52 Games... 1 Year... 2024 Edition - The Bear and Badger

acemuzzy

Glad I was able to tee you up successfully

Moot_Geeza

hylian_elf

Why can't Jusant be 'better' than Alan Wake 2? Former looks interesting. Latter looks meh.

Moot_Geeza

Because Wake wins awards, looks mega sexy and has almost half a point of extra love on Metacritic??

I think Muzzy needs to show his workings here.

acemuzzy

Yes but I've played both and confirmed that AW2 is better

hylian_elf

But you enjoyed Jusant more, right?

acemuzzy

Nnggg

MyNameIsKrisG

Can I change my entry to be, 52 games I bought and didn't play in 2024?

Moot_Geeza

You'll be wanting THE PILE OF SHAME

Moot_Geeza

7. SIFU - PS5 (3hrs)

Another scrubman student ('easy') difficulty run that I thoroughly enjoyed. This is all I need from this wonderful game and I'll probably return for a third visit at an as yet unspecified date in the future. However you play it this is a cracking brawler. I don't have the dedication (or desire) to sink the hours into it that would be required to best the proper rogue-ish mode on the disciple ('normal') discipline, but I did finish the game at a much lower age than I did last time. Ergo I can see the skill gains over two playthroughs. Even though student mode doesn't really force you to git gud I definitely had a better handle on the bosses this time and I reckon I could give some of them a good kicking on the default difficulty now. Funk's not a fan of the bosses in this, and I can understand why, but I really liked the slow, measured approach to the big baddies as it gave those stand-offs more of a cinematic set piece/payoff feel.

Genuinely shocked to see that my PS5 is now approaching two years old (and also that one of the best games I've played on it runs at 60fps on PS4 and has since seen a decent Switch port, albeit one that's locked at 30fps). Mild next gen grumblings aside, this is just as good if not slightly better than I thought it was last time. [8]

kneecap

I tried Wild Hearts and NFS Unbound.

Bounced off both. I was tired but both suffered from just shut the fuck up and show me syndrome.

I have access due to EA Play 1 month sub so that devalues mentally in the first place but I'm both cases long intros just sucked the life from me.

I wish more games had arcade mentality and understand you need to capture attention asap.

The visuals and sounds in NFS are horrible as is handling and responsiveness. Is the anodyne burnout.

Wild hears had more promise but too much biting cutscenes. Just let me go explore.

hylian_elf

2. Chants of Sennaar (PS5) - 12 Jan (11hrs)
A chilled out puzzle adventure where you decipher glyphs to learn the languages of different sets of people to progress up what is essentially the Tower of Babel, with an art and play style reminiscent of games from the 80s /ealy 90s. As you delve deeper (or should I say ascend higher) into the game, there's more and more to the story and the connections between the people and a real life lesson
[8]

b0r1s

Added to Steam wish list.

hylian_elf

Yeah I'm suree it'll be pennies in a Steam sale before long, and it's a fairly short game.

Verecocha

1.Alan Wake 2 - Hours - 100/10 - Xbox Series X

My GOTY 2023, held off on posting as completed ‘The Final Draft’ mode too.

Not just my GOTG but joint GOTG for me. I thought for its genre and technically it was perfect and I wouldn’t change a thing. I started it a little after release but once I started I couldn’t put it down and what’s more had to 100% it as I just couldn’t get enough.

Cannot wait for the DLC and miss rushing home to play it because it was just that good.

Perfect at everything it set out to do for me, 10/10

2.Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 - 6/10 - Xbox Series X

As it is every year…it’s just more Call of Duty…which though was a little short this year, is absolutely fine with me as it’s just a video game blockbuster mental action romp with shooting that’s pretty much second to none on its scale. Would’ve liked a little more but that’s reflected in the score, was enough for me to have fun and the new missions which were set in a small multi layered map actually worked quite well.

6/10

Currently playing:
Star Wars: Jedi Survivor
Next up:
The Last of Us Part One

Verecocha

Double post…poo.

Moot_Geeza

Love a Vere 10. Good stuff.

Edit: wait, 100.

hylian_elf

so it’s not that good then, otherwise would’ve got 10000/10

Verecocha

Moot_Geeza wrote:

Love a Vere 10. Good stuff.

Edit: wait, 100.

hylian_elf wrote:

so it’s not that good then, otherwise would’ve got 10000/10

A BILLION OUT OF TEN!!

Also, everything is better now I spent a fortune on the Philips TV Hue stuff.

regmcfly

I've let It stew in my head, after my kneejerk reaction last night, and number one of the year is really gonna take a lot to best.

1. Alan Wake 2 - 25 hours, [10]

I don't quite know how to best explain or go about this write up because there's points where the playing of the game is secondary to *looks around* everything else. This is a game of absolute singular vision that simply does not get made these days to this level of polish and budget. There could be a chicken and egg discussion held around the plot and the return visits to places, but it doesn't really matter because it helps it be a solely videogame ass story.
Alan is rightfully a secondary (oho) presence here and Saga's story is properly interesting and motivating. I played on Story mode, which I regret nothing about - a shotgun felt like a shotgun on enemies and I still died a few times. Collecting items never felt like a chore, it felt like a
...
Lore *yeeeaaahhhh*

And I gained massive insight from It. My only ding against it would be the last boss fight, but that was because I didn't realise my inventory was full and I wasn't picking up health.

It's such a unique, bonkers, and inspiring game. I went back to Control on PS5 today because of it. Remedy remain probably my favourite developer (that one game aside) and I can't wait to get stuck into the DLC.

Stupid, stupid good. A Certified Gyatt.

Moot_Geeza

Stronk page for Alan.

hylian_elf

It’s really strange, but no matter how much praise I read for the game, it doesn’t make me want to play it. Dunno why.

afgavinstan

Bounced off the first, haven't gotten round to Control, remain a bit "hmmm" on AW2...

I'll get my coat.

regmcfly

hylian_elf wrote:

It’s really strange, but no matter how much praise I read for the game, it doesn’t make me want to play it. Dunno why.

It won't be for everyone. It's a merging of survival horror (tick for me) FMV (BIG TICK FOR ME), style that verges into the arch-knowing (I love a Wes Anderson) and this weird Scandi wrapping that merges into all of Remedy's works. I absolutely get why people wouldn't want to go near it, but it is a bit of a special cacophony for me.

regmcfly

afgavinstan wrote:

Bounced off the first, haven't gotten round to Control, remain a bit "hmmm" on AW2...

I'll get my coat.

Control is definitely the gateway drug to Remedy's "shit" where you will get the X Files / Twin Peaks etc vibes as well as their insistence on music. It's also still probably their best combat, and that fucking slaps. So if that doesn't vibe for you, the Remedy "flava" probably isn't for you.

The other bit of this is my genuine crush on Sam Lake and maybe he's a better Koj.

b0r1s

afgavinstan wrote:

Bounced off the first, haven't gotten round to Control, remain a bit "hmmm" on AW2...

I'll get my coat.

I bounced off the first after trying a couple times. Bounced off Control but then ended up loving it. Pretty sure this will come to the sub services later this year, will give it a go then.

Paul the sparky

Koj and Lake absolutely love the smell of their own farts, don't they? Lick their own fingers after a shite type of stuff. I can't get away with a big dollop of that in a game where a decent story and some good gameplay should be. Fuck knows why it tickles people's fancy. Same reaction to ASMR innit, I just don't fucking get it

regmcfly

regmcfly wrote:

I've let It stew in my head, after my kneejerk reaction last night, and number one of the year is really gonna take a lot to best.

1. Alan Wake 2 - 25 hours, [10]

I don't quite know how to best explain or go about this write up because there's points where the playing of the game is secondary to *looks around* everything else. This is a game of absolute singular vision that simply does not get made these days to this level of polish and budget. There could be a chicken and egg discussion held around the plot and the return visits to places, but it doesn't really matter because it helps it be a solely videogame ass story.
Alan is rightfully a secondary (oho) presence here and Saga's story is properly interesting and motivating. I played on Story mode, which I regret nothing about - a shotgun felt like a shotgun on enemies and I still died a few times. Collecting items never felt like a chore, it felt like a
...
Lore *yeeeaaahhhh*

And I gained massive insight from It. My only ding against it would be the last boss fight, but that was because I didn't realise my inventory was full and I wasn't picking up health.

It's such a unique, bonkers, and inspiring game. I went back to Control on PS5 today because of it. Remedy remain probably my favourite developer (that one game aside) and I can't wait to get stuck into the DLC.

Stupid, stupid good. A Certified Gyatt.

Just seen the first DLC is Night Springs which is going to be absolutely insane.

Time_on_my_hands

3. Returnal PS5 (6 hours so far)

I've a feeling this'll be my new Bloodborne - a game I gave up on 3 times before I finally worked out how to properly play it and it became one of my favourite games.
The atmosphere is ace but as a roguelike it just hasn't clicked with me, but then maybe I've been spoilt by Hades and Dead Cells.

What worries me is that I'm annoyed by each restart rather than feeling excited.

Minnesänger

Yeah, it’s really not that kinda roguelike, which I know is an issue for some people. It’s not the infinite build variety monster that we’ve seen before and instead works best as something see through for the story and experience. And…the really fucking good gameplay, like, stupidly good.

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