Games Beaten 2015

[Exhuminator]

Looks cool, but I don't own it.

Dude sell some plasma or sperm, your body will make more.

[Ack]

1. Renegade Ops (PC)(Multidirectional Shooter)
2. Borderlands 2 (PC)(FPS/RPG)
3. Gunpoint (PC)(Puzzle Platformer)
4. Robotrek (SNES)(RPG)
5. The Tick (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
6. Alien vs Predator (SNES)(Beat 'Em Up)
7. X-Kaliber 2097 (SNES)(Action Platformer)
8. Metal Slug (MVS)(Run and Gun)
9. Shadowrun (SNES)(RPG)
10. Quake II (PC)(FPS)
11. The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang (SNES)(RPG)
12. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (PC)(Action)
13. A Story About My Uncle (PC)(Platformer)
14. Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II (PC)(FPS)

I finished Dark Forces II today and got the Light Side ending. Since there are two endings in the game depending on whether I go Light or Dark, I've already started replaying the game to go the other route. But I figure since I finished one run through it that I will talk it over.

First, Dark Forces is one of my favorite FPS. I grew up playing it over and over again, and many of the weapons and levels are etched into my memories. Dark Forces II borrows heavily from the first game, which actually caused mixed feelings for me. I both enjoyed the throwbacks to the first game but also wanted DFII to go on doing its own thing. While some of what it pulls I appreciate(Nar Shaddaa, Ramses Hed), some of what came back I did not care for(sewers. Also kell dragons). I was surprised to see most of the weapons from the first game come back, with certain exceptions: the fusion cutter has been replaced by a bowcaster(...which doesn't make sense. Kyle isn't as strong as a wookie), while the assault cannon is also gone in exchange for the lightsaber.

In DFII, weapons have varying versatility, and some I rarely used if at all. The rocket launcher and thermal detonators were hardly used, while the only time I used a mine, it did more damage to me than the enemy. The bowcaster and Imperial blaster are both inaccurate regardless of auto-aim being enabled, but the blaster has a higher rate of fire than the bowcaster and does more damage than the Bryar pistol, so I often used it in close quarters, along with the Imperial repeater. Really the Imperial Blaster and Imperial repeater were my two workhorses, while everything else served in a support fashion. My two choices for sniping weapons were the Bryar pistol, for its accuracy, and the concussion rifle, since it does splash damage. But with only two types of ammunition split across 5 guns(the Bryar pistol and Imperial blaster use one kind, while the bowcaster, Imperial repeater, and concussion rifle use the other), there just wasn't much point switching out beyond the two that I used the most.

While the weapons in DFII feel like a step back from DF to me, DFII includes force powers as Kyle Katarn learns to become a Jedi. I was initially hesitant to try these, as I prefer the grimier bounty hunters and mercenaries to the Jedi in Star Wars, but once I started using them, I found a lot to like. The mobility abilities are spectacular(though maxed out Force Jump can make you hurt yourself), and since I was on the light side, I abused Force Heal like you wouldn't believe, especially during boss fights. But others like Blindness...I just never saw the point. The powers vary in how useful they are, and once I had the four that I used the most maxed out...well, there wasn't much point to getting more stars for upgrading. I look forward to trying out the dark side powers, though I will miss Force Heal.

Now, there is one place where DFII excels, and that is level design. At first I wasn't too impressed with the game, but once you get into Ramses Hed, things change for the better. But the level that truly sold me on the design of DFII was one set on a falling, exploding starship that will crash and blow up in five minutes. You have to run like all get out, boxes are flying around, the perspective is all off, everything is crazy, and I had an absolute blast playing through it. That is one of the coolest levels I have ever played in an FPS, and for me it was the highlight, even moreso than climbing down the Imperial tower in Ramses Hed.

There are also some bosses which involve lightsaber duels scattered throughout... I wasn't a big fan of these, as most could be won by circle strafing your opponent and smacking him or her with your lightsaber over and over again. There are a few where you cannot easily do this, but even then it generally isn't that tough to beat them. The big exception are the last two boss fights, the first of which has a hopping opponent, and the last of which...well, apparently Katarn just completely forgot how to block. I still beat the uber baddie, but he handed me my butt more than once before I did it.

There are a few little things that irk me, such as Kyle Katarn's age(seriously, how old is he supposed to be? I think he got younger between games), and the game came out right before Half-Life, so it sits in a weirdly uncomfortable formative era for the FPS genre. I have to make several modifications to the game's controls to make it playable. But once I got into it, I found myself liking it, even with my complaints and Star Wars nerd rages. I look forward to doing my dark side run.

[alienjesus]

14. Star Wars Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight (PC)(FPS)

I own this, and will play it one day. PC controls are intimidating to me though!

I played through the sequel (Jedi Outcast) on Gamecube, which obviously isn't the optimal way to play it, but I enjoyed it well enough. I love the multiplayer in it! Ae you planning on playing that one too?

[Ack]

14. Star Wars Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight (PC)(FPS)

I own this, and will play it one day. PC controls are intimidating to me though!

I played through the sequel (Jedi Outcast) on Gamecube, which obviously isn't the optimal way to play it, but I enjoyed it well enough. I love the multiplayer in it! Ae you planning on playing that one too?

Not at the moment, but that is mostly due to access. Since GOG acquired a contract to put out LucasArts games, I managed to snag both DF games. If I can grab a copy of Outcast down the road, I'd be happy to give it a whirl.

Oh, and don't let the keyboard and mouse combo get you too flustered! It's not that hard once you start trying it out. I suggest talking to noiseredux about how he used WASD on kb+m for Quake.

[MrPopo]

Outcast was pretty decent. I felt like there was no point in using anything but the lightsaber once you got it in Outcast, but that's what I came for. Then Jedi Academy cuts out the first few levels that forced you to use guns and gives you two more lightsaber styles midway through the game.

[BogusMeatFactory]

You should try and find the Dark Forces II expansion pack, Mysteries of the Sith, which adds a third person perspective...although that perspective stinks.

[Exhuminator]

1. Devil's Attorney (Android) (strategy) (7/10)
2. Resident Evil 5 (360) (action adventure) (8/10)
3. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (360) (kart racer) (8/10)
4. Dragon Quest VIII (PS2) (JRPG) (9/10)
5. Gears of War (360) (cover shooter) (6/10)
6. Uncharted: Golden Abyss (Vita) (action adventure) (7/10)
7. Orcs & Elves (DS) (dungeon crawler) (7/10)
8. From The Abyss (DS) (action-RPG) (5/10)
9. Army of Two (360) (cover shooter) (7/10)
10. Psychic World (Master System) (platformer) (4/10)
11. Endless Ocean: Blue World (Wii) (adventure / simulation) (9/10)
12. Journey to Silius (NES) (platformer) (6/10)
13. Sword Master (NES) (platformer) (3/10)
14. Project: Snowblind (PC) (FPS) (7/10)
15. Yakyuuken Part II - Gal's Dungeon (Famicom) (maze / puzzle) (5/10)
16. Bishoujo Sexy Derby (Famicom) (horse racing) (2/10)
17. SiN Episodes: Emergence (PC) (FPS) (5/10)
18. Seirei Gari (AKA Ghost Hunter) (NES) (puzzle / adventure) (4/10)
19. The Guardian Legend (NES) (action-RPG / shmup) (9/10)
20. Prey (PC) (FPS) (7/10)
21. Ys IV: Mask of the Sun (SFC) (action-RPG) (4/10)
22. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (GameCube) (combat flight sim) (3/10)
23. Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand (SFC) (action-RPG) (7/10)
24. Bonk's Adventure (TurboGrafx-16) (platformer) (6/10)
25. Lost Kingdoms (GameCube) (CCG-Action-RPG) (8/10)

Lost Kingdoms was From Software's first foray into the virtual collectable card game genre. In doing so they crafted an action-RPG that is quite a unique experience. Honestly calling this game an RPG is a bit of a stretch. It's simply a real time action CCG + dungeon crawl with a super simple plot. What makes Lost Kingdoms shine though is its awesome strategic battle system. The more cards you collect, the more complex your deck, and the more strategy you can bring to the dungeons. Just throwing your cards around randomly will get you nowhere. You have to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, and know when to unleash a four star black dragon of death on an upstart witch. The dungeons themselves are a treat to explore thanks to excellent layout design and a unique puzzle aspect to each area. As you explore the dungeons you'll continuously find new cards to insert into your deck. And that's a good thing because without a properly managed deck you won't get very far, especially against the final boss.

Graphics unfortunately are a bit quaint even for their time, and the music overall isn't much to get excited about. The interface layout could have used some optimizations as well. And the threadbare plot doesn't do much to get the player invested in the story. You'll probably easily look past these issues though, as you eagerly battle your way through this game constantly looking for better and better cards to collect. You'll find plenty of joy in strategizing your cards and dealing your throws on bosses. The kingdoms in this game may be lost indeed, but the fun factor certainly isn't. It's pretty amazing how much From Software got right in their first game in this genre. So pick a card, any card, you'll likely have a good time.

@Sarge & Bone - My finish time was 8 hours 25 minutes. I did all story missions and apothecary optional missions. I did not do the post game missions though. Nice short "RPG" if you're still interested.

[Ack]

You should try and find the Dark Forces II expansion pack, Mysteries of the Sith, which adds a third person perspective...although that perspective stinks.

The GOG version actually comes with this, so I plan to play through it after my dark side run. From what I have read, dark side is also easier due to Force Throw.

[prfsnl_gmr]

From what I have read, dark side is also easier due to Force Throw.

The dark side is always easier...

[Exhuminator]

1. Devil's Attorney (Android | 2012 | strategy) (7/10)
2. Resident Evil 5 (360 | 2009 | action adventure) (8/10)
3. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (360 | 2010 | kart racer) (8/10)
4. Dragon Quest VIII (PS2 | 2005 | JRPG) (9/10)
5. Gears of War (360 | 2006 | cover shooter) (6/10)
6. Uncharted: Golden Abyss (Vita | 2012 | action adventure) (7/10)
7. Orcs & Elves (DS | 2007 | dungeon crawler) (7/10)
8. From The Abyss (DS | 2008 | action-RPG) (5/10)
9. Army of Two (360 | 2008 | cover shooter) (7/10)
10. Psychic World (Master System | 1991 | platformer) (4/10)
11. Endless Ocean: Blue World (Wii | 2010 | adventure / simulation) (9/10)
12. Journey to Silius (NES | 1990 | platformer) (6/10)
13. Sword Master (NES | 1992 | platformer) (3/10)
14. Project: Snowblind (PC | 2005 | FPS) (7/10)
15. Yakyuuken Part II - Gal's Dungeon (Famicom | 1989 | maze / puzzle) (5/10)
16. Bishoujo Sexy Derby (Famicom | 1988 | horse racing) (2/10)
17. SiN Episodes: Emergence (PC | 2006 | FPS) (5/10)
18. Seirei Gari (AKA Ghost Hunter) (NES | 1989 | puzzle / adventure) (4/10)
19. The Guardian Legend (NES | 1989 | action-RPG / shmup) (9/10)
20. Prey (PC | 2006 | FPS) (7/10)
21. Ys IV: Mask of the Sun (SFC | 1993 | action-RPG) (4/10)
22. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader (GameCube | 2001 | combat flight sim) (3/10)
23. Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand (SFC | 1995 | action-RPG) (7/10)
24. Bonk's Adventure (TurboGrafx-16 | 1990 | platformer) (6/10)
25. Lost Kingdoms (GameCube | 2002 | CCG-action-RPG) (8/10)
26. Bonk's Revenge (TurboGrafx-16 | 1991 | platformer) (6/10)

Bonk's Revenge didn't learn much from its TG16 predecessor "Bonk's Adventure". The same problems that game had its sequel does as well. Mainly lackluster level designs, slowly responsive jump controls, and bosses that take way too many hits to kill. However the same strengths persist as well, such as bright colorful expressive graphics and an upbeat whimsical OST. (At least this time the backgrounds have actual artwork, so that's an improvement.) Just as in the first game, with this sequel the developers are hiding amateur game design behind above average aesthetics. Thus with Bonk's Revenge, Bonk himself still had a long ways to go if he wanted to compete with Mario or Sonic. But if you just want to bash your skull into cute dinosaurs a lot, Bonk's Revenge is up to the task.