rjkclarke's Carnival of Diamonds and Rust

[rjkclarke]

Rob....... Where's Your 2021 End of Year Recap Post?

 

Fear not..... Not that any of you were...... It will be here tomorrow.

 

I was always planning to post it on the 31st......... Only because that actually is the definitive end of the year, and.......well - it's that, and the fact that in practically every walk of life I tend to leave things to the last minute, so why change that now?

 

The only downside to this is that I think because of time differences - it will probably already be 2022 by the time some of you actually read it - which is a shame, but just remember for me it was the 31st.

 

There's one last review I want to get out in 2021 and that's of Pure Pool..... Kind of spoilers I guess, but it could be in contention for at least one or two awards, so I feel like I should have something to refer back to, so I'll post the redux version of my review of that later on. I'll probably have the platinum on The Wolf Among Us later on too, but I don't know that realistically I'll have time to actually write a review of that, and get the End of Year post done on time, but we'll see.

 

 

It will almost certainly be a very long read - but I'm sure most of you would have expected that anyway. I'll try and make it at least fun though.

 

Right then.....  Some long overdue replies I think!

 

FIRE UP THE CLANNAD, GIMME THAT GAELIC GOODNESS - IT'S TIME TO GET WRITING!

 

Midway Edit: Their Live Gig in Dublin's Christ Church Cahtedral is what I'm currently listening to, and if I ever get access to a time machine - I'm off to be part of that crowd - I just need to make sure I don't tread on any Irish butterflies. Or in true Simpsons fashion "Oh...... I wish, I wish, I hadn't killed that fish" One of my favourite Treehouse of Horror moments.

 

For as much as I still dabble with Metal (although if I could give my 16 year old self a slap in the face and tell him not to get into Bullet For My Valentine I probably would,) when I'm writing (whatever form that is taking,) nothing settles me down and relaxes me like they do - Moya Brennan is 69 years old (59 in what I'm listening to,) and her voice sounds as good as it ever did!

 

 

 

On 29/12/2021 at 10:50 AM, YaManSmevz said:

Real talk - I did my first save right before the first kill... what a dumb, dumb decision, needless to say that I ended up restarting! I could only imagine what a pain the Sniper challenges were... If memory serves one of them you can get pretty easily but the other doesn't ever go outside.

 

We've all done it - I did that on Sapienza, I did a save right after taking out Silvio forgetting that I still had a lot of the level left to do, so every time I'd mess up I'd have to retread so much progress, that one was a bit of a nightmare haha. I didn't mind though, I can't see a time where I won't love Sapienza. 

 

On 29/12/2021 at 10:50 AM, YaManSmevz said:

Definitely try some of the more oddball challenges, I had so much fun with those! If you were chicken to try those, don't feel too badly because until recently I was too chicken to go for the SOSA challenges! Like I'd get them here and there but I wouldn't actively seek them, now I'm really glad that I make the effort. Hahaha I totally forgot about the secret exit, that shit was a crack up

 

 

I'll definitely give some of them a go - because there's loads of them I wanted to do, but never quite did. So I reckon I'll fire those up on Hitman 3, I really liked the idea of some of the gimmick costume specific ones. Like the one for killing folk as the Scarecrow in Colorado, or the Phantom of the Opera style one in Paris.

 

I'm glad you're having fun going for those SOSA challenges - those are the things I enjoy the most in stealth games usually. If you ever get around to playing The Phantom Pain (which you should, it's a great game, despite what I might think of it). The satisfaction you can get from Trial and erroring yourself through those missions with perfect stealth is a blast, especially if you've got a buddy to party up with and talk tactics as you do it, so feel free to hit me up if you want to if/when you play it.

 

On 29/12/2021 at 10:50 AM, YaManSmevz said:

I dunno, I'd buy a copy of Insomnia Man... I hear they come with a free bar of Clarke Enterprises Soap!

 

True that, there's always at least some positivity to be found in most things.. the trick, of course, is to be able to find it!

 

Purpose built soap to wash away negativity!

 

Like I've said before - If my Avatar starts to change into Brad Pitt (or I guess Liquid Snake in my case, haha,) then we'll know that we might have a problem!

 

On 29/12/2021 at 10:50 AM, YaManSmevz said:

Excellent work, man! I genuinely feel like I played the game myself, love your approach with this one!

 

When you talked about thinking you had reached a new island (but hadn't), aw dude. I've had so many moments like that, not even all of them gaming-related! Really glad you shared that bit.. also the Epic of Mr. Clarke and the Eel! You really captured that feeling we all get in a game when we barely make it through a superbly difficult boss fight and are basically limping around in desperate search of replenishment, just thinking "please, please don't die, I do NOT want to do all that again!!"

 

Also, next time you get sushi, get yourself some eel, and as you're eating it, pretend that's the one you killed in Stranded Deep. That might make it taste even better, who knows

 

Thanks man! I thought I'd play to the games strengths with that one, for all the faults it has, it really can give you an experience, and I loved that aspect of it. I really can't fault it. So I thought it'd be better to focus on that, than the fact that it's a bit more generic than perhaps it could have been. 

 

I couldn't not share that silly arse moment of being so excited I'd found something completely new only to find out it was the Island I'd been slowly building for a month, I thought that one was too much of a hilarious  moment.

 

Well said! - that desperate feeling is something really special, when you come out of a game with a story like that. I can't remember the last time a game gave me that very specific "PLEASE DON'T DIE NOW" feeling - I missed it, and I'm really glad that Stranded Deep gave me a little taste of that again.

 

On 29/12/2021 at 2:07 PM, Cassylvania said:

Glad you enjoyed Stranded Deep! It's unpolished, but there are some really good things there. It was fun reliving the experience through your stories. It's those raw, unscripted moments that make survival my favorite genre. I do have several recommendations...

 

Thanks Cassy! I appreciate the kind words, and the recommendations.

 

I can see why you love the genre so much - it's very unique, especially the slightly random nature to it - which means you aren't rigidly sticking to a guide - you kind of have to go and experience everything yourself, and just see what happens. I know Stranded Deep has ways of manipulating things a little bit, but the best experiences I had with it, was when I was out carving my own little story.

 

I'm going to take all of those recommendations on board - and now I've got something concrete to refer back to, so I appreciate you throwing some of your thoughts out there.

 

On 29/12/2021 at 2:07 PM, Cassylvania said:

Subnautica is great. Best thing with that game is that you only have to put as much effort into the platinum as you want, as you can technically use the dev commands to get all of the trophies in a few hours. But you really should do most of it on your own.

 

This one jumped out at me because I do already own it, I think I actually bought it before it was given away free, I'd heard it was really good, and I think I just bought it on a whim, when I saw it cheap.

 

So next time I fancy another dabble with the Survival genre, I'll make sure to fire up Subnautica. I won't use the dev commands though - I don't have a problem with anyone who does that - it's up to them right? I just know I wouldn't have a fulfilling experience doing that.

 

The Long Dark sounds awesome - even if it is a little brutal - I think that'll be one I might give a go once I've gotten a bit more experience in the genre. Going for 500 days sounds like such a rollercoaster of a time, with the inevitable ups and downs you'd get from failed attempts and things of that nature.

 

On 29/12/2021 at 3:10 PM, The_Kopite said:

Haha I'm not surprised you pre-ordered it lol Well there you go then, sadly it can be like that with almost any game. I mean CD Project Red were well respected (from what I'd seen) nd then they released Cyperpunk.....

 

CD Projekt Red did have a lot of good will before the Cyberpunk debacle that's for sure...... but, and there's a fairly big caveat to that, a lot of people seem to gloss over, or conveniently forget, is that The Witcher 3 was a buggy mess on release... It's great now, it's my favourite game of the PS4 generation, but when it was released it was a mess.

 

I left it for months, @DrBloodmoney also had a bug/glitch filled nightmare when he fired the game up too, and never went back to it..... I can't blame Doc for doing that either, because, whilst it was playable, it isn't what that game is now..... Now it's polished, it's pretty, has plenty of quality of life upgrades, and now it's the game that it always should have been.

 

On 29/12/2021 at 3:10 PM, The_Kopite said:

Haha it's ok to suggest games to add to my backlog as long as they are quality lol Don't need another Road Rage haha

Assassin's Creed as a franchise is one that has mostly passed me by sadly. I played a small amount of Syndicate was it? (The London one) and played through a bit/most of the Vita one but yeah that's it lol

 

Well I usually don't like to recommend people play naff games - I usually warn people that even if it's a little rough around the edges, that it's probably still worth playing if you can see past some of those things.

 

I think we've all got game franchises like that - that kind of just pass us by, and we just avoid entirely for whatever reason...... Syndicate probably wasn't the right one to really get invested in the series with. It has two protagonists, only one of them I think is good - I loved Evie, and I thought Jacob was a hot headed cock - who I just wanted to shut up more than actually play as.

 

I love the Vita one you played though Liberation - that one was really good, I had the PS3 version, and whilst some bits work better than others - I thought Aveline was a really interesting take on an AC protagonist, and I know I'm not alone in thinking that either, so it isn't like I'd sound too much like a window licker for having that opinion.

 

You know - if I had to recommend you an Assassin's Creed game, it'd probably be Black Flag - it's disconnected enough from the modern day stuff that it won't overwhelm you if you haven't played the others...... and it's about Pirates, and your main guy is Welsh, don't see too many Welsh protagonists. I think Edward Kenway is Welsh anyway, he sounds it at least.

 

On 29/12/2021 at 3:10 PM, The_Kopite said:

He was pretty serious yes, he was polite and signed the Pop figure and gave enough attention to you but it was short and swift at the same time. Definitely met better people who give more time and have a joke etc. but it is what it is

 

I think you're probably safe so long as you don't cosplay as Kenny Baker - those two didn't get along from a lot of the things I've heard. So I reckon if you meet him again you'll be fine so long as you don't walk up to him dressed as a white and blue bucket and say "beep,booop, beeeepwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, ERGRERHIEWOOOO " and then tip over like when he gets buzzed by the Jawa's

 

you should be good?

 

 

 

On 29/12/2021 at 3:10 PM, The_Kopite said:

Yeah they didnt seem to move his character along that well for some reason. It was odd.

 

I liked Hawke as a character overall and some of the others like Aveline, and of course Varric is great.

 

That's a pity that you didn't like many of the characters in Inquisition. I quite liked the cast overall. Sometimes characters click with one person and don't with another.

 

The only Dragon Age game I played the DLC for was Inquisition, so there's loads of trophies (I assume) for 1 and 2 that never got touched lol

 

Some of them were good in Inquisition - I love Sera, partly because she looks like my niece, and mostly because she's absolutely hilarious. Cole was really interesting and Varric is my favourite party member in the series. The bald Mage lady was awesome too. 

 

Fun fact about Varric, one of my best friends looks so much like Varric it's ridiculous - he did grow his hair out for a bit too - which made him look even more like him haha.

 

The others though I kind of either didn't like them or was just indifferent to them - like I genuinely couldn't stand Iron Bull, and Blackwall made me want to go watch a film marathon of Paint Drying.

 

I'm glad you liked them though, I really am  - you are absolutely right too, a lot of is personal preference and that's the only deciding factor. I don't truly think any of them are bad, I just find them less interesting than some of the teammates in other titles.

 

I've done most of the DLC for Inquisition, I'm finishing it next year - I loved that DLC.... Especially the one with the Dwarf David Hayter voiced, and just played exactly like Solid Snake, Renn I think he was called.

 

If you have access to the DLC for Dragon Age Origins you should do it, it's brilliant - and there's a whole new companion you could meet as a result - some really interesting small ones too, where you can actually play as Darkspawn.

 

I've yet to play DAII's DLC, but I was planning to get it soon - just so I can have 100% of the trophies available in the Dragon Age games.

 

On 29/12/2021 at 3:10 PM, The_Kopite said:

Well that's very true. Unless you're not. Clearly you are though. Yes you must be. Are you? lol

 

I might be, I might not be........... I'm not telling ? perhaps that's why I never sleep, I could be a hyper dextrous  lab Chimpanzee gamer called Marty, we'll just never know for sure.

 

On 29/12/2021 at 3:10 PM, The_Kopite said:

FFIX?! Stinky?! You take those words back good sir! and that wink emoji this instance! I demand respect for the 3rd best FF of all time (imho) lol

 

 

Yep its the worst game I've played this year....... Smells worse than Quina's swamp...... WHO AM MENTION ME ZIDANE? Shhhhhhhh, shoo come back tomorrow Quina, when we're giving out awards. " I AM WIN TASTY?" Maybe, just maybe...?

 

I really hope when you read that bit about me hating Final Fantasy IX that this was your reaction

 

 

On 29/12/2021 at 3:10 PM, The_Kopite said:

Ah yes I thought so. That was the best MGS for me. Got me playing most of the rest of them. Really enjoyed that one. Wow, didn't realise Snake was quite that nimble haha

 

It looks like it was just a backflip - and then pick ups a Sniper Rifle - but that game is definitely littered with really strange decisions, as far as changing what happens in the cutscenes go. I get that they were trying to be a bit more dynamic, and bombastic, but it just doesn't quite work.  I'm sure I remember him back flipping onto a missile too though.

 

Here it is in gif form

 

 

On 29/12/2021 at 3:10 PM, The_Kopite said:

t could read that way to some, it depends how you approach doing it but like you said I think it could open the floor for others to join in and just show off (in a nice non bragging way) rare collectables they have. Would be pretty cool.

 

Wow £160, but then it's Pokemon. Want to get a copy of Pokemon Blue (first one I ever played, very nostalgic) but the prices man, geez. There's very expensive Resident Evil, Sonic and Final Fantasy games I haven't got copies of either.

 

We'll see about doing it at some point next year - I'm more interested to hear what other peoples rarest games are more than specifically list my own - so I guess we can all treat it like an open discussion at some point down the line when I actually get to that post. 

 

How much is a copy of Pokemon Blue nowadays? I have a copy of Pokemon Red somewhere, but I have no idea where, which rare Sonic, Resident Evil and Sonic games are you after?

 

On 29/12/2021 at 3:10 PM, The_Kopite said:

The WWE Network seems like a very cool idea at least, would be pretty awesome to just be able to watch a random PPV or whatever. 

 

Update - Finally managed to watch the Sonic film tonight! Enjoyed it overall, think they did a pretty good job considering trying to translate Sonic to a film format. Looking forward to the 2nd one. One film checked off, only a gazillion to go lol

 

That's definitely the appeal for me - is being able to just throw on a random PPV that I never got to see - I do think the WWE network is worth the price just for the archive content that it has, that stuff is really extensive - if you can think of it, then they probably have it.

 

That's good to hear that you enjoyed the Sonic film - my Dad really liked that, despite not being much of a gamer, so that kind of shows it has mass appeal - I've yet to actually see it myself, so perhaps I ought to get and watch it too.

 

On 29/12/2021 at 4:54 PM, Shrooba said:

@rjkclarke Finished reading your review, and in one sentence, my thoughts are; "There's no place like home!" From stumbling into your initial island on accident, to hoping to find it after the eel fight, home is the place to be!
Man, that feeling of frantically sailing the seas low on food and water with severe bleeding as you search across the many islands to recover is quite the tale. It's a cruel twist of fate that even with the thirst you had, the ocean itself is too salty to drink! It's handy that you had good visual cues on your initial island, that saved you! That eel will think twice about approaching you and your spears again! Next time I'll call in a missile strike, it won't stand a chance.

 

Great analogy Shrooba! That is so true - unfortunately you can't craft a pair of red sparkly shoes in Stranded Deep, click your heels together and say "There's no place like home" until you  get transported back.

 

I'd take a missile strike on that Eel for sure! Or...... As you're so fast you could probably drive on water anyway - can you like, drive through it with your Master Wheels? I'll pay to get the dents knocked out of your Kart that the Eel might make

Edited December 30, 2021 by rjkclarke

[rjkclarke]

Pure Pool: Redux Review/Experiences

Platinum #300

Pure Pool (PS4)

 

 

 

Pure Trophy
Win all the Pure Pool™ trophies

 

 

A Few Trophy Stats

 

Platinum Earned - 26 January 2021 : 4:05:40PM

Time Taken to Platinum :  6 years, 5 months, 3 weeks

Platinum Rarity  - 0.25%

100% Rarity - 0.03%

Trophy Number - #14,729

Tenth Player to Achieve 100%

 

Here we are then, Pure Pool. I think before we get into this I should really make it clear that this isn't strictly a review in my normal sense, more an in depth look at my time and specific journey with this game. I'll go into some of the games minutiae a little bit, but I think this one needs a slightly different format, because as much as I don't like using "The J word" (journey,) as my lovely Mum would say. The road to the platinum in this game was very much that a journey, it really can't described accurately any other way. 

 

There were ups, there were plenty of downs, plenty of lack of belief, but all the time through I was still enjoying playing it. I go into this further in the rest of the review but I really think it says a lot about a games quality or how much you like it if even after giving up on the idea of returning for the platinum or the 100% that I still found myself wanting to play it.

 

Where to start with this one. What a game I have had so much fun with this game over the last few years on and off trying to achieve the platinum and now I finally have. I'm a huge fan of cue sports in general and I remember being very excited when this first released about six or seven years ago. I didn't bother to look at any of the trophies or anything like that I just purchased and away I went, which started my strange adventure with this game.

 

As a lot of you reading this will probably know by now - I am more than a little fanatical about cue sports - they are such an odd mix of mental aptitude, physical skill, and technical knowledge, and all three of those marry themselves together so well, whether that be in Snooker or Pool.

 

I saw a topic on this site a while ago describing white whale platinum's (That was a good read by the way I recommend others to search it up) and I was sure for the longest time that this game would be the one that got away from me. I'm not joking - I really didn't ever expect to get the platinum in this, I just didn't think I had that patience to deal with how finicky and unfair the A.I is. More on that to come though, this game turned me into Captain Ahab - making me sail a sea of green baize in search of my illusive target. I can safely tell you though, the hunt was so worth it.

 

The title of the game itself would suggest that the game purely just is Pool, which it is and by itself I think is a very good reflection of that, the balls feel like the right weight and for the most part the physics work correctly when accounting for the different kinds of spin, all that good stuff.

This is an area where the game really excels, as I mentioned above - the title actually is representative of the game. It's also one of the reasons why I will continue to revisit this game long after the platinum. You won't find many games that quite capture playing real Pool quite like this game does. For all the abuse this game gets for it's A.I (mostly deserved too,) the actual ball physics themselves are so satisfying.

 

The way the cue looks on certain shots is very awkward on occasion - but to really excel at this game it helps to have a pretty extensive knowledge of how certain types of spin work when applied to the ball. For example, if you hit a straight shot with side spin, it will throw the pot out of alignment, so you have to adjust where you strike both the cue ball, and the object ball as a result. It's a small detail that a lot of cue sports games tend to leave out to make things a little easier for the player, but for me it added a real depth to this game as it means you have a lot more shots open to you as a result than you probably think you did. 

 

I'd be lying if I said this game wasn't hard - it is, but a good amount of that difficulty comes from things you can't control, like the camera. In most games based on Cue Sports, they almost all contain an overhead camera, Pure Pool doesn't, and you'd be surprised how much difference that makes. When you have the aiming aid, that lack of camera makes it harder to see if shots actually pot.

 

I'll show you an example.

 

 

Take a shot like this.... it looks like a simple cut shot? In theory, yes, but it isn't. There's no certainty that the shot being played in the screenshot will actually go in - it looks as if it's going to hit the cushion long before it would go into a pocket.

 

Take the next screenshot - granted it's from WSC Real 11, but this is just to demonstrate what I mean about how beneficial overhead cameras can be.

 

 

Ironically, the shot in this screenshot would be easier with Pure Pools camera, but in WSC Real you can switch between the camera angles with the press of a button. You can see from the image above though, that it would make it substantially easier to pot the ball from Pure Pool's screenshot, as you have a clearer angle of exactly where the aiming line is going, and the exact angle of the ball in relation to the pocket.

 

Now I'm not saying this would have eliminated the difficulty from Pure Pool, it wouldn't, you still have to do the modes with no aiming assistance. I do however think that a small change like this would have made the game a little more accessible.

 

Pure Pool does offer some what of an alternative too - as I said this game leans very heavily into the simulation aspect, to a very minute and specific degree too. Instead of giving you an overhead camera, here you have the option to stand up and walk around, and see shots from different angles, much like you would in real life. It's something that's really beneficial in the Snooker DLC, but I do think they sacrificed a tiny bit of accessibility in favour of realism.

 

The nightmarish part however, comes from the ridiculous A.I difficulty which is probably where the notoriety comes from for this game being considered a pretty challenging platinum. I think people would probably be a little more positive about this game if the A.I would at least play actual pool shots instead of just being programmed to be able to pot from anywhere on the table, despite being in a position on the table where the shot would be completely impossible for a human.

 

Unfortunately the opponent A.I is part of why I'm always a little hesitant to recommend this game to people - the A.I is absurd especially on Master Difficulty (a mode with zero aiming assistance,) something you have to complete for the platinum. As I alluded to, they play shots that no human would ever play, which does undermine how good some of the better aspects of the game are, as you end up just being obnoxiously frustrated when you snooker the A.I (hide the ball) only to see them pot that ball from just hitting the ball off about five cushions, it really becomes infuriating, as it makes you feel really helpless. Not only that, but they practically never miss, so on Master Difficulty, you essentially have to pot every one of your balls before they get a chance to pot their own. In the matches where you have to play best of seven racks,and win four racks, this can get so frustrating.I literally had instances where I was 3-0 up, made one or two mistakes, or snookered the opponent thinking they wouldn't win, for them to pot balls off of cushions and then clear up to win, I just really can't express how despondent that can make you feel.    

 

It certainly is challenging, but once you get through the gruelling career modes where you aren't allowed an aiming aid you are then faced with the gruelling endurance test of a LONG LONG grind towards Grandmaster level. However, there was a time probably in around 2016 or 2017 where in my head I had just accepted that I probably would never be able to get the platinum in this game. Perhaps it was that peace of mind, that sort of kept me going back for more every now and then to try and beat another tournament or get a few levels higher, which eventually I did.

 

Visually the game looks nice and sleek, Pure Pool contains far more customisation options than you'd probably expect it to, you can choose the colour of the slate you play on, whether or not it has vinyl stickers on, or a break line. You also do have some element of visual choice in cues.They are all aesthetic flourishes and changes though, unlike some Pool games, the cues don't offer an advantage in better stats.

 

Whilst the sound design is very good, all of the sound effects sound really crisp and satisfying. I said Whilst right? Yeah - I'm sure I'm could of think of better and more descriptive adjectives, but I think it would be easier to say that Pure Pools soundtrack is straight up arse. If I said the word Muzak to you, then you've probably just thought of the Pure Pool soundtrack - one of my best friends and I, who ironically haven't ever played this game together, jokingly referred to the soundtrack as Muzak for Muzak. He even hummed one of the pieces in a pub it's called Sarah's Hat as a little coded way of telling me he was bored, that's one of those times you have to take a quick sip of your beer to stifle some imminent laughter. 

 

Pure Pool's trophies are no joke - I have very specific feelings about them, and I don't want people to take them in the wrong context. This is hard, I'm not here  to brag about doing a hard thing, so I very much don't want people to think that. With that in mind though, I don't think people should go out of their way to play this purely because it has ultra rares or is a particularly difficult challenge. You should absolutely play it because you want to. If I didn't love cue sports, I wouldn't have bothered to deal with the terrible A.I that does hamper the experience on occasion. As I alluded to a little bit above, even after you've done the hardest things in the base game (the hardest thing to achieve is actually in the DLC,) the grind to Gramaster level might just break you, because it is such an obnoxious grind. Just remember this though - if I can do this - then you absolutely can too.

 

If anybody has ever considered picking this up or are fond of Pool/ Snooker titles I implore you to please pick this up even if you think the difficulty/length might be overwhelming, it was a very fun experience in the end, good game to play against friends as well.Podcasts will be your friend for the long grind ahead haha!!

 

 

DLC

Snooker

 

 

In the immortal words of Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith...... "This is where the fun begins"

 

Did you see in the trophy stats section that 0.03% of players have earned the 100%? This DLC is exactly why. To be perfectly honest if more people owned the DLC it would probably even rarer than 0.03%. What this DLC asks of you is nothing short of perfection, but ironically it could have asked more.

 

Here's the thing - you have to beat Snooker Career mode, that's fine, but you can do that on the amateur level, where you have an aiming aid - it's not easy, but it's definitely harder than you'd expect it to be, because of how much tighter the pockets are. They could have asked you to complete all three tiers of the career mode like they did in the base game, but thankfully they didn't.

 

Where the real difficulty comes from is the maximum break trophy. This, as I said above, requires nothing but perfection.... For a little context on this for those who aren't aware what a Maximum break amounts to, it's 147 points. You have to pot fifteen reds, fifteen blacks and all of the colours, without missing once... Sounds simple enough right? That's not quite the case.

 

Probably the most prolific breakbuilder, and possibly the greatest player of all time Ronnie O'Sullivan has as of right now had a career spanning twenty-nine years and during his time playing in professional competition, he has achieved this feat, fifteen times. Which tells you how hard it is to achieve in real life.

 

If you have five minutes free I'll embed a link to the fastest 147 in history, made in Five minutes and 8 seconds - something which I don't think will ever be beaten. Even if you aren't a Snooker fan it's hard not to appreciate how impressive this is.

 

In Pure Pool though..... What can I say this was something else, much like the platinum I never quite expected to get this - it was just perseverance and gradually learning exactly how the table played in the Snooker DLC. You have to have the correct position on your next ball 100% of the time, so with that in mind you have to plan ahead, you must always know which ball to pot next to give you the best position on the next shot, and you have to maintain that concentration for thirty-six shots, one mistake and it's over.

 

I'd resigned myself to never getting this, but from time to time I would just fire the game up, put a podcast on and give it an attempt or two. I've gotten the 147 in pretty much all of the games I have that have it available, and this is by far the hardest. Everything your brain teaches you playing Pure Pool's base game you have to essentially - well, to use a bit of a Yodaism "Unlearn what you have learned." You can't cheat the pockets (send a ball into the cushion first, to create slightly better positional angle,) like you can in the base game, the pockets are so tight in the Snooker DLC that you have to be pinpoint accurate at all times. You have to make sure you are high on practically every red, because distance between the cue ball and a red means your aiming aid shortens or disappears completely. Then there's all the variables that can and will go wrong, like if you try and open the balls up with a cannon (colliding with a ball, after potting the object ball) you can end up accidentally pocketing one of the colours, or a red, which will instantly kill your attempt. It's intense, and that feeling I got when I finally pocketed that final black ball, was a rush of pure adrenaline that didn't die down for hours. What an absolute thrill!

 

I made that whole process sound awful didn't I? I loved it though, I found every time I messed up or made a mistake, I instantly wanted to try again - thinking one more attempt can't hurt, you never know it might happen. I just took a very Zen approach to the whole thing. I refused to get angry about it - I just saw it as a challenge to overcome.

 

As I said I'm genuinely not trying to brag about conquering something difficult - I'm happy to be one of the ten people on the site who have also manage to get the 100% in this wonderful game. Not because it gives me hard trophies, or anything of that nature, but because I had such a wonderful experience with this game, it's very rare that you get the extreme highs and lows in a game that you can with this one. It was very special, and whilst it isn't perfect, I don't think that I'll ever forget it.

 

If the proposed sequels This is Pool and This is Snooker ever happen you can be sure I'll almost certainly be buying them day one, unfortunately I haven't heard any updates about those games for an incredibly long time.

 

Apologies for the  long post I just wanted to share my little story with this interesting little game that eventually became a milestone for me.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

@PlutoRico I said I'd leave you a tag whenever I get around to writing this, so here you go.I hope it doesn't put you off going for it too much.As I said at some point during the review. If I can manage to do it then you absolutely can do too!

 

Whilst I'm tagging I'll throw one out for @det_gittes too - I still think you should go back and get the platinum on this even if it's on your new account - you'd done practically all of the hard things for the platinum anyway, you absolutely could do it. It's funny really because we'd spoken about Pure Pool long before I'd even started this thread. I'm certain you could do this if you wanted to, I'm not going to pile on the pressure, it's up to you of course. Same applies, if I can do it, then you absolutely can.

 

Anyway folks - I'm off to finish up writing the End of Year Awards thingymajiggy! So I'll see you back here later on.

 

 

Edited February 2, 2022 by rjkclarke

[Baker]

Hey another pool & snooker fan. 

 

I love playing pool myself and I’ve been doing that for 15-20 years now. Snooker is just too hard of a game for me to play so that’s why I love to watch snooker whenever there is a tournament on tv. It always amazes me how good these professionals are. O’Sullivan=Goat.

 

I’ve been thinking about trying out a pool or snooker game for a long time and if you say this is the best one I’ll look into it. Any online trophies to worry about?

[Copanele]

Imma sneak in and say that damn that was a nice read! Among one of my many hobbies that this blasted quarantine killed, it was Pool. I am a fan of the game and every time I got the chance I "kidnapped" my friends for a small 3 hours session of Pool. Wished I could play Snooker but unfortunately Romania doesn't really get the intricacies of that beautiful game, so it's hard to find a table.

 

Thus being said, I really got curious about that game. For you, platinuming this game is secretly your blessing, because the game you are planning to play, Yakuza 3, has the most abysmal pool minigame ever  miss a pocket on Master difficulty and you are done! There's no "foul" position for the AI, it will always pocket a ball no matter the white ball's position.

 

That Maximum Break in Snooker however looks like hell. Saw the magic skills of Ronnie O'Sullivan, that man is legendary status, replicating that in a game...whew, it explains the completion rate.

 

Again congrats for this masterful achievement, waiting for them End of the Year awards!

[rjkclarke]

41 minutes ago, Baker said:

Hey another pool & snooker fan. 

 

I love playing pool myself and I’ve been doing that for 15-20 years now. Snooker is just too hard of a game for me to play so that’s why I love to watch snooker whenever there is a tournament on tv. It always amazes me how good these professionals are. O’Sullivan=Goat.

 

I’ve been thinking about trying out a pool or snooker game for a long time and if you say this is the best one I’ll look into it. Any online trophies to worry about?

 

It looks like there are more of us Snooker and Pool fans around here than I thought! Haha

 

That's the thing isn't it - they all make it look so easy on TV, but then when you actually try and play Snooker yourself you realise how difficult it really is. I won't list what my highest real life break is as it's pretty laughable .... I'm pretty decent at pool though, and I expect you are too from playing the game for 15-20 years.

 

I'll recommend Pure Pool so long as you go in with the knowledge that the opponent A.I is a complete bastard - if you can deal with that then you should be fine. If you don't want something with as ludicrous a difficulty level (You've done plenty of hard as nails things though, so this shouldn't intimidate you,) however, I might suggest checking out Snooker 19. It doesn't have Pool in it, but as far as available Snooker games on the PS4 go that is by far the best one. It's got licensed players, an extensive career mode, a really good DLC pack that's quite challenging, and it's usually on offer fairly cheaply. Has got a few online trophies though, but the online is still pretty active, and it's actually quite enjoyable to play as well.

 

If you go with Pure Pool though, it does have a few online trophies, which I believe are still attainable, I'm not 100% sure but I think they are. If you need help with some of those I can probably give you a hand with them.

 

15 minutes ago, Copanele said:

Imma sneak in and say that damn that was a nice read! Among one of my many hobbies that this blasted quarantine killed, it was Pool. I am a fan of the game and every time I got the chance I "kidnapped" my friends for a small 3 hours session of Pool. Wished I could play Snooker but unfortunately Romania doesn't really get the intricacies of that beautiful game, so it's hard to find a table.

 

Damn dude, you keep surprising me! Didn't expect you to be a Pool or Snooker fan. 

 

Thanks though - I'm glad you enjoyed it, I always worry a little bit when I write a lot about something fairly niche like that, that people will just instantly switch off and fall asleep, glad you didn't!

 

We're in the same boat on that one unfortunately regarding quarantine killing our ability to play Pool.... I've got a friend who's basically my version of what you were like for dragging your friends out for hours. We once played Pool probably for close to nine hours over the course of a day - the club near us used to open until at least 3AM - so as you can imagine, many beers and many balls were sunk that day. That's a shame it's tough to find a Snooker table near you, I do enjoy playing Snooker I'm just not all that good at it. I still enjoy actually playing it though - but like Baker I probably enjoy watching it more.

 

20 minutes ago, Copanele said:

Thus being said, I really got curious about that game. For you, platinuming this game is secretly your blessing, because the game you are planning to play, Yakuza 3, has the most abysmal pool minigame ever  miss a pocket on Master difficulty and you are done! There's no "foul" position for the AI, it will always pocket a ball no matter the white ball's position.

 

That Maximum Break in Snooker however looks like hell. Saw the magic skills of Ronnie O'Sullivan, that man is legendary status, replicating that in a game...whew, it explains the completion rate.

 

Again congrats for this masterful achievement, waiting for them End of the Year awards!

 

I'm actually planning on starting Yakuza 3 later today - so it's funny that you mentioned that ..... playing Pure Pool will either be a blessing or a curse when it comes to Yakuza 3 - of all the minigames in those games, I really don't like Pool in them. It doesn't feel like Pool at all, it feels like Pool made by an alien, that has only ever read about it in a scrap of dirty toilet paper that he found in a cubicle somewhere in Northumberland.

 

That maximum break is hell - but man was it satisfying when I finally got it!

 

I appreciate that man - hopefully they'll be a good bit of a laugh - I did adopt the "Game that made me wish an Orangutan would smash through my window, rip my arms off and beat me to death with them Award for Worst game". I won't say what it is yet though. ?

 

[PlutoRico]

Amazing review my friend, what a way to end the year ! I was very caught into it and loved every bit of it ! I have now a better understanding of what you meant when I first asked you about the game. The game doesn't look like easy by any means, it is a great accomplishment that you have here, you are right to be proud of it haha. ?

By the way, Pure Pool being your #300 plat was intentional or was it a combination of circumstances ? 

 

4 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

There were ups, there were plenty of downs, plenty of lack of belief, but all the time through I was still enjoying playing it. I go into this further in the rest of the review but I really think it says a lot about a games quality or how much you like it if even after giving up on the idea of returning for the platinum or the 100% that I still found myself wanting to play it.

When you tackle a hard game with a lot of trials and error that may take you several months/years to beat, the enjoyment part is a huge factor in my opinion. Taking the long road is not a problem as long as it doesn't feel like a chore every time you comeback to it. That's what ultimately helped you overcome this beast of a game even after more than 6 years haha. 

 

4 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

I saw a topic on this site a while ago describing white whale platinum's (That was a good read by the way I recommend others to search it up) and I was sure for the longest time that this game would be the one that got away from me. I'm not joking - I really didn't ever expect to get the platinum in this, I just didn't think I had that patience to deal with how finicky and unfair the A.I is. More on that to come though, this game turned me into Captain Ahab - making me sail a sea of green baize in search of my illusive target. I can safely tell you though, the hunt was so worth it.

It's always funny reading someone's doubts and fear after they overcame the challenge that was giving them so much trouble. Do you think any gamer would be able to overcome any challenging game by being committed enough or do you think you need more than just dedication to be able to finish games such as Pure Pool, Trackmania Turbo or Trials Fusion ? In your opinion, are skills something you can work on by trial and error or is it just than some people are more talented than others ? Would be curious to have your opinion on that one ?

 

4 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

The way the cue looks on certain shots is very awkward on occasion - but to really excel at this game it helps to have a pretty extensive knowledge of how certain types of spin work when applied to the ball. For example, if you hit a straight shot with side spin, it will throw the pot out of alignment, so you have to adjust where you strike both the cue ball, and the object ball as a result. It's a small detail that a lot of cue sports games tend to leave out to make things a little easier for the player, but for me it added a real depth to this game as it means you have a lot more shots open to you as a result than you probably think you did. 

Pretty interesting. My knowledge of pool doesn't go that far if I'm being honest. Do you feel like you can get more comfortable with the different patterns of spin by playing the game or is it something you'll have to document yourself beforehand to give you a proper chance at the game ?

 

4 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

If anybody has ever considered picking this up or are fond of Pool/ Snooker titles I implore you to please pick this up even if you think the difficulty/length might be overwhelming, it was a very fun experience in the end, good game to play against friends as well.Podcasts will be your friend for the long grind ahead haha!!

I now have a better understanding of the difficulty of the game with no overhead camera, the A.I difficulty, the grind for Grandmaster and the Snooker DLC. I think I'll still pick up the game and give it a try at some point, even if it will be months from now. 

Edited December 31, 2021 by PlutoRico

[Platinum_Vice]

Ah Ronnie O'Sullivan... as someone who's pool knowledge is limited to an occasional pub thrashing, even I know of that man... a man so naughty and edgy that a quick raptaptap of his cue on the edge of a table sent shockwaves through the sport and ripples throughout Britain. Children were scurried inside. Fathers cleared their throats in indignation. Mothers fled, clutching at their pearls!

 

He's a funny old bloke. Imagine being that good at something. Good for him. And good for you Rob, that effort paid off big time! Great job.

[DrBloodmoney]

That was an awesome read man - felt like I went on a journey with you!

 

I’m, I guess, a fair-weather cue sports fan - I love playing pool (snooker is a bit out my league… the table… is so big… ?) but I do have a lot of fond memories of watching The Masters with my grandad - he’d watch my sister and I after school a couple nights a week, and he’d tape matches (and avoid watching them ahead himself - or so he said!) so we could watch together.

 

That 0.03% is outrageous mate - kudos!

 

I totally know what you mean about the physics model and the feel of the balls though - for all that there must be 100s of pool and snooker games over the years (plus another hundred as mini-games in other games!) remarkably few of them seem to move like they should - which is weird, since its one game virtually everyone on the planet kind of knows how it should feel!

It might not be in everyone’s knowledge to identify exactly what is wrong when it doesn’t feel right, but they all at least know it just… doesn’t feel as it should!

 

That stuff about the magical AI is a real pisser though. That’s a massive problem in any 1-on-1 game really - if you feel like there is just no chance that the AI opponent will ever make an error, then it feels less like a game, and more like a chore - and in Pool, you would think they would have realised that forcing an error, and taking advantage of a whiff is a big part of the game!

 

I kind of feel the same with chess games - invariably, once you get to the higher difficulty opponents, they never make an error, ever. 

It becomes less about how you play, and more about just playing very specific, established tactics, and so more about memory than skill. Obviously with Pool, there is also a skill element too, so I’d imagine a failure of a shot in the late game must feel crushing in those games!

[rjkclarke]

4 hours ago, PlutoRico said:

Amazing review my friend, what a way to end the year ! I was very caught into it and loved every bit of it ! I have now a better understanding of what you meant when I first asked you about the game. The game doesn't look like easy by any means, it is a great accomplishment that you have here, you are right to be proud of it haha. 

By the way, Pure Pool being your #300 plat was intentional or was it a combination of circumstances ? 

 

Thanks man! I really appreciate that - although there's still one big post left to come, and I'll post it up after I've replied here. Cutting it fine I know, last minute edits and all that.

 

It isn't easy that's for sure - but as I often say, if I can manage it then you absolutely can too.

 

It was more of a combination of circumstances than me intentionally making it #300. I was always chipping away at the 147 attempts, and by that point all I needed for the platinum was to grind to the Grand Master Rank, so once I got the 147 I was fairly close to #300 anyway, so I thought looks like that's what it'll be then I guess.

 

4 hours ago, PlutoRico said:

When you tackle a hard game with a lot of trials and error that may take you several months/years to beat, the enjoyment part is a huge factor in my opinion. Taking the long road is not a problem as long as it doesn't feel like a chore every time you comeback to it. That's what ultimately helped you overcome this beast of a game even after more than 6 years haha. 

 

Absolutely! I quite like seeing those huge gaps inbetween trophies on peoples lists - more often than not there's usually a fairly interesting story to go alongside that.

 

4 hours ago, PlutoRico said:

Pretty interesting. My knowledge of pool doesn't go that far if I'm being honest. Do you feel like you can get more comfortable with the different patterns of spin by playing the game or is it something you'll have to document yourself beforehand to give you a proper chance at the game ?

 

I think you'd be alright - you don't need really extensive knowledge of exactly how various bits of spin and things like that work - it helps, but it isn't something that you have to have I don't think. If you can all it means is that you can usually manufacture some very intricate positional shots, but you can definitely get with playing just plain ball, or top or back spin for the most part. I think that'd help for playing the Snooker DLC too, as using plain ball striking as much as possible eliminates the chance of missing a ball because you put too much spin on it. So to be

 

4 hours ago, PlutoRico said:

It's always funny reading someone's doubts and fear after they overcame the challenge that was giving them so much trouble. Do you think any gamer would be able to overcome any challenging game by being committed enough or do you think you need more than just dedication to be able to finish games such as Pure Pool, Trackmania Turbo or Trials Fusion ? In your opinion, are skills something you can work on by trial and error or is it just than some people are more talented than others ? Would be curious to have your opinion on that one 

 

I think any gamer would be able to for the most part yeah - so long as you have working hands obviously - even then don't rule it out..... I mean I've literally seen a guy with one hand Speedrun NieR: Automata, which is amazing, and that really does show what we can potentially do when we really put our minds to it.

 

So yeah - I think anyone could potentially do those tough games if they really set themselves the task to do it, and really wanted to do it. There's obviously a lot of skill involved in that, but it's something that I think you can learn via trial and error like you mentioned. Different people are better equipped for different things, sure, but that doesn't mean we can't learn how to do them, however much patience it might take for us.

 

That's my take on it anyway.

 

4 hours ago, PlutoRico said:

I now have a better understanding of the difficulty of the game with no overhead camera, the A.I difficulty, the grind for Grandmaster and the Snooker DLC. I think I'll still pick up the game and give it a try at some point, even if it will be months from now. 

 

Well that's awesome - I look forward to reading about your time with it when you do.

 

3 hours ago, GonzoWARgasm said:

Ah Ronnie O'Sullivan... as someone who's pool knowledge is limited to an occasional pub thrashing, even I know of that man... a man so naughty and edgy that a quick raptaptap of his cue on the edge of a table sent shockwaves through the sport and ripples throughout Britain. Children were scurried inside. Fathers cleared their throats in indignation. Mothers fled, clutching at their pearls!

 

He's a funny old bloke. Imagine being that good at something. Good for him. And good for you Rob, that effort paid off big time! Great job.

 

Cheers Gonzo! That's awesome of you to say.

 

He can be a pretty strange fella that's for sure - he seems to have a strange knack of saying the strangest things at the most inappropriate of times.

 

3 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

That was an awesome read man - felt like I went on a journey with you!

 

I’m, I guess, a fair-weather cue sports fan - I love playing pool (snooker is a bit out my league… the table… is so big… ) but I do have a lot of fond memories of watching The Masters with my grandad - he’d watch my sister and I after school a couple nights a week, and he’d tape matches (and avoid watching them ahead himself - or so he said!) so we could watch together.

 

Thanks Doc - I'm glad you enjoyed the trip across the sea of green baize haha

 

That's a nice memory of your Grandad though - mine used to tape Countdown for me - and we'd all sit and watch that, I can't say watching an entire weeks worth of Countdown in one evening is the most riveting thing I've ever done, but it was a nice idea by Grandparents as they knew I liked it.

 

The Masters is back on in a couple of weeks - maybe you should fire it up and have a watch. I love that you have a memory like that associated with Snooker though that's really nice.

 

3 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

That 0.03% is outrageous mate - kudos!

 

I totally know what you mean about the physics model and the feel of the balls though - for all that there must be 100s of pool and snooker games over the years (plus another hundred as mini-games in other games!) remarkably few of them seem to move like they should - which is weird, since its one game virtually everyone on the planet kind of knows how it should feel!

It might not be in everyone’s knowledge to identify exactly what is wrong when it doesn’t feel right, but they all at least know it just… doesn’t feel as it should!

 

Thanks again!

 

As I'm about as far away from being an ultra rare hunter as you can get, that will probably my rarest thing indefinitely

 

It's one of those things you can't really not notice when you play a Pool minigame or just one in general - I totally get what you mean, you just instantly know that it doesn't feel right, usually you can tell from watching a video, but there's been a few times where you can get caught out. I think Hustle Kings has really janky physics, and not in a good way. They just really suck. It felt like knocking around concrete balls, and I just couldn't get on with that.

 

3 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

I kind of feel the same with chess games - invariably, once you get to the higher difficulty opponents, they never make an error, ever. 

It becomes less about how you play, and more about just playing very specific, established tactics, and so more about memory than skill. Obviously with Pool, there is also a skill element too, so I’d imagine a failure of a shot in the late game must feel crushing in those games!

 

I can't say I've played all that many chess video games - my nephew really likes them, but that sounds a little joyless when the computer A.I is pretty much infallible.

 

It does feel crushing when you miss practically the final shot in a tournament match or something -  and then the CPU proceeds to pot every ball from impossible angles, it just kind of makes you brain hurt a little bit.

 

Awards Ceremony Post here we come!

 

See you all there - although it will be 2022, by the time a lot of you read it. But that's cool. 

 

[MD_91]

I think you've tempted me into trying this out at some point although the AI and level grind sound pretty off putting, I'll definitely get around to Snooker 19 as I haven't played a snooker game since WSC Real 11 (ignoring the Hustle Kings dlc)

 

Used to be a pretty big snooker fan when I was younger (still have good memories of the first World Championship Snooker game on PS1) and would play fairly often on weekends with my dad as we had a couple snooker halls nearby, don't think I've ever managed a break higher than 30 ?  

 

Always relied pretty heavily on the aiming/positioning guides for the games so I can imagine how challenging the 147 is in this especially with no overhead camera, can't decide if the thought of trying to do it motivates me to play this or is another reason for me to avoid it ?

[YaManSmevz]

13 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

Pure Pool: Redux Review/Experiences

Platinum #300

Pure Pool (PS4)

 

 

 

Pure Trophy
Win all the Pure Pool trophies

 

 

A Few Trophy Stats

 

Platinum Earned - 26 January 2021 : 4:05:40PM

Time Taken to Platinum :  6 years, 5 months, 3 weeks

Platinum Rarity  - 0.25%

100% Rarity - 0.03%

Trophy Number - 14,729

Tenth Player to Achieve 100%

 

I love your love of pool! It's a great testament to both your genuine passion for the sport as well as your knack for high quality writing that someone like me, who up until fairly recently thought Snooker was a type of cookie, gleefully hung on every word of this write-up!

 

You did a spectacular job of walking us through the thrill of the chase, dry spells and all, and between the two pool games I've read your write-ups for, I feel a bit more educated as well!

 

I love the White Whale analogy! Fitting, given that you put in six years of keeping a cool, Zen-infused head in the face of bullshit A.I. fuckin witchu at every opportunity! I'm so glad for you that you got the satisfaction of pulling off such a difficult trophy, and were rewarded with a .03 rarity completion! Hot damn man, that is an accomplishment! You and those other nine peeps should be having sexy dinner parties like that swanky Sgail soirée?

 

I watched that maximum break video - dear lord. Mr. O'Sullivan is a damn stud. And so are you! Congrats on that accomplishment and thanks for the write-up!

[rjkclarke]

 

 

 

 

2021 End of Year Awards.

(Unironically Posted in 2022)

 

 

Are we all sat down? Sitting comfortably? Fancily dressed enough? I hope the trip to this venue on Melee Island was as pleasant as possible. Actually don’t worry about any of those things, sit where you want, wear what you want, wear nothing at all if you want too, none of the furniture is white, so if any of you are nudists we’re all good. You’ll get no judgment from me. Unless you’re wearing socks and sandals..... In which case, you know where the door is..

 

I joke, I joke. You’re all welcome, wearing what you like, and being whoever you like...... Unless you like Agents of Mayhem in which case, you might hurl tomatoes “TOMATOES AM TASTY ZIDANE” Nice, to see you arrived right on time Quina! .............at me whilst some of the ropier awards are being given out.

 

Special “Dreaming Wide Awake” Glasses can be found in the foyer – for any of you that wish to seem like you are paying attention, whilst sleeping to your heart’s content, you can always take them off if you hear something that interests you haha.

 

 

Each award will have a Winner, Second and Third place and an honourable mention – or dishonourable in some cases. If a game is award winning, or in strong contention I’ll leave links to their reviews in the titles, you can choose to read those if you wish to, but some of you probably have already read a fair few of them.

 

Let’s run down the list of eligible candidates over the course of the year, and a few trophy stats here and there too.

 

On December 31 2020 I had 14,553 trophies – fast forward to December 2021 and I now have 16.349.... So I’ve picked up just shy of two thousand trophies this year. 49 of which were platinums.

 

In contention for this years awards are as follows..... Don’t worry – we’ll get some of the admin out of the way now. Remember, only games with a platinum obtained or a 100% completion are eligible here.

 

“Ahem, in the running this year we have......

 

Drum Roll please...... Quina, Hey Quina, those Drums aren’t food “BUT AM TASTY!” We have snacks in the foyer, you’re disrupting things.”

 

Without further ado

 

January

 

Dirt Showdown (PS3)

Erica (PS4)

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast (PS4)

Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (PS4)

Queen’s Quest 2: Stories of Forgotten Past (PS4)

Bound by Flame (PS4)

Pure Pool (PS4)

Queen’s Quest 3: End of Dawn (PS4)

 

February

 

WWE 2K20 (PS4)

The Town of Light (PS4)

The Technomancer (PS4)

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (PS3)

Queen’s Quest 4: Sacred Truce (PS4)

Cat’s Quest (PS4)

Assassin’s Creed II (PS3)

 

March

 

Okage: Shadow King (PS4)

ICO (PS3)

The Infectious Madness of Doctor Dekker (PS4)

Stories: The Path of Destinies (PS4)

Marvel’s Spider-Man (PS4)

Glass Masquerade (PS4)

 

April

 

Shadow of the Colossus (PS3)

Glass Masquerade 2: Illusions (PS4)

The Bard’s Tale (PS4)

 

May

 

Drakengard 3 (PS4)

Manual Samuel (PS4)

Gravel (PS4)

Vampyr (PS4)

 

June

 

Final Fantasy VIII (PS4)

A Kings Tale: Final Fantasy XV (PS4)

This War of Mine: The Little Ones (PS4)

 

July

 

LEGO Movie: The Videogame (PS4)

WWE 2K Battlegrounds (PS4)

Seasons after Fall (PS4)

 

August

 

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (Ps4)

 

September

 

Beholder: Complete Edition (PS4)

Final Fantasy IX (PS4)

Beholder 2 (PS4)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (PS3)

 

October

 

Agents of Mayhem (PS4)

Hue (PS4)

Legend of Kay Anniversary (PS3)

Abzu (PS4)

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (PS4)

Thimbleweed Park (PS4)

Cat Quest II (PS4)

 

November

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (PS4)

LEGO Movie 2: The Videogame (PS4)

Oxenfree (PS4)

Afterparty (PS4)

Brunswick Pro Billiards (PS4)

Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink (PS4)

VA-11 Hall-A (PS4)

 

December

 

Mars: War Logs (PS3)

Stranded Deep (PS4)

The Wolf Among US (PS4)

 

“Time to take those glasses off folks, because now it’s time for the awards, your host for the remainder of the evening will be Stan a resident of these parts, be forewarned he will try to sell you something!" What you thought I was going to let a chance to reference Monkey Island go by? NO CHANCE

 

 

Best Male Character Award

 

“Remeber Ladies and Gentleman, there’s a new promotion on at the scumm bar later this evening.”

 

Winner

Vivi Ornitier – Final Fantasy IX

 

 

This was a fairly tough category to be perfectly honest, I’ve played a lot of games this year, yet not all that many of them have particularly memorable or decent characters.

 

I really struggled with the top two. It was such a closely fought battle between Vivi and Zidane, but Vivi had to win in the end.

 

Man that guy broke my heart in the best way possible – the amount of empathy that I had for him hit me so hard, so many times throughout that game, and he takes his rightful spot at number one.

 

 

Runner up :

 

Zidane Tribal – Final Fantasy IX

 

 

Final Fantasy IX again? Sorry folks you’re going to see that game quite a lot this evening.

 

You know the weirdest thing for me about Zidane being here? I fully expected not to like Zidane for some reason – before I played Final Fantasy IX, I had just had an inkling that I wouldn’t.

 

As I’m forever borrowing this quote from Douglas Adams it applies here too “I’d rather be happy than right any day.” That’s so true, in this case, somehow this monkey tailed scoundrel resonated with me in a way I never expected, he ha such a Han Solo-esque quality to him, and in a game brimming with amazing characters he really manages to stand out. 

 

 

 

Third Place:

Squall Leonhart – Final Fantasy VIII

 

 

 

 

Rob shut up we get it – you like Final Fantasy...... It’s funny because at the start of this year I had really fallen out of love with the series – Tales of’ had actually overtaken my preferences as far as JRPG’s go.

 

Then I played Final Fantasy VIII again, and for as much as Squall is a miserable dour numb nut – he does have some real depth to him, it’s a good thing the writers wrote his internal thoughts down, because otherwise he wouldn’t have fared so well here. 

 

 

Honourable Mention :

Ezio Auditore  da Firenze – Assassin’s Creed II

 

 

I know – Ezio not even technically placed? We all know how great Ezio is for any of us who have played through the games he’s involved in. The thing is, I played Assassin’s Creed II this year, and I that’s where he’s at his least interesting which is why he has to stay here.

 

I was genuinely considering several characters from Marvel’s Spider-Man, or even Carl from Beholder but these were my eventual choices.

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, our next award is Best Female Character”

 

Winner:  Zero – Drakengard 3

 

 

This was a really close race – it could have gone either way between second and first place, and I think it really came down to length of time with a particular character.

 

Zero has a tremendous story arc, she’s layered with both tragedy and humour much like a lot of Yoko Taro’s characters are, and I’m also very scared if she didn’t win she’d rip my heart out and eat it.

 

Seriously though – she’s great, and this might not be the last time we’ll be seeing zero this night.

 

Runner up: Jill –  VA-11 Hall-A – Cyberpunk Bartender Action.

 

 

 

I so wanted to give this to Jill from Valhalla – this is my awards ceremony after all – and I found her so fascinating, she was a huge part of the reason I was able to binge read basically an entire visual novel in the span of a day and a half (yes with no sleep, yes I’m aware I have a problem).

 

She made me laugh, she made me cry – I identified with how she thinks and feels far more than I ever expected to. Something I elaborate on a lot in the review. She carries around so much self loathing, and dwells so much on the things she’s said in the past that she can’t change yet desperately wishes she could.

 

Many of us have been there, but when all of that gets explored in the game and the subtle way she’ll bring a conversation around to saying something, without actually saying something, is again something I do very often myself, just as a way of indirectly talking about something you really need to.

Third Place: Lola – Afterparty

 

 

Third was a real toughie – I had to make some brutal decisions here – a lot of the games I’ve played this year have had some really strong female characters in them. Again it all came down to preference really, Mary Jane from Spider-Man got ruled out because whilst she’s a new take on the character. Lola is very much her own unique thing.

 

I think it’d be tough to believe someone would prefers Sang Bong.... Sorry, sorry Milo in Afterparty, he’s fine, he’s just fairly undynamic – whereas Lola just has so many elements to her character that make her slightly more interesting, I thought she really stood out in a positive way whilst playing Afterparty.

 

Honourable Mention: Elizabeth Ashbury – Vampyr

 

 

Okay, so..... I personally think that Elizabeth should have been the main character of Vampyr, don’t get me wrong Jonathan is fine. But that’s it really he’s just fine. Conceptually, he was brilliant, but they just didn't quite do enough with that.

 

Whereas I think Elizabeth is fascinating – granted I think a lot of my love for her as a character comes from the voice performance, I would happily have played a game where she’d been the main character.

 

“After our next awards – The Voodoo Lady is offering a fortune told for the low low price of “a rubber chicken with a pully in the middle, I do hope you brought yours ladies and gents.”

 

 

Worst Character: Male or Female.

 

Winner: Kay – The Legend of Kay Anniversary

 

 

This annoying little furball is enough to make you want to break into your local zoo and just shave a tiger... I’ve heard the stripes aren’t just on the fur, but I advise none of you to actually try and find out.

 

If I didn't like Cats I would have a serious meltdown when it comes to this character, he is an absolute cockwomble.

 

Whiny voice, bad attitude, eternally unlikeable in a game that would be a whole lot better if he wasn't the protagonist - seriously, the actual world building in this game is very good, it's just all brought down by this flaming idiot.

 

Runner up: Beast – The Wolf Among Us

 

 

This might be a bit of recency bias – as I have literally just finished that game as of the day of finishing writing this. There are few characters that I have instantly disliked as quickly as him. I don’t think he’s meant to be likeable, he’s an overbearing, overly entitled spouse abusing douche bag...... Need I say more?

 

Third Place: Literally Every Character in Agents of Mayhem – Agents of Mayhem.

 

 

So this pile of fermented faeces has finally made its first appearance.  There isn’t a single character that I liked in this game.

 

They were either some mix of offensive cultural stereotypes that aren’t remotely funny or they’re just arrogant obnoxious vague approximations of people. Get in the sea, you absolute bunch of gimboid shrub rocketeers.

 

Hopefully in 2022 I won't have to ever talk about this absolute - blue whale sized turd ever ever again!

 

Dishonourable Mention: Death - Manual Samuel.

 

 

I feel like for as much as I like Manual Samuel, and I like it a lot – I’d like it a whole lot more if Death actually y’know shut up every once in a while.

 

*Murmuring as you all return to your seats*

 

“Ladies and Gentleman our next award is a special award, there is only one recipient”

 

Best – Whatever the hell you are Award!

 

Winner: Quina – Final Fantasy IX

 

 

I couldn’t leave out Quina could I? And as Quina doesn’t really have a defined gender, as they are some sort of genderless species. I had to make up a new award just for them.

 

Quina was a constant source of joy for me whilst playing through Final Fantasy IX – they literally made me laugh out loud on several occasions. A lot of the fun came from doing their voice myself, and I just went full on strange with it. To the point where I’m genuinely thinking of writing some short stories where Quina shows up in random famous Final Fantasy scenes like Forrest Gump does in the aforementioned movie.

 

Quina does have some depth too – not a whole lot – but they aren’t just comic relief, there is a moment late in the story where they stop and think about how people perceive those who are different to them, and they can’t understand why, yet I think something clicks with them about how they've been treated throughout the entire game.it really gives you one of those “ohhhhh, that’s sad don’t feel like that kind of feelings” Have a hug you big weird confused thingymabob.

 

Come up and accept your award Quina.....

 

QUINA:“I AM WIN TASTY?”

Stan: “y-yes, you did.”

Stan: “Why are you looking at me like that? “

QUINA: “YOU AM SHINY, TASTE GOOD? AM ON JOURNEY OF GOURMAND, I EAT”

Stan: “Wait you can’t eat.me........ “

*Crunch*

QUINA: “I AM HOST AWARDS NOW”

“Far off voice of Event staff: “Pull up the curtain, pull up the curtain.

 

EMERGENCY INTERMISSION.

 

 

Speaker System:”The new hosts will be Keeley Hawes and Matthew McFadyen, if you did turn up naked please put your clothes on - or drape yourselves in a towel, you are now amongst acting royalty”

 

 

Hey ladies and gents, it’s my awards show, if I want two of my favourite actors and a husband and wife duo to appear and host, then that’s what it looks like is happening. I can’t help it if Stan got eaten and Guybrush, Murray or Elaine was unable to make it.

 

Best Voice Performance – Male or Female

 

Winner: Tara Platt – Zero – Drakengard 3

 

 

This was a tough award to give out – I thought about doing both Male and female specific awards, but I don’t want to take up too much of your time. So I thought I’d combine them.

 

Tara Platt has always been a great voice actress she’s given plenty of excellent performances in the Tales of’ series, but I think her performance as Zero had to take the crown here.

 

She gives such a layered performance it’s ridiculous, as I said in the review of Drakengard 3 at the time, Zero is a very easy character to play badly, but incredibly hard to do right. I think she absolutely nails it, the vulnerability, the standoffish nature where she keeps people at a distance, because she feels she has to. Yet – she has a quiet sadness to her at times where the softer side of her appears, and Tara Platt excels at practically every single thing she’s given in Drakengard 3!

 

Zero is meant to be a tough character to like - but you're absolutely supposed to see why people gravitate towards her, without Platt's performance you just wouldn't see that element I don't think.

 

Runner up: Katherine Kingsley – Elizabeth Ashbury – Vampyr

 

 

This is probably the subtlest performance of all of them – but it very nearly was the one I picked as the best. She’s phenomenal as Elizabeth, there’s a real heavy pain and a mournful sadness to her voice – one that makes perfect sense for her character.

 

Across so much fiction involving vampires - with immortality also comes the great pain of loss on a semi regular basis, and that permeates throughout her entire performance, and character.

 

Granted it doesn’t immediately spring out as being as amazing as it is, but when you really stop and think about it, I think it’s something very special. 

 

Third Place: Adam Sopp – Harry Potter – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

 

 

This one deserves to be here I think – Daniel Radcliffe's voice is very unique, it’s very breathy, and he’s got a very specific cadence. That isn't easy to replicate - if you ever get a chance you should look into the working process that goes into impersonating a specific voice. Some of the ways actors find to do it is absolutely mind boggling at times. 

 

If you played Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and 2 I think you’d be hard pushed to tell that it wasn’t Daniel Radcliffe.

 

The way he delivers a specific line going into the forest in the final game (If you’re a fan of the books or films you’ll know the scene, the one with the stone and the old friends,)  he brings some real pathos to that scene. So he makes it here just for that.

 

Honourable Mention – Cam Clarke – Decadus – Drakengard 3

 

 

I pretty much rate any voice performance by Cam Clarke – he’s a tremendously talented actor and voice actor – and if I’m honest he could probably read me my Nan’s shopping list and I’d probably still find it entertaining.

 

That being said – he is outrageously funny as Decadus. Sure – the writing has a lot to do with it, but even so he just fully commits to the part. For a little context Decadus is a real kinky bastard – his particular kink is denying himself pleasure, but he also enjoys having pain inflicted on him. So as you’d imagine in a game with as much ultra violence as Drakengard 3, hearing him get sexually excited as you’re dicing up enemies is absolutely hilarious, and the way other characters react to it is equally so freaking hilarious.

 

Our next award is not the last one ladies and gentleman and whatever you are Quina. 

 

Best Game of the Year Award

 

Winner: Final  Fantasy IX

 

 

Oh come on – did you really think it was ever going to be anything other than this that wins my 2021 game of the year, even Stevie Wonder could have seen this one coming a mile off.

 

A game that needs no introduction or descriptions – you’ve heard my thoughts on it before – this is the game that made me fall in love with Final Fantasy  all over  again. A game that not only superbly functions as a story, but also has some of the best gameplay you could ever wish to find in a game that turned twenty-one this year.

 

Runner up: Drakengard 3

 

 

As we’ve recently established in this very thread – NieR is probably my favourite game of all time. So it feels right that a game so closely connected to it would also be my second favourite game of 2021. As I’m playing NieR: Replicant at some point next year it almost seems inevitable what 2022’s game of the year will be – but you never can tell.

 

Drakengard 3 is a game where I had no qualms about dropping £25 purely on DLC. It was so worth it, and that’s a lot of pennies just for DLC – worth it to get even more out of that fantastic story.

 

Third Place: Pure Pool

 

 

Although I played most of it in the years leading up to 2021, this was the year that I finished it – the end of a long journey, which you can read further up on this page if you haven’t already.

 

I did play arguably better games this year, but we’re throwing objectivity out the window today – these are my favourite things of the last year, so go and wait outside for a bit would you Mr Objectivity, try not to get too close to Quina either.

 

Honourable Mention: Shadow of the Colossus (2018 Remake).... Sorry Copanele

 

 

Really I should have just extended the list – but hey I can do a top ten of 2021 if I wanted to at some point right?

 

Shadow of the Colossus is worth mentioning though – I loved the original, I loved the remake even more – it comes to something when the biggest complaint I have about it, is that the forest is too dense so it makes you move slower, so you can’t get to certain Colossi as quick as you could before.

 

Our next Award is for best Visuals/Art Design

 

Best Visuals/Art Design

 

Winner: This War of Mine: The Little Ones

 

 

There are certainly prettier games than This War of Mine – but there are few that really stood out to me in the same way that this one did – it’s bleak, and it’s not going to put a smile on your face, but it’s not meant to, it makes you feel a very particular way, and in that regard it does a wonderful job.

 

If I was doing an award solely based on sound design this would hands down win that one too, because the amount of specific detail in the soundscape is incredible it gets across that haunting terrifying so well.

 

Runner up: Afterparty/Oxenfree

 

 

I know I’m bending the rules with this one, but there really isn’t much in it. So Night School can share this one.

 

Hell has been depicted so many ways across various forms of media – but the way it’s presented in Afterparty is fantastic, the neon soaked vibrancy is stunning to look at, each location you visit looks distinctly different, it’s just brilliant.

 

Oxenfree is gorgeous too – in its own unique way, I haven’t seen too many things like Oxenfree in a video game and I’m glad I haven’t. Every single area of Oxenfree like I said in the Review of it feels as if it could have come straight out of a postcard. sold on Edwards Island itself.

 

Third Place: Beholder 2

 

 

Specifically Beholder 2, because it builds so much upon the foundations that Beholder one masterfully built. On a visual and artistic design level, sequences like the employee party are an absolute joy, hilarious and messed up in equal measure. You won't want for interesting visuals in Beholder 2, there are a few spots that are genuinely horrifying - it's just the game masks that a little bit, by having the specific art-style that it has.

 

Honourable Mention.  Seasons after Fall

 

 

This needed to be mentioned – the ways that all four specific seasons are represented in this game are fantastic. It’s a true testament to the artistic skill involved here that every area I went to, I made sure to switch to all the different seasons just to see the small subtle differences in how everything appears.

 

We now take a short break from positivity for the last of our negative awards....

 

The cavalcade of crapulence  approaches...... Who will win the award for worst  game – take the title of “Game that most made me pray to the heavens for a fully formed Cyborg Orangutan ( the ones that look like they have two dark melons strapped to their cheeks, I love those guys,) to smash through my window, rip my arms off and beat me to death with them just so I didn't have to play the game any longer"

 

Odd I know, but I wanted to crowbar that one in somewhere.

 

A little extreme? Perhaps, but you didn’t play the game that won.

 

Worst Game of the Year

 

Winner: Agents of Mayhem

 

 

Was it ever going to be anything else?

 

Eurgh – just why, this is where my need to play games that are part of the series comes to bite me right on the behind, like a big toothy alligator – so hard in fact that the teeth got embedded in there, and I’ve not yet had them surgically removed.

 

I don’t use these words lightly – I try and be positive whenever possible, but I HATE this game – if you like it great, but I’m never going to be one of them.

 

Runner up: WWE 2K Battlegrounds./WWE 2K20

 

 

You two terrible games can share this – just like the fateful and unfortunate Ebay bundle that I purchased you in. This category exists – so it proves not every game I play can't  be a winner right? I didn’t get this free like a lot of people; I paid some of my heard earned pennies for this.

 

Would I like it more if it was free? No, it’s appalling. it’s an absolute embarrassment that a game as terrible as these two were released in 2019 and 2020 (I played them this year obviously). There are literally wrestling games released in the early 2000’s or earlier that I’d sooner play than this, bad ones too.

 

Third Place: Erica

 

 

I want to like Erica, I really do – but I just don’t. I like bit’s of it, but it’s also an example of a trophy list really getting in the way of enjoyment. The more you play it, the more you see flaws - flaws that you absolutely cannot ignore. This game treats you like a really stupid labrat, funnelling you down the tunnel that they want you to go down all the while presenting you with the illusion of choice.

 

Purely as an experience though Erica really suffers the more you actually play it. Like I said – I’m the last person to pick logic holes in video game or movie plots, but even I was rolling my eyes at some of the stuff found in this title.

 

If I never have to hear " I think...... that you are magic too" my day will be brighter for it.

 

Dishonourable mention: LEGO Movie 2: The Videogame

 

 

This game is unfortunately the definition of a shallow movie tie-in video game, it appears well into the 2010’s those still exist in some form.

 

This isn’t a really bad game per se, but it could have been a whole lot better. It just reeks of cut corners, and asset reuse. It's like someone read the plot of the film, immediately forgot it, and then was tasked with writing the games "story" the next day, and they kind of just thought, yep, this'll do.

 

Our next award is for Best Graphics

 

Keeley Hawes: “I’m hearing, that instead of a description, we’ll just be seeing pictures, as the organiser says, a picture paints a thousand words after all”.

 

Best Gaphics

 

Winner: Marvel’s Spider-Man

 

 

Runner up: Shadow of the Colossus ( 2018 Remake)

 

 

Third Place: Abzu

 

 

Honourable Mention: ICO

 

 

Our next award is for Best Unearthed Hidden Gem

 

Winner: The Technomancer

 

 

I don’t feel like I ought to talk too much about this one – I’m a little worried if I do that I’ll end up writing more about this here than I did in the review itself.

 

This game is absolutely a hidden gem though – a little rough around the edges, of course, but a great little RPG that has flown under the radar far longer than it should have done.

 

Runner up: Beholder

 

 

This one comes down to personal preference – I love both Beholder games, but I just marginally prefer the first one – and I think that’s mainly down to the tremendous DLC that it has, which is so conceptually brilliant that I couldn’t help but love almost every moment of it.

 

Third Place: Thimbleweed Park

 

 

What a surprise this game turned out to be, an old school point-and-click adventure done as a love letter to Lucasarts games of old  – it’d been sitting on my backlog for years and considering my particular penchant for point-and-clickery (LOOK MA ALLITERATION) it would feel wrong of me not to mention it.

 

Honourable mention: The Bard’s Tale Remastered and Resnarkled

 

 

I don’t feel one hundred percent comfortable putting this here – it isn’t as if I hadn’t played this game before, quite a lot too. It’s just new to my profile in 2021 so I think it just about counts. Great game, has some fairly cringe-worthy  dialogue by modern standards, but it’s got so many memorable moments that are an absolute joy to think about. Great soundtrack, great characters, an absolute blast.

 

Our next award is for Sound Design/Soundtrack of the Year

 

Sound Design/Soundtrack of the Year

 

 

Winner: Drakengard 3

 

 

It could only ever be this one – anything with Emi Evans’ haunting melodic voice are always going to be the thing that wins. Much like with NieR the soundtrack is provided by Keiichi Okabe – and it is absolutely tremendous.

 

The way in which sound is used as an actual boss mechanic is wonderful too – as much as the final boss in Drakengard 3 is infuriating (it’s a rhythm game where one mistake means death,) it’s so well designed, the way it all flows together.

 

Runner up: Final Fantasy IX

 

 

You were almost on the receiving end of another award there Final Fantasy IX – almost, but not quite.

 

It’s my second favourite Final Fantasy Score, and that’s not a knock to it – I just love the soundtrack to Final Fantasy X so much... Uematsu, the composers favourite soundtrack he produced for Final Fantasy is the one for IX, and why he loves it so much considering how much effort the guy clearly put into making it as good as possible.

 

If this was just on sound design alone it would have won – because the way they use sound in certain area’s in Final Fantasy IX is outlandishly clever at times. Something like the upside down dungeon is the perfect example of that, where the music is completely jumbled and off key, yet you can still tell the familiar theme that it’s trying to be.

 

Third Place: Abzu

 

 

I can’t think of many soundtracks that instantly hooked me in the same way that Abzu’s did, the game itself is a very relaxing experience in itself. Yet – I almost felt a feeling of euphoria playing that game as I was off swimming around with some of the fish. This is something that never ever would have been achieved quite as effectively without the use of Sound.

 

Honourable mention: ICO

 

 

For as much as I love the soundtrack to ICO – and I do, believe me, it’s here because of the sound design.

 

The sound design in ICO is really, really cleverly crafted, it’s incredibly minimalist, yet so well done in certain areas.

 

Like a specific part of the game where you get separated from your companion Yorda – and the ambient soundscape does such a good job of making you feel completely alone, from the rushing of the wind, to the smallest of sounds seeming that much more amplified because it’s just you alone there.

 

 Our Final Award is for Best Story.

 

Best Story of the Year Award

 

Winner: Final Fantasy IX

 

 

Sorry – it had to get one final moment in the sun – it isn’t purely favouritism, Final Fantasy IX’s story is just bloody excellent. It is absolutely full of rich layers and nuanced characters and a vibrant world that you can so easily lose yourself in.

 

There are so many dark undertones that you'd never expect in a game like this - an implied war economy, not to mention some of the much, much darker elements that I can't go into for spoiler reasons.

 

I can’t see a time where I won’t love this game – I’m looking forward to enough time passing that I feel like some of it will feel fresh again – and when it is I can’t wait to dive back in.

 

Runner up: Drakengard 3

 

 

Yoko Taro knocks it out of the park once again – with the blackest of black comedies. There is so much to this game that I can’t really sum it up in a few sentences, that’s why the review is linked just in case you fancy giving it a look.

 

The game might run like a PowerPoint presentation at times but it really doesn’t hamper the experience all that much – if you ever get a chance to play it, you absolutely should. It’s a lot more connected to NieR than you might think it is, so if you like the NieR games it might be worth jumping in with.

 

Third Place: VA-11 Hall-A

 

 

This has to rank somewhere in the top 3, so realistically it could only be here – that’s not to sell it short, that’s just a testament of the narrative quality of its competitors.

 

Valhalla is a much more low key affair sure, I’d say it has more in common with the structure of Independent Cinema, where that freedom to tell a smaller self contained story is absolutely the focus – but that really gives it a chance to let its characters shine in a way I never expected them to.

 

It does such a marvellous job of being a worthy part of an already established universe by its association with 2064: Read Only Memories.

 

I’m so eagerly awaiting a sequel for both games.

 

Honourary mention: Okage: Shadow King

 

 

I feel like this game needed to be mentioned – as tempting as it was to mention Oxenfree or Afterparty, Okage is a wonderful story that is so ahead of its time.

 

A metatextual video game story released twenty years ago was not something that was seen often, add to that the incredible world building in place in this game, it’s another one where just being along for the ride and experiencing what that games universe has to offer is so worth your time.

 

Now that the awards are over, after Quina unceremoniously ate our first host, and deprived us all of some Monkey Island style hijinks. I think it’s time to wind down, and focus our attention on you..... Yes, that’s right any of you that might be reading this.

 

This part is just for you.

 

Here's To You!

Happy New Years!

 

 

I fear it will already be 2022 for many of you by the time you read this - possibly even me - in which case we'll just call this a big fat loss on my part for not being more organised.

 

It turns out it is..... It's now 2022 - this will be a lesson. I'm not for New Years Resolutions usually..... I always think if you have something you want to change, don't wait for a specific  day to do it, just do it. Perhaps this is my time to learn that I need to organise my time better.

 

I've gotten a little caught up on what to say here - and I've been going around and around in circles with this for a very long time.... So if it does go out later than usual, this is why.

 

Without all of you lovely folk this year would have been a much darker place, and I am eternally grateful for each and every one of you who stop by on a regular basis.

 

It's been a wild ride so far - what started out as something heavily inspired by, @Arcesius @Cassylvania and @Copanele's own awesome threads has grown into something I truly never expected it to.

 

I started this whole process off with the intention of just getting some pressure free writing practice, so having my own space to talk about the games that I've played over the years was always something I was eager to do.

 

I did think it would mainly just be me, someone might pop in occasionally and say "why does he like point-and-click games so much." Then leave completely baffled because I actually don't skip through all the dialogue like the trophy guide might suggest that you do. I'm so grateful that it's become what it has though.

 

I have said this in various places on the forums over the last few days - what with all the end of year posts - but the thing I'm most grateful for is getting to know so many of you. As I said, I might not have met any of you, and I might never meet any of you, who can say for sure. But that doesn't mean I don't care about many of you, and consider you friends. I really mean that too - I have got plenty of friends like a lot of us do, but not seeing them or spending time with them has been one of the hardest things for me over the last two years of lockdowns and restrictions. So to find so many wonderful people who are willing to put up with my waffly rambly insomniac nonsense, I truly am grateful.

 

Being able to just cut loose and be myself has been one of the most enjoyable parts - obviously we all might have some sort of a wall up to a degree, that's understandable.

 

If It wasn't for you all I don't think I ever would have written the post about my sadly departed friend/mentor Goran, man that was hard - but his story deserved to be told, and I'm glad I was able to do it.

 

You all truly are the best.... From here on out it might look a little bit of a wall of blue. As there's lots of people to tag here......  I'll go with the guys and girls who frequent the Checklist areas specifically first.

 

I just want a lot of you to know, that even if I don't follow a lot of your threads, that doesn't mean I don't read them and get a hell of a lot of enjoyment out of them, I expect I will end up following them officially at some point going forward, it's not like it's taxing is it.

 

Let's go alphabetical shall we just so people don't get paranoid about where they ended up.Sorry for all the notifications you're all going to end up getting.

 

You all deserve these shout outs for being such a huge part of what makes this part of the forums such a special and welcoming place.

 

@Arcesius you do not get enough credit for how welcoming you make people feel dude, we might not have all that many games in common - and that really doesn't matter, but I can't see a time where I won't enjoy reading something you've written, whatever form that might take.

@Baker, I'm selfishly hoping you end up changing your mind about retiring, it'll be sad to see you go

@Briste I respect the hell out of how open and honest you are in your thread about everything that's going on - that takes a lot to put yourself on the line like that. I love the way you seem to get real motivated when you join events, and end up playing some quite esoteric games you normally wouldn't as a result.

@Cassylvania I know you get this a lot, but thank you for being a huge source of inspiration for so many of us, I think a lot of us probably wouldn't be in our own checklist space if it wasn't for you.

@Copanele Much like Arc, you are a true gent, and it's a pleasure having a fellow EuroRPG lover and it turns out Pool lover to discuss the nightmares and joys of clipping through floors. That and the inevitable Yakuza discussions to come.

@Destructor-8 I'm so glad there's someone around who has some ridiculous sage like wisdom when it comes to racing games - you're always the person I go to if I feel like I need to ask whether a certain racing game is actually worth playing or not.

@DrBloodmoney In much the same way you could fill a book with the conversations Smevz and I have had - I wouldn't like to think how big the tome would be if we catalogued all of ours, and that's only really in half a year. I'm honestly so grateful for the fact that you'll indulge me in the occasional bit of film talk, or book talk - it doesn't always have to be about games and I'm so glad it isn't. Getting to you know has been a real highlight man.I really can't stress that enough I will always enjoy discussing video games with you or adding to your backlog  (hey you added plenty to mine too!) Our wallets are going to hate us by the end of 2022, I can already tell

@DrunkenEngineer It's been a pleasure man - thank you for requesting a Monkey Island review too so I had an excuse to write a nice long review about the start of a series I love so much.  You've been playing Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor lately, and I really hope that you share the Graug story you have with everyone from when you originally played the DLC

@GonzoWARgasm You are a funny, funny dude, and that's an understatement - it still boggled my mind a little bit that you actually binge read my entire thread from start to when you said that you had  - I really appreciate that, and I'm glad it got the ball rolling on me going back and renovating things and making them look a little nicer.

@KindaSabbath Just a quick one bud ?...... You're so damn good at getting people pumped and motivated. That honesty that you have where you constantly just are absolutely yourself is so refreshing - I really don't think there's a whole lot of difference between Web Sabbath and day to day Sabbath.

@The_Kopite I know you don't have a checklist, maybe you should? But you've been such a constant part of mine for the better part of six months that you might as well have one - you feel like part of the furniture here, but in the nicest way possible - I am so grateful for both you and Doc for basically being the catalysts to what made me fall in love with Final Fantasy all over again. Thank you for that.

@madbuk Thank you for actually being so accommodating when I came to you for advice on finding banner images - I love them, and I'm glad you didn't mind me doing using them too.

@MD_91 Your latest post flashed up as I'm in the midst of writing  this part, which is why it's taking so long to get this out, I thought I might as well just go in depth - I'll reply to you properly tomorrow. The brute force you tackle your backlog is something else! The fact you bother to get as many trophies as you can from games that have unobtainables shows just how dedicated you are to your clean-up project.

@PlutoRico Another absolute gent - looking forward to seeing some of the articles that you've got planned!

@popnheart I'm glad you're back to smashing through your backlog like a boulder through glass - I know you're a little shy, so I hope you don't mind me tagging you like this, but keep on playing what you want to play, we'll be there to read about it! Pop in and say hello sometime if you feel like you want to. 

@realm722 Someone who loved Final Fantasy VII Remake just as much as I seem to love Final Fantasy IX - you have got a hell of an eclectic taste in games. I mean that in the nicest way possible too, it's a good thing, even just perusing your trophy list is usually a fascinating time. Plus you can give myself and Doc  a run for our  money when it comes to cracking on with some long form writing. Whenever you put something new out, I always know to grab myself a beverage and have a good read (that goes for so many others too)

@Shrooba The 20 year old with the sage wisdom of a one thousand year old  monk, - seeing you tear apart Crash Team Racing like a dog with a paper bag on its head have been nothing short of entertaining! You absolute beast!  I love your new philosophy to how you're approaching your 100% account, just straight up fearless! Good for you.

@YaManSmevz in Doc's thread I used the analogy about the checklist area reminding me of the bar from Cheers.... Although in this bar you're strictly off duty, the minute you told me you were a Bartender it made perfect sense - you have that unteachable skill of just making people feel comfortable and relaxed and at ease. Whether that takes the form of something ridiculously funny, some kind words of encouragement or whatever it might be. It always feels like it comes from a good place.

@yuber1234 Did you just get an exclamation mark appear above your head like a genome soldier in Metal Gear Solid, when you got this notification? I do read your thread believe it or not, although I do get behind a lot. Just because I'm naff at fighters and have about as much dexterity as a leper who's accidentally fallen into a bucket of glass doesn't mean I can't appreciate someone else's particular skill.

 

I'm sure I've forgotten people - if I haven't broken the forum software too much I can always try and jump back in and add anyone I've forgotten.

 

Feel free to call me sappy, or sycophantc I guess if you have to (although I'm not)..... All of you in one way or another can and have more than once  helped turn a terrible day into one where I find myself smiling far more than I ever expected to.

 

I'm grateful to each and every one of you for the awesome place that not only this specific thread has become, but you've all contributed to making the checklist part of the forums a thoroughly enjoyable place to be, for so many people - even for those that don't have threads themselves.

 

Whether it's @AK-1138 (as I always say to you, this whole thread probably wouldn't even exist without you, but I'm sure you're sick of hearing that at this point, if you ever read it,) myself and @Slava discussing Metal Gear Solid whilst Doc sits there nodding and smiling through gritted teeth or the constant back and forth between myself and @The_Kopite about various bits and bobs (Mainly Final Fantasy  ?) or @YaManSmevz and I descending into a surreal tangent every now and then.... Whoever you happen to be, you're always welcome here.

 

To anyone who feels a little too shy to post - or say hello... Take it from me, please don't be... I used to be too, so please don't feel as if you can't pop in and say hello, pretty much everyone that hangs out in these parts of the forum are some of the friendliest bunch of people you could wish to interact with.

 

I was going to list some goals and things for 2022, but I've taken up FAR TOO MUCH of your precious time already - so perhaps I'll leave that for another post. I'm sure this is littered with spelling mistakes and grammar bugs right now - I don't sleep much as you know, so I always miss a few from lack of concentration and what not, but I'll get them eventually.

 

As It's probably New Years Day 2023 now, it's taken that long to get this bit written....... Happy New to Year to All of you....

 

Catch you in the next one folks.... Well I will, so long as this long ass post doesn't rip a hole in the space time continuum.

 

Edited August 2, 2022 by rjkclarke
Fixed an absolute mega load of spelling errors.....Oops

[Yuber6969]

Eyyy a fellow FFIX and MGS fan! I didn't know you were reading my checklist; thanks for checking it out! I'm learning that a lot more people have been checking it out than I was aware of. I really should visit some of the other checklists on here more often, including yours.

Btw, you've convinced me to checkout Vall Halla (yes I know I spelled that wrong lol).

 

Happy New Year dude!

Edited January 1, 2022 by yuber1234

[Copanele]

Sir, this was truly what I expected from your end of year awards and I am so SO glad to be one of the people to convince you into writing this stuff  (and also the asshole responsible for throwing some unique games for you to review, such as Arcania, may Innos save us all ).

 

Very pleased to see Zero and Drakengard 3 receive such love. I haven't ACTUALLY played the game unfortunately but my god I watched all the good stuff about it. Maybe one day I will find the courage to throw all that money for the game+DLCs and attempt that FINAL boss. Yoko Taro, you are a bastard and I love you!

 

Happy new year, may we be blessed by more EuroRPGs, badass Yakoozers, crazy writeups.

 

And above all...

 

Quote

Honourable Mention: Shadow of the Colossus (2018 Remake).... Sorry Copanele

Still fuck that game ? 

[DrBloodmoney]

 

 

Yay! 

 

Awesome awards ceremony my friend - well worth pulling the semi-clean Kilt outfit back out the closet - even if I did need to find the extender belts to accommodate the festive food consumption ?

 

I'm not going to sit and comment on ever category like some kind of unstoppable chatterbox, but a few I just have to!

 

6 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

Best Male Character Award

 

 

Winner

Vivi Ornitier – Final Fantasy IX

 

 

Great to see the little guy taking this one - he's a mystery wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a hat, but never less than charming!

 

6 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

 

“Ladies and gentleman, our next award is Best Female Character”

 

Winner:  Zero – Drakengard 3

 

Runner up: Jill –  VA-11 Hall-A – Cyberpunk Bartender Action.

Third Place: Lola – Afterparty

 

Man... I've already got Valhalla on my backlog list, but this (and a few others is really making me feel like Drakenguard 3 should really be on there too... goddammit! 

 

Is Drakenguard 3 the one that Nier is a sequel to one of the offshoot endings? I know there's some odd lineage somewhere in that series... and maybe this needs to be done before Nier Replicant...

 

 

6 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

Worst Character: Male or Female.

 

 

Runner up: Beast – The Wolf Among Us

 

 

Man - this one makes me sad - but for reasons that have nothing to do with the game itself!

 

I liked The Wolf Among Us, but let me tell you - as a big Fables fan (the comic it's based on) - Beast is the character who got done dirty by that game!

 

In the comics, he is a bit of a foil for Bigby early on, but is generally one of the most likeable characters in the series!

 

Spoiler alert for comics I suppose:

 

Spoiler

He actually takes over as Sheriff of Fabletown relatively early in the series, and Beauty takes over for Snow as the administrator, after Biby and Snow have to leave, when he knocks her up, and they have a litter of magical pups!

Beast is the dude who is not as good at the detective business as Bigby, but knows it, and is always genuinely trying to do the right thing - and his relationship with Beauty is really lovely most of the time!

 

 

 

6 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

Best Game of the Year Award

 

Winner: Final  Fantasy IX

 

 

Runner up: Drakengard 3

 

 

Third Place: Pure Pool

 

 

Honourable Mention: Shadow of the Colossus (2018 Remake).... Sorry Copanele

 

Haha - @Copanele has to take the award now for being "Most Mentioned in an Awards Category - 2021" ?

M'Dude - we all have our popular games we don't like, but for some reason, your Shadow of the Colossus stance is becoming mythologised at an alarming rate! ?

 

6 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

Best Visuals/Art Design

 

Winner: This War of Mine: The Little Ones

 

 

Runner up: Afterparty/Oxenfree

 

 

Third Place: Beholder 2

 

 

Honourable Mention.  Seasons after Fall

 

 

This is a really interesting list - and I can't disagree on any of it!

 

Great idea having a "Best Graphics" and a "Best Art Design" award - I think by having both mixed together into a "Best Looking", I tied myself in a knot, and it meant not really awarding games like This War of Mine - ones where the graphics are nothing to write home about, but they just ooze style from every (in this case, dirty and sad) pore!

 

 

6 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

 

Best Gaphics

 

Winner: Marvel’s Spider-Man

 

 

 

Runner up: Shadow of the Colossus ( 2018 Remake)

 

 

 

Third Place: Abzu

 

 

 

Honourable Mention: ICO

 

 

Can't deny a damned thing here - that Spiderman game is just gorgeous!

 

 

 

 

 

6 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

 

I fear it will already be 2022 for many of you by the time you read this - possibly even me - in which case we'll just call this a big fat loss on my part for not being more organised.

 

It turns out it is..... It's now 2022 - this will be a lesson. I'm not for New Years Resolutions usually..... I always think if you have something you want to change, don't wait for a specific  day to do it, just do it. Perhaps this is my time to learn that I need to organise my time better.

 

I've gotten a little caught up on what to say here - and I've been going around and around in circles with this for a very long time.... So if it does go out later than usual, this is why.

 

Without all of you lovely folk this year would have been a much darker place, and I am eternally grateful for each and everyone of you who stop by on a regular basis.

 

It's been a wild ride so far - what started out as something heavily inspired by, @Arcesius @Cassylvania and @Copanele's own awesome threads has grown into something I truly never expected it to.

 

I started this whole process off with the intention of just getting some pressure free writing practice, so having my own space to talk about the games that I've played over the years was always something I was eager to do. I did think it would mainly just be me, someone might pop in occasionally and say "why does he like point-and-click games so much." Then leave completely baffled because I actually don't skip through all the dialogue like the trophy guide might suggest that you do. I'm so grateful that it's become what it has though.

 

I have said this in various places on the forums over the last few days - what with all the end of year posts - but the thing I'm most grateful for is getting to know so many of you. As I said, I might not have met any of you, and I might never meet any of you, who can say for sure. But that doesn't mean I don't care about many of you, and consider you friends. I really mean that too - I have got plenty of friends like a lot of us do, but not seeing them or spending time with them has been one of the hardest things for me over the last two years of lockdowns and restrictions. So to find so many wonderful people who are willing to put up with my waffly rambly insomniac nonsense, I truly am grateful.

 

Being able to just cut loose and be myself has been one of the most enjoyable parts - obviously we all might have some sort of a wall up to a degree, that's understandable.If It wasn't for you all I don't think I ever would have written the post about my sadly departed friend/mentor Goran, man that was hard - but his story deserved to be told, and I'm glad I was able to do it.

 

You all truly are the best.... From here on out it might look a little bit of a wall of blue. As there's lots of people to tag here......  I'll go with the guys and girls who frequent the Checklist areas specifically first.

 

Bless you man - same same ?

 

6 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

As It's probably New Years Day 2023 now, it's taken that long to get this bit written....... Happy New to Year to All of you....

 

Catch you in the next one folks.... Well I will, so long as this long ass post doesn't rip a hole in the space time continuum.

 

Happy New Year to you bud, and here's to more great RJ Reviews next year!

 

??

 

 

[Arcesius]

Damn, FFIX and Drakengard 3 wiping the table here! 

 

I just finished reading the awards, very nice! I like the variety in the games, there was plenty to choose from, too! Of course, as you already mentioned a while back, I am super happy to see FFIX make the cut for so many categories... That game is special to me as we have discussed, and it's always nice to see that the game also resonates with other people on a similar level than it does with me  

 

Thanks for the mention, too... It's still weird to me that my own checklist can be any kind of inspiration for someone to start their own, but I'm of course always more than happy to read that that's indeed the case!  

 

Let me quote one single paragraph: 

7 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

I have said this in various places on the forums over the last few days - what with all the end of year posts - but the thing I'm most grateful for is getting to know so many of you. As I said, I might not have met any of you, and I might never meet any of you, who can say for sure. But that doesn't mean I don't care about many of you, and consider you friends. I really mean that too - I have got plenty of friends like a lot of us do, but not seeing them or spending time with them has been one of the hardest things for me over the last two years of lockdowns and restrictions. So to find so many wonderful people who are willing to put up with my waffly rambly insomniac nonsense, I truly am grateful.

 

Yes, this is definitely one of the hardest things for me to come to terms with as well. I remember bitching to Ms. Arc whenever I would study our weekly schedule about having too many things going on, constantly meeting up for beers with someone, going for dinner with another befriended couple, concerts, etc... No time to sit down and chill. 

 

Two years later... I'm really missing those days. Sure, some kind of normality has returned, but not to the extent we all wish for. And hanging out here in the checklist subforums, playing online games with people I've met through this very page... was definitely something that helped in dealing with having to sacrifice so much, socially speaking. 

 

We're all here because - to some extent - we have something in common. And this subforum is the perfect place to talk about those interests without experiencing any hostility. It really feels great checking wha's going on with everyone involved, and I appreciate that a lot as well  

 

 

Alright, happy new year to you too! I'm off to post my own awards... There must be one person that is way too late, right? ?

[Shrooba]

Brilliant 2021 post @rjkclarke!

Good to see Vivi from FF9 take the win!!! He's got a very recognizable character design; from the droopy pants that allude to a shy, almost hesitant nature, juxtaposed by the obscured face with nothing but his eyes shining through. I'm not sure if I've already mentioned this, but typically characters with hidden faces usually hints to a more troubled nature, like Meta Knight from Kirby for instance; their eyes are extremely similar. But like Meta Knight, he's actually a good character despite the way he looks, and I believe that's the same for Vivi! In the case of Vivi, whilst I haven't played the game yet, it's a great blend in the character design that makes for something quite "stand-out" if that makes sense. I think the silhouette of a character alongside their design is one of the most important parts to a character, alongside how they're written. Both things go hand in hand, and Vivi's got quite an iconic design.

When you mention the lockdowns and the consequences to real-life social encounters, it really does hit home how much the world has changed in just 2 years. I think these forums are a great way to connect with people with similar passions and hobbies alike, and getting to read all of your inspired posts have definitely made me more connected, and especially you, too! Trophy hunting is a rather niche thing in the grand scheme of video games, so finding a community that's based around it is fricking awesome! ? Here's to a great 2022!

 

Edited January 1, 2022 by Shrooba

[Platinum_Vice]

11 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

@GonzoWARgasm You are a funny, funny dude, and that's an understatement - it still boggled my mind a little bit that you actually binge read my entire thread from start to when you said that you had  - I really appreciate that, and I'm glad it got the ball rolling on me going back and renovating things and making them look a little nicer.

 

Thanks Rob. I seem to be throwing a lot of love around this forum over the last week or so (like a drunk amongst friends: "I love you maaan. No, for real. No no no no FOR REAL. I LOVE YOU MAAAAAN"), but I mean it: this whole side of this forum is pretty based, and you're a key part of that mate. I look forward to being here for more of your insights in 2022.

 

4 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Man - this one makes me sad - but for reasons that have nothing to do with the game itself!

 

I liked The Wolf Among Us, but let me tell you - as a big Fables fan (the comic it's based on) - Beast is the character who got done dirty by that game!

 

In the comics, he is a bit of a foil for Bigby early on, but is generally one of the most likeable characters in the series!

 

Spoiler alert for comics I suppose:

 

I knew that I should have looked into this series when I finished TWAU. A quick wiki search gives me the impression that it's finished, so I'll probably wait until TWAU2 comes out and then get into the comics. How highly do you rate the comics?

[DrBloodmoney]

5 minutes ago, GonzoWARgasm said:

I knew that I should have looked into this series when I finished TWAU. A quick wiki search gives me the impression that it's finished, so I'll probably wait until TWAU2 comes out and then get into the comics. How highly do you rate the comics?

I love ‘em - the only series I actually forked out the absurd amount of cash required to get every issue in the hardback deluxe editions!

 

I really think they are so imaginative, funny, smart - but never get miles into the weeds on required backlore, and never get too dour or dark.

 

I reckon if I had to list my top 10 series of all time, Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing run would probably take the top spot, but Sandman, Fables, Preacher, Watchmen, V for Vendetta and Y: The Last Man would be fighting it out for the spots right below - and Fables might just take it!

 

Highly recommended!

[PlutoRico]

12 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

@PlutoRico Another absolute gent - looking forward to seeing some of the articles that you've got planned!

Appreciate the love my friend, will try to cook something interesting ?

[YaManSmevz]

 

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT!!! MAH DUUUUDE *whistle*

 

First of all, outstanding! Extremely impressive work homie, my hat's off to you!

 

I had a parlay on FFIX, Agents of Mayhem, and Erica for their exact placements... could someone please direct me to the pay out window?

 

So glad to see IX damn near get out the broom, it absolutely deserved it (not to mention quite possibly being your review of the year!), and seeing Vivi get one more pat on the back warmed my heart. Also LADY ASHBURY!!! I forgot that I really liked her, thank you for that!

 

Also glad to see Squall, Lola, and Carl get some love! Beast was portrayed as a bit of a dipshit, wasn't he? I kind of let that slip into the recesses of my memory. Once I saw Legend of Kay though, I immediately remembered your review and the bile you had for that furry fucker?

 

Drakengard, eh? Guess I'll have to peep that... You've also given Shadow of the Colossus and my recently purchased This War of Mine a big shove up the backlog!

 

Your WWE games shout (well, not that kind of shout) reminded me - I been meaning to ask you, have you heard anything about 2k22? I guess they're bringing back GM mode at long last. It probably won't be very good, but I must admit that it got me to keep an ear out...

 

Did I mention how nice it was to see Beholder and Night School? This must be how you and Doc feel all the time - you merciless rec machines, you!!

 

Thank you so much for the shout man! As Gonzo pointed out, you've become quite a key member of the community, and it's been an absolute pleasure to watch - you deserve every bit of recognition you get, man! And don't you forget - how you spoke of the people here that can put a smile on your face or ease the burden of a wretched day? You do the very same for each and every one of us, and I really would like for you to take a moment and think about that and feel good about yourself, because you've more than earned it!

 

As usual, all love homie!

[Briste]

Thank you for the mention my friend! Amazing write up as usual! I wish I had your stamina for these reviews lol. They are always so thoughtful and you really do an excellent job conveying exactly what a game meant for you. Having seen how high Drakengard 3 rated for you, I'll need to add that to my backlog. It's a testament to the story of FFIX that it was able to be your best game of the year despite that bs Jump Rope trophy. I know that experience ruined the game for a lot of people. Keep up the great work!

[rjkclarke]

On 01/01/2022 at 1:00 AM, MD_91 said:

I think you've tempted me into trying this out at some point although the AI and level grind sound pretty off putting, I'll definitely get around to Snooker 19 as I haven't played a snooker game since WSC Real 11 (ignoring the Hustle Kings dlc)

 

Used to be a pretty big snooker fan when I was younger (still have good memories of the first World Championship Snooker game on PS1) and would play fairly often on weekends with my dad as we had a couple snooker halls nearby, don't think I've ever managed a break higher than 30   

 

Always relied pretty heavily on the aiming/positioning guides for the games so I can imagine how challenging the 147 is in this especially with no overhead camera, can't decide if the thought of trying to do it motivates me to play this or is another reason for me to avoid it 

 

Well Pure Pool is definitely good - if you want something a little less brutal but still a good Pool game - then Pool Nation on the PS3 is really good... I have got the PS4 version which is an entirely different game, but I haven't played it yet, I need to find someone to tackle the online with, because from what I've been lead to believe the online is completely dead now - so I'd struggle to get the league trophies if I tried to do it myself just because of lack of people in them.

 

As you've played WSC Real 11, in fact weren't you playing that recently, if I'd thought about it more I would have dug out my copy of it and given you a hand if you'd needed it for anything. I digress anyway, as you have played WSC Real you'd probably enjoy both Snooker Nation and Pool Nation on PS4 - I know I haven't played Pool Nation yet, but they run on the exact same engine that WSC Real does, so it just feels like playing that to be honest, but more updated and with a little more fluidity to it.

 

Big fat ? from me though when it comes to Snooker 19 - I love that game, it's still installed on my console, and it will be until the next Snooker game comes out - it's really good, especially now that it's had some pretty significant patches. The physics are excellent, they actually consulted with the players whilst the game was being made so it would feel as authentic as possible. It has so many cool little attentions to detail too, a couple of seasons ago when this was released, during the home nations events (English,Nothern Ireland, Scottish and Welsh Open's) the tour were offering anyone who could win all four events a £1,000,000 bonus..... They actually bothered to put that in the game too, which I thought was really cool. That's still got an active and really fun online component too, so the online wouldn't feel like a chore.

 

I've got myself some good memories of playing the PS1 World Snooker Championship too - I wouldn't get too disheartened by not managing a break much higher than 30 I'm hardly Stephen Hendry myself when it comes to real Snooker. That's awesome that you have those memories with your Dad though, mines not much of a Snooker player, but he did humour me on occasion and give me a game or too, my brother is more of a Snooker head, but he's better than me so I more often than not end up on the losing end

 

Don't rule out becoming the eleventh person on the site to get the 100% in Pure Pool at some point.

 

 

22 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

I love your love of pool! It's a great testament to both your genuine passion for the sport as well as your knack for high quality writing that someone like me, who up until fairly recently thought Snooker was a type of cookie, gleefully hung on every word of this write-up!

 

You did a spectacular job of walking us through the thrill of the chase, dry spells and all, and between the two pool games I've read your write-ups for, I feel a bit more educated as well!

 

Thanks man!

 

I wanted to reply at the time you wrote this, but by the time I was finished writing the last part of the end of year awards I was pretty bushed, and you posted it just as I was about to post it - so I'll just reply to everyone in one giant mega post haha

 

I'm glad you enjoyed reading the Pure Pool one - those are the kind of reviews I worry the most about, I kind of think, "Well I'm only going to care about this one, I'm going to put the same amount of effort in, but I always worry it'll be boring for people to read, or they won't be interested."

 

Then all the Pool fans came out of the woodwork and that was genuinely awesome.

 

22 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

I love the White Whale analogy! Fitting, given that you put in six years of keeping a cool, Zen-infused head in the face of bullshit A.I. fuckin witchu at every opportunity! I'm so glad for you that you got the satisfaction of pulling off such a difficult trophy, and were rewarded with a .03 rarity completion! Hot damn man, that is an accomplishment! You and those other nine peeps should be having sexy dinner parties like that swanky Sgail soirée

 

I watched that maximum break video - dear lord. Mr. O'Sullivan is a damn stud. And so are you! Congrats on that accomplishment and thanks for the write-up!

 

This one really was my white whale - like I said to Pluto, I always think when there's a huge amount of time that's passed by there's usually a fairly decent or at least interesting story to go along with that. I'll skip out on the sgail soiree though, tempting as it sounds that place creeps me out.

 

It looks like I'm going to be hunting down quite a few white whales this year as it happens - so this will probably be the year of really funky looking Time Taken to Platinum sections - I fired up Lord of the Rings: The War in the North the other day for the first time in nine years, to get the one online trophy it has, and it'll be like nine and a half years by the time I get the platinum. If I 100% Skyrim this year, that will be over ten years too. Crazy.

 

Yeah that maximum break video is something else - he's still playing to such a high level at 46 too, another one of those "age is just a number kind of dealios"

 

6 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

 

 

6 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN ABOUT!!! MAH DUUUUDE *whistle*

 

First of all, outstanding! Extremely impressive work homie, my hat's off to you!

 

I had a parlay on FFIX, Agents of Mayhem, and Erica for their exact placements... could someone please direct me to the pay out window?

 

So glad to see IX damn near get out the broom, it absolutely deserved it (not to mention quite possibly being your review of the year!), and seeing Vivi get one more pat on the back warmed my heart. Also LADY ASHBURY!!! I forgot that I really liked her, thank you for that!

 

Thanks again man!

 

I'm glad you enjoyed that long old read... Yeah, I think the Final Fantasy IX one was a given, most people probably saw that one a mile off, I doubt you were alone there ? was a tough one some of those - I've played a lot of games the last year, good ones too for the most part, so narrowing it down was really tough.

 

And Erica - stupid game, that'd probably put so many people off of potentially good FMV games like Doctor Dekker, that game's also on the cutting room floor... Which reminds me.

 

I have got some awards that I just cut out completely, that I'm tempted to upload anyway at some point, treat it as a fun little "Deleted Scene" or something haha. Erica does crop up again on one of those, but it was a more negative award, and I tried to cut down the negativity where I could.

 

You've still got all of IX to look forward to, so that might well pick up some awards at your 2022 ceremony, and I have a sneaking suspicion so might Yakuza 0.

 

+1 for Lady Ashbury too - I very much had a fairly all over the place experience with Vampyr but damn she was memorable, and in the best possible way too.

 

6 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

Also glad to see Squall, Lola, and Carl get some love! Beast was portrayed as a bit of a dipshit, wasn't he? I kind of let that slip into the recesses of my memory. Once I saw Legend of Kay though, I immediately remembered your review and the bile you had for that furry fucker

 

Drakengard, eh? Guess I'll have to peep that... You've also given Shadow of the Colossus and my recently purchased This War of Mine a big shove up the backlog!

 

Your WWE games shout (well, not that kind of shout) reminded me - I been meaning to ask you, have you heard anything about 2k22? I guess they're bringing back GM mode at long last. It probably won't be very good, but I must admit that it got me to keep an ear out...

 

Did I mention how nice it was to see Beholder and Night School? This must be how you and Doc feel all the time - you merciless rec machines, you!!

 

Those were again really tough - in retrospect I feel like it was a little bit self indulgent putting Squall on there, I have always liked Squall, but then FFVIII is new to my list in 2021 so I thought screw it why not. It was nearly Chinchilla Face,  I mean Peter Parker.

 

You could use Shadow of the Colossus as a swap in the Winter Challenge if you wanted - it's not a particularly lengthy platinum, and it's really good too. Unless you're Copanele and you want the horse to be turned into glue.

 

I hope you get to This War of Mine at some point soon - it's such a bloody good game, I'm so glad that Doc wrote about that in such a specific way, that I thought "Oh wow, that sounds like something I've never really played anything like before" and it's true. There really isn't anything else quite like This War of Mine.

 

Drakengard 3 is a real good one! It does have some performance issues on PS3. But it's a hell of a game. It's really funny too, it's meant to be a comedy, but an incredibly dark one, but that's not all it is obviously. 

 

I'm so glad you did recommend me Beholder and the Night School titles, I really loved all of them - Even Afterparty which I now sounded a bit less enthusiastic about, but I think that was more down to how much I preferred Oxenfree for whatever reason.

 

6 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

Thank you so much for the shout man! As Gonzo pointed out, you've become quite a key member of the community, and it's been an absolute pleasure to watch - you deserve every bit of recognition you get, man! And don't you forget - how you spoke of the people here that can put a smile on your face or ease the burden of a wretched day? You do the very same for each and every one of us, and I really would like for you to take a moment and think about that and feel good about yourself, because you've more than earned it!

 

As usual, all love homie!

 

Thank you so much dude - that really does mean a lot. I'll definitely give the feeling good about myself thing a go, but I've unfortunately still got some of that Jill from Valhalla thing going on so I always struggle with that a little - but that is so nice of you to say. I really appreciate that.

 

21 hours ago, yuber1234 said:

Eyyy a fellow FFIX and MGS fan! I didn't know you were reading my checklist; thanks for checking it out! I'm learning that a lot more people have been checking it out than I was aware of. I really should visit some of the other checklists on here more often, including yours.

Btw, you've convinced me to checkout Vall Halla (yes I know I spelled that wrong lol).

 

Happy New Year dude!

 

First off - Happy New Year to you too!

 

I do love me some Solid Metal Gears, and some FFIX that's for sure..... You know the weirdest part about the FFIX thing.... Is that whilst I'm a big Final Fantasy fan for some reason that I'm not even fully aware of, I only played Final Fantasy IX for the first time in 2021, and wow, that game blew me away in the best way possible.

 

Like I said - I might not have the dexterity for fighting games (I might, I've just never been that inclined to find out) I still thoroughly enjoy reading about people absolutely decimating them. Sometimes you and Copanele just batter them like they are the most helpless of fish.

 

You're always welcome here. No pressure to check mine out if you don't fancy it of course, it's fairly often that a lot of us drift onto talking about plenty of things that aren't just games. I think one whole page almost, is a few of us just discussing film and books.

 

I'd call it Vall Halla or Vallhalla, too to be fair, heck when I reviewed it I deliberately just called it Valhalla because typing out it's actual title that many times was starting to make blood drip out of my ears

 

That's good to hear though - so long as you know it's more in line with a visual novel than anything else then you'll be fine. It's got actual gameplay of course, but it's very much a story over gameplay thing - but the story itself is really good, and it really drew me in.

 

Aren't you planning on jumping into Yakuza this year with the Ultra rare cleanup if I noticed correctly? You're in for an absolute treat that series - I'm planning to start Yakuza 3 myself actually once I've written this post.

 

18 hours ago, Copanele said:

Sir, this was truly what I expected from your end of year awards and I am so SO glad to be one of the people to convince you into writing this stuff  (and also the asshole responsible for throwing some unique games for you to review, such as Arcania, may Innos save us all ).

 

Very pleased to see Zero and Drakengard 3 receive such love. I haven't ACTUALLY played the game unfortunately but my god I watched all the good stuff about it. Maybe one day I will find the courage to throw all that money for the game+DLCs and attempt that FINAL boss. Yoko Taro, you are a bastard and I love you!

 

Happy new year, may we be blessed by more EuroRPGs, badass Yakoozers, crazy writeups.

 

Cheers dude!

 

Happy new year to you too.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed it..... You can have a free pass for the Arcania thing - I did say anyone can nominate anything that hasn't been reviewed and that still stands, so I've gotta stick by my decisions. I would have put off Arcania for ages otherwise ?

 

DO IT - Get yourself a copy of Drakengard 3 and that obscenely expensive DLC. I think you'd almost certainly have a good time with it.... That Final boss though - yikes screw that,it was as if Yoko Taro thought I was Decadus or something, that I'd like him denying me the pleasure of that sweet sweet platinum,until I finally got it. 

 

Makes me even more excited for that fateful day I allow myself to start NieR: Replicant, the rare time I decide to specifically pick out a milestone and I kind of wish I was even closer than I already am, but hey, only seven more to go, that's like a Yakuza game - two Supergiant games, so that's three awesome ones already. I've talked myself around the wait doesn't seem so bad now. ?

 

16 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Awesome awards ceremony my friend - well worth pulling the semi-clean Kilt outfit back out the closet - even if I did need to find the extender belts to accommodate the festive food consumption 

 

I'm not going to sit and comment on ever category like some kind of unstoppable chatterbox, but a few I just have to!

 

Thanks man! I appreciate that, it was a hell of a lot of fun to write.... I had a few more gags thrown in there, but they got left on the cutting room floor like some of the other categories.... But like I said to Smevz maybe I'll throw some out as a jokey little "Deleted Scene" or something silly like that.

 

Don't worry I think I might need to purchase the odd pair of Jeans a waist size bigger myself - Not the best idea as I've gotta get some suit measurements fairly soon for one of my best friends wedding - so I'd like to at least be able to fit through the door first if that's at all possible, but unfortunately biscuits and various other bits and bobs have been my downfall SADFATFACE ?

 

I wouldn't expect you to comment on all of them either - I couldn't bring myself to do that in yours either, however I much I wanted to (and I did,) I didn't want the ends of my fingers to look like bleeding nubs by the end of the post, so as tempting as it was, I had to be sensible like you and cherry pick.

 

16 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Man... I've already got Valhalla on my backlog list, but this (and a few others is really making me feel like Drakenguard 3 should really be on there too... goddammit! 

 

Is Drakenguard 3 the one that Nier is a sequel to one of the offshoot endings? I know there's some odd lineage somewhere in that series... and maybe this needs to be done before Nier Replicant...

 

It's a bit of a weird one - the whole timeline i a bit all over the place - and you'd probably need a spider diagram to really show how everything all kind of links together. The one thing you don't need is Drakengard 2, as that's not even considered canon by Yoko Taro.

 

To answer your question a little more specifically though - Drakengard 1 is the one that has the offshoot/joke ending that NieR is the sequel too.

 

Drakengard 3 is actually without going into spoilers specifically - a prequel to Drakengard 1, and NieR too I guess, but also sets a few things up in NieR: Automata that aren't explicit or necessary, but they do enrich the story if you know about them.

 

I don't think you need to play Drakengard 3 first before NieR Replicant though - it'll just be a nice bit of lore flavouring if you did. That's one of the things I very much appreciate about that whole series, is that they're actually very accessible to people that haven't played all of them, yet if you have there are certain small details you notice about them that really enhance repeat playthroughs you go back to, and think "Ohhh that's a cool little reference to that, it was there the whole time"

 

I hope you like Valhalla I really do - it's got some incredibly unique charm to it - and none of the grimy feeling that you can get from VN's on occasion, I know that is something you suffer with a bit too, from a post you put in Popnhearts thread. So as everything is pixel art yo wouldn't have to worry at all.

 

16 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Man - this one makes me sad - but for reasons that have nothing to do with the game itself!

 

I liked The Wolf Among Us, but let me tell you - as a big Fables fan (the comic it's based on) - Beast is the character who got done dirty by that game!

 

In the comics, he is a bit of a foil for Bigby early on, but is generally one of the most likeable characters in the series!

 

I'm pleased you said that - because I really didn't like him in the game, obviously...... I think half the problem is that you see him fairly fleetingly, and all the times you do interact with him, he's either being a complete cock to you,or Beauty, so I just took an instant dislike to him.

 

That reminds me, I should get to writing that Wolf Among Us review... I'll do that tomorrow though.

 

I'm glad Gonzo asked and you'd already answered about the comics, because I was going to ask you the same thing. Now I don't have to, because after playing the game I very much wanted more out of that universe - I thought it was so damn cool how they subverted some of the preconceived ideas that you have about fairytale characters.....

 

So even if it's many many pennies - it might be worth handing a bag over for some Fables.

 

Sad to hear that they did Beast dirty in the game. That's one of my pet peeves in a book to another media form adaptation where there's a character that you really like that just either gets completely misinterpreted, or so wrong they are barely even recognisable as that character. 

 

16 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Haha - @Copanele has to take the award now for being "Most Mentioned in an Awards Category - 2021" 

M'Dude - we all have our popular games we don't like, but for some reason, your Shadow of the Colossus stance is becoming mythologised at an alarming rate! 

 

 

I think it's funny how Copanele seems to hate the horse the most - arguably the nicest character in the whole game ...... She's a little dumb at times - and I can't tell you the amount of times I've ran so far head and just run along whistling like a prat, only to turn around and see her trotting along at a snails pace, but I wouldn't like her to become glue. ?

 

16 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

This is a really interesting list - and I can't disagree on any of it!

 

Great idea having a "Best Graphics" and a "Best Art Design" award - I think by having both mixed together into a "Best Looking", I tied myself in a knot, and it meant not really awarding games like This War of Mine - ones where the graphics are nothing to write home about, but they just ooze style from every (in this case, dirty and sad) pore!

 

Absolutely, yep, That was kind of my dilemma - I did originally just have best visuals too, and then I thought about it a bit, and thought realistically I couldn't really put certain games as high up compared to other things, ones that I desperately thought deserved to be on a list of best of 2021. Same reason I created an award for Quina  so had to go tweaking. That had some real stiff competition in it too the best art design one - hence why I kind of bent the rules with Oxenfree and Afterparty.

 

16 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Can't deny a damned thing here - that Spiderman game is just gorgeous!

 

It is.......

 

 

 

Pencil Troll McGee here though..... Not so much

 

16 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Happy New Year to you bud, and here's to more great RJ Reviews next year!

 

 

Happy New Year to you too man - I'll do my best - in the same breath, here's to more great science reviews from you too.

 

I might just put in a request at some point too, as it feels like something I really should have done by now - you'll pretty surprised what it is too, and I doubt anyone else will be rushing to put one in for that game.... But I won't spill the beans on what it is just yet though ?

 

15 hours ago, Arcesius said:

Damn, FFIX and Drakengard 3 wiping the table here! 

 

I just finished reading the awards, very nice! I like the variety in the games, there was plenty to choose from, too! Of course, as you already mentioned a while back, I am super happy to see FFIX make the cut for so many categories... That game is special to me as we have discussed, and it's always nice to see that the game also resonates with other people on a similar level than it does with me  

 

Thanks for the mention, too... It's still weird to me that my own checklist can be any kind of inspiration for someone to start their own, but I'm of course always more than happy to read that that's indeed the case!  

 

They sure did - that's not really knock on all the other awesome games I played this year, just how much I specifically loved those particular ones - I think we all get that from time to time, where one thing really speaks to us more than we expect it to in a whole years worth of gaming. A bit like Vermintide 2 seems to have done for your own good self.

 

Heck I even had to invent a category just so Quina could win something - They don't technically fit in either male or female category, but I damn sure wasn't leaving a character that I enjoyed as much as Quina out of proceedings.

 

I always have enjoyed the fact that your checklist and a few others always lead to interesting game discussions, and I always found the idea of that really appealing..... So yes, big inspiration, took me a while not to just be looking at yours from a distance dressed as a tree hoping nobody would notice, but I got there in the end.

 

15 hours ago, Arcesius said:

Yes, this is definitely one of the hardest things for me to come to terms with as well. I remember bitching to Ms. Arc whenever I would study our weekly schedule about having too many things going on, constantly meeting up for beers with someone, going for dinner with another befriended couple, concerts, etc... No time to sit down and chill. 

 

Two years later... I'm really missing those days. Sure, some kind of normality has returned, but not to the extent we all wish for. And hanging out here in the checklist subforums, playing online games with people I've met through this very page... was definitely something that helped in dealing with having to sacrifice so much, socially speaking. 

 

We're all here because - to some extent - we have something in common. And this subforum is the perfect place to talk about those interests without experiencing any hostility. It really feels great checking wha's going on with everyone involved, and I appreciate that a lot as well  

 

 

Alright, happy new year to you too! I'm off to post my own awards... There must be one person that is way too late, right? 

 

That's the really sad and ironic thing - you are absolutely not alone in those feelings. There are so many times before the last two years where I'd deliberately swerve going out, just so I could chill out a bit.... Little did I know that two years later I'd be terribly missing those interactions.

 

That's absolutely the upside though - the fact that we do all still get to interact in some way. So there's positives to be found everywhere. We just have to dig around a bit to find them sometimes..... And now I sound like a damn fortune cookie

 

This subforum is a nice place to be that's for sure. I agree As I mentioned in Doc's thread a couple of days back, I deliberately don't venture outside of here all that often, because I'm just a little too worried I'd get dragged into a load of drama or something like that. I absolutely hate conflict, so I would just not deal with it very well, but when I see people arguing about things that seem so petty and pointless to fight about to me, I just kind of get dissuaded.

 

 

14 hours ago, Shrooba said:

Brilliant 2021 post @rjkclarke!

Good to see Vivi from FF9 take the win!!! He's got a very recognizable character design; from the droopy pants that allude to a shy, almost hesitant nature, juxtaposed by the obscured face with nothing but his eyes shining through. I'm not sure if I've already mentioned this, but typically characters with hidden faces usually hints to a more troubled nature, like Meta Knight from Kirby for instance; their eyes are extremely similar. But like Meta Knight, he's actually a good character despite the way he looks, and I believe that's the same for Vivi! In the case of Vivi, whilst I haven't played the game yet, it's a great blend in the character design that makes for something quite "stand-out" if that makes sense. I think the silhouette of a character alongside their design is one of the most important parts to a character, alongside how they're written. Both things go hand in hand, and Vivi's got quite an iconic design.

 

Thanks Shrooba

 

That definitely does apply to Vivi I agree - troubled is one word for it - and I'll leave it at that to avoid spoilers in case you ever play Final Fantasy IX - but there's a great game there waiting for you if you do.

 

It's funny you mention the Silhouette thing, I can't remember in exactly what context a few of us were talking about that in this thread not that long ago - I know I brought something to do with Matt Groening saying the thing he said about memorable characters needing to be recognisable in silhouette..... Actually I went and checked out of curiosity it was something I mentioned in my Yesterday Origins review..... but, yes. I think you're absolutely right, I think it's really important how they look via silhouette. You could absolutely recognise Vivi in a silhouette even in amongst some other silhouettes of the other black mages from Final Fantasy IX he looks so subtly different, that you still could tell.So hats off (pun maybe intended ?) to them on that one. 

 

 

14 hours ago, Shrooba said:

When you mention the lockdowns and the consequences to real-life social encounters, it really does hit home how much the world has changed in just 2 years. I think these forums are a great way to connect with people with similar passions and hobbies alike, and getting to read all of your inspired posts have definitely made me more connected, and especially you, too! Trophy hunting is a rather niche thing in the grand scheme of video games, so finding a community that's based around it is fricking awesome! Here's to a great 2022!

 

Appreciate that man

 

+1 to all of this

 

I would elaborate but in this case I feel like you've pretty much said a lot of what was worth saying there.

 

11 hours ago, GonzoWARgasm said:

Thanks Rob. I seem to be throwing a lot of love around this forum over the last week or so (like a drunk amongst friends: "I love you maaan. No, for real. No no no no FOR REAL. I LOVE YOU MAAAAAN"), but I mean it: this whole side of this forum is pretty based, and you're a key part of that mate. I look forward to being here for more of your insights in 2022.

 

Cheers mate - I really do appreciate that..... Don't worry about sounding like a drunk amongst friends.... I think we've all probably had a little bit of the old stumble around telling everyone we love them thing going on the last couple of days..... It's not a bad thing, one more can't hurt.

 

You're a big part of what makes it special too - I'm very much looking forward to more giant Gonzo series reviews...... Those are always awesome! Hopefully I'll remember to quote a little smarter next time though so I don't mess up your ability to edit your posts. There are plenty of series you've done that I'm looking forward to, but damn am I hungry for whenever you tackle the Witcher series, The Witcher 3 is my favourite game of the PS4 generation. It'll be especially cool as you've got that sweet Gwent platinum I wish I had - and you wrote the guide too which is doubly awesome..... Actually whilst I've got your attention with this reply, do you reckon Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales is worth bumping up my backlog? Or should I just let it happen, when it happens. I already own it, just not played it yet.

 

10 hours ago, PlutoRico said:

Appreciate the love my friend, will try to cook something interesting 

 

Thanks Pluto - Already off to a pretty cracking start with that damn awesome Laser League review.

 

 

5 hours ago, Briste said:

Thank you for the mention my friend! Amazing write up as usual! I wish I had your stamina for these reviews lol. They are always so thoughtful and you really do an excellent job conveying exactly what a game meant for you. Having seen how high Drakengard 3 rated for you, I'll need to add that to my backlog. It's a testament to the story of FFIX that it was able to be your best game of the year despite that bs Jump Rope trophy. I know that experience ruined the game for a lot of people. Keep up the great work!

 

Thanks so much man!

 

Sometimes I do have to really sit down and think about these - and really plumb my memory banks to try and remember everything - but sometimes it's worth it in the end I think, I'm glad I'm able to share it with all of you that's for sure. I'd better hurry up on reviewing some of my much older games though, as time is only getting further and further away from them, at this rate I'll be doing tenth anniversary posts left and right like the one I did with the PS3 version of NieR ..

 

Drakengard 3 is great - it just has some fairly big performance issues - but if you can get past those, and not worry about them too much there's certainly an incredibly good time to be had with it that's for sure.

 

That is so true about FFIX - I couldn't agree more. Good point about that trophy in Final Fantasy IX..... Two categories I did away with was best and worst trophies, so the jump rope trophy appeared on one of them, I think doing it first was a blessing as it meant that once that was out of the way all I had left was the rest of the awesome game and story,so that was all that I could focus my attention on. In a way I kind of enjoyed the trials and tribulations that came with the jump rope trophy. The trophy I hated the most was the Bloodlust one for killing 10,000 enemies that one was just so damn mind numbing.

 

 

Thank you for the feedback everyone! All of your responses mean a lot, thank you all very much.

Edited January 2, 2022 by rjkclarke

[Yuber6969]

1 hour ago, rjkclarke said:

First off - Happy New Year to you too!

 

I do love me some Solid Metal Gears, and some FFIX that's for sure..... You know the weirdest part about the FFIX thing.... Is that whilst I'm a big Final Fantasy fan for some reason that I'm not even fully aware of, I only played Final Fantasy IX for the first time in 2021, and wow, that game blew me in the best way possible.

 

Like I said - I might not have the dexterity for fighting games (I might, I've just never been that inclined to find out) I still thoroughly reading about people absolutely decimating them. Sometimes you and Copanele just batter them like they are the most helpless of fish.

 

You're always welcome here. No pressure to check mine out if you don't fancy it of course, it's fairly often that a lot of us drift onto talking about plenty of things that aren't just games. I think one whole page almost, is a few of us just discussing film and books.

 

I'd call it Vall Halla or Vallhalla, too to be fair, heck when I reviewed it I deliberately just called it Valhalla because typing out it's actual title that many times was starting to make blood drip out of my ears

 

That's good to hear though - so long as you know it's more in line with a visual novel than anything else then you'll be fine. It's got actual gameplay of course, but it's very much a story over gameplay thing - but the story itself is really good, and it really drew me in.

 

Aren't you planning on jumping into Yakuza this year with the Ultra rare cleanup if I noticed correctly? You're in for an absolute treat that series - I'm planning to start Yakuza 3 myself actually once I've written this post.

 

Glad you liked FFIX. A lot of my friends that are FF fans didn't like IX for some reason. That's nice of you to say about me and fighting games, but I truly struggled with some of those games.  

 

I like VNs (at least the few that I played), so I'm sure the lack of gameplay in Vallhalla won't be an issue. And yeah, I definitely plan to play Yakuza 0 this year. I might not have time for more than one Yakuza game this year since they're so long, but I 100% will playing at least that one.

[YaManSmevz]

4 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

 

 

What's that, Troll Aunt May? You want to... no! We can't here... this is rjkclarke's checklist! Oh no, we.. no... Troll Aunt May... oh YES, OH YESSSSS???

 

4 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

You've still got all of IX to look forward to, so that might well pick up some awards at your 2022 ceremony, and I have a sneaking suspicion so might Yakuza 0.

 

+1 for Lady Ashbury too - I very much had a fairly all over the place experience with Vampyr but damn she was memorable, and in the best possible way too.

 

As do I!

 

Yeah, she was by far the most fleshed out character in Vampyr. What an interestingly good but not that good kinda bad but solidly decent game!

 

4 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

Those were again really tough - in retrospect I feel like it was a little bit self indulgent putting Squall on there, I have always liked Squall, but then FFVIII is new to my list in 2021 so I thought screw it why not. It was nearly Chinchilla Face,  I mean Peter Parker.

 

I'm pretty sure PSN has a no-chinchilla policy with awards anyway, so you made the right call. Also of course it counts if it's new to your profile! Of course, I gave CJ a nod in mine so even if I didn't have your back by default anyway, I'd still have to have to in this particular case regardless!

 

4 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

You could use Shadow of the Colossus as a swap in the Winter Challenge if you wanted - it's not a particularly lengthy platinum, and it's really good too. Unless you're Copanele and you want the horse to be turned into glue.

 

I hope you get to This War of Mine at some point soon - it's such a bloody good game, I'm so glad that Doc wrote about that in such a specific way, that I thought "Oh wow, that sounds like something I've never really played anything like before" and it's true. There really isn't anything else quite like This War of Mine.

 

Well there's two potential swapping games! I'm definitely gonna have to use at least one, with two months left I'm realizing just how much bigger than my stomach my eyes were!

 

4 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

Thank you so much dude - that really does mean a lot. I'll definitely give the feeling good about myself thing a go, but I've unfortunately still got some of that Jill from Valhalla thing going on so I always struggle with that a little - but that is so nice of you to say. I really appreciate that.

 

It's important to try, even if for just a moment. I know the struggle with assigning value to yourself all too well, trust - I'm so horrible at letting myself acknowledge that kind of shit. I always have to remind myself that I don't think anybody deserves to feel low about themselves before I can apply it to myself!

 

Anyway. You good people man, and you deserve the reminders.

 

....and I need to play Valhalla?