vampiresarego

#60 - NieR: Automata (PS4) 3rd November 2019 Final Words 1 month, 2 weeks, 2 days To start, let me say, that this was not the game I was expecting it to be. I didn't expect this game to be a semi-open world action RPG, with bullet hell dynamics and mini-game hacking elements; a pure mash-up to be honest. I thought this was more of a side scrolling action platformer, kind of similar to Strider, but with way better graphics. So to start, I was a little shook, this isn't what I signed up for! But wow!! After the initial shock I was completely taken by this game. I see why this ended up on a lot of "Best Of" lists for 2017. Like I said before, this is primarily an "open-world action RPG," but I can tell you it's way more than that. A pretty seamless blend of narrative storytelling with a dynamic game experience, this game always has you on your toes. One moment you are in a top down shooter, then you are running through a vast desert searching for clues to an abandoned world, to an 8-bit style minigame the next. The graphics in this game are phenomenal, the world that Platinum Games has created is bleak but beautiful. Vast forests, desert wastelands, desolate cities, and even an abandoned theme park. The soundtrack is also quite an accomplishment. Eerie, light, sad, and epic, but always fits the locale and the situation at hand. This game is a pure masterpiece in it's truest form. I would love to see another one of these made, I think Platinum has a franchise on their hands if they chose to do more with it. As for the trophies, they are a little time consuming to get them all, I sank over 90+ hours into this to finally get the platinum. It's not a difficult platinum to get, but it will just take a lot of time. If you are used to the standard RPG platinum grind, however, this won't come as a surprise. I can't say enough good things about NieR: Automata, it wasn't what I was expecting at all, and loved it because of that. Do yourself a favour, go out and grab a copy of this very unique experience. 2B!!! "Everything That Lives Is Designed To End. We Are Perpetually Trapped In A Never-Ending Spiral Of Life And Death. Is This A Curse? Or Some Kind Of Punishment? I Often Think About The God Who Blessed Us With This Cryptic Puzzle, And Wonder If We'll Ever Get The Chance To Kill Him."

#59 - Days Gone (PS4) 28th June 2019 One Percenter 2 months, 4 hours This won't be a glowing review like most of the reviews I usually post... be warned. I started playing this on Launch Day, 2 months ago, and I tell you this game had a lot of issues. I know this game has been a few years in the making, but it feels like this has been rushed out the door to meet a "deadline" that no one cared about. Studio Bend, I am sure, meant well and was trying desperately to create the best game that they could, but this game had too many flaws in it. This is actually pretty surprising, especially seeing the plethora of exclusive hits that Playstation has been releasing that last couple of years, and the quality of those games. To tell you the truth, that was probably the most disappointing part. I was expecting this game to hit a home run, much like GoW or Spiderman before it, a beautiful game with a great story and great game play. Days Gone was not one of those games. The world is beautiful, the story is so-so, and the game play is mediocre. I am sure I could come up with a laundry list of excuses for why this game was so broken, but I have heard them all before and I know Studio Bend could have done better. But, this game isn't totally without merit and as time has gone on the software updates have addressed a lot of the early bugs. So, even with this game constantly crashing, randomly spawning zombie hordes, and game breaking bugs, I still had fun riding my motorcycle around Oregon. When it is working, this game looks beautiful. Living in BC, we are only a few hundred miles away from that beautiful state, and you can tell that Studio Bend is definitely proud of the state they are in. Riding across this map from mission to mission almost always had me floored by how beautiful the environments were. It reminds me, that I need to go to Portland for a weekend. The story for this game could have been great, but I think the acting was a little wooden and when it mattered the, the climactic moments were a little bit of a let down. I did feel that as the story progressed it did get a little better, but it never really moved the needle emotionally for me. Finally, the game play, this game is just another open world 3rd Person shooter. Nothing here was really new or innovative, if you played Last of Us, you have already played a better version of this game. The open world environment is really the only difference in game play and I think the open world hindered this game more than it helped. For the trophy hunters out there, the platinum is pretty easy to get. There is a little post game grinding, but even that doesn't take too long, maybe an extra 2 to 3 hours of play. That was definitely a huge plus for this game and easily one of the motivating factors to finish this one. For Days Gone, my final verdict is: This game may not be the Last of Us, but it definitely is a good way to fill that gap until LoU2 comes out. Also, let's just say that running around mowing zombies down is always a really good time. BOOZEMAN!!!

#58 - Batman (PS4) 22nd April 2019 I'm Batman 1 week, 45 minutes While taking another break between Kingdom Hearts games, I thought I would dip back into the back catalog and see what else was waiting for me. In the shadows was Telltale's Batman story. It has been a little while since I played a Telltale game, and boy did I miss this experience. I know Telltale has gotten a lot of flack for these interactive story games, but I love them! The Batman story is another knock out punch by the Telltale team. What a great story. It was gritty, dark, and modern. Not quite Chris Nolan, but still pretty dark. As far as trophies goes, this is definitely one of the easiest platinum trophies to achieve. All you need to do is play through it. If you can't manage to do that, then don't ever bother trying to get a platinum trophy for any game. If you want a fun story, a nice rest from the 90+ hour games, and an easy platinum trophy. Check this one out! ALFRED!!!

#57 - Rime (PS4) 4th March 2019 The end is a new beginning 6 days, 9 hours, 20 minutes While taking a break between Kingdom Hearts games, I thought I would dip into the back catalog and see what was waiting for me. Waiting for me in there was this magnificent little puzzle platformer! Rime is an incredibly touching story of grieving and how one processes those emotions. With a magnificent art style and a great game mechanic, this game was a pleasant surprise. Tequila Works did a fantastic job with this game and should be quite proud of this game. Now, this game doesn't really offer up anything new to the genre, but it is still a very impressive game nonetheless, and should be on everyone's to play list. The trophy list is very achievable and should be a very straight forward platinum for any experienced trophy hunter. This game is a real gem and I can't recommend this game enough. Do yourself a favour, between your two next big AAA games, give this a whirl, you will thank me! FOX!!!

#56 - Shadow of the Tomb Raider (PS4) 30th October 2018 Chalice of Torment 4 weeks, 1 day The third installment of the renewed Tomb Raider series did not disappoint. Shadow of the Tomb Raider stays true to the game play of the first 2 games, great gameplay, beautiful locations, and a fun story. But, I do feel that this 3rd installment does fall a little short from the previous iterations. Does it mean it's bad, not at all, this is a great game, it's just not as good as the first 2. However, this is the first of the series that I have been able to platinum, which for me was a huge bonus, and definitely helped drive my opinion for it up. I have been playing Tomb Raider games since the very first one in 1996, and these new iterations are a true marvel. If you are a fan of the series, or at least the last 2 games, please do yourself a favour, and give this one a go. For all you trophy hunters out there, this is a very straightforward platinum, playing on the hardest difficult is a bit frustrating due to the loss of checkpoints, but it definitely is not difficult. So, dust off your bow and arrow, and get ready to explore the depths of South America. JONAH!!!!

#55 - Marvel's Spider-Man (PS4) 26th September 2018 Be Greater 2 weeks, 4 days I will go on record to say that Spider-Man is definitely a contender for Game of the Year! This game is a 10/10, it does everything perfectly, if you ask me. This game is fun, engaging, well-crafted, balanced, and did I mention FUN!! Insomniac has truly out done themselves with this game! Bravo! I am sure other people in this forum have already heaped a myriad of praise upon this game, and given you all the reasons why, so I won't bore you with the details. As an avid gamer, a trophy collector, and a fan of video games as a whole, this game is wonderful. Do yourself a favour, if you are going to play one game this year, put this on your short list! WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY!

#54 - Doom (PS4) 28th August 2018 Thy Flesh Consumed 1 month, 5 days Doom is a game that I liked, it's not a game that I loved. I know that this game has been ranked high on a lot of people's lists, but I definitely did not feel the same way. The story for this campaign was really thin, I could care less if the portal to hell was open or closed. For a FPS, the control felt pretty stiff and unpolished. In a sea of Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Destiny, a FPS has to really bring something innovative to stand out. Doom does not do it. The trophies, however, are a nice trade off for a game that is lackluster. The platinum is easily achievable. The ability to utilize chapter select and having the stat screen show your progress makes this a nice trophy hunt. For the trophy hunters out there, I say it's a decent game to get, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for an outstanding FPS experience.

#53 - Detroit: Become Human (PS4) 12th July 2018 Detroit Master 3 weeks, 3 days, 12 minutes Another exceptional game from Quantic Dream. To be honest, this is the first game by Quantic Dream that I have platinumed. I think Heavy Rain is still the best game produced by this studio, but Detroit is a very close second. I think of all three games this one is a lot more accessible. You can tell that Quantic Dream is really perfecting their style of gameplay and it really shines in this one. The story is really engaging, you become attached to these characters. Even going back to do the "evil" playthrough, it was tough to make those decisions. The trophy list is not too difficult as well. I don't feel it was too big of challenge making my way to the platinum trophy. Of the three games by Quantic, I feel this one is the easiest to get the platinum for. Please, if you are a fan of the other two games, and you haven't played this yet, get a copy and enjoy. KARA!!!

#52 - God of War (PS4) 10th June 2018 Father and Son 1 month, 3 days, 13 hours I really love this game! I know I am biased, I have loved the GoW franchise since the beginning, but this game truly shines. The updated game play, the beautiful graphics, the amazing soundtrack, and the story... that's right, God of War with an incredible story. Working my way through this game I never once felt like I was just grinding for the sake of grinding. Okay maybe the Nephilim stuff is a bit grindy. And the introduction of Atreus as an AI companion was cleverly done, any studio should look to how this system works. And to top it all off, the trophy list is definitely achievable by any trophy hunter. The last Valkyrie battle is definitely the hardest part of this game, but after a few attempts, a decent player will manage to make their way through it. I can't recommend this game enough. Easily, one of the best games of the year for Playstation. FREYA!!!