I didn’t finish any games in November, I thought we were doing surprisingly well this year. Depending how December goes though, we might get a couple more in before the end of the year.
Games played during November
Axiom Verge 2 – PS5
I did get back to this for a bit, but then got distracted by something else. Hopefully not the end for Axiom Verge 2 because it’s definitely good. Just might be a bit before I get to it again.
Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania DLC – Xbox Series X
I have played a lot of this, but still around 30 unlocks to go. Having a great time and will definitely stick with it.
Day of the Tentacle Remastered – Xbox Series X
My current GamePass daily rewards game. Still going.
Gears 5 – Xbox Series X
Went back to this in co-op, but mixed up which Gears game I was playing with which friend. Had an entertaining moment of resuming in the middle of Act 3 with someone who had clearly never played the Gears 5 campaign at all before.
Colin McRae 2.0 – SteamDeck (PS1)
Following my move to BlueSky and discovering a lot of friends I used to talk to on the platform previously known as Twitter, I got into a bit of chat with a mate about how we’d never really played this game properly. So now we are. It’s very nice to play on the SteamDeck, and I’ve been really enjoying it. Not sure if I’ll manage to finish the world rally though, I’m struggling in Australia.
What’s been on the arcade?
Just Ten Pence Arcade to thank for the games I’ve been on again, more Demon Front and the new choice, Spelunker. Not sure this ones for me to be honest.
Games purchased this month
Spider-Man 2 – PS5
Finally got round to grabbing this, picked up a physical copy from CeX with a bunch of store credit I’ve had for a while. Only played the first hour but this is what’s derailed Axiom Verge 2 again.
UFO 50 – PC
Had my eye on this when it came out, but missed the initial discount. It was in the Steam Sale though so I’ve got it now. Yet to load it up, but I’ve installed it on the deck where it seems like a perfect fit.
Games retired during November
Alan Wake 2: The Lake House – PS5
I played a bit more of this but still wasn’t really enjoying it. Then my friend whose game library I share bought herself a PS5 Pro and now owns two consoles, so we had to stop sharing, and it was her copy of Alan Wake 2 I played. Definitely don’t care enough about this DLC to buy the whole thing myself.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
A few completions again this month, including one that wasn’t at all on my radar but got its hooks in me when it arrived on GamePass. Also just realised I’m not about much this week, so if I didn’t get this out today it’ll be heading into the middle of the month before I publish.
Games completed this month
Cocoon – Xbox Series X
Yes after completion my sentiments remain the same, it was good, and some of the puzzling was really fun. However, it doesn’t come close to Limbo or Inside for me.
Vampire Survivors – Xbox Series X
You know the drill, a big content patch arrives with loads of new unlocks – including achievements for playing through the main Adventures. I complete them all, and count it as completing the game again. Excellent.
Inscryption – Xbox Series X
This was the surprise drop on GamePass that I got into. Wasn’t planning on playing Inscryption, but when I saw it pop up in the newly added list I remembered hearing about it on the DLC podcast and they had been very positive. Thought it was worth a look. Proceeded to do not much else until I rolled credits. Great fun as a roguelite deck-building game, with some very cool meta things going on too. Creepy and well worth playing.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons – Xbox Series X
I did try this a while back when it was free on PS+ for the PlayStation 3. Didn’t really grab me then, but I thought I’d give it another shot as my next daily achievement gameplay for the Xbox Rewards. I did get to the end, but definitely don’t hold it in as high regard as others seem to.
Games played during October
Axiom Verge 2 – PS5
Well, I just about started this, and then the game below appeared and I immediately dropped it for that. Hoping to come back to it though, I liked the hour I played.
Alan Wake 2: The Lake House – PS5
Alan Lake. Well as above, new Alan Wake DLC appeared so I dropped Axiom Verge and then started this instead. However, once the Vampire Survivors DLC turned up in the purchases below, I realised I’ll probably not play much of anything else till that’s done. This DLC seems good but hasn’t got it’s hooks in as quickly as the last one did. Feels a bit like Control so far, I need to push on I think.
Day of the Tentacle Remastered – Xbox Series X
Next up for the daily achievement hunt on Xbox, this classic point and click. I never properly played it first time round so should be fun. It does do the cool “switch between old and new graphics with one button” thing which is always satisfying.
What’s been on the arcade?
Another month not playing a great deal on the arcade cab, but I have spent a little time with the latest Ten Pence Arcade game, Demon Front.
Games purchased this month
PRIM – PC
Well I didn’t really purchase it as the publisher sent me a steam key. Looks interesting though so hopefully be one I get round to playing and talking about.
Vampire Survivors: Ode to Castlevania DLC – Xbox Series X
The most obvious DLC, but also what I would have considered the least likely when the game first came out. Vampire Survivors used a whole bunch of Castlevania assets to create the original game, but now we’ve come full circle with the biggest DLC pack yet, adding mountains of licenced Castlevania content. I’ve had a very quick go, but it only came out on Halloween so I’m yet to get properly stuck in.
Games retired during October
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – Xbox Series X
Well I gave it a good crack, but I did not enjoy the weird skirmishes and they put me right off. Found I didn’t feel like loading the game back up after they appeared. A shame because I loved the first game, and was enjoying this up to that point.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones (if I’ve actually included any), which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
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.
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 – 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…
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.
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.
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.
Feels like a good month for gaming, and a good or bad month for buying, depending how you look at it.
Games completed this month
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 – Xbox 360
Could have included this in this month’s pick-ups, but since I did a 1 credit completion I decided to count it here instead. I loved the first Tekken Tag Tournament and always meant to spend more time with the sequel. I previously bought it for the PS3, but having it backwards compatible on the Series X is much more useful.
Games played during June
Dragon Ball FighterZ – Xbox Series X
Finally got to play a bit of this with my mate, in a break between Street Fighter 6 rounds. It’s absolute chaos. I think I was enjoying it, but even less of an idea what is going on than at the height of the Marvel vs Capcom games. Can’t see me playing it more on my own, but think it will continue to be interesting for occasional local multiplayer matches.
Octopath Traveller 2 – PlayStation 5
Progress continues to be slow, but I’m still enjoying it. A couple of other entries this month have been sapping my time, at the moment I have been managing an hour or two a week on this though.
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 – Xbox Series X
Yes this is everything I hoped for. Having a blast, I still kinda suck at ranked online, but hoping to at least get back to Silver like I was on SFV, if not pushing for Gold. Most of my time will hopefully just be spent playing against my mate though, once he gets used to using his new arcade stick*.
I also spent £3 on in-game currency so I could buy the classic costume for Ken so I don’t have to pay the dire World Tour mode. A bargain.
Had a couple of goes of this now in the three player modes, with my Nephew and my usual Street Fighter buddy. It is entertaining, but largely just my Nephew killing everyone while attempting to keep us alive, or at least able to respawn. We’re getting old.
Animal Crossing New Horizons – Nintendo Switch
I didn’t expect to be getting heavily back into this, but here we are. My girlfriend is playing as well so it’s great to be able to make use of the co-operative elements. Animal Crossing is still very much a great place to spend time, although I find myself wishing for a new game and wondering how many years Nintendo are away from doing that. Suspect it’ll need a new console release from them before it’s even thought about.
Surely you’ve got this already, but it’s here if not*. (And yes I will call you Shirley.)
Railway Empire 2 – PC
I think the only game I’ve really played on GamePass this month, but it is great. Also nice to be playing something on PC. I’ve pretty much just done the tutorial so far. I love the idea of train games, but they can quickly get overly complex. This feels quite accessible though, so looking forward to playing some more. Did I mention I was getting old?
What’s been on the arcade?
I’ve kind of neglected the cabinet for gaming this month, I had a couple of goes on Dr Toppel’s Adventure, the Ten Pence Arcade choice for June, but it didn’t really take. I’ve been tinkering a bit with the software on it, and thinking about other improvements I could do…
Pick ups during June
The Quarry – PS5
This was very cheap in CEX, so I’ve bought it just to pop on the shelf for when my girlfriend and I have finished with the Dark Pictures Anthology.
Seems out of stock on PS5, but the various editions here on Amazon* are also on offer at time of writing.
Streets of Rage 4 and DLC – Xbox Series X
After having a lot of fun playing 3 player Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge in the previous month, I wanted to get back to this the next time there were 3 of us. I originally played SOR4 on GamePass, and although it was no longer on that service, it popped up for half price. I’ll have that thank you very much!
I do generally prefer to get things digitally these days, but if physical is your bag, Amazon have it* for the main systems.
Akka Arrh – PlayStation 5
Had been meaning to pick this up for a while, but wasn’t sure which system to get it on. I noticed it was on sale on the PS5 though, so I grabbed it there. Haven’t played the game much but it’s from Jeff Minter’s Llamasoft, so a must buy.
Games retired this month
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon – Nintendo Switch
As predicted, I didn’t play this again once I got back from holiday. Oh well I had fun with it for a bit.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Xbox 360
And similarly I gave up on this again too. I was enjoying it when I played it, just never felt myself drawn to play when sitting down at the consoles. A pity, but we move on.
*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.
A few games completed during February, generally 2D stuff that has been okay to play while I have been unwell. Games like Gears 5 are on hold until I’m free of all vertigo symptoms.
Games completed this month
Airborne Kingdom – PC
This was probably the most perfect game I’ve played for recovery. It’s a slow paced city builder style game, except your city is floating through the sky. With the game speed on the default, I was able to keep it running and make progress just playing very casually. It’s just a very pretty, relaxing game. Although I suspect the newly released “hard mode” probably makes it a more stressful experience, I think I’ll give that a miss.
Beyond Blue – PC
Turns out I was almost at the end of this after the last time I played it anyway. Another relaxing ambient game, that is a cross between the old Endless Ocean games on the Nintendo Wii (which were great) and a wildlife documentary. The other thing this has in common with Airborne Kingdom above, is that both are games I bought from the Epic games store, so I now have 100% completion of the games I’ve paid for on there. Yes I have only bought those two.
Raiden V – Xbox Series S
Sort of cheating since to properly consider a shmup completed, you’d be looking for a single credit (or even a single life) run through. However I’m a bit more relaxed about these pure console ones where there is enough involved in terms of story etc. On my shmup day described further down, I played this straight through and rolled credits, collecting plenty of achievements on my way.
Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath – PS4
As mentioned last month, I went on to playthrough the story DLC from the Aftermath expansion. It was good fun and certainly worth a go after finishing the main campaign.
Pretty much in line with what the reviews said, this seems okay but is disappointingly not as interesting as Until Dawn. I’ve played the first hour or two, and was sort of enjoying it. However I haven’t felt compelled to put it on again which I guess is pretty telling. Maybe I’ll get back to it before it leaves Game Pass.
Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 – Xbox Series S
I haven’t bought this yet, hard to justify for the price of entry when I own the first game on PC, PS4 and Switch. However it had a free to play weekend on Xbox, so I gave it a go on my new Series S. It’s still great, and does have a decent amount of new content so I will get it, but will stick with the Xbox version so I at least have it on a different platform to the original.
Shmups PS3, PS4, Xbox
I spent one Saturday in February just having some quality time with the arcade sticks. I hooked up my Cronus Zen and Hori 360 stick to the Xbox Series S (partly to make sure that all just worked on the new console – it does!) and had my PS4 Arcade Stick on the go for the games I played on both PS4 and PS3. As well as Raiden V, I also spent some time playing Raiden IV, Gradius V, Darius Burst Chronicles, and a short burst on Radiant Silvergun to remember why I gave up on that.
Fifa 21 – Xbox Game Pass (Trial)
I remembered that Game Pass now comes with EA Play, which includes 10 hours access to the latest EA Sports games. Having had some fun playing Madden 21 on my PS4 during the past year, I thought I’d give this a go. I did enjoy myself for a few hours on Ultimate Team, sort of piecing a side together and doing the single player challenges. I played two games online with my Nephew though and remembered why I gave up on these. I’m not interested in putting in the time it would take to be viable against other people, so I’ll leave that there.
Bravely Default 2 – Switch
This came out as planned at the end of the month, but I managed to play quite a bit over the last weekend in February so included it here rather than among the pick ups. Really enjoying myself so far, although there have already been a few challenging spots. Hopefully I’ll get to the end this time, rather than abandon it half way through like last time.
February Pick-ups
Arcade Cabinet
Of course this was the big one for February, and also dominated my games played at the end of the month. If you haven’t already read it, I wrote about it in the MAME Arcade Cabinet post (part 2).
Capcom vs SNK: Match of the Millennium – Switch
Another of the Neo Geo Pocket Color (NGPC) games being ported to Switch, and while there are others they’ve done I still want to pick up, I couldn’t wait for this. This is one I never had myself when I had my own NGPC console, but I always wanted it. Lovely little fighter. I’m still hoping they’ll bring Neo Turf Masters Pocket over soon, and it would be nice to see the Card Fighters and Metal Slug games as well.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
Managed to start the year off pretty well, with three (count ’em!) completions. Even more impressive considering since halfway through the month I’ve been knocked out with Labyrinthitis and unable to play much of anything. I expect it’ll be at least mid-February before I get back to any VR.
Games completed this month
Gears of War 4 – Xbox One / Series S
Spoiler for later down the list, but one of the first things I did with my new Xbox was pick up my co-op campaign where I left off with my mate Ross a couple of years ago. Thankfully my Nephew was around to see it through, as Ross has since surrendered his Xbox Gold account. Gears 5 next.
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate – PS4
Played through the main story mode on this, as with the previous Mortal Kombat, and the two Injustice games, the story is really enjoyable and a real masterclass in how to do single player content in a versus fighter. The last boss fight soured the experience slightly, but that’s nothing new for these kind of games. I’ll have a little break then go back and play the single player story from the Aftermath DLC.
First ‘next gen’ game played on my Series S, and I managed to finish it this month too. Although I only have the lower spec Series S Xbox, Ori is a real showcase for it. Was able to play the whole game in 4K with HDR at 60fps. Really great follow up to the first game, even if they have been copying Hollow Knight’s homework. Oh and that’s one ticked off from my playlist for 2021 as well.
Games played during January
Blood & Truth – PSVR
Was progressing quite nicely with this until I got ill. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish it off once I’m feeling better.
Sea Salt – Xbox One / Series S
Only managed a quick go on this on GamePass. I think it’s leaving the service soon so probably won’t manage to get back to it. It was fun though so I may pick it up in the sale later. I was enjoying terrorising a seaside town with my easily describable minions, while playing as Dagon.
Forza Horizon 4 – Xbox Series S
Of course I’m back on this with the shiny new Xbox. Looks fantastic and is still the best racing game I’ve ever played. Seems to have been quite a few new races and events since I played last too.
Assault Android Cactus – Xbox One / Series S
I played this through a while back on my PC, not convinced I ever beat the last boss though. While I’ve been enjoying revisiting some of my existing library on Xbox I noticed I’d barely touched it on there. Thought I’d fire it up and see if I can bring myself to finish it this time round.
Civilization 6 Gathering Storm – Switch
This (and the following 2D games in this list) are all I’ve really been up to since getting ill. Anything in three dimensions is still a no go, but was good to give this a bit of an airing for the first time since I picked up the DLC. Still don’t really know what I’m doing though.
Parasol Stars – Core Grafx Mini
Possibly the first time I’ve really sat down to play this, and I’ve discovered a bit of a love for it. Also, I’ve mentioned it many times over now, but the Core Grafx Mini is an absolute gem.
Another I’ve spent plenty of time with previously (and discussed on the pinball episode of the podcast), but couldn’t resist getting back on it while I was playing on the mini. I’m also getting over the annoyance when the table flicks between the top and bottom screens.
Xeno Crisis – Xbox One / Series S
As I’d discovered I could handle 2D games, I figured I’d give this a shot on GamePass. Really good game, pretty difficult though. Very much channels Smash TV, aesthetically, gameplay and apparently also difficulty!
January Pick-ups
Ghost Town Mine Ride – PCVR
This was a pretty low budget pick up. Mostly just wanted something on the PCVR set similar to Until Dawn: Rush of Blood on the PSVR.
Last Resort (Neo Geo) – Switch
An old favourite Neo Geo game that got ported to the Switch a while back. They don’t go on sale that often, but for £3 this was an easy sale.
Xbox Series S & GamePass Ultimate
As mentioned above, I picked up the Series S at the start of the year. I know this version has received some flack on social media but I’m very happy with it. I was still using a launch model original Xbox One, so had missed out on any incremental upgrades from the later versions. I’m still going to pick up a PS5 to go alongside my gaming PC to make the most of the latest generation of games. However, the Series S does an excellent job of making my existing Xbox library, including some games from the original Xbox, look great on my 4K TV.
It also serves as a very convenient GamePass box, for playing the games on the subscription service, where it doesn’t matter that it doesn’t have a disc drive. For the price, and quite frankly the small size of the device compared to the monsters that are the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it is a lovely device.
Still quite difficult to get hold of but when Amazon do have them, they’re here*.
Bezier: Second Edition – Switch
A friend sent me a link to the trailer for this, it was clearly very Geometry Wars in style, so I had to get involved. Didn’t hurt that it was only a fiver at launch too.
Games pre-ordered this month
Bravely Default 2 – Switch
It’s almost four years since I last played a Japanese RPG (the incredible Panzer Dragoon Saga on the SEGA Saturn), so I’m about ready to play one again. Of the 5 I have played before, the original Bravely Default on 3DS was not without issues, but I did have some good fun with it. My friend pointed me to a demo of this new one on the Switch store, which I played around with before putting in my pre-order. I have gone for a physical edition* though, so I can at least trade it in if I’ve made a terrible mistake.
It’s due at the end of February, it could take my mind off trying to get hold of a PS5 for a while. This is just as well, as I’m thinking about putting that back a few months anyway, and diverting funds towards another project. More on that story later.
*As usual, these links are affiliate ones, which may earn me a small commission if you buy something.
