The Gaming Diary: Chapter 3

[Link41]

Duck Hunt (NES) - After figuring out that it had multiplayer. My kids have been taking turns "screwing each other over" controlling those damn birds.

[Seno]

Neo: the world ends with you (PC) - I thought this was a remaster of the TWEWY not a sequel, so..
The world end with you (DS) - I picked it up for the DS, one them games I always meant to get but never got round to it.

[Seno]

The world end with you (DS) - The OST Calling has been stuck in my brain for last 2 weeks
Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
Space Marine 2 (PC) - Damn shame they didn't get Mark Strong back to the voice of Titus

[shaggy]

I've been playing Red Dead Redemption 2.

[Link41]

Donkey Kong Jr. (NES) - The kids and I've been trying to one up each others high scores.

[Seno]

Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology (3DS) - Been looking for a good JRPG since I completed Tales of Berseria.
Bangai-O Spirits (DS) Been ages since I last played it and I now suck at the game
Mario Galaxy (Switch) I forgot how great this was, but use the pro-controller is talking some getting use too.

[Disposed Hero]

Been a while since I've checked in again so I'll mention some highlights:

The Legend of Heroes: Trails From Zero - These games always have slow starts, and this one kept a slow pace most of the way through. It really picked up toward the end though, and really left me intrigued for checking out the sequel sometime.

Earthbound - Finally got around to this for the SNES challenge and enjoyed it overall. Kind of a mixed bag overall for me, but some cool ideas and mechanics for sure. Definitely want to check out Mother 3 at some point.

The Messenger - Really enjoyed this!

BioShock Infinite - I love the first two BioShock games, but this one was kind of a slog for me to get through. Really feels like they dumbed down the overall formula a bit and went for more of a straightforward action FPS approach. It was alright, but really felt like a shallow successor to the first two.

Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii - You all know how much I love the Yakuza series, but this is probably my least favorite entry. It was fun and has its moments, but it's so off-the-wall bizarre that it sort of feels more like a glorified Yakuza substory than a full game, and it really doesn't do anything for the overall series' narrative.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Easy GOTY for me.

FF 1-4 Pixel Remasters - As a big lifelong FF fan, I guess it was about time I played some of these Pixel Remasters. I always enjoy 1 and 4. This was my first time playing 3, and it was ok. 2 still sucks no matter which version you play.

Persona 4 Golden - One of my all time favorite games, and my first time revisiting it since first playing it back in 2013. Even if P5 improved on the formula in many ways, I still love this one too. I do think it runs on a bit too long and probably could have done without the whole 'Golden' storyline addition at the end, but still had a great time with it.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 - Played through this with a friend, and it was alright. I felt like it started off pretty strong with the first mission, then just became pretty repetitive. Overall fun gameplay but could have used a bit more variety.

RoboCop: Rogue City - Fun game, but the AA production values really show at times. Kind of reminds me of something like Deus Ex at times.

Elden Ring: Nightreign - Fun to play with a friend or two. I try to do a solo run occasionally but I'm not really good enough to tackle it on my own. Interesting take on the Souls formula though, although I prefer the typical design to the roguelike structure.

Split Fiction - Played this with a friend and really enjoyed it. None of Hazelight's games hit as much for me as A Way Out, I think just because I like the more grounded crime-driven story, but there was an impressive amount of variety in this game. Definitely check it out if you've got a co-op partner.

Donkey Kong Bananza - Probably about 2/3 of the way through this one, and it's been a bit of a slog. The core gameplay is fun, but I felt like it got old pretty fast. Probably something like 90% of the game is just running and punching things, with the odd diversion thrown in here and there. 3D platformers are always pretty hit and miss for me, and I think this one just ended up being more of a miss, but it's really making me want to go back and play DKC Returns or Tropical Freeze, both of which I missed out on before.

Chibi-Robo - Been playing this online with a friend via the Switch 2 GC emulation. I didn't know what to expect with this one, but it's a fun and interesting game. Kinda jank but I'm enjoying it.

Pony Island - Weird little indie survival horror game made by the creator of Inscryption. I enjoyed it, but it had some annoying sections. Some really cool 4th wall breaking ideas though.

Heartworm - Little indie survival horror game that came out recently. Kind of a mixed bag, but I enjoyed it.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster - I've always really enjoyed the first two DR games and like to revisit them from time to time, but man does the first game have some annoying elements. The Deluxe Remaster is pretty much the exact same game but with some much appreciated QOL improvements. Survivor AI is slightly less dumb now which is nice, and autosaves feel like a godsend. Highly recommend this version.

Mafia: The Old Country - I've also always really enjoyed the Mafia series, and this one didn't disappoint. Kind of has a lower budget, almost AA, feel to it, but no biggie.

Alan Wake II - Currently playing this since it was recently added to PS+ and really enjoying it so far.

The Thing: Remastered - I've always been intrigued by this game but I'm pretty sure I've always heard that it wasn't very good.... but I'm really enjoying it! Not sure if they ironed out some of the rough spots with the remaster or I just heard some bad takes before, but I went into this with very low expectations and have been pleasantly surprised by it.

Silent Hill f - Haven't gotten very far into this one yet, and I'm not sure if I really like it yet or not. I do like the atmosphere and puzzle elements so far, but I'm not sure if I'm loving the combat. We'll see how it goes.

[Seno]

Mario Galaxy (Switch)
Bloodstained Ritual of the Night (Deck) Trying to avoid what I do in most metroidvania games, get stuck some where, think I'll come back to it later, take so long to pick it up again that I've forgotten everything and have to start again, then rinse and repeat.

...
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 - Played through this with a friend, and it was alright. I felt like it started off pretty strong with the first mission, then just became pretty repetitive. Overall fun gameplay but could have used a bit more variety.
...

Yeah, I was bit underwhelmed, the first space marine was bit of a b-tier game but it was load of fun. I don't think it helped that space marine 2 seems to want to force you into melee combat all the time. Only allowing you to carry a side-arm and rifle doesn't encourage experimenting with your loadout. plus most the bolters felt under powered anyway.

[Link41]

Super Mario Bros. (NES) - Been playing coop with the kids and having a blast.

[Link41]

Ice Hockey (NES) - The kids are starting to get better then me. I should be proud, but I'm also competitive lol.

[Seno]

Slime Rancher 2 (PC) - Started playing from the start now it hit the 1.0 release, it's a lot bigger the first game but I'm not sure if that's a god thing yet. It does turn my PC into an effective space heater, which is nice.
Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology (3DS) - Definitely my favorite JRPG since I completed Tales of Berseria

[Disposed Hero]

Donkey Kong Bananza - Finally finished this and I guess my thoughts are the same as before. It was alright but really didn't live up to my expectations considering all of the comparisons to Super Mario Odyssey. The core gameplay is fun for what it is, but it just feels kind of shallow when probably around 90% of the experience comes down to just punching the environment and looking for nanners. I think most of the experience really comes down to the collectathon aspect though which really isn't my thing.

Chibi-Robo - Still chipping away at this with a friend when we get around to it, and I'm really impressed with how dynamic this game feels. I'm not sure what all the triggers are for each 'event', but it just feels like there are several threads going at a time that I tackle in whatever order I choose, and I never know when I'm going to stumble onto the next. It's certainly not perfect, but it's such an interesting and quirky game, and something you'd never see these days outside of the indie scene.

Alan Wake II - This has been my primary game lately and I think I'm approaching the end. I'm trying to clean up all the trophy/collectible stuff for Saga since I'm at the point of no return for her chapters, but it's getting pretty tedious. Should probably just forget that stuff and move on but it's tough for me, haha. Still very much enjoying the game overall though.

The Thing: Remastered - Finished this and was very pleasantly surprised by it. Not what I would classify as a great game, but it was fun for what it was. There are some interesting gameplay mechanics here that would be very interesting to see further explored in a more modern game, or even a multiplayer experience.

Silent Hill f - Haven't touched this in a while since I'm waiting until I finish Alan Wake II before coming back to it, but it's still on deck.

Persona 3 Reload - Started this recently since I like to have a more 'chill' RPG type game going at any given time. I'm not very far into it yet, but I'm not feeling it so far. We'll see if it sinks its hooks into me once it really gets going though.

Death Stranding 2 - I played the opening of this and decided to put it on hold until I finish Alan Wake II. I really enjoyed the first game though so I have high hopes for this one. Possibly the most graphically impressive game I've played to date! I actually thought the opening landscape shots were live action footage until it zoomed in on the main character and then you see that it's the in-engine graphics.