2016 Completed Games List

[COMaestro]

Though I have completed it before on my PS3, I platinumed The Wolf Among Us Sunday night on PS4. The PS3 version would be really choppy when changing scenes, and I enjoyed the game enough to want to try the PS4 version, which I am happy to say resolved most of the issue, though the occasional stutter would occur.

I miss the days when I could just sit and play a game all day. And even if I took a vacation, my gaming time would not increase by very much. Yes, I love my wife and I love my kids, but they certainly don't leave me a lot of time to just do whatever I want.

Now I'm usually left with an hour or so in the evenings after the kids are in bed and even then I've usually got other things that need to be done so it's usually just a couple nights a week that I might get some gaming time in. Unless I decide to be stupid and stay up way too late, then I can get a few hours of gaming in (which I have done a lot more than I should of late). There's a reason that Arkham Knight lasted me from July to September, and MGS V from September to January. I just don't have that much time for gaming.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

XCOM 2

I'm going to keep my review short and sweet.
There are some things it does that are so drastically better than Enemy Unknown that it's unreal. That said, it feels less... cohesive or polished in a lot of regards.

That said, fun as can be, one of the best games I've played in ages.
9/10

 

[Master_Craig]

I miss the days when I could just sit and play a game all day. And even if I took a vacation, my gaming time would not increase by very much. Yes, I love my wife and I love my kids, but they certainly don't leave me a lot of time to just do whatever I want.

Now I'm usually left with an hour or so in the evenings after the kids are in bed and even then I've usually got other things that need to be done so it's usually just a couple nights a week that I might get some gaming time in. Unless I decide to be stupid and stay up way too late, then I can get a few hours of gaming in (which I have done a lot more than I should of late). There's a reason that Arkham Knight lasted me from July to September, and MGS V from September to January. I just don't have that much time for gaming.

Me too, man.

I mean... I don't have kids, nor do I have your responsibilities... but I still do have my own responsibilities that prevent me from gaming as much as I'd like to.

I work full time, I try to get to the gym three times a week and I go to judo three times a week. The latter, I kind of have to as I'm a kid's coach. Then I do freelance work (GR Strips) on top of my university studies, I spend time with my partner (who I live with anyway) and I have to do a few things around the house too, as anyone would normally do. During the week I might get to game for an hour or so, unless I, like you, stay up late, which isn't a good idea. When the weekend rolls up, I get more time to play games and I usually do. Still, I shouldn't complain too much about my lack of free time... I don't have kids.

When I was younger back in my full time uni days, oh those were the days... go to class three days a week, about three to four hours per class, work about two to three days a week on the weekends, stayed up to stupid hours in the night, playing single player games, playing multiplayer games with like minded friends etc. It was great and I do sometimes miss that freedom, that time and of course the games, but in all fairness... there was a very clear, obvious reason as to why I was single, overweight, unhealthy and had little to no direction or motivation.

It's funny. I'm glad I was able to change myself, but sometimes I do miss all that free time to play games.

 

[MattAY]

Completed Gone Home.

minor spoilers:

The anticipation of something jumping out at me was fucking intense. Because of all the reading material regarding poltergeists, and all the "DONT GO IN THE ATTIC" warnings I thought there was a ghost or something.

But nope....fucking nothing.
Stressful, because the story surrounding Sam is quite mundane. It got more interesting towards the end, but still not enough for it to warrant all the good reception it's received.

Didn't enjoy it really, glad it was free.

Didn't stop me from getting 100% trophies though - BOOOOSH!

 

[Ivory_Soul]

1. Halo 3: ODST (XONE) - I remember playing this when it came out on Xbox 360 and ACTUALLY falling asleep playing it. The game's hub world was a bad idea to extend game time. It could have just been DLC or an expansion for Halo 3. Not really missing much if you haven't played this.

Score: 7.5/10

2. Lara Croft GO (AND) - The best mobile game for 2015 HANDS DOWN. The graphics are great and the gameplay is very cerebral. LOVE IT.

Score: 9/10

3. Firewatch (PC) - A fantastic adventure game, in fact, one of the best I have played in years. While the ending fell short it was a great emotional roller coaster.

Score: 8.5/10

4. Rise of the Tomb Raider (PC) - I have to say this is one of the most beautiful games released for this generation. I was craving a game that could push my system to its limits since The Witcher 3 and my rig handled this wonderfully. The story was a bit on the iffy side, and it just wasn't as good as 2013's TR, but still a lot of fun.

Score: 9/10

5. That Dragon, Cancer (PC) - This was a shitty game, but a great story. I had real emotional connection with this game as I have a son on the way and it stirred up some emotions I didn't know I could feel. Everyone who has a kid or has gone through cancer or some sort of life threatening condition and survived should play this.

Score: 7/10

6. Stasis (PC) - One of the best point and click adventures I have ever played. Absolutely disturbing and horrifying game. Some of the most grotesque imagery I have seen in a game. This would have made headlines in the late 90's early 2000's. The story and voice acting are amazing, the atmosphere and ambiance are just killer. Anyone who has played Sanitarium should crank that up to 11 and then make it in space. Kind of an idea of what it's like.

Score: 9/10

7. Life is Strange (PC) - Life is Strange is one of the most memorable video game stories I can ever recall. The game is very nostalgic for me as I grew up in a small country town and this game just hits home. It reminds you of all your childhood adventures and makes you think about your own life and family. The game has a great soundtrack and you won't forget it.

Score: 8.5/10

 

[Ivory_Soul]

Completed Gone Home.

minor spoilers:

The anticipation of something jumping out at me was fucking intense. Because of all the reading material regarding poltergeists, and all the "DONT GO IN THE ATTIC" warnings I thought there was a ghost or something.

But nope....fucking nothing.
Stressful, because the story surrounding Sam is quite mundane. It got more interesting towards the end, but still not enough for it to warrant all the good reception it's received.

Didn't enjoy it really, glad it was free.

Didn't stop me from getting 100% trophies though - BOOOOSH!

Not quite sure how old you are, but the main reason why most people loved it was the 100% accurate replication of the 90's. It brought me back like I was a kid again in my own home. The atmosphere was amazing and the story was very touching. Glad you at least played it through and didn't jump on the "Feminist Agenda" bandwagon.

 

[Master_Craig]

I've downloaded Gone Home, but I'm not sure when I'll play it, let alone if. I'm having too much fun in Overwatch and thankfully I've gotten myself back into The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Blood and Wine.

At the very least, Gone Home is on the back burner waiting to be played, along with finishing off DOOM and playing episode three of Hitman.

 

[MattAY]

Completed Gone Home.


Didn't enjoy it really, glad it was free.

Didn't stop me from getting 100% trophies though - BOOOOSH!

Not quite sure how old you are, but the main reason why most people loved it was the 100% accurate replication of the 90's. It brought me back like I was a kid again in my own home. The atmosphere was amazing and the story was very touching. Glad you at least played it through and didn't jump on the "Feminist Agenda" bandwagon.

I'm 29, so grew up in the 90s certainly. I didn't feel the nostalgia trip like you did sadly, I'm from UK...maybe it didn't quite add up for me.
Whilst the Sam story was just tipping on interesting for me, I was actually more intrigued with her parents! Without spoiling too much more Craig, there were developments that got me wanting to know more about their relationship than any other in the game.
I was just mainly disappointed at the climax of the game.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

Hotline Miami 2

God... what a weird game. I don't just mean in terms of story, which was neat in its own way. I mean more along the lines of the design choices. I mean, the original was heavily melee focused, with guns being useful but uncommon, and the levels were tight to allow for creativity.

This one was the exact opposite. And it didn't work. At all.

There were about a half dozen levels that were frustratingly bad and obnoxious that it took away from the overall experience. Which is a shame, given that Hotline Miami was one of the most fun games I've played.

7/10

 

[Master_Craig]

PS4:

Life is Strange - 8 / 10
Dishonored: Definitive Edition - 8 / 10
Dying Light: The Following - 8.5 / 10
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - 9 / 10
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - 8.5 / 10
Hitman: Episode 1 - 8 / 10
Salt and Sanctuary - 8 / 10
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC - Hearts of Stone - 9.5 / 10
Fallout 4 DLC - Automatron - 6.5 / 10
Dark Souls III - 9 / 10
Ratchet and Clank - 8 / 10
Hitman: Episode 2 - 8.5 / 10
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - 9.5 / 10
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC- Blood and Wine - 9 / 10

I finished The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's final DLC piece, Blood and Wine. I really enjoyed it but I must admit, story-wise, I wasn't quite as satisfied as I was with the finishing of Hearts of Stone.

Regardless, this is an awesome piece of DLC, one of the best pieces of DLC I've ever played. Blood and Wine offers a completely brand new land to explore with new characters, setting, culture, environments, weapons, items, monsters etc. On top of that, some of the side quests have absolutely fantastic short stories.

The only issues I can think of were that a couple of the quests were a little lackluster (again when compared to Hearts of Stone) and the new "Grandmaster" level gear is a huge pain in the arse to get, to the point where players were exploiting an in-game bug to get more money.

That all being said, I was really impressed with Blood and Wine and I am sad to see it all end. Really enjoyed this.

9 out of 10.

 

[StudioTan]

Hotline Miami 2

God... what a weird game. I don't just mean in terms of story, which was neat in its own way. I mean more along the lines of the design choices. I mean, the original was heavily melee focused, with guns being useful but uncommon, and the levels were tight to allow for creativity.

This one was the exact opposite. And it didn't work. At all.

There were about a half dozen levels that were frustratingly bad and obnoxious that it took away from the overall experience. Which is a shame, given that Hotline Miami was one of the most fun games I've played.

7/10

No wonder I picked this one up for so cheap. I've yet to boot it up, though. It's just been loitering in my library.

There were about a half dozen levels that were frustratingly bad and obnoxious that it took away from the overall experience.

How so? Cheap AI or generic level design?

 

[Longo_2_guns]

Bad level design.

Let me put it this way. In HM1, the levels are tight and designed with melee weapons in mind. In HM2, nearly every level is wide open with a ton of glass, and everyone has guns. So more often than not, you'll be shot from outside your field of view, gg no re try again.

 

[Longo_2_guns]

The Witcher 3

After chipping away at it for about a year, I finally just hunkered down and finished it.

Honestly a fantastic game, one of the best I've played in ages.

 

[Master_Craig]

Nice work on The Witcher 3, Longo. It is an amazing game.

PS4:

Life is Strange - 8 / 10
Dishonored: Definitive Edition - 8 / 10
Dying Light: The Following - 8.5 / 10
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - 9 / 10
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - 8.5 / 10
Hitman: Episode 1 - 8 / 10
Salt and Sanctuary - 8 / 10
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC - Hearts of Stone - 9.5 / 10
Fallout 4 DLC - Automatron - 6.5 / 10
Dark Souls III - 9 / 10
Ratchet and Clank - 8 / 10
Hitman: Episode 2 - 8.5 / 10
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - 9.5 / 10
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC- Blood and Wine - 9 / 10
The Last of Us: Remastered - 9 / 10

Last night I finished off The Last of Us: Remastered for PS4, which is the second time I've played and finished it. The last time I played it when the remastered version came out two years ago. It still looks great, with a mostly solid frame rate, but after playing the likes of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, you can see how The Last of Us has aged. Makes me wonder... if they release a sequel to The Last of Us, how good is it gonna look?

I still love the story and the writing of this game, especially the performances of Ellie and Joel. The game play mechanics still holds up quite strong, but the stealth can be so easily manipulated, especially when dealing with human enemies. Get spotted? Run like hell, hide somewhere, enemies have no idea where you are. It gets funny too that you can hide and crouch-walk around almost any obstacle and never be seen.

Still... I find this game is a lot of fun. The clicker moments are intense and the combat is brutally satisfying. I didn't experience any bugs or glitches this time around and despite being the forth time that I've finished this game, I still really enjoyed it. 9 out of 10.

 

[Master_Craig]

PS4:

Life is Strange - 8 / 10
Dishonored: Definitive Edition - 8 / 10
Dying Light: The Following - 8.5 / 10
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - 9 / 10
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - 8.5 / 10
Hitman: Episode 1 - 8 / 10
Salt and Sanctuary - 8 / 10
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC - Hearts of Stone - 9.5 / 10
Fallout 4 DLC - Automatron - 6.5 / 10
Dark Souls III - 9 / 10
Ratchet and Clank - 8 / 10
Hitman: Episode 2 - 8.5 / 10
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - 9.5 / 10
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC- Blood and Wine - 9 / 10
The Last of Us: Remastered - 9 / 10
Dex - 6.5 / 10

I bought "Dex" on a whim just under two weeks ago. Dex is a game that was funded via a successful Kickstarter campaign, it came out last year to PC and this year it's been bought out to consoles as an "Enhanced" edition. It's a 2D, action RPG set in a futuristic cyberpunk setting, where the world is oppressed by mega corporations while hackers fight and rebel against them. Very much inspired by Blade Runner. In terms of game play, think Deus Ex meets Castlevania.

The game was... okay. I really liked the setting, the soundtrack and the sprite graphics. The hacking elements of the game, while it could get repetitive, was an interesting idea that plays like a space invaders-style mini game.

Using guns was absolutely atrocious. Hand to hand combat got extremely iffy and I found the game was riddled with bugs. Reoccuring bugs such as enemies becoming invincible and taking absolutely no damage and recoil, but still being capable of beating the shit out of you, forcing you to reload to your latest save file to try and fix the bug, which wasn't always a guarantee. I once had to reload three times in order to start hurting enemies again. The game tries to encourage the use of stealth, but stealth in the early stages of the game can be difficult and frustrating.

The voice acting was mostly bad (some of the talent was good though) and most of the writing for its average story was pretty bad. Without spoiling anything, the ending sucks. The game doesn't offer much in terms of choice but right near the end, it gives you a choice to essentially change its thirty second ending.

Once you're done with Dex, there's unfortunately nothing to go back to. No replay value, unless you feel like trying a different ending (you could easily do that with a different save file) or try the game again with different skills.

I shouldn't be so rough on Dex because it's a Kickstarter game, but this is the "Enhanced" edition of Dex. This is supposed to be an upgraded and fixed version. If it wasn't for all the frustrating bugs, as well as the annoying gunplay, this could have been a really cool game, even with its average story and bad voice acting.

6.5 out of 10.

 

[MattAY]

....it is done.....The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been platinumed!

AAAGGHH!!! YESSS!S

 

[Master_Craig]

....it is done.....The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been platinumed!

AAAGGHH!!! YESSS!S

Well Goddamn. Congratulations, MattAY.

 

[Master_Craig]

PS4:

Life is Strange - 8 / 10
Dishonored: Definitive Edition - 8 / 10
Dying Light: The Following - 8.5 / 10
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - 9 / 10
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - 8.5 / 10
Hitman: Episode 1 - 8 / 10
Salt and Sanctuary - 8 / 10
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC - Hearts of Stone - 9.5 / 10
Fallout 4 DLC - Automatron - 6.5 / 10
Dark Souls III - 9 / 10
Ratchet and Clank - 8 / 10
Hitman: Episode 2 - 8.5 / 10
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - 9.5 / 10
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC- Blood and Wine - 9 / 10
The Last of Us: Remastered - 9 / 10
Dex - 6.5 / 10
Mirror's Edge: Catalyst - 6.5 / 10

I finished Mirror's Edge: Catalyst the other day for PS4. I bought it on a whim off the PSN as it was half price.

It's better than the first game, but not by much. It's an average game at best.

The free running is pretty fun and it is an awesome feeling to get from point A to point B quickly and with style. The new grappling hook item that you get later in the game is pretty fun too. Since this game takes on an open world, sandbox approach, the game is less linear when compared to the original. The soundtrack is pretty cool, real synthetic cyberpunk theme going on.

The cut scenes look awesome, but they're poorly written and performed. The in-game graphics aren't that great either. Sure, the city of Glass looks nice and clean, but textures frequently have to load in and so many of the buildings honestly just look like plain, rectangular blocks. Sometimes it looks awful.

Combat can be really hit and miss. Sometimes it's really enjoyable and you feel bad arse as you knock the shit out of people, but sometimes it's repetitive and awkward, especially when facing off against multiple opponents.

The story is forgettable and the characters aren't really worth writing to. The story is an excuse to give the player a reason to free run, really. I can't tell if this story is a prequel or a reboot, because the story contradicts the plot of the original game, released eight years ago.

I didn't experience any bugs, so that's a plus.

The side quests are super boring. It's mostly just "go explore the city and collect all these token things". If you're into that, that's awesome, but if you're like me and not so into that, then you'll probably be done with the game after the eight or so hours it takes to finish.

Mirror's Edge: Catalyst has improved on the first game a fair bit, but honestly it's still an average game at best. The story and characters need work, the city of Glass could use more life, combat could have been deeper and they could have really used some more variety with the side quests.

6.5 out of 10.

 

[COMaestro]

Platinumed Grim Fandango on my PS4 recently. I only needed to check a guide a few times, as older adventure games had some really messed up logic. Frustratingly, two of the times I used the guide it turned out I was attempting the correct thing already, but due to either game glitchiness or just demanding exact precision, I was not progressing. After learning that I was, in fact, trying the correct thing, I kept at it in both instances and progressed.

Still, the game as a whole was quite fun. A little slow, as these kinds of games can be with backtracking back and forth over the stages to use newly found items in areas you have already been, but the humor in the game was so good it keeps you laughing most of the time.

The other game I platinumed recently is Zero Time Dilemma for my Vita. The conclusion to the Zero Escape series. It is pretty much impossible to not platinum by the time you finish the game as you need to see every single branch of the story to get to the real ending. There was a huge twist that I don't feel really worked because it just came out of nowhere and the ending is still a bit ambiguous, not desirable to the conclusion of a trilogy of games, but at least there was some closure since it was uncertain if this game was even going to be made.

All in all, if you like visual novels, the Zero Escape series is a fantastic bit of mind-fuckery with good puzzles and interesting characters.

 

[Master_Craig]

PS4:

Life is Strange - 8 / 10
Dishonored: Definitive Edition - 8 / 10
Dying Light: The Following - 8.5 / 10
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - 9 / 10
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - 8.5 / 10
Hitman: Episode 1 - 8 / 10
Salt and Sanctuary - 8 / 10
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC - Hearts of Stone - 9.5 / 10
Fallout 4 DLC - Automatron - 6.5 / 10
Dark Souls III - 9 / 10
Ratchet and Clank - 8 / 10
Hitman: Episode 2 - 8.5 / 10
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - 9.5 / 10
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt DLC- Blood and Wine - 9 / 10
The Last of Us: Remastered - 9 / 10
Dex - 6.5 / 10
Mirror's Edge: Catalyst - 6.5 / 10
Batman: The Telltale Series Episode 1 - Realm of Shadows - 8 / 10

I'm not really sure if this counts as a completed game, as it's episodic content... but I finished Batman: The Telltale Series first episode "Realm of Shadows" the other night. I kinda regret buying the season pass now, I probably should have just waited until the entire game was out, but oh well, there you go.

I really liked it. It's one of those games were the plot gets better as you get deeper into it. All the voice acting was really good and I love the Batman style music. The graphics are better than any Telltale game so far, but the animation can still look a little choppy.

When Batman fights, it's generally just quick time events... I haven't really noticed what happens if you fail the quick time, as Batman just kinda succeeds anyway?

It's interesting to play most of the episode as Bruce Wayne. There weren't really many puzzles, now that I think about it, save for one investigation scene but that's really a puzzle you can't fail.

I like it, and I want to see more soon.