Yeah I barely played anything. Let's get on with it.
3. Wargroove
I honestly would not fault Intelligent Systems if they wanted to sue over this game. With that said, I'm glad somebody took matters into their own hands and made a new Advance Wars for us. I didn't really have the time or concentration to complete the game, but it's impressively made and has some cool additions to the core gameplay of AW. Fog of War maps suck and are what ultimately made me stop playing. They are the water levels of strategy games, only worse.
I know i'm complaining, but Wargroove is really fun and you should try it if you like this genre or used to play lots of Advance Wars. You'll enjoy it.
2. Dragon Quest XI
Nothing too unexpected for a Dragon Quest game here, though the plot has more twists and turns than usual. It might be the best written game in the series, in fact. I really liked the main cast, and the world was fun to explore. It's interesting how well roaming monsters have integrated into Dragon Quest despite its reputation for sticking to JRPG standards. DQXI is a great game because it gives you so much freedom as to how you want to play. You can stay underleveled and enjoy the struggle, steamroll everything, try weird builds, self-restrict stuff... the team clearly wanted everyone to be able to play Dragon Quest however they wanted. My one main criticism there is that the game is far too easy until Act 3, where it spikes quite unfairly. This invalidates a lot of the choices you are given, at least to an extent.
Visually, the game is incredible; one of the best cartoony anime games out there. Musically, it's one of Sugiyama's worst, though not without some nice songs here and there. Mostly, the ones you hear all the time are for some reason the runts of the litter.
It's really good and you should play it!
1. Fire Emblem 4: Genealogy of the Holy War
Well, dang. This is my new favorite Fire Emblem title. The fun part is that it such a heavily flawed game in so many respects. Yet, it succeeds at something no other game in the franchise has: it actually feels like you're commanding a large army in a large-scale conflict spanning generations. It's pretty impressive how much gameplay-story integration is on display considering this came out in 1996.
The main problem with this game is that it's tedious beyond belief. You'll spend hours in battle preps and arenas, turns take ages, enemy phases are slow, and every map took me about a week to finish in real time since I could only play about a turn per session. I'm telling you that against all odds, I think that made the game better in some ways. You should play FE4 if you want to truly get immersed in the grand scale of fantasy combat the series centers on. Don't expect any of the nice features from later titles. It don't play that way.
Oh yeah, and I loved getting to play as my army's kids in the second half of the game. That was just an incredible, bold idea. Well played, Kaga. Sorry you had to plagiarize your own series after they kicked you out and all. You've earned my respect!
Friday, December 20, 2019
Games of the Decade (2010s)
This was a decade of massive changes for me. When I looked back at everything, I was surprised at how I found myself ordering these, but I guess I have to be honest. There are so many titles I still want to play and in fact may never get to, and some I frankly missed the hype train on. Going to limit myself to 50 words per game! I realize that 29 is a weird amount of games, but this is how things turned out and it's how I'm gonna leave it.
29. Mario Kart 8
This is a Mario Kart game
28. Kirby's Return to Dreamland
Multiplayer Kirby is fun, enough said. It's the kind of thing you can play with someone of any skill level and enjoy.
27. Shin Megami Tensei IV
The first dungeon is incredibly memorable, and the atmosphere of ruined Tokyo as well. I remember really enjoying this game, but it hasn't stuck in my mind as much as Nocturne or Strange Journey.
26. Dangan-Ronpa
I'm not as crazy about this as some people, but I do think it's a good title in the Escape Room genre. Very silly and fun (maybe too much sometimes)
25. Radiant Historia
Unique, compelling little RPG. Lacking a bit in a wow factor that has me remembering it overly fondly years later, but it's one of the better takes on time travel out there in a game of this type.
24. Super Mario Maker
It does what it says, and I had no complaints. Fun times here.
23. Pokemon Black & White
The best Pokemon has been so far, in my opinion. Forcing the player to start from square one instead of relying on what they were used to was genius. The game also plays smoother than most other games in the series. Story is a swing and a miss but at least they tried.
16. Zero Escape II: Virtue's Last Reward
This game will break your brain with its revelations. It tells a completely convoluted story quite well, and is probably the best game in the series objectively speaking. (I may prefer the first a little)
15. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
About as good as we can expect from a follow up to one of the greatest games ever made. I enjoyed all the changes made to the Zelda formula here and thought the dungeons were very well-designed.
14. South Park: The Stick of Truth
You have to be a fan of SP, but if you are, there's nothing quite like this. Amazingly spot on, and the combat is fun as well.
13. HuniePop
After a certain point you get addicted to the actual gameplay. This game proves dating sims still have something to them despite basically not changing since the 90s. It's also so tongue in cheek you can't help laughing along with it.
12. Dragon Quest XI
I can respect a lot of fans thinking this is the best DQ, even if I don't feel that way. The first two Acts are excellent, and the third feels unneeded. The out of combat stuff is a ton of fun, for sure, and I liked the characters a lot.
11. Dragon's Dogma
It's sprawling, fun, and will make you laugh, intentionally or no. Totally unbalanced yet somehow redeemable and exciting.
10. Katawa Shoujo
A game that really shouldn't be this memorable and shouldn't have hit me as hard as it did. Probably one of the best games about romance ever made, not that there is a ton of competition.
9. Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Path
One of the best AA games! A great character study of Miles Edgeworth. If I have any criticisms, it's a bit slow and repetitive, but I think it's worth putting up with that to play the most tightly constructed narrative in the series.
8. Nier
While it's definitely not a perfect game, it changed the way I think about storytelling in games and gameplay-story integration. Nier truly solidified Taro as an auteur game designer as well. The OST is my album of the decade, incidentally.
7. Persona 5
This game really makes you angry about the injustices young people face all over the world, and it actually manages to feel like a story set in the present day without it being gimmicky. Better than P4? Up to you, I guess.
6. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Takumi probably isn't topping this. A truly creative mystery and puzzle game that manages to tell a great story while also popping like a Saturday morning cartoon.
5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
I think people will come around on it. Amazing stealth gameplay with lots of different ways to approach things, and a fascinating story about myth and identity in the current era.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Solves the problem of open world games being too complicated by being a Zelda game at its core. It finally delivers on the promise of the original Zelda as well.
3. Dark Souls
2. Bloodborne
1. Undertale
Every indie game developer wishes they could have come up with something as clever and beautiful as this. It makes me look back with some regret, but also happiness that somebody pulled off the dream!
29. Mario Kart 8
This is a Mario Kart game
28. Kirby's Return to Dreamland
Multiplayer Kirby is fun, enough said. It's the kind of thing you can play with someone of any skill level and enjoy.
27. Shin Megami Tensei IV
The first dungeon is incredibly memorable, and the atmosphere of ruined Tokyo as well. I remember really enjoying this game, but it hasn't stuck in my mind as much as Nocturne or Strange Journey.
26. Dangan-Ronpa
I'm not as crazy about this as some people, but I do think it's a good title in the Escape Room genre. Very silly and fun (maybe too much sometimes)
25. Radiant Historia
Unique, compelling little RPG. Lacking a bit in a wow factor that has me remembering it overly fondly years later, but it's one of the better takes on time travel out there in a game of this type.
24. Super Mario Maker
It does what it says, and I had no complaints. Fun times here.
23. Pokemon Black & White
The best Pokemon has been so far, in my opinion. Forcing the player to start from square one instead of relying on what they were used to was genius. The game also plays smoother than most other games in the series. Story is a swing and a miss but at least they tried.
22. Super Smash Bros Ultimate
It's the best one since Melee. Oops, Melee is still better.
21. Bravely Default
One of the better traditional RPGs of the decade, even if it goes completely insane lategame. The updated job system is great, and REVO's soundtrack is amazing.
22. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call
The best Final Fantasy game of the decade. (lol) I know it's just a dumb rhythm game, but man, I probably played it way more than I should have. Super fun to just pick up and groove to FF tunes with.
21. Nier: Automata
Taro aims big and mostly succeeds here, at least in terms of narrative and presentation. The gameplay itself is essentially garbage, but it's worth slogging through to enjoy where Taro takes you. I don't think the game is for the faint of heart.
20. The Walking Dead
I fell out of love with this after the sequels, but after watching someone else play and respond to it, I remembered just how effective the original was! For sure, TellTale never recaptured the lightning in a bottle on this one. Gripping and harrowing to play.
19. Dark Souls 3
There was still a little fuel in the DS fire at this point. DS3 has some memorable bosses and it's darn pretty, but something is definitely missing compared to the heyday of the series. Nonetheless, it has great gameplay and plenty of replay value.
18. Xenoblade Chronicles
Massive, lovingly made, with amazing music for the most part. It's for sure overlong, but well worth experiencing for any RPG fan. I don't think I could ever 100% it.
17. AM2R
The best Metroid game of the decade!
This game will break your brain with its revelations. It tells a completely convoluted story quite well, and is probably the best game in the series objectively speaking. (I may prefer the first a little)
15. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
About as good as we can expect from a follow up to one of the greatest games ever made. I enjoyed all the changes made to the Zelda formula here and thought the dungeons were very well-designed.
14. South Park: The Stick of Truth
You have to be a fan of SP, but if you are, there's nothing quite like this. Amazingly spot on, and the combat is fun as well.
13. HuniePop
After a certain point you get addicted to the actual gameplay. This game proves dating sims still have something to them despite basically not changing since the 90s. It's also so tongue in cheek you can't help laughing along with it.
12. Dragon Quest XI
I can respect a lot of fans thinking this is the best DQ, even if I don't feel that way. The first two Acts are excellent, and the third feels unneeded. The out of combat stuff is a ton of fun, for sure, and I liked the characters a lot.
11. Dragon's Dogma
It's sprawling, fun, and will make you laugh, intentionally or no. Totally unbalanced yet somehow redeemable and exciting.
10. Katawa Shoujo
A game that really shouldn't be this memorable and shouldn't have hit me as hard as it did. Probably one of the best games about romance ever made, not that there is a ton of competition.
9. Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Path
One of the best AA games! A great character study of Miles Edgeworth. If I have any criticisms, it's a bit slow and repetitive, but I think it's worth putting up with that to play the most tightly constructed narrative in the series.
8. Nier
While it's definitely not a perfect game, it changed the way I think about storytelling in games and gameplay-story integration. Nier truly solidified Taro as an auteur game designer as well. The OST is my album of the decade, incidentally.
7. Persona 5
This game really makes you angry about the injustices young people face all over the world, and it actually manages to feel like a story set in the present day without it being gimmicky. Better than P4? Up to you, I guess.
6. Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective
Takumi probably isn't topping this. A truly creative mystery and puzzle game that manages to tell a great story while also popping like a Saturday morning cartoon.
5. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
I think people will come around on it. Amazing stealth gameplay with lots of different ways to approach things, and a fascinating story about myth and identity in the current era.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Solves the problem of open world games being too complicated by being a Zelda game at its core. It finally delivers on the promise of the original Zelda as well.
3. Dark Souls
I know everyone is going to list this, and I'm just going with the crowd, but I truly think Miyazaki-san monumentally changed the way everyone sees games, and more importantly made something that is truly fun to play at the same time.
2. Bloodborne
You know a game is amazing when your fear of blood doesn't even prevent you from enjoying it. I wish I could have played it a hundred more times, and I would have if it had come out when I was younger.
1. Undertale
Every indie game developer wishes they could have come up with something as clever and beautiful as this. It makes me look back with some regret, but also happiness that somebody pulled off the dream!
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