Category Archives: Games played

September Games

Only the one completion this month, but it’s been a busy one for everything else. I managed to get away to various locations along the coast for three separate breaks. Well two breaks and a mini-triathlon anyway.

Games completed this month

Botany Manor – Xbox Series X

This month’s game played to complete Xbox Reward quests. I quite like having something chilled to progress a bit at a time, and this was very mellow. Not particularly challenging but a few interesting puzzles along the way and these plants lived a lot longer than any I’ve attempted to keep alive in the real world.

Games played during September

Returnal – PS5

Dabbled a bit more with this but haven’t made any real progress. Got a bit distracted playing shmups and now I fancy a change of pace for a bit.

Caladrius Blaze – PS4/5

Played while revisiting some of my old shmups, creepy artwork aside (that you can thankfully disable), this is a pretty entertaining time. Gradually chipping away at completions with the different characters though I’m unlikely to be getting any single credit completions any time soon.

Castlevania Advance Collection – Nintendo Switch

With the recent release of the Castlevania Domunius collection, which collates the previously Nintendo Switch exclusive Castlevania games, I managed to stop myself from buying it immediately by going back and playing this one. I made a start on Castlevania Aria of Sorrow which I should really try and finish before I get the new collection.

Cocoon - Xbox GamePass - September Games

Cocoon – Xbox Series X

After finishing Botany Manor, this was the next GamePass game up for daily progress. I’m enjoying it, but not as much as their previous games, Limbo and Inside.

Assault Android Cactus - September Games

Assault Android Cactus – Xbox Series X

More shmup good times, this time one I originally played on Steam. I picked up the Xbox version some time ago and in my head I was sure I’d finished it. Discovered recently that I was barely half way though, so have been dropping back in.

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – Xbox Series X

Which brings us to the change of pace. It’s been a while since I played an RPG, and I really enjoyed the first game so I figured I’d check out the sequel while it’s on GamePass. Enjoying it so far, but I’ve only just got to the Strategy elements so we’ll see how well I stick with it now.

What’s been on the arcade?

I have mostly just played a bit of Yie Ar Kung Fu. The cab hasn’t been on a great deal, mostly because I’ve been away so much.

Games purchased this month

Laptop (not really a game, but still)

In the ongoing saga of me trying to establish a system to use my Sinden light guns that could perhaps be built into my next arcade cabinet, I figured out it would be cheaper to use my existing gaming PC to power this, and just replace it with a cheap system that I could use as a desktop PC for the bits of browsing and any creativity etc. I might do. I was originally looking at mini pcs, but realised a laptop hooked up to the docking station I use with my work laptop would give me much more flexibility. After a bit of research I found a good deal on a Lenovo IdeaPad, it’s a 16″ Laptop with AMD Ryzen 5 cpu, RTX 3050 gpu and, 512 GB ssd. It’s just enough of a gaming machine if I do want to play some strategy games at my desk, but now my main PC is in the lounge thinking it’s a console. At some point I need to start configuring it for the guns.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

August Games

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Played quite a bit this month, as well as falling down a rabbit hole of older games too. I had a couple of weeks to myself before starting a new job in the middle of August so there was plenty of time for games. I also realised I could backdate my account on How long to beat? with records of games I played prior to creating it, using my Xbox achievements and PlayStation trophies. It now has a fairly accurate picture of everything I finished since 2007. Probably not the most productive use of an afternoon, but I do enjoy me some stats.

Games completed this month

Open Roads – Xbox Series X

This was next Xbox title up to tick along the achievements for the Xbox rewards. A fun little story, I love GamePass for stuff like this that I probably wouldn’t have bought otherwise.

Dredge: The Pale Reach – Xbox Series X

This DLC had a nice sale so I picked it up and played through the story. I do still want to go back and mop up side quests etc. I think they’ve sneaked out some more DLC as well though.

SEGA Fighting Games – Xbox 360 / Series X

Apologies for lifting someone’s video thumbnail for this image, but it very nicely covered the three games I played. In my visit to my Xbox back catalogue, I realised I’d bought all these games, and barely played any of them. I put that to rights, hooked up the fight stick and spent a couple of hours playing all three of Virtua Fighter 2, Sonic the Fighters and Fighting Vipers, and getting all the achievements on each. Sonic is a bit of a novelty but the other two hold up really well.

NeoGeo Battle Coliseum – Xbox 360 / Series X

Didn’t even remember buying this, but while I was playing the fighting games I clocked this too. Didn’t go after all the achievements though, they were a bit more involved and also included some online stuff.

Who Shot Johnny Rock? – Arcade / Pi4

As planned last month, I set up my spare Raspberry Pi4 with the “Barebones” Batocera image for my Sinden lightguns. It was all as straightforward as I’d hoped, and I was soon playing even more games on my modern tv. I used to love Who Shot Johnny Rock? on the CDi, but even better I now have the HD version of the arcade game. Highly entertaining to play through, Mad Dog McCree next then!

Games played during August

Returnal – PS5

Last month’s pick up, I’ve made a bit of a start with this. Really love how it feels to play, and it looks incredible. Very difficult though with the roguelike elements so we’ll see how much progress I actually make with it. I’ve managed to defeat one boss and get to the second so far.

Tatsunoko vs Capcom Ultimate All-Stars – Wii / SteamDeck

Dabbling with emulation on my SteamDeck, I can now play this Nintendo Wii exclusive without having to set up the Wii itself. It’s a really fun versus fighter, even if I don’t really know the Tatsunoko characters very well. I’d love to see more of these things or just a new Marvel or SNK vs Capcom would be nice. Also playing on the Deck meant I could play it with a proper fight stick, as I discovered the one I bought for the Switch works perfectly on there. I even printed new art for it and got my Cricut machine to cut it out for me.

It seems to be getting harder to get hold of, but this is the stick I have*. It doesn’t really say much about connecting to anything other than a Switch, but it just showed up on my SteamDeck as a bluetooth controller and worked perfectly.

Tekken 7 – Xbox Series X

This month we apparently played fighting games. I dabbled a bit with the single player content in Tekken 7, it’s good fun but a bit late to be getting into it really. I’ll probably pick up 8 but may wait for a decent discount or some kind of bundle with DLC characters.

Raiden V – Xbox Series X

While the stick was hooked up it seemed like a good idea to play a shmup too. I know Raiden V isn’t very well regarded but I enjoy it for what it is.

Forza Motorsport – Xbox Series X

I also gave this another try. I played through a couple more of the cups, racing remains great fun but the career mode is so dull. I’ll probably drop back into it on occasion, thanks to my new purchase below I’ve got the space to keep it installed anyway.

CYGNI – PC

I heard good things about this prior to release, and it was free on the Epic Game Store at launch so I was looking forward to getting stuck in. Sadly I really didn’t enjoy it. I was expecting something a bit more traditionally arcade, but it’s something else. The controls are a bit erratic and the systems seem designed around you being expected to crash so there are loads of shields. That’s not really my bag. A pity.

Geometry Wars 3 – Vita & PS4/5

Fortunately, conversations with a friend involved us digging out our PlayStation Vita systems and tinkering with those. I spent 20 minutes faffing through the things I had installed on there, then 2 hours playing Geometry Wars 3. Annoyingly the leaderboards and trophies are separate on the PS4/5 version, and I wanted to play on the big screen so I moved over to that one. I did complete the campaign mode a while back but there are achievements and high scores to chase so I’ve been doing a bit of that.

What’s been on the arcade?

Thanks again to the purchase below, I freed up the external SSD drive I was using for backwards compatible games on my Xbox Series X. I swapped this with the slower drive in my arcade. The startup time and loading on the bigger games is much improved. Some individual games may need tweaks to their controls but I pretty much have it all configured how I want it. There are now video clips for all games on there which makes for a nice random attract mode when it is idling. I’ve also set up a few systems I didn’t have access to before.

It’s taken me far too long to properly get into RetroAchievements, but now I have, they’re set up on my arcade machine, my SteamDeck emulators and my lightgun build. Nice to have even more stats and goals to chase when playing classic games. This is my profile for it, I should add it to the gaming page on here too.

For the first time in ages, I also got back to the Ten Pence Arcade monthly game, they are playing Yie Ar Kung Fu, which was my favourite game on the Commodore 16 when I was about 5 years old.

Games purchased this month

2TB Storage Expansion for Xbox

Not a game as such, but I finally upgraded the storage for my Series X. This is mostly inspired by me changing internet provider. My download speed is dramatically slower than it was, so I wanted to go back to having everything I might want to play installed, so I don’t have a day to wait when I decide to play something new.

These* seem to have had a bit of a price drop recently, still pricey though.

Games retired in August

World of Warcraft – PC

Well I did it, about two weeks before the two months of game time expired, I got bored of WoW again. Very much enjoyed myself while I was playing it though. At least not wanting to carry on playing has saved me from buying another expansion and renewing the subscription.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

July Games

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Completions continue, I spend more time playing around with the SteamDeck and most importantly the arcade machine gets a boost.

Games completed this month

McPixel 3 – Xbox Series X

As speculated last month, I did go on to 100% this so as per the rules I entirely made up myself, that counts as another completion.

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story - June Games

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story – SteamDeck

Even better than the Atari 50 pack from last month, I really enjoyed this journey. Plenty of stuff I didn’t know in the documentary content and now a great compilation of Llamasoft classics to continue playing on my SteamDeck.

As Dusk Falls – Xbox Series X

Played the entirety of this through with two friends in local co-op over a weekend. Very much enjoyed the experience of a shared “choose your own adventure”. I’d quite like to see more of this style of storytelling.

Games played during July

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight- PC

I’ve continued to play WoW this month, and spent a bit more time with the actual Dragonflight content. I’ve really enjoyed it, but where I was thinking about grabbing the new expansion when it launches towards the end of August, I think I’m starting to drift away again. The bundle I picked up in June was great value for me, but don’t think I’ll be renewing the subscription when my 60 days is up. Maybe when there is a promo on the next expansion…

A Way Out – Xbox Series S

After finishing It Takes Two last week, my girlfriend and I were after something similar. What better than the developers previous title, A Way Out. It’s a shorter game and a bit more of a ‘mature’ theme, I’m enjoying playing it again.

Streets of Rage 4 – Xbox Series X

Had a couple of friends over at mine, so naturally we reached for a brawler. We played turtles last time and felt like a return to Streets of Rage. Quite looking forward to “Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind” now.

Sea of Survivors – SteamDeck

I got a new SteamDeck TV dock*, and coupled with some convienient bluetooth controllers (namely my Switch Arcade Stick and the otherwise redundant Google Stadia pad) it is now working great for pc games on my sofa. I immediately got addicted to this, another excellent Vampire Survivors clone, with a pirate theme.

*I went for this JSAUX dock as it was half the price of the official one from Valve and seems well regarded online.

What’s been on the arcade?

“Big” news on the arcade front, as I finally put the Raspberry Pi5 to use that I picked up back in November. While I have dabbled a bit with it running my Sinden guns, it wasn’t ideal. I had been waiting for a proper image release of RetroPie but that still seems a way off so I explored alternatives. I have moved over to Batocera Linux for the software on the machine, and the Pi5 is happily now installed and running well. Lots to do in setting up various emulators to get it fully up to where the old setup was, but it is already benefitting from the increased power.

Next month I’ll also move the old Pi4 from the cab into the lounge to use with the guns, as there is a dedicated image for that model which should tide me over till I get a PC setup for them.

Games purchased in July

The Eternal Castle – SteamDeck

Been meaning to pick this up since playing it at my friend’s last year. It was a matter of pence on Steam this month, and a perfect fit for playing on the SteamDeck.

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions – Steam

A bit of an experiment this one. Pitched as a gamified focus tool, with things to help improve concentration. The jury is out, but it is cute.

Alan Wake’s American Nightmare – Xbox 360

I think this one passed me by because I didn’t think it had any proper story content. After playing Alan Wake 2 recently, I decided I wanted more of that and this popped up in a Backwards Compatibility sale on the Series X for £3.

Returnal – PS5

I’ve been curious about this PS5 launch title since I first saw it. Returnal is from Housemarque, one of my favourite developers. It is a bit of a departure from the arcade style shmups I love, and is instead a 3rd person shooter with Roguelike elements. It was the rogue design that put me off from picking it up sooner, but after really enjoying Dead Cells and (for a while) Hades, it seemed time to give it a chance. Also I got the physical edition* when trading in some other games, so I can always sell it on if I don’t enjoy it.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

June Games

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Few more games completed in June including one pretty much by accident. Oh and a bit of a relapse… Oops.

Games completed this month

McPixel 3 – Xbox Series X

This is the sort of accidental completion. I have been using this game for it’s abundance of achievements to progress the daily Microsoft Reward challenges. These have pretty much funded my GamePass Ultimate subscription for a while, and the game is amusing. I was quite surprised when the credits rolled because I’d finished it, but there we are. There are still achievements left though so I shall continue, and maybe even 100% it.

Atari 50: the Anniversary Celebration – Xbox Series X

A weird thing to record as a completion, but decided to since it is presented as a sort of ‘play-a-long’ documentary. Over the course of about 3 hours I went through the Atari timeline, which includes archive video footage and interviews, photos and other resources. As you go along, the games that are being discussed are playable so you can check them out before moving on. The format is excellent.

I picked this up digitally, but there are decent prices for physical console editions here*

God of War: Ragnarök – PS5

Managed to finish the story this month. Really enjoyed this sequel, but not sure I’ll do any more of the side open world stuff. I remember saying I was going to do that with the last game when I rolled credits, but I never loaded that up again either.

Picked this one up physical myself, mostly knowing that I’ll trade it in now I’ve finished it. Available on Amazon*

It Takes Two – Xbox Series S

We completed It Takes Two, the decision now is to whether we should go back and find the mini games we missed, or move on to something else.

Played on GamePass – but if discs are your thing*…

Alan Wake 2: Night Springs – PS5

I played my friends copy of Alan Wake 2 when she generously shared her game library with me. It seems she had also bought the Deluxe Edition, so when the new DLC content surprise released this month, it popped up on my console to play. The whole thing is about 2.5 hours long, and is presented as 3 episodes of the in-game TV show “Night Springs” (it’s a kind of weird anthology series like The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits). It’s all good fun and in keeping with the tone of the game, and the final part of it is superb.

Games played during June

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story – SteamDeck

From the same team that brought us the Atari 50 collection above, this is presented in the same style. Jeff Minter and Llamasoft has long been my favourite developer, so this was a guaranteed pick up for me. It runs really well on the SteamDeck so I started going through it a bit on there while I was away for a few days. The documentary elements are really good, but the extra shine here is having some of my favourite games on the go.

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Remix- PC

Well, I returned. I’ve included the purchase below anyway, but also putting here since I’ve already put 20+ hours in. I had been meaning to play Dragonflight when I picked it up, but have found myself playing the new Timerunner content, “Mists of Pandaria Remix”. I don’t know how long I’ll stick with it again, but if I’m still enjoying it there is a strong chance I’ll grab the new expansion in August.

Games purchased in June

World of Warcraft: Welcome to Azeroth – PC

After seeing the trailer for the next WoW expansion “The War Within” which is due in August, I knew I was at risk of considering a return to the game. Enter Blizzard with this perfectly timed “Welcome to Azeroth” bundle, which lumped 2 months of game time, a character boost and the last expansion “Dragonflight” together. The last expansion I played was “Legion” so I have plenty of content to visit. If I can stop playing the Pandaria event.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

May Games

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Almost didn’t buy any games this month, just spent a few quid on the latest Vampire Survivors DLC. Played a couple of other games though.

Games completed this month

Dredge – Xbox Series X

Very much enjoyed this, at some point I’ll probably pick up the extra content and go mop up the achievements. I think this game finished my attempt to play Sea of Stars though, since it completely took over all I wanted to play, and I really didn’t want to go back to that after.

Vampire Survivors – Operation Guns

The only “game” I bought during May, and I’ve already finished it. Always up for more Vampire Survivors content, I expect I’ll keep buying it as long as they keep making it. This one was based on the Contra series of games, entertaining for about 4 hours worth of content.

Games played during May

God of War: Ragnarök – PS5

It’s been long enough since I bought this that I decided it was time to get to it. Mostly to keep myself from buying Spiderman 2 and playing that instead. Not far in yet, but it is just as impressive as the previous game.

It Takes Two – Xbox Series S

Restarted this with my girlfriend, it really is a masterpiece of co-op gaming. Previously played as an online game, it is even better played locally on one machine. I might need a replay of A Way Out after.

What’s been on the arcade?

Sinden Light Guns – Arcade

My lightguns continue to distract from arcade gaming. I’ve half-assed a setup on my lounge TV using my Raspberry Pi5. It’s not perfect, but it is playing PlayStation and Dreamcast games very well. I’ve spent a decent amount of time playing Time Crisis, Point Blank, House of the Dead 2 and Virtua Cop 2. Eventually I’ll set the rest of the stuff up. Maybe. At least for now I’m making use of the Pi5 too.

Games retired this month

Sea of Stars – Xbox Series X

I did make a decent amount of progress with this, but it never really got its hooks into me. Decided to move on.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

April Games

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Ticked off a couple of completions and played a few games. Most importantly though, my lightguns arrived so I can start feeling guilty that I’m not playing with them enough considering what they cost…

Games completed this month

Alan Wake 2 – PS5

As suspected / definitely already known last month, I finished Alan Wake 2 at the start of April. What a fantastic game, the blend of live action and music to the game hasn’t been so well done since 7th Guest. Mildly tongue in cheek perhaps, but the technology has come quite a way since I was playing on the Philips CD-i.

Hades – Xbox Series X

I completed my first run on Hades last month. I played a few more hours, but didn’t clear it again. Seems I’m a bit inconsistent with the various weapons. Unlike with Dead Cells, Hades doesn’t have me itching to keep progressing though, and I lost interest. Very much enjoyed myself getting that far, but I’m done now.

Games played during April

Sea of Stars – Xbox Series X

Made a bit of a start with this after wrapping up Alan Wake 2. I do like the setting and combat, but hasn’t quite got its hooks into me yet.

Diablo 4 – Xbox Series X / S

My girlfriend and I have started playing this in co-op. I’m playing a necromancer and her a druid. We’re not all that far in and enjoying it so far. I’m glad it’s on GamePass though, not sure I’d have paid for it.

Forgive Me Father – SteamDeck

I haven’t spent long with this, but have picked it up a couple of times for a quick bash on the SteamDeck. It’s good fun if a little simplistic. Probably wouldn’t play if it wasn’t for the theme, and I’ll see if I stick with it before I decide to pick up the sequel.

Dredge – Xbox Series X

This was also an April pick up, but I’ve already played it quite a bit so should include it here. Another Lovecraftian game, this one a much better game in its own right. Fishing up eldritch horrors has never been so much fun.

What’s been on the arcade?

Sinden Light Guns – Arcade

Well my guns arrived! I’ve barely used them yet though. Dabbled with one on my main pc just to test, and had it playing nicely with House of the Dead Remake. I can already tell it’ll be a faff to use them regularly on my PC though, since it’d mean changing the display settings everytime I want to play. Next project is setting them up on my TV.

April pick ups

VR: Mysteries and Mayhem Humble Bundle – PCVR

Grabbed this for 7th Guest VR & Firmament which were both kind of on my wishlist. I’m not sure how I feel about VR going forward, but these should work with my existing setup I’ll hopefully at least get to play them even if I don’t continue to invest in the hardware.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX – Xbox Series X

Don’t think this was very well received when it came out, but I adore the original game and it felt worth the gamble for a couple of quid on sale.

Sea of Survivors – SteamDeck

Vampire Survivors via pirate ship? I’m in. Also didn’t hurt that it was only £2.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

March Games

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Seem to have spent quite a bit this month, and played some too. Nothing completed yet though.

Games played during March

Alan Wake 2 – PS5

Got to the point of no return in the campaign, so confident I’ll finish this in April. Given I’m typing this in April, I may have insider knowledge. The game is incredible, and I think I need the full soundtrack.

Hades – Xbox Series X

I know I’m very late to this party, but craving something like Dead Cells it seemed time to give this a proper go. I bounced off when I tried it some time ago on GamePass, so I picked up a used physical copy to try again. At least I could trade it back in if it still didn’t click. I needn’t have worried, I immediately put 20 hours in and am having a great time. I don’t think it’s quite as slick as Dead Cells, and I certainly needed some space between playing the two.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! – Steam Deck

Haven’t played the deck much recently, I suspect the above game is to blame for that. I did play a bit of Doki Doki though. It’s still compelling but I’m not sure if I’ll go through it all again.

What’s been on the arcade?

Haven’t been into anything specific on the cab this month, dabbling with some random stuff and thinking about the eventual upgrade to my Pi5.

March pick ups

Sinking City Deluxe – Xbox Series X

Heard very mixed reviews on this one, but a couple of podcasts I’ve listened to recently made me want to give it a try. The complete deluxe edition popped up very cheap so definitely the time to do it. Or at least add it to the library to never get round to playing.

Command and Conquer Ultimate Collection – PC

EA finally released the missing games from this series onto Steam. I grabbed them so I can completely remove EA’s launcher from my memory. Already can’t remember what it was called, but I haven’t had it installed for years anyway.

Xbox Series S

Picked up a pre-owned Series S this month for my girlfriend. Great that she can access my existing library and GamePass subscription games easily enough, but also so we can continue co-op games together whether we’re at her place or mine.

Seventia Collection – PC

Bit of a random one, but my friend tipped me off that this bundle of two shmups was solid for less than a quid, so I’ve picked it up. One of them looks good for the steam deck too. Which is nice.

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story – PC / Steam Deck

This was right up my street when it was announced, and a must buy. I haven’t spent time with it yet though, want to clear some time to do it all justice. I did rewatch Bedrooms to Billions though in preparation.

Forgive Me Father – PC

This originally passed me by, but a sequel came out and caught my attention. Went looking for the first game and found it for a couple of quid. Result.

Pre-ordered during March

Sinden Light Guns – Arcade

I’ve been thinking about spending the money on one of the modern light gun solutions for a while. There are a few options, and a community for each type explaining why each one is the best / worst. I liked the sound of these Sinden ones most. It looks like I should be able to have a standalone Raspberry Pi4 setup on my TV with most of my favourite gun games easily enough. Then longer term the goal is to have them hooked up to the arcade cabinet. One way or another.

They’re on back order anyway, so probably at least a month or so before they ship. I’ve gone for two guns, player 1 in blue with recoil, then a red one for player 2 without the recoil module to save a bit of cash and because it’ll probably get used less. I also ordered the holsters for mounting on the side of the arcade machine eventually too. I’d have liked to add a pedal for Time Crisis as well, but they’re more than twice the price of the basic gun. Maybe another day.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

February Games

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After a January that went on forever, February went by as a blink of the eye. Managed to complete something though, and play some others.

Games completed this month

A Little to the Left – Xbox Series X

This popped up on GamePass, and is broadly a ‘tidy up’ sim. It’s not quite as satisfying as “Unpacking” but it’s in a similar style. Was a mostly relaxing couple of hours anyway.

Games played during February

Alan Wake 2 – PS5

Made a decent chunk of progress on Alan Wake II. I find I prefer playing as the FBI Agent rather than Alan, so I charged on and did all the Alan content until it forced me back to Saga, so I could chill out a bit and solve crimes.

Brotato – Xbox Series X

Although I was playing this on Steam Deck last month, I restarted on Xbox as it came to GamePass. It’s not my favourite of these clones but it is fun.

Renfield – Steam Deck

Still my most played game on the deck, although I daresay I’m burning out a bit on these. Probably just needs a new vampire survivors expansion to bring me properly back though.

Arcade Paradise – PC

This is weird. I’ve played a fair amount but I’m not sure if I’m enjoying it. I like the bit where I’m arranging arcade machines, but it seems to be more doing laundry. It’s on GamePass though so I might carry on.

Wipeout Omega Collection

When Everybody’s Golf didn’t work (see below) we jumped back to Wipeout for our pre-Super Bowl game. It was great fun, and surprisingly there were other people online so we managed a few decent races. Another incredible IP that Sony seem happy to let die. Oh well, I’m sure there will be another single-player, third-person action game along any minute.

What’s been on the arcade?

We’re still playing Super Fantasy Zone, we’ve been close to that 1cc a couple of times but not quite managed it yet.

February pick ups

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus – PC Epic Store

I played the original Doki Doki Literature Club ages ago, I did fancy playing this ‘Plus’ addition with extra content, but didn’t want to pay £15 for it. Fortunately it was free on Epic Games during February though, so I should get round to it now. Works on the Steam Deck too. If you do fancy checking it out, just be forewarned it’s not what it appears, has some horror themes and deals with potentially disturbing topics. (I’d urge you to check out trigger warnings first if you think you might be sensitive to this stuff)

Geometry Survivor – PC / Steam Deck

Another month, another Vampire Survivors clone. This one mashes it up with one of my favourite games though, Geometry Wars. An obvious day one purchase. Looks pretty good but a bit light on content. Hopefully they’ll build it up a bit.

Games retired this month

The Knight Witch – Xbox Series X

After my third time losing a decent amount of progress due to some dodgy collision detection, I decided I’ve had enough of this one. There is a really good game in here somewhere, but I’m done.

Everybody’s Golf – PS4

My mate and I went to have our usual round on here before the Super Bowl and discovered the servers had been turned off at some point since we last played. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. We’ll have another game whenever you’re ready please Sony.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

January Games

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Progress! A decent winter break (including 3 weeks of garden leave while I changed jobs) gave me time to get on with some games.

Games completed this month

Octopath Traveler 2 – PS5

Yes! Finally completed this epic after 111 hours. I haven’t quite got the platinum trophy though. One optional boss fight for 100% completion. It’s a bit much though so I’m parking it for now to play some other stuff.

Vampire Survivors Emergency Meeting - Xbox Series X

Vampire Survivors Emergency Meeting DLC – Xbox Series X

As long as they keep releasing DLC for Vampire Survivors, I’ll keep clearing them. This was a log of fun, even if all the Among Us references were entirely wasted on me.

Games played during January

Fortnite – PC

Didn’t really play much, but after watching my niece play over Christmas I was at least interested enough to install it. Thought I might play more but I haven’t been back.

Alan Wake 2 – PS5

I’m playing my friend’s copy of this. Really enjoying it and want to continue. It’s a bit scary though and my progress is really slow. Keep hiding in safe rooms instead of actually moving forward.

Humanity – PSVR2

Spent a bit of time playing with my friend’s PSVR2 setup. First thing I tried was my own game, Humanity. I’d heard a lot about how transformative VR is supposed to be for this, but to be honest I was a bit disappointed. It’s still an incredible game, just better played on the TV.

Beat Saber – PSVR2

At least my first time playing one of the stand out VR titles of recent years didn’t disappoint. I like the PSVR2 hardware but not convinced it’s essential. If I do go for a new headset I think it’ll be the Quest 3 standalone one for the wireless streaming from my PC.

The Knight Witch – Xbox Series X

Made some progress on The Knight Witch, I am enjoying it though some of the collision detection seems a bit harsh. A few times where I’ve died and not been convinced bullets actually hit me. Does deliver on the promise though, it’s a bullet-hell, twin-stick shmup, metroidvania. If those terms mean anything to you, you’ll know exactly what to expect. If not, maybe just go look at some gameplay footage.

Renfield – Steam Deck

Spoiler for the pick ups section, but playing this game last month kinda pushed me over the edge into buying a Steam Deck. The whole genre of Vampire Survivor clones is perfect for the Deck, and I’ve really embraced it.

20 Minutes Until Dawn – Steam Deck

Another Vampire Survivors clone that I picked up last year and played a bit of. Enjoying it much more now I have the deck.

Half Life – Steam Deck

Valve released a free update for the original Half Life to improve how it runs on modern machines, and to optimise it for the Steam Deck. Perfect time to replay it and revisit the glory days of 90s fps games as I’ve recently been back to Quake 1 and 2 as well.

What’s been on the arcade?

Towards the end of the month I got it into my head that I’m going to 1cc Super Fantasy Zone on my cabinet. Since it’s a mega drive game it would make more sense to do that on the actual console but here we are. Annoyingly if I was playing on console I’d have proper hardware rapid fire which makes some of the bosses a breeze. As it is we’re sticking with the game’s own auto-fire setting.

January pick ups

Steam Deck

As mentioned above, this was the main gaming purchase for Jan. Thankfully a friend sold me his second-hand for a good price. It’s the mid-range of the original model, very happy with it so far.

God of Weapons – Steam Deck

Another Vampire Survivors Clone that I’d heard good things about and wanted for the deck.

Brotato – Steam Deck

See above.

Moons of Madness – PC / Steam Deck

Had my eye on this for a while, and managed to get a Steam key for a couple of quid. Not sure yet if I’ll play it on the Steam Deck or the PC.

Aggelos – Xbox Series X

Friend recommended this Wonder Boy type game as it was on sale for ridiculously cheap. Looks nice so will hopefully get to it.

*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.

2024 in Games

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A bit late with the round up I think, but here we are.

Top 5 played in 2023

1. Octopath Traveler 2 – PlayStation 5

Didn’t quite finish Octopath Traveler 2 in 2023 but almost, and I was playing it for most of the year. It improves on the first, already great, game in every way, but without changing anything too dramatic. At some point I’ll be revisiting that All Time Top JRPG post again…

Also available on PC and Switch, but I played this PS5 version*.

2. Dead Cells & DLC – Xbox Series X

I didn’t see this coming at all. When I first tried Dead Cells I bounced off pretty hard. I don’t have a great track record with roguelike/lites (or at least I didn’t until the Vampire Survivors model appeared). However, when the Castlevania DLC got announced I knew I’d want to play that so I tried again. It really hooked me, and I ended up playing over 80 hours and all 4 DLC packs.

I played on Xbox, where the base game was on GamePass and I just purchased the DLC. These multiple platform versions here* on Amazon contain the base game and all 4 DLC packs up to and including the Castlevania one.

Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure - Xbox Series X

3. Forza Horizon 5 – Rally Adventure

Once again Forza Horizon puts in an appearance. This didn’t have as long a tail as previous versions though. The janky multiplayer is a continuing disappointment, don’t really understand what the problem is there. Anyway I really enjoyed the new content, and played until I’d done 100% of the additional stuff.

Best way to get Forza Horizon is still to buy GamePass* then the premium DLC bundle. It might be cheaper to buy from the Xbox Store direct, but you can get it from Amazon*.

4. Street Fighter 6 – Xbox Series X

This might be my favourite Street Fighter, I’m just not sure if it’s surpassed Street Fighter IV though. I haven’t played as much as I’d expected to, but Octopath is to blame for that as much as it is for everything else I didn’t play. I am very happy with the new arcade stick* I bought to play it with though, so all good.

5. Humanity – PlayStation 5

I almost didn’t pick this up, as so much fuss was made about it as a VR title (exclusive to PSVR2) that I thought it would be a waste trying to play before I had that. Fortunately I was able to try it at someone else’s house, and discovered that it’s a great game even playing on a television. I’ve since tried it in VR, and to be honest, I think I prefer it flat.

Also mention:

Vampire Survivors - Tales of the Foscari

Vampire Survivors – Xbox Series X

My favourite game in 2022, almost appeared in the top 5 again for 2023. There were two more DLC packs for it, as well as a bunch more free content, and I played it all. There are quite a few good clones of the game appearing now and I expect to be playing more of those as well as anything else that gets added to Vampire Survivors during 2024.

10 games for 2024

As usual I like to set out a few games I intend to play over the coming year, so that I can mostly ignore the list and fail entirely. From last years list, I did play (and still expect to complete) Octopath Traveler 2. I also played Harvestella and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, but ended up abandoning them. I’ve kept 3 others on the list below, and scrapped the rest for now.

1. God of War: Ragnarok – PS5

I did buy this last year as planned, but I ended up spending most of the year playing Octopath Traveller 2 and never getting round to starting it. It’s definitely up soon though, not starting another 40+ hour game until after I’ve played this!

It’s come down a bit since launch, Amazon* does have a few quid off RRP atm.

2. Alan Wake 2 – PS5

At time of writing I’ve actually made a start with this one, but only started in January so I’m counting it. I adored the first game, and most of what I have heard of this sequel has been positive so I’m on board.

3. Spider-Man 2 – PS5

I didn’t get round to picking this up last year, I was still playing Octopath when it came out. It’s firmly on the list for 2024 though. I’m pretty certain I’ll manage these first 3 games, regardless of what happens to the rest of the list…

StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void - 2024 in Gaming

4. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void – PC

Thanks to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and the subsequent exiting of Bobby Kotick I feel a little bit better about reinstalling Battle.net, and playing their games again. As such, it’s time to dust off the final part of this campaign trilogy, and actually play it this year.

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story - 2024 in Gaming

5. Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story – PC or PS5

Only just found out this was a thing due out in 2024, but as a collection / tribute to my favourite games developer I am definitely in. This is coming from Digital Eclipse, who put together the excellent Atari 50 compilation. I’m currently leaning towards getting it on PC, but it may be another PS5 titles. We’ll see.

6. Half-life – PC

After all the years I’ve played this, I don’t think I’ve ever actually completed the campaign. Last year Valve released a free update for the game, adding support for modern hardware and higher resolutions. Last year I finally completed Quake 2, so I think it’s time to finally see the end of Half-life and tick off another classic.

7. Sea of Stars – Xbox Series X

In my JRPG era, it seems I should definitely have one on the list. Considering Octopath Traveler 2 was over 100 hours long and derailed last years plans, I’ve gone for something that should be a bit shorter. At least until my little gaming group settles on a new communal JRPG to play anyway.

8. Axiom Verge 2 – PC or PS5

Considering how much I enjoyed the first one it’s amazing I never got round to trying this. I’ll almost certainly pass over it for Silksong if that comes out. That’s highly unlikely though so let’s go for it.

I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream - 2024 in Gaming

9. I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream – PC

Another from the back catalogue that has been kicking around forever. Obligatory that I put a point and click game on the list, and thought I’d change it up since I didn’t play the last ones I chose.

10. Hollow Knight: Silksong – Xbox Series X

Popping this on the end of the list, it’s become a bit of a joke as to whether it’ll ever get released. Going to play it when it does come out though, so we’ll leave it here and hope for the best!

Other 2024 releases I’m looking forward too

Simon the Sorcerer Origins – PC

Something else I only just spotted as due this year (the release calendar for 2024 so far looks a bit sparse for things I’m actually interested in) but I am up for a new Simon the Sorcerer. Apparently due to be a prequel, I’ll take a look!

*these are affiliate links, I’ll get a small commission if you buy something.

Games completed this month

Botany Manor – Xbox Series X

Games played during September

Returnal – PS5

Caladrius Blaze – PS4/5

Castlevania Advance Collection – Nintendo Switch

Cocoon – Xbox Series X

Assault Android Cactus – Xbox Series X

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – Xbox Series X

What’s been on the arcade?

Games purchased this month

Laptop (not really a game, but still)

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Games completed this month

Open Roads – Xbox Series X

Dredge: The Pale Reach – Xbox Series X

SEGA Fighting Games – Xbox 360 / Series X

NeoGeo Battle Coliseum – Xbox 360 / Series X

Who Shot Johnny Rock? – Arcade / Pi4

Games played during August

Returnal – PS5

Tatsunoko vs Capcom Ultimate All-Stars – Wii / SteamDeck

Tekken 7 – Xbox Series X

Raiden V – Xbox Series X

Forza Motorsport – Xbox Series X

CYGNI – PC

Geometry Wars 3 – Vita & PS4/5

What’s been on the arcade?

Games purchased this month

2TB Storage Expansion for Xbox

Games retired in August

World of Warcraft – PC

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Games completed this month

McPixel 3 – Xbox Series X

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story – SteamDeck

As Dusk Falls – Xbox Series X

Games played during July

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight- PC

A Way Out – Xbox Series S

Streets of Rage 4 – Xbox Series X

Sea of Survivors – SteamDeck

What’s been on the arcade?

Games purchased in July

The Eternal Castle – SteamDeck

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions – Steam

Alan Wake’s American Nightmare – Xbox 360

Returnal – PS5

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Games completed this month

McPixel 3 – Xbox Series X

Atari 50: the Anniversary Celebration – Xbox Series X

God of War: Ragnarök – PS5

It Takes Two – Xbox Series S

Alan Wake 2: Night Springs – PS5

Games played during June

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story – SteamDeck

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria Remix- PC

Games purchased in June

World of Warcraft: Welcome to Azeroth – PC

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Games completed this month

Dredge – Xbox Series X

Vampire Survivors – Operation Guns

Games played during May

God of War: Ragnarök – PS5

It Takes Two – Xbox Series S

What’s been on the arcade?

Sinden Light Guns – Arcade

Games retired this month

Sea of Stars – Xbox Series X

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Games completed this month

Alan Wake 2 – PS5

Hades – Xbox Series X