Late again posting for this month, but did at least do some gaming. And buying.
Games completed this month
Coffee Talk Episode 2 – Xbox Series X
Enjoyed the return to the coffee shop visual novel game with this sequel. It was very much more of the same, fun though nonetheless. I probably wouldn’t have bought it, but was very happy to play it as part of my Game Pass sub.
Guilty Gear Strive – Xbox Series X
Been on a bit of a fighting game kick (chuckle) in the hype for Street Fighter 6. This is one of several on Game Pass, so I gave it a play. Recorded a completion simply for doing a 1 credit clear on the arcade mode. It counts for me anyway.
Games played during May
Tell Me Why – Xbox Series X
Haven’t made a lot of progress with this really, but haven’t given up yet. I think Coffee Talk stole the time I would have spent with it, I’m a bit thinly spread on games again now.
Octopath Traveller 2 – PlayStation 5
Still not playing Octopath Traveller 2 as much as I expected either, but I am ticking along. I really enjoy it when I do get on the PS5, and I’m very much enjoying the improvements over the original game.
It’s on Switch and PS4 as well, which may suit. I was glad to get another reason to play some PS5 though, and picked up this physical edition*.
Street Fighter 6 Open Beta – PlayStation 5
The open beta was a much better experience than the 2 character single player demo. Great to get a bit of a feel for ranked fights, and using my normal main, Ken. Very much looking forward to this now.
What’s been on the arcade?
Ten Pence Arcade were playing Super Hang-On this month, I did play a fair amount of it on the cab, trying to struggle with the digital controls. I didn’t get very far.
Pick ups during May
Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered – PS5
This has been on my want list for ages, but it wasn’t available standalone, only as part of the Miles Morales Ultimate Edition. Updating to the UE from my normal copy was £20, which seemed a bit much when I already had the Spider-Man GOTY edition on PS4 that runs well enough on PS5 anyway. This month they finally made it available standalone though, and even better, it was only £5 for owners of the PS4 game. Might even replay it a bit now ahead of the sequel coming out (hopefully) later this year.
Pac-man Champion Edition 2+ – Nintendo Switch
I have this on a couple of other systems already, but since I now have a 4-way stick for Switch, I thought I’d play it more there. Especially since I’ve heard that they’re ending Pac-Man 99 in October.
Pre-orders
Street Fighter 6 – Xbox Series X
Finally picked somewhere to pre-order. I went for the digital version from Shopto, easily the cheapest available at the time. I also only needed the standard edition, there was nothing in the Ultimate Edition I was worried about. I’m just going to be using Ken for the duration, so no need to buy any more characters.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Mostly spent the month playing DLC, but I completed them both so normal service is resumed.
Games completed this month
Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure – Xbox Series X
Had a great time with the Rally content for Forza Horizon 5, and while I was back into the game I did some of the monthly season content too. Still my favourite racing game.
Vampire Survivors: Tides of the Foscari – Xbox Series X
Much like the last DLC for Vampire Survivors, it’s still just more of the same, but that’s not a complaint. I’ll happily do it again for a few more content packs too.
Games played during April
Tell Me Why – Xbox Series X
Didn’t get far yet but I did start this. Played just enough to confirm it feels like a Life is Strange game, so will will hopefully play more.
Gears 5 – Xbox Series X
Found time for a bit more Gears progress with my buddy. I still hate the open world areas, but otherwise the game is great. Some of the finest co-op gameplay going.
Dead Cells – Xbox Series X
I think I’m finally done with Dead Cells. Hit a bit of a wall playing with 3 Boss Cells active, and I’m not enjoying it so much. I may come back to it if any more content turns up, but I’ve had a good run either way.
I’m playing on Xbox because it’s on GamePass, although if it hadn’t been I probably would have gone for the Switch edition* as it’s the perfect type of game to take when you’re travelling.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Xbox Series X
I played a bit more of this at the start of the month but haven’t touched it for a couple of weeks. Worried that might be it for this again, but I won’t write it off just yet.
Octopath Traveller 2 – PlayStation 5
This hasn’t taken over my life as much as I expected yet, but I think the DLC for other games was too much of a distraction, I’m only 8 or so hours in but really enjoying it so far. The first game was really good, but it’s nice to see how well things have been polished to improve on it. The lighting in particular on the PS5 does make it look really impressive, despite the use of 2d sprites on 3d backgrounds.
It’s on Switch and PS4 as well, which may suit. I was glad to get another reason to play some PS5 though, and picked up this physical edition*.
Turtles Shredder’s Revenge – Xbox Series X
Had friends over, and after an hour or two on the arcade cabinet, we moved to the consoles. Dabbled with a couple of smaller games, then we settled on Turtles. 3 player arcade mode (Donatello, Casey Jones and Raphael if you were wondering), great fun. Sadly at the last boss 2 of us were already dead and out of continues, so we didn’t make the clear. I need to buy Streets of Rage 4 for next time, haven’t played that since it left GamePass.
Street Fighter 6 Demo – PlayStation 5
Although I’m going to play Street Fighter 6 on Xbox, the demo was released a week early on PlayStation so I grabbed it on there. Waste of time really, nothing much to do in the traditional Street Fighter sense unless you want to spar with a friend using Luke & Ryu. Otherwise there is an introduction to the new single player World Tour mode. I played half an hour of that, which was just long enough to establish I won’t be going anywhere near it in the full game. Ghastly.
The fighting itself still feels great though, I played a couple of goes against the CPU, but then deleted the demo to just wait for the full game.
What’s been on the arcade?
Ten pence arcade head a double header of Moon Cresta and Uniwar S. Managed a few credits on each and put in a couple of mid-table scores. Also 2 years after building the machine, I found the ‘mute’ button, so I’ve been able to leave it running other games without the attract mode demo noises annoying me. Has opened it up to lots more games that I can have ready for ‘just one quick go’.
As mentioned above as well, having a couple of friends over the cab really came into its own. Lots of arcade brawlers and vs fighters were played.
Pick ups during April
Arcade Components
Don’t think I bought any games this month, probably forgetting something though. Anyway I did grab these few parts from Arcade World UK* for a couple of projects. I’ll probably blog about them both separately when I’m happy with them, but it’s basically the buttons I need to mod the fight stick I bought in March, and a couple of bits to use to create a “Spinner” type controller to use with my PC.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Plenty of gaming, and too much money spent on accessories. Not a bad month in the grand scheme of things.
Games completed this month
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Xbox Series X
In a very rare occurrence for me, I picked this up last month to replay it, and this month I can report I did just that and finished it again. Huzzah.
This was on sale digitally, but was available even cheaper for a used copy on eBay. If you’d prefer physical anyway, Amazon* do have it.
Dead Cells & Queen and the Sea DLC – Xbox Series X
I think the Castlevania content may have helped my run, as I believe I used one of the new weapons, but after 73 runs or 3 days 5 hours played, I cleared the third ‘very hard’ (2BC) completion. I’m now really struggling in the next level so could be the point at which I give up though.
I did also manage to clear the content from the Queen and the Sea DLC as well during March, beating the Queen and her sidekick bosses on ‘hard’ (1BC).
I’m playing on Xbox because it’s on GamePass, although if it hadn’t been I probably would have gone for the Switch edition* as it’s the perfect type of game to take when you’re travelling.
Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania – Xbox Series X
This was pretty much everything I hoped for, and more. A lovely dose of fan service, a bit more variety to the game in terms of the routes you can take on a given run, and some great new weapons and outfits. Some of the weapons, the axe and the cross in particular, have become new favourites and I adore Maria’s cat as a pet summon. I have now completed the gameplay content at least once, killing Death on ‘hard’ (1BC) and Dracula on ‘normal’ (0BC).
Games played during March
Forza Horizon 5: Rally Adventure – Xbox Series X
New Forza Horizon expansion came out, and like the others before it, has got its claws in me. Very much enjoying the Rally races with co-driver pace notes. New map feels a bit small but not sure if that’s just me.
Super Bomberman R – Xbox Series X
Had an hour or so one weekend reliving the glory days of Bomberman Live on the Xbox 360, with this game on the Series X. Playing locally with a couple of friends was a ‘blast’ (sorry not sorry) more of this please!
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Xbox Series X
Not sure if I’ll just give up on this again, but in enjoying Castlevania content again recently I thought I’d give it another go. Forgot I owned it digitally on Xbox 360, so quite nice to be able to play it upscaled on the Series X. I think I’m already further in than I was on the PS3 version.
What’s been on the arcade?
Ten pence arcade played Cyvern a great shmup where you’re a dragon rather than an aircraft / spaceship. I was enjoying it, but trying to do the mechanics to maximise my score kind of took the joy away. Oh well, I’ve also been playing more Super Street Fighter 2 on there.
Pick ups during March
Dragon Ball FighterZ – Xbox Series X
Given a purchase further down this list, and the fact that it went on sale for a bit as it left GamePass, I decided to grab it. Mate has picked it up too, so hopefully we’ll find a break in our Ryu vs Ken bashings to play this as well. My guy is the one in the colourful pajamas.
Octopath Traveller 2 – PlayStation 5
Next JRPG up, and one from the 2023 list. Have done the demo content and got so far as recruiting my first party member. Looking forward to getting into it properly, if Dead Cells and Forza (and pending new Vampire Survivors content…) allow.
It’s on Switch and PS4 as well, which may suit. I was glad to get another reason to play some PS5 though, and picked up this physical edition*.
Hori Fighting Stick Alpha – Xbox Series X
Well the stick I was looking at on the xbox dropped almost £50 in price to a slightly more palatable £150. So I grabbed myself this Fight Stick Alpha* ready for Street Fighter 6. It’s certainly also part of why I bought Dragon Ball above, and led to another purchase below too. I think I’ll probably mod this one, at least with custom art and maybe some new buttons. I do like the stick though so may keep that as is.
Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 – Xbox Series X
My mate sold me his spare series 2 elite controller, it was bare bones so I just needed to get the sticks and paddles. I bought this venom accessory set* and I was good to go! Very happy with it so far, the paddles are taking a bit of getting used to, but I can already see how much better it’ll be when my brain has adapted.
Tetris Effect PS5 Update – PlayStation 5
Not entirely sure why I bought this, other than one day I might get a PSVR2. At least if I do decide to play it just on my TV, it should look better than it would have done on my PS4 now. The upgrade was cheap at least.
Super Street Fighter IV – Xbox Series X
This is just so I can play it with my new arcade stick. I do have Ultra Street Fighter 4 on the PS4/5, which feels like a superior version, but since the Xbox seems to have taken over as my primary machine, I wanted it there too.
Games abandoned this month
Harvestella – Nintendo Switch
Well it happened, I’ve given up. I think the day & night cycle was the biggest factor for me, but either way I’ve had enough.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Quite a few games to mention this month, but the only completion is another loop of Dead Cells. Also managed to get away for a bit of winter sun at the end of the month.
Games completed this month
Dead Cells – Xbox Series X
Surprised myself by managing to do the second completion which I think is categorised as ‘hard’, managed that on my 41st run and 38 hours played for those keeping count. I’ve made it to the last boss a couple of times on the third loop (or ‘very hard’), but really struggling. Tend to lose most of my health and all my flasks in the level prior. DLC is out in March though so I’ll be onto that soon.
I’m playing on Xbox because it’s on GamePass, although if it hadn’t been I probably would have gone for the Switch edition* as it’s the perfect type of game to take when you’re travelling.
Games played during February
Task Force Kampas
Just as ridiculous as it looked, but I did have some fun with this. The game is quite tricky but an addictive little shmup.
Harvestella – Nintendo Switch
I have played more of this, but getting a bit worried about my progress. The day/night cycle is starting to annoy me. I really don’t like having to come out of a dungeon to go back home to sleep, and then run all the way back the next day. Pulls me a bit out of the mood. We’ll see, but I’ve already got my eye on the next JRPG.
I think it’s also availble on PC, but I’m playing the Switch version. It is still pretty new, so I bought it physical, so I can sell it on when I’m done. I picked it up reduced in GAME, but is also available on Amazon*.
Gears 5 – Xbox Series X
We managed another session on this, although much of it was spent on one frustrating boss. I’m glad we beat it though, was starting to think the game might be over before it really began! Hopefully we won’t have too many such pockets of resistance going forward.
Dragon Ball FighterZ – Xbox Series X
Had a bit of fighting game time this month, I’m mostly just passing the time waiting for Street Fighter 6, but this Dragon Ball one was on GamePass and is fun to play, even though I don’t know anything about the IP. I’d like to play it more but I think it’s now left GamePass, so may be waiting for a sale…
Injustice 2 – PS5
Since I was getting the fight sticks out anyway, it’s always good to give this one a go. I think the next game from the developer is going to be Mortal Kombat 12, which I’ll no doubt check out, but I really hope we get an Injustice 3 as well.
Hot Wheels Unleashed – Xbox Series X
I was going to check this out on PS5 as the base game was free with PS Plus recently. However I hadn’t got round to it, and in February the full “GOTY” edition with all the DLC packs came to GamePass. I’d heard good things about the game, and it is fun. I’m glad I didn’t pay for it though, can’t see me spending much more time with it. The licenced vehicles are fun though, love the batman ones.
Vampire Survivors – Xbox Series X
There was another patch for Vampire Survivors in February that added 3 new achievements and some extra content, so naturally I went back and cleared those too. Still a great game, hope we get another full DLC pack.
Neo Pocket Color Collection Vol 1 – Match of the Millennium
The first of two games I played on Switch that are ports from other handheld systems. This one though I played at home with the Switch docked on the TV, using the new controller described further down. Match of the Millennium is such a good game, the Neogeo Pocket library is easily my favourite for ‘portable’ fighting games. It’s great to be able to play these without the expense of that actual system. I’ve seen there is now a Volume 2 of these games, I think if I grab that I’ll pretty much have all the NGPC games I could want (apart from Sonic, but perhaps that is asking too much).
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon – Nintendo Switch
While I was on holiday I took my Switch thinking I’d play some Harvestella. I found I didn’t really like playing that kind of game in handheld mode though, so looked through my library for something else to play. What better than a port of a Gameboy Advance game if you’re going to be restricted to handheld? Quite happily played this first Gameboy Advance Castlevania a fair bit, and got about half way through. The test will be if I finish it now I’m at home.
What’s been on the arcade?
Ten pence arcade played the excellent Rainbow Islands during February, so I did join in with a few credits. I struggled to really do well though, seems I left my ability to play that game in the 90s. I also dabbled a bit with The New Zealand Story because some friends were playing it. A good month for cute platform games at least.
Pick ups during February
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – Xbox Series X
I think mostly because of all my time spent with Dead Cells, I really felt like replaying this one. As much as I enjoy Dead Cells, I do miss the traditional exploration of a metroidvania. In the mood as I am for ever more Castlevania, I felt like spending a bit more time with this. I originally played it through on the Switch, so at least I’ve changed platform.
This was on sale digitally, but was available even cheaper for a used copy on eBay. If you’d prefer physical anyway, Amazon* do have it.
House of Ashes – PlayStation 5
After we finished Little Hope recently, it was timely for this next game in the Dark Pictures Anthology to go on sale cheap. Hopefully the last game will do the same when we’re ready for that one too.
Strange Horticulture – Nintendo Switch
One of my friends was playing this, and initially recommended it for my girlfriend. She really enjoyed it, now I’ve decided I want a go too. Don’t really know much about it, but who doesn’t want to run an occult flower shop?
Arcade Stick – Nintendo Switch
I’ve actually been looking at new sticks for the Xbox Series X, it is good that I can use my Cronus Zen to let me use my old Hori EX2 Xbox 360 stick on the Series X (which is what I was using for Dragon Ball FighterZ above) but unfortunately it doesn’t like my Venom PS4/5 stick which I’d much rather use as it’s awesome. Anyway, the stick I fancy for my Xbox* is nearly £200, so I’ve parked that for now, but in browsing I spotted this PowerA stick* for the Switch and I couldn’t resist. I wasn’t expecting much from the Bluetooth mode, but it was absolutely fine for me. Once it arrived I spent a bit of time with Match of the Millennium, as described above. The stick can easily be modded with higher end components and artwork too, but not sure I’ll bother unless I find myself playing a lot more Switch games with it.
At time of writing, this is still less than £40 on Amazon* really good value in my opinion.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Off to a respectable start, four completions already, progress on one of the games from my 2023 list, and several new games picked up.
Games completed this month
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch
Finished the main story of this at the start of the month. I did enjoy it overall, but I don’t feel compelled to go and do the extra content for 100%. The lack of proper tracking for side quests etc feels like too much of a chore. Might be a little while before I fancy trying any of the other older “Tales” games, although I am interested if they do a new one after Tales of Arise.
I played the Switch version, but you can get that, or Xbox and PlayStation versions here from Amazon*. It seems much cheaper on the other consoles, but it is much less digitally too.
Halo 4 – Xbox Series X
My friend and I managed to roll credits playing online co-op on Halo 4 on the Master Chief Collection. Very much enjoyed that, Halo 5 next, although we’ll take a break to play something else first. So far I think peak Halo for me was the run of Halo 3, ODST and Reach.
WarioWare: Get it together! – Nintendo Switch
Played through the full story mode of this over two sessions at a friend’s house. Mostly so that we could unlock all the content on her copy for potential 4-player sessions. Not sure if they’ll happen but the 2-player story was entertaining at least.
Dead Cells – Xbox Series X
Pleased to say that after my brief plays in December this did get it’s hooks in me, and on my 12th try I cleared the boss and rolled credits for my first completion. Granted to actually complete the game takes something like 6 complete runs on increasing difficulties. However, I can’t see me managing that, so counting this initial completion to give myself permission to quit when I’m bored. I did manage to get to the ‘last’ boss again on the next difficulty though so I’m not quite done yet. I will still be all over that Castlevania DLC as soon as it’s out.
I’m playing on Xbox because it’s on GamePass, although if it hadn’t been I probably would have gone for the Switch edition* as it’s the perfect type of game to take when you’re travelling.
Games played during January
Harvestella – Nintendo Switch
I did buy this in January so could have put this in the pick ups instead, but I have already made a decent amount of progress in the story so it makes more sense here. Unlike the story, which does not make any sense at all, like a proper JRPG. This is the new game for my RPG group though following on from Tales of Vesperia. Hopefully we’ll all finish this one, not just me.
I think it’s also availble on PC, but I’m playing the Switch version. It is still pretty new, so I bought it physical, so I can sell it on when I’m done. I picked it up reduced in GAME, but is also available on Amazon*.
Gears 5 – Xbox Series X
Following our successful completion of Halo 5, my friend and I have returned to the Gears of War franchise. We’ve played a couple of sessions so far. Mostly it feels good, like the game we’re used to. I’m a bit concerned about an open world style section in Act 2, hopefully there isn’t too much more of that to come.
What’s been on the arcade?
Ten pence arcade picked another ropey looking game for January, so I ignored that and am hoping they go for another shmup for February. In the meantime I’ve been playing a mix of X-Men: Children of the Atom and Super Street Fighter 2 on the cab. Both games have silent attract modes so I can leave it running while I’m working to jump on for a credit during breaks.
Pick ups during January
The A500 Mini
Convinced myself I needed one of these. Only my second ‘mini’ system, joining my Core Grafx Mini that I also heartily recommend. I don’t have a great affinity for the Amiga, never owned one of the main machines but do have fond memories of some of the library from playing at friends’ houses. I did own a CD32 however, so it’s nice to be able to play some of those games on here too. Why they chose to replicate the CD32 controller for it though is beyond me. That’s one of the worst pads I’ve ever used.
The mini itself is a delight to use though, and it was straightforward to add a collection of additional games to it via USB stick. Now I just have to play them.
I got mine from Argos, but it is a bit cheaper on Amazon* currently. It has dropped below £90 on there recently too.
The Darkness II – Xbox 360
Another game I’ve bought several times for different systems and not got round to playing. It dropped to a couple of quid in the Xbox sale, so I grabbed it hoping I’ll get round to trying it on the Series X. I loved the first game so we’ll see.
Blasphemous
A friend has been going on about this for a while, I do love a metroidvania and my recent joy playing Dead Cells weakened me to the idea of this one. I’m still wary of the “soulslike” combat though. At least it was cheap.
Task Force Kampas
Another recommendation, this was silly cheap and although it looks ridiculous in the trailer, I am assured that it is good fun.
Dead Cells DLC Bundle
Although the main game is on GamePass, I did also buy this bundle of DLC content. It’s all the expansions so far, and for a tenner is a great purchase. The content is accessible straight away, and adds extra routes through the game. I think once you’ve decided you like the game enough to keep playing, it’s worth grabbing this bundle before you play more.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Time for the annual round up of the previous year’s games, and a plan for which games I think I’ll play this one (but probably wont).
Top 5 played in 2022
1. Vampire Survivors – Xbox Series X
No prizes for this appearing at the top of my list, it took over my life in a big way at the end of 2022 and I’m already wondering if we’ll see more content. The couple of clones I’ve picked up since haven’t really captured me in the same way, but I am also open to something new scratching the same itch. Vampire Survivors is a masterpiece of pure gameplay demonstrating that you don’t need fancy graphics to create a great game.
This is only £3.99 on Steam or Xbox, but also included on GamePass*
2. Tales of Arise – PS5
As I rattle through JRPGs these days, it seems likely that another refresh of the All-time JRPG list could be in order. As it stands I don’t think Tales of Arise breaks into the top 5 but I did really enjoy it, and until Vampire Survivors late appearance in the year, I expected this to be my favourite game of 2022. Tales of Arise was also the only major PlayStation 5 game I played this year. Hopefully the PS5 will see more use in 2023. It was off the back of this game that we also played the definitive edition of Tales of Vesperia, but I think some of the older trappings of RPGs held that one back. I may try some others in the series, but not for a while.
At time of writing the PS5 version isn’t in stock, but multiple platform versions are here* on Amazon.
3. Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels DLC – Xbox Series X
Always interesting putting a DLC on the list, but it feels fair with these as I did 100% complete all the new content. I think I prefer these Hot Wheels expansions to the LEGO one that was in Horizon 4, but it’s close. I’m excited to see what they have in mind for the other planned expansion for Horizon 5. On previous form we’d expect this to be more ‘traditional’ content.
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. Guardians of the Galaxy – Xbox Series X
I wasn’t expecting too much from this after the travesty that was the Marvel Avengers game, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear it review positively. Even better it came to GamePass so I was able to play it “for free”. It is a great game, nicely captures the characters and manages to deliver them well despite not being the MCU versions that people may be more familiar with. It is it’s own thing, but as a single player, squad based action game, it is very well done and the writing manages to capture the humour of the comics.
I don’t think it’s on GamePass any more, but the Xbox version seems to be much cheaper* than on PlayStation currently.
5. Life is Strange: True Colours – Xbox Series X
I wasn’t sure about this after not really enjoying Life is Strange 2. Pleased to report that this is much closer in tone to the first two games, and I had a great time with it. Think it’s still on GamePass too.
Also mention:
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge – Xbox Series X
This was almost my number 5, but as I only really find these games fun in co-op, Life is Strange edged it out. Shredder’s Revenge is a fantastic brawler though, up there with Streets of Rage 4 showing there is still life in the genre. Was something else I played on GamePass too.
GamePass in general
As well as 4 of the 6 games mentioned above, this year I also played and enjoyed enough to complete all of the following on GamePass. I don’t think I would have played any of them otherwise. Very pleased with the value I’ve had out of my subscription this year and it continues to feel pretty essential.
Boyfriend Dungeon
Soccer Story
Escape Academy
Coffee Talk
Gorogoa
HUE (technically part of Games with Gold, but that’s included in GamePass now)
10 games for 2023
As usual I like to set out a few games I intend to play over the coming year. A few of these aren’t out yet but I’m optimistic will turn up. I’ve added on the end a couple of others that are due out in 2023 that I’m potentially interested in playing too.
1. God of War: Ragnarok – PS5
It did come out in time that I could have played it in 2022, but it was towards the end of the year so I decided to hold it over. It was originally my plan for my January game, but I think number 3 on this list may get in first.
Firmly in the premium pricings of PS5 games, but Amazon* does have a few quid off RRP atm.
2. Myst III: Exile – PC
One of the games I’m bringing forward from last year’s list, it was on there the year before too. I am still intending to play through all the MYST games. Though they have also announced a fancy new remake of Riven: The Sequel to MYST, so I may end up playing that before I get to Exile.
3. Harvestella – Switch
Possibly the next game my JRPG group is playing. Well one of them at least. I played the demo and am suitably intrigued so I think this will be my next game. (I have now bought it, but yet to make a start)
I picked my copy up in the closing down sale of my local GAME, the price isn’t bad on Amazon* though.
4. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon – Switch
Another one from the list last year. I still really want to make the most of this collection so hopefully I’ll get on it, may depend on when the next game in this list comes out.
5. Hollow Knight: Silksong – Xbox Series X
Optimistic that 2023 is the year this finally comes out. It feels like forever since it was first previewed. I think it was on my list for 2020. They did announce in 2022 that it was going to be day one on GamePass so I’ll definitely be on it as soon as it does appear.
6. Octopath Traveller 2 – Switch (or Xbox)
Very much enjoyed the first game, it did make number 5 on my list when I updated the All-Time Top 5 JRPGs post. Interested to play the next one. I’ll probably play on Switch again, unless it turns up on GamePass or something dramatic.
7. Oxenfree II: Lost Signals – Switch or PS5
This was supposed to come out in 2022 but the release date got pushed back to 2023. The first game was great though so looking forward to this sequel. Although I played the first one on Xbox and this appears to only be coming to PC, Switch & PlayStation. Not sure which I’ll go for, probably decide based on price.
8. Command & Conquer Remastered – PC
Again, I’ve kept this from last year as I do still want to go back to it. I don’t think I’ve played any RTS games since so at least I haven’t replaced it with something else. Half the problem here is getting round to gaming on the PC.
9. Spider-Man 2 – PS5
Assuming this comes out towards the end of the year as planned, I’ll definitely be playing this. The first game was great, although I preferred the Miles Morales spin-off, I’m very much ready for a new one, and it wouldn’t hurt to have another PS5 exclusive that I actually want to play.
10. Return to Monkey Island – Xbox Series X
I do enjoy a good point & click game, and I think I missed that this was on GamePass. Providing it doesn’t disappear from there too soon, I think I’ll play this during 2023.
Other 2023 releases I’m looking forward too
Street Fighter 6 – PS5 or Xbox Series X
Never any doubt that I’d be playing this, especially after getting to preview it at EGX and loving the demo. Only question is which platform. If the crossplay is good enough that I can play on PS5 and play properly with a friend on Xbox then that’s the way I’ll go. Otherwise it’ll be an Xbox purchase. My good fightstick is on the PlayStation though, and I’d rather not need to buy another. Ouch.
Forza Motorsport – Xbox Series X
It’s been a while since Forza Motorsport 7, and although they’ve got increasingly ‘stale’ since FM3, I have still found enjoyment in most of these. What they’ve shown so far of this new version looks incredible though, and I am keen to get back to it.
*these are affiliate links, I’ll get a small commission if you buy something.
Rounding the year out with 3 completions. Well, 2 and a bit really. Also don’t seem to have bought anything, unless I just forgot.
Games completed this month
Vampire Survivors: Legacy of the Moonspell – Xbox Series X
I spoke too soon last month when I thought I was done with this taking all my playtime. The released a DLC pack which added more characters and challenges so naturally I was straight onto that. It was also less than £2 so didn’t even need to think about it.
Soccer Story – Xbox Series X
Similar in principle to the excellent Golf Story on the Nintendo Switch, Soccer Story is an RPG with football instead of combat. It’s pretty straightforward and has some fun puzzling. Enjoyed it but probably wouldn’t have played it if it hadn’t been on GamePass.
Dark Pictures: Little Hope – PS5
My girlfriend and I finally finished this on New Years Eve. We tried to play in November, but a patch for the game in October had introduced some major bugs. Fortunately they fixed that, and also added free visual upgrades to the games for the PS5. Enjoyed the story of this one more than Man of Medan, though if they want me to worry about keeping the cast alive, then need to make more likeable characters.
Physical PS5 version available here from Amazon* though they do get good digital discounts in the sales.
Games played during December
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch
Plodding away, as suspected I didn’t finish before Christmas. My friends have given up on it but I’m determined to get to the end, as I am still enjoying it. I might try to let go of the side questing though.
I’m playing the Switch version, but you can get that, or Xbox and PlayStation versions here from Amazon*. It seems much cheaper on the other consoles, but it is much less digitally too.
Elder Scrolls Online – Xbox Series X
Played this a bit again on the request of a friend. Didn’t get far with it but did quite enjoy it on the Xbox rather than PC. Can see me spending more time with it if I don’t have any other big games on the go.
Christmas Nights – Xbox Series X
Obviously. Though I think for next years playthrough I might go back to playing on the Saturn for the extra nostalgia.
Mario Kart 8 – Nintendo Switch
Played a bit more with the new tracks on my own, but then somehow didn’t get to play any with the family over Christmas this year. Mostly because we played boardgames instead, but still.
If you’re one of the handful of people with a Switch who doesn’t already own Mario Kart, there is a decent discount on Amazon* at time of writing.
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand – Xbox Series X
Finally got round to playing this in online co-op with my mate, and it was just as much fun as we’d hoped. It’s utterly ridiculous, but also great fun. I’ll have a sequel please 50.
Dead Cells – Xbox Series X
I bounced off this a while back when I tried to play it before, and I still struggle with the roguelike elements. However, some Castlevania DLC has been announced and I want to be able to enjoy that so here we are. It does seem to be clicking a bit better this time round so hopefully I’ll stick with it.
Marvel Snap – Mobile & PC
Barely touched this during December, but did load it up a couple of times. The microtransactions are starting to show their teeth and the real money costs of anything are very cynical. I’ve seen “special promo deals” for a card or two and some currency for £45, or £90 worth of the in game currency you can buy with real money. Of course you don’t have to buy those, but it does show signs of the game leaning into “pay-to-win” that destroys multiplayer games for me.
What’s been on the arcade?
Didn’t really play any arcade games during December as the Christmas tree was next to the machine. I had a couple of goes on Thunder Force 3 though. It’ll be back on everyday now the decorations are down though.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Played a lot this month, although the majority of my time was on two games, at least I finished one of them though so they shouldn’t be reappearing in the list next month.
Games completed this month
Vampire Survivors – Xbox Series X
I did originally play Vampire Survivors when it was in early access on Steam. However, as is usual with early access stuff I didn’t stick with it, preferring to play when it is considered ‘finished’. It came to Xbox GamePass during November though, and I decided it was much better to play on my sofa in the lounge than on the PC. It took over my free time for most of the month, but I did manage to 100% all the achievements. Great game, led me to picking up a couple of similar (read shameless ripoff) games.
Games played during November
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch
Going to be a challenge to finish before Christmas, as I didn’t play much in November either. We can all thank Vampire Survivors for that.
I’m playing the Switch version, but you can get that, or Xbox and PlayStation versions here from Amazon*. It seems much cheaper on the other consoles, but it is much less digitally too.
Marvel Snap – Mobile & PC
Have still been going pretty strong with this into it’s second season. However, I’ve now used up all the free Google credit I had, so we’ll see if I’m still going to play once I need to pay my own money if I want the next season pass. The seasons are definitely too short to be charging £8.99 for the pass.
Hearthstone – Mobile & PC
I still haven’t spent as much time with this as I thought I would, but I may drift back if Marvel Snap loses momentum. I did buy myself a new Fire HD 10 Plus* tablet during Black Friday, which does lend itself well to card games so we may yet see a resurgence.
Nobody Saves the World – Xbox Series X
I think Vampire Survivors did this game dirty. I started playing it on GamePass and was having a good time. Until Vampire Survivors came out and I forgot all about it until I was writing this list. Oh well, maybe I’ll go back to it…
What’s been on the arcade?
The Ten Pence Arcade game in November was Spin Master. I liked it but time got away from me and I think I only played 3 credits. Oops. Did play some asteroids though and a bit of X-Men: Children of the Atom (largely inspired by my time with Marvel Snap).
November Pick-ups
Atari 50: The Anniversary Collection – Xbox Series X
These ‘retro’ collections can be a bit hit and miss, however Atari 50 is something of a masterclass of how to do it. There is so much history and well presented content, that this may be my preferred way to do a videogame documentary. The only downside is the games library is fairly weak in terms of quality, but it does have some gems in there. The Atari Jaguar games are worth the entry price alone, since they have been impossible to play legally for ages without the original hardware, and the costs of that these days is prohibitive. It also includes Tempest 2000, one of the greatest games of all time, so there’s that.
I picked it up digitally on the Xbox, as I had a bunch of store credit from the Microsoft Rewards. It is available physically on all console formats here* though too.
20 Minutes till Dawn – PC Steam
The first of two Vampire Survivors clones I picked up. They were in this bundle on Steam for around £5 at time of writing. Easily worth that, but neither is really as fun as the game that inspired them. I think I prefer the aesthetic of 20 Minutes till Dawn, and will probably spend more time with this one.
Spellbook Demonslayers – PC Steam
As above, this is a fun diversion if you’re looking for more Vampire Survivors, I also found it a bit easier than 20 Minutes till Dawn, but I’m less convinced by the art.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Consistent with predictions from last month, October was really busy, and I’m just as late updating this. Even less to talk about too. Nothing completed, just a few games played and some pick-ups from a couple of autumn sales.
Games played during October
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch
Still making progress with this although I didn’t find much time to play in October. Still enjoying it and hoping to crack on and finish it before Christmas though.
I’m playing the Switch version, but you can get that, or Xbox and PlayStation versions here from Amazon*. It seems much cheaper on the other consoles, but it is much less digitally too.
Halo 4 (Master Chief Collection) – Xbox Series X
We had another good co-op session on this, think we’re only one or two sessions left before the ending. Might be time for some Gears next.
Marvel Snap – Mobile & PC
This has surprisingly taken over my life, it’s very rare I go near any mobile games. Heard a few good things about it on a podcast so thought I’d give it a go when the final release happened in October. It’s very well done, and too addictive. For now I’m still playing everyday so we’ll see how long that lasts.
Hearthstone – Mobile & PC
Getting into Marvel Snap helped make me want to revisit Hearthstone too. My friend had been talking about it as well, so I held my nose over the current state of Blizzard and started to jump back in. Haven’t played a lot but it is helping scratch the card game itch.
What’s been on the arcade?
The Ten Pence Arcade game in October was 1943. I played a bit and was enjoying it but the scoring in the leaderboard was everywhere and some confusion about what difficulty people were playing put me off. On to the next one.
October Pick-ups
Alien vs Predator – Xbox 360
I saw an article online about how this was one of the best selling games that week. It was in the sale for a couple of quid and the commentary was about how well it runs on the Xbox Series X and what a decent game it was anyway. Think it passed me by on the 360 so I grabbed it. Haven’t played it yet, but after watching this video of it, I do intend to at least try it.
Panzer Dragoon Remake – Xbox Series X
Yes I did buy this already on Switch, but again it was like £1, and I couldn’t resist seeing it upscaled to 4k and with auto HDR. It does look great on the Series X, although it doesn’t seem to have any extra polish for the Series S/X consoles, think it’s the same version that would be on the Xbox One. It still plays great though so I’m happy with it.
Dicey Dungeons – Switch
More double dipping here. I already have and played this on Steam, but silly cheap prices meant I grabbed it again. It’s a perfect Switch game though, and something I can see myself getting into when travelling.
Fhtagn! – PC
Last pick up this month, and another one from the sales, is Fhtagn! I don’t know a lot about this, but it seems to be a sort of social / party game. Looks to be a co-operative experience, perhaps with some secret cultist/traitor vibes. Hoping to get it on the TV using the SteamLink and play with a couple of friends.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
September and October are always busy months for me, managed to be later than usual with this too. I have played a few things in the pockets of downtime though.
Games completed this month
Escape Academy – Xbox Series X
Another surprise gem on GamePass. A series of fully realised escape rooms to play through. Very much enjoyed it. Not a very long game but good fun. I think it would be easier playing with someone else, but using a pen and paper to note down solutions worked pretty well.
Games played during September
Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch
We’re well underway with the new JRPG. It took a little getting into but I’m really enjoying it now.
Destiny 2 – PC & Xbox Series X
Played quite a bit of this in September, mostly progressing the Witch Queen story, but friends helped me with the content from the 30th Anniversary pack I had on PC so I’m pretty much just playing on Xbox now.
Animal Crossing New Horizons – Nintendo Switch
Not playing every day but I have been dropping in most weeks again with Animal Crossing.
Halo 4 (Master Chief Collection) – Xbox Series X
Had another session on this with my friend, we’re making slow progress, but it’s happening. Optimistic we’ll see the full campaign through. Must book in some more time to play.
Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope – PS5
My girlfriend and I are playing this one in the same ‘pass the controller’ style as we did with Man of Medan. Don’t think we’re too far into it yet, but I’m enjoying the creepy old town vibe.
Street Fighter 6 – PS5
September also saw me attend two days of EGX. Time mostly spent drinking and hanging out with a friend and we did play a few retro games together. The only new game they had that I was interested in was Street Fighter 6. Pleased to say it seems great so far and I’ll definitely be picking it up. I’d like to get it on PS5, although unless the crossplay is really well implemented I may need to move to Xbox for it, and potentially invest in a new fightstick.
What’s been on the arcade?
The Ten Pence Arcade game this month was the side scrolling brawler, The Punisher. This is a game I’ve spent quite a bit of time with previously so have enjoyed jumping back in. Unusually I was also quite competitive on the leaderboards for this too.
September Pick-ups
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand – Xbox 360
I played this on the 360 originally and really enjoyed it. It’s now backwards compatible on the Series X and a friend has expressed an interest in playing co-operatively so I’ve picked it up again. Can’t wait to tear things up as Lloyd Banks.
80s Overdrive – Nintendo Switch
This month’s gamble on a ridiculously cheap sale. These games in the style of 80s or 90s era arcade racing games are very common, but this one looked worth checking out, and was around £1.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
