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.
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 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 – 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.
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.
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 – 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
