glitchy thanks to procedural animations that don't work correctly. The camera requires constant baby sitting and still manages to kill you often. The plot is utterly ridiculous even for a Tomb Raider game. Combat is piss poor boring and feels entirely uninvolving. Puzzles are dead simple but take too long to solve due to mechanical difficulties artificially induced. An example of this from a different review:

Some areas (such as the Southern Mexico level) are an absolute mess. Some of the puzzles are just too obscure without Lara's help (having to find a random skull then place it on a pedestal that turns only one cog out of three - you must align the cogs, do another one on the opposite side of the level and then race into an underground dungeon with your motorbike without ANY indication that it's actually within a time limit…?!)
- http://www.gamefaqs.com/xbox360/943494- ... iew-133522

The worst aspect though is that the level designs are utterly unintuitive from a navigational aspect, giving the player no idea where to go. Yes I understand figuring that out is supposed to be part of the challenge, but other Tomb Raider games I've played were nothing like this crap is. Because the levels are supposed to have nonlinear paths, this ends up being a nightmare because sometimes you think a path is available until you die ten times trying to make a jump that looks doable, but isn't because of an invisible grappling boundary. Inexcusable given how elegantly the Assassin's Creed games that came before this handled this aspect with no problem.

So yeah I could suffer through this game to enjoy its beautiful vistas and buxom heroine, or I could call a spade and a spade and move on to games worth my time. I'm taking the latter option. I've gotten better about dropping potboiler drivel lately, and that's what we've got here. I blame it on Eidos for rushing this one out the door before Crystal Dynamics could polish it properly.

I bought this game brand new in box for $35. I regret the hell out of that.

My rating... 4/10

[BoneSnapDeez]

I honestly have a difficult and unenjoyable time with virtually all modern "action-adventure" games. I stick to RPGs and stuff that's "retro" in design.

[laurenhiya21]

Yep, pretty much what I thought about Underworld too... except I played the Wii version so it didn't look great or play well.

Somehow I did managed to beat it though ._. Probably because it's fairly short...