DrBloodmoney's Super Scientific Ranking of Games!

[Copanele]

8 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

AWARDS SEASON UPDATE

 

Due to my lack of consideration for my own availability over the holiday period, (yes, contrary to general opinion, I do, on occasion, leave the house!)

Truly a shocking scientific discovery, you getting out of the lab  

 

Preparing the Irish Coffee (while removing the coffee) in anticipation for the Scientific awards  Calendar be damned!

[DrBloodmoney]

3 minutes ago, Copanele said:

Truly a shocking scientific discovery, you getting out of the lab  

 

Preparing the Irish Coffee (while removing the coffee) in anticipation for the Scientific awards  Calendar be damned!

 

haha, well, being that I'm in recovery, it's an "Irish coffee (removing the Irish)", I'm afraid! ?

[DrBloodmoney]

AWARDS SEASON UPDATE 2: THIS TIME IT'S PERSONAL

 

 

A further update on the Awards - I'm pulling together the winners and losers - excitement heating up! - and was getting a little bogged down with too many negative categories, and not enough to really recognise great game strengths!

 

As such, I have sneakily gone back to the original announcement post , and added 4 more categories, through which we can do what this thread is supposed to be about - Celebrating good games, not just scolding the bad ones!

 

As such, the following 4 categories have been added:

 

Brain Candy Award

For Best Writing / Narrative

 

Eye Candy Award

For Best Looking Game

 

Ear Candy Award

For Best Sounding Game

 

Oddball Award

For Most Unusual, Strange or Interesting Game

 

 

 

Hopefully that's the last changes before I post the Awards on the 20th! ?

Edited December 14, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Platinum_Vice]

Doc, I am so moist for these awards that I need not just one, but TWO towels ?

[DrBloodmoney]

On 14/12/2021 at 0:12 PM, GonzoWARgasm said:

Doc, I am so moist for these awards that I need not just one, but TWO towels 

 

Well, you can retire those towels my friend - Due to potential scheduling issues on Monday - and me being pretty convinced now that no more games will be completed before the deadline - 

I don't see any reason not to put the Awards up later today...

 

 

Edited December 17, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Platinum_Vice]

 

[DrBloodmoney]

 

⚛️⚛️SCIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENCE!⚛️⚛️

 

Welcome, my Scientific Chums, to the inaugural Super Scientific Game Awards for 2021!

 

If you will please check your lab coats at the front desk, don your Tuxedos/Kilts/Ball-gowns, grab a drink at the bar, and find your assigned seating!

All comfortable?
Drinks in hand?
Fans and cooling water at the ready incase of hot-takes / burns?
Outraged-response-typing-fingers at the ready?

Then let us begin!

 

 

 

Preamble

 

With the Super-Scientific Games Calendar for 2021 running from December 21st of 2020, to December 20th 2021, (and no more entries likely before that deadline,) that means:

 

There were 64 trophy lists I earned at least a single trophy from during the 2021 period, of which, 60 were S-Ranked!

(One game - Superliminal - has had recent DLC, but is still eligible as it was S-Ranked long enough to earn a Scientific Ranking, and the DLC is currently unachievable.)

 

Of these 60, I have weeded out the ineligible few, to form an eligible pool of 53 games in contention for these illustrious 2021 Awards!

 

 

As such, I invite you to gaze in wonderment upon...

 

 

 

 

 

The 11 games that were played, but are considered ineligible, were for the following reasons:

 

4 games - Curse of the Dead Gods, Pang Adventure, Tetris Effect and Psychonauts 2 remain incomplete, and will qualify in the year they are S-Ranked (how's that for hubris, eh?)

 

1 list - Mass Effect: Legendary Edition - is an umbrella list rather than a game in its own right.

 

2 games - Hitman 3 and Little Nightmares II - were PS5 re-pops or replays of games already eligible this year.

 

4 games - Batman Arkham Asylum Remaster, Assassin's Creed III Remaster, Mass Effect 2 LE and Mass Effect 3 LE - are considered ineligible, as they were simply polished new versions of games I had S-Ranked in previous years. 

 

SUPER SCIENTIFIC NOTE: Mass Effect LE, I did not have the original S-Rank for, having played it before on PC, and so it is eligible for these awards.

 

SUPER-DUPER SCIENTIFIC NOTE: The Demon's Souls remake and the Shadow of the Colossus Remake also qualify independently as they are both full, from the ground remakes, rather than remasters.

As such, I direct your attention in the direction of:

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Um, yes, that's some nice masturbatory revelling there Doc... but... we were told there would be awards?"

And you shall have them!

Thank you for your patience... (all three of you who read this pre-amble!)  

That's quite enough foreplay, we came here for Awards, and Awards is what we have!
Without further ado, let's begin with a bang:

 

 

 

 

An easy, statistical one to start with (But the biggest in grandeur, of course!) - this award is based on placement on the current rankings - essentially the top 4 games on the list, in order, if only this years played games are considered.
There is, after all, a reason these games ranked so highly - and here, we celebrate it!

 

WINNER: Hitman 3
(Reviewed in BATCH 25)

Well, duh!

You know the name. You know the number. 

You know the multiple methods of annihilation, the pitch perfect mix of sweaty, adrenaline-filled stealth, ridiculous, dead-pan humour and insanely complex and emergent gameplay that turns each level simultaneously into a work of art, a rats-maze of possibilities and a near-infinitely replayable game in and of itself.

 

Combining all the best of two previous games, as well as upping the ante like never before, (and featuring, in Berlin, probably the greatest Hitman level ever crafted,) the best User-Generated content creator a console has ever seen and the sultry, domineering vocal stylings of Jane Perry as the effervescent Diana Burnwood, there can be no other winner here.

The best game of 2021 is also, currently the best game on the Scientific Ranking, period... and with good reason! It's going to take some beating if it is ever to be dethroned.

 

Long live the bald, barcoded King!

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Invisible Inc.
(Reviewed in BATCH 17)
 

The only game on the list to give Hitman 3 a run for it's money in terms of variable play-style and emergent gameplay, Invisible Inc manages to achieve with it's smaller scope and distinct art-style, a playability and longevity that most AAA games can only dream of.

 

Designed to within an inch of it's life and managing the near-impossible - keeping the player one step from failure but still feeling rad-as-fuck and cool-as-a-coldcumber all the while, Klei's masterpiece is both the second best game S-Ranked this year, and the second highest placed game on the Scientific Rankings so far!

 

A work of genius!

 

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Shadow of the Colossus Remake
(Reviewed in BATCH 10)
 

Taking a game that came out long before the tech was able to deal with it -and that had already had a 'soft' remaster - and doing a full-blown remake, Bluepoint finally realise the vision that Team Ico had all those years ago. 

 

An acquired taste, certainly, but for someone like myself who always knew the unique tone and pacing of Shadow of the Colossus was something special, finally seeing it realise it's potential, and shine bright, without having to squint to see the majesty is something truly wonderful. 

 

The 3RD best game S-Ranked in 2021 is also the current 18th best game of all time on the Scientific Ranking, and deservedly so!

... take THAT, @Copanele!

 

 

3RD RUNNER UP: Demon's Souls Remake
(Reviewed in BATCH 20)
 

Bluepoint get their second entry in this award with their blisteringly modernised, yet entirely faithful remake of the PS3 classic. Doing what great Remakes do - keeping everything that is sacred about the beloved game, yet fixing all flaws, sanding all rough edges and honing all the best parts, it completely obliterates the original game, making this THE version to play from this point!

 

An absolute masterclass in how to remake a classic, and a belter of a game - the 4th best game S-Ranked in 2021 is the current 27th best game on the Scientific Rankings!

 

Umbasa!

 

 

 

Another statistical one - this award based on placement on the current rankings - essentially the bottom 4 games on the list, in order, if only this years played games are considered.

Not all these games are without merit, redemption or some good aspects, of course... I try not to play games that are true stinkers!
These are the lowest ranked, but - it should be noted - not necessarily all garbage fires. Some didn't quite measure up to their potential, some made some mistakes, and all just didn't measure up to the rest of the games I played this year!

 

SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC NOTE: There are a few games I haven't yet ranked, and so they are saved from this award. Perhaps a little unfair, however, they also missed out on the "Best" Category. Really though, of those few games, the only one potentially likely to rank low enough to be a contender would be Abertay University's Software Development Student VR project: You Are Being Followed. 
That game is, granted, likely to rank low due to the limited nature of that product, however, I wouldn't feel particularly comfortable about it making this list anyway. As a free demonstration of student work, I don't really feel like it is in the spirit of these awards to compare it to full blown, paid-for products. As such, even if it had been ranked, and technically fell in this category, I would likely have removed it with a caveat anyways!

 

 

WINNER: Lost At Sea
(Reviewed in BATCH 29)
 

A sad reminder that some developers out there will use more than just price point or trophies to try and sell a substandard product - some will use clever marketing and manipulation to appeal to people looking for good, emotional little indies, latch onto that concept like a stinky limpet, and try to pass off poor design and shoddy work as acceptable, simply by approximating the kind of heart that cannot be faked.

 

A joyless, janky romp through a plastic approximation of emotion, with generic assets and a plot so dull it could make a toddler with ADHD sit still.

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: The Bradwell Conspiracy
(Reviewed in BATCH 13)
 

A decent concept let down by shaky puzzling, flat writing, and very uneven vocal performances. A decent aesthetic is let down considerably when humans are shown rather than just environments, and the story just peters out a little. Not good enough to recommend, but I remain hopeful for what the dev (A Brave Plan) does next!

 

Better luck next time, guys - I still have faith!

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Raji: An Ancient Epic
(Reviewed in BATCH 27)
 

A good vocal performance, interesting setting and lore and some lovely visuals are all well and good, but the mechanics and the glacial pace of combat, the rough hit-boxing, and the very uneven contextual controls and movement let this one down.

 

Not a terrible little indie - this one hurts a little, as the good aspects are genuinely good, so seeing them drown in a stew of control issues and technical problems is a little dismaying.

Still interested in the developer's next move though!

 

3RD RUNNER UP: Jedi: Fallen Order
(Reviewed in BATCH 25)
 

Respawn... oh Respawn... what the hell happened?

 

A massive whiff from a powerhouse developer working in a storied lore, this Souls-lite takes everything bad and nothing good from the games that influenced it, adds an uneven and flat story, extreme technical audio-synch issues, an obsession with linear levels and surfing mechanics, throws in some boring combat... then adds some of the most mind-numbing and irritating collectible trophies I've ever seen. 

 

This one may only be the 4th worst this year, by virtue of having a certain level of baseline quality afforded to big Triple-A releases, but that's really all graphics and spectacle. 

I expect better from Triple A, I expect better from Star Wars, and I certainly expect better from Respawn!

 

 

 

 

This Award is fairly self explanatory - the best game I played that is a new entry in a franchise I had played before. 

 

SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC NOTE: I consider that if an entry in a franchise is eligible for this award, it cannot also be eligible for the "Best New IP / Franchise" award. A franchise may have multiple entries, all of which I played for the first time this year, but for eligibility purposes, that makes it a New IP to me! (Sorry Little Nightmares II!)

 

 

WINNER: Hitman 3
(Reviewed in BATCH 25)
 

Could this award possibly go anywhere else?

 

Hitman 3 is not only one of the best games ever made, and genuinely builds on the mechanics of the previous two games masterfully, but it does things with sequelisation that are both user-friendly, forward thinking and, frankly, industry leading. 

 

Given the tumultuous time IO had, with the first game being a Square published entity, then the studio being sold, WB publishing the second, and IO self-publishing the third, it's amazing they were able to navigate the legal minefield required to combine all 3 games into one complete package, but by doing that work, they ended up with one of the most content-rich and marvellous game packages ever put together!

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Life is Strange: True Colours
(Reviewed in BATCH 25)
 

It's fascinating to think that a series that was created by DotNod, has 4 entries - all great... and yet arguably the two best are the two made not by the series creators, but by the "B-Team" alternate developer - Deck Nine. With Life is Strange: Before the Storm, Deck Nine showed they could run with DotNod's ball admirably, but that game, despite being fabulous, was playing as a smaller scale, using exiting characters, an existing narrative, and a shorter 3-episode arc.

With Life is Strange: True Colours, however, Deck Nine really got a chance to shows their... true colours!

A full new town, complete set of new characters, (different powers and all,) they craft one of the most likeable protagonists in gaming this decade, a well structured arc, rounded setting and sense of place, a malleable compelling and often touching story, curate a great soundtrack and just make a hell of a good game. 
One of (if not the) best in the series so far - how many sequels can say that?

 

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time
(Reviewed in BATCH 29)
 

A game virtually everyone already knew was a great sequel for a decade... except me! Took me long enough, but I finally got around to this one this year, and ho-boy, this is Prime Ratchet!

 

Playing it after the lacklustre Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was a breath of fresh air - goofy storytelling, genuine laughs, clever level design... and in the time-rewinding Super-Time-Force-Ultra-style Clank puzzle sections, one of the best aspects of puzzle solving this series has ever seen!

 

For a PS3 game, it holds up remarkably well, and playing was a joy from start to finish - finally cementing a place for an R&C game above my previous franchise favourite Ratchet & Clank:2 : Going Commando!

 

 

3RD RUNNER UP: Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin
(Not Yet Reviewed)

 

With the release of Psychonauts 2, I decided to go back and play the original game first to refresh my addled, old-man-memory, and pick up what I thought would be a tangential little VR side-story of little narrative importance. 

Well, it turns out Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is not a little side-story, but in fact a completely canonical and important middle chapter in the Psychonauts narrative, bridging the gap between Psychonauts and Psychonauts 2, with mandatory story hooks in both games!

 

Taking the basic powers of Psychonauts, and applying them to a much more point-n-click Adventure games style within a VR world, Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin serves as both a great first glimpse of that amazing visual style with post-PS2 era graphical fidelity, and a great introduction to VR for a reticent player like myself! Funny, silly, unencumbered by filler, great looking and making smart use of the VR elements, playing with scale, height, position and perception to great comedic effect, and - most importantly for this category - sticking to the important narrative and stylistic elements of the original game, while moving it forward technologically. 

 

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is no side story spin-off - this is required reading for any budding VR-equipped Psychonaut before diving into Psychonauts 2... good thing it's awesome!

 

 

 

 

 

Eagle-eyed Science Chums might notice, I have actually changed this one a touch since the Award Announcements - Originally it was simply "Best New (to me) Franchise", however, that felt a little odd, since I didn't want to make it only about games that had, (or were,) sequels.
However, I also don't want this one to simply be a list of great games either, since, well, that would make it just a version of the "Best Game" category, only discounting games in a series I had played an entry of before.

 

In the end, this one is a little sticky, but really, what I'm trying to award is the best entry in a series, or that I think has franchise potential - even if that game is the only one at the moment!

 

SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC NOTE: Games like Invisible Inc, Hades, or Returnal for example, I don't think fit here, as while that games are great, and new IP's, I don't see them as games that lend themselves to (or need) a sequels. (Nor would Psychonauts, as while it seems new based on my trophies, I had played the original game many times on PS2, and so that franchise is eligible for Best Sequel instead.) 
However, a game like, say, Concrete Genie would be eligible, as it is an original IP that I think could support a sequel of some kind very easily, and have room for it mechanically... even if the narrative doesn't set that up explicitly. 
Again though, this isn't necessarily about a game being the highest ranked, even within those parameters, there is also an element of how much the possibility of either future sequels, or sampling further entires in their existing series excites me!

 

WINNER: Little Nightmares
(Reviewed in BATCH 13)
 

I played both Little Nightmares games in 2021 (in fact, I played Little Nightmares II twice!) and that is pretty much entirely as a result of the impact with which that first game hit me.

Heavy influence from the likes of Limbo and Inside may have been the jumping off point for Little Nightmares, but the game manages to have a perfect tone of it's own - one revelling in that creepy feeling that lay in the dark corners when you were a child, and taps into the kind of macabre thoughts that would keep your young self awake at night when in unfamiliar surroundings. 

 

The design is wonderful, the miniature diorama world is unique and deceptively intricate and well rendered (and lit), and the puzzles are interesting and fun without ever being a blocker to the pace and tone of the game.

 

A great new franchise for me - and one that keeps up the high quality with it's sequel!

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Deathloop
(Reviewed in BATCH 26)
 

A brand new IP, Deathloop's story doesn't necessarily leave the narrative in a place where a sequel is inevitable, but it could certainly support one in a number of ways given the time-bending elements, and the mechanics are evergreen. I can say that I would be shoving my money into Arkane's pocket if it did! 

 

Arkane make amazing games, and Deathloop is no different - the smart modifications made to the Immersive Sim formula in order to make it more universally approachable almost all hit, and for the most part hit big. 

A great looking, feeling, sounding and playing game, full of ideas, great characters, unique locations and compelling writing. 

The whole package - more please!

 

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Tales of Arise
(Reviewed in BATCH 28)
 

I may have been a little cold on the back-half of Tales of Arise, but that's not to say it ever dipped close to bad - the only problem with the second half of the game, really, is by comparison to the strength of the first half!

 

Tales is a series I always viewed from the outside with undue scepticism, owing to my early allegiance to the Final Fantasy franchise. I saw Final Fantasy as my "premier" JRPG series (and still do,) however, Tales of Arise really showed me how refreshing a different slant on the genre can be - one that is balls-to-the-wall chaotic, silly, fun, simultaneously self-serious yet knowing, and a treat to look at too!

 

This was my first foray into the Tales franchise, but I doubt it will be my last, and that alone makes it worthy of a "Best New (to me) Franchise" Award!

 

 

3RD RUNNER UP: Operation Tango
(Reviewed in BATCH 24)
 

Co-op only games exist in a vastly underserved market, and that probably accounts for the inexplicable popularity and critical acclaim of deeply troubling and charmless potato-of-a-game It Takes Two.
...but the saddest part of that is that the real best co-op only game this year was overshadowed... Operation Tango!

 

A super smart, fun-times sleuthing game, in which two players work together as Agent and Hacker to save the world, the game is intensely fun, clever, looks great, and is constantly varying its co-op elements in a way that never gets boring... and leaves It Takes Two in the dust!

 

As a new IP, I'm not sure if the best avenue for more Operation Tango is via continual DLC, or a full sequel - but either way, from this point on, me and my friend will be purchasing anything with the Operation Tango name attached, sight unseen!

 

 

 

 

 

This is the award for good writing and narrative - games with outstanding stories, great dialogue, or - ideally - both!

 

SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC NOTE: The main "Best Game" category tends to favour the whole package, with 'gameplay' being the biggest factor, but some games which don't rank in the top spots there, still have great writing for your brain to chew on, and so this is where we celebrate those!

 

 

WINNER: Mass Effect
(Reviewed in BATCH 13)
 

It may be damn near 15 years old, and time may have dulled some graphical and mechanical aspects of the original Mass Effect, but it does noting to diminish the writing, world building, dialogue or the narrative.

 

Both setting up the grand galactic Opera of the trilogy, and featuring a stonking good story in and of itself, Mass Effect's writing is still so blisteringly good that nothing else I played this year can beat it to the top spot!

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Hades
(Reviewed in BATCH 24)
 

Hades isn't the strongest rogue-like I've ever played on a mechanical front, (though it is no slouch in that regard,) but it does something no other rogue-like does... it encourages it's replay cycle through more than just challenge and variability, it does it via narrative and dialogue!

 

A well realised and fun interpretation of Greek mythos, combined with incredibly well written dialogue interspersed throughout the long game, means even if no mechanical rewards are achieved in a run, there is always something new to hear from the characters. 

The sheer volume of writing is astounding (if I had an award for "Most Writing" Hades would win in a landslide!), but what is more astounding is that all of that dialogue remains interesting and pitch-perfect for each individual character throughout. Not a single clunky or tin-eared line is to be heard throughout - that is something few games can boast, let alone games this long or verbose!

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Afterparty
(Reviewed in BATCH 30)
 

Afterparty manages to combine a number of tricky factors - each one of which is a minefield and potential ruiner of games in messer hands. Humour, sarcasm, genuine emotion and (deliberate) tonal shifts, it hits the mark on all of them, and manages to pull off a narrative that is flexible, genuinely original, funny, smart as a whip, and addresses some actual honest-to-God issues without ever feeling pandering or preachy.

 

The back and forth between Milo and Lola, or the dialogue with Sam, Wormhorn or Satan himself is character-specific and sharp, and allows the player to really connect with the characters over what is a relatively short time with the game. That's no small feat - and contingent on the writing!

 

3RD RUNNER UP: Life is Strange: True Colours
(Reviewed in BATCH 25)
 

Deck Nine's first full-entry to the franchise features a wealth of great characters - none more so than protagonist Alex, who is incredibly likeable and empathetic, right from the very start... and that is all down to the writing. 

 

The overall narrative is pretty good, despite a little Deus Ex Machina towards the finale, however, where Deck Nine really shine is in conversational dialogue, which reaches, and even surpasses the original DotNod entries and makes the player really fall in love with Haven, and it's inhabitants. 

 

Despite the story being malleable, it never feels like a stitched-together narrative, and the love story between Alex and Steph feels natural, vibrant and compelling.

Well done Deck Nine - at this point, you are the primary guardians of the Life is Strange franchise, and it feels in safe hands! 

 

 

 

 

This is the award for a game looking great. That might be a technical achievement, graphics related, or a design aesthetic, or some combination of the two, but these games just look the business!

 

SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC NOTE: The main "Best Game" category tends to favour the whole package, with 'gameplay' being the biggest factor, but some games that don't rank in the top spots there, are still a feast for the eyes, and so this is where we celebrate those!

 

WINNER: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
(Reviewed in BATCH 19)
 

Say what you want about the gameplay aspects of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, (and I said plenty, both in my review, or, if you read on, in the "Most Disappointing" category...,) but there is no denying one thing about the game - it looks fucking gorgeous.

The bright, colourful palate of the Ratchet & Clank universe has never looked this good. From the environments, to the characters, to Ratchet's fuzzy fur or Clank's shiny metal ass, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the first game I've seen that renders the old "It looks like a Pixar Movie" trope moot. 
It looks BETTER than a Pixar movie.

 

Weapon effects, particle effects, the rift-aspects of looking from one environment dynamically into another - there isn't a thing in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart that doesn't look astounding.

While other games may have visual styles I think are more original or interesting (Ratchet-style designs have had a lot of games to stretch their legs,) in terms of raw, technical, graphical prowess, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is the showpiece game of choice for the PS5 at the moment - and for good reason.

 

Gorgeous!

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Returnal
(Reviewed in BATCH 23)
 

Returnal is a game where the narrative (while genuinely great) is minimalistic, spread across the game sparingly, and - given the challenging nature of the gameplay - seen only sporadically, as the player manages to traverse one of the tough-to-conquer worlds...
... so thank goodness those worlds looks so damned good in the mean time!

 

Returnal really lives and dies by the feeling of immersion and isolation on a hostile, unfamiliar world, and each of its six biomes is helped enormously in that regard by the design, and by the graphical fidelity. Jungle areas feel thick and moist and claustrophobic, sun-bleached deserts feel dry and scorching and menacing, underwater areas feel dark and ethereal and foreboding.

Enemy designs are great, their movement in the environments is eerie and fascinating, and - like all housemarque games - weapon and particle effects look rad as hell. There's a hard-sci-fi realism to the design of Selene's spaceship and suit, but that is crossed with a genuinely creepy, strange, Lynchian visual style to her memories and her house that offset that wonderfully - it's a cross-pollination of design styles that could easily feel incongruous, and yet Housemarque's overall aesthetic and graphical flourishes keep it feeling part of a unique whole, rather than a mash-up.

 

The game moves with an uncanny fluidity - at tremendous speed - and looks fucking awesome while doing it.
What more could one ask for?

 

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Hades
(Reviewed in BATCH 24)
 

Supergiant's art is always fabulous - uniquely Supergiant, yet distinct from game to game, and in Hades, we see some of the most lavish and beautiful character and environmental work the developer has done so far. Every character still could be individually framed and hung on a wall, yet they work together to build a lore and world that is distinct, beautiful and awesome. 

On PS5, this is the first Supergiant game to showcase their art in 4K, and it is the better for it. In motion, the actual rogue-like battles look impactful, bright, colourful and move with breathtaking smoothness. 

 

A beautiful, hand-drawn feast for the eyes - and the Gods!

 

 

3RD RUNNER UP: The Touryst
(Reviewed in BATCH 30)
 

The Touryst is a small game from a small team in a small dev-house, but don't let that fool you into thinking the game looks anything less than fantastic!

Borrowing a version of the brilliant visual style of FROM Software's PS3 classic 3D Dot Game Heroes, but modernising it to take advantage of 2021 resolutions, technical prowess and lighting effects, the unique "Polygon-Pixels" block-built aesthetic has never looked, moved or felt this beautiful before.

 

Each of the small islands is distinct and lovely to see, every character is whimsical and cheery, particle effects and non-blocky flourishes complement the aesthetic perfectly, and the entire game is made a joy to simply roam around in - primarily due to the visuals. 

 

The Touryst is a short game, happy to hold your attention for the ten or so hours it takes to complete it and no more, and I think part of the reason for that is it knows you will be remembering it fondly for a long time afterwards - primarily due to the visuals!

 

 

 

 

 

This is the award for a game sounding great. That might be due to great music, or great voice work, or excellent foley work, or some combination, but these games just look the business!

 

SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC NOTE: The main "Best Game" category tends to favour the whole package, with 'gameplay' being the biggest factor, but some games which don't rank in the top spots there, are still a majestic symphony for the ears, and so this is where we celebrate those!

 

WINNER: Hades
(Reviewed in BATCH 24)
 

Another big win for Supergiant's great take on the Rogue-like genre, and well deserved. Darren Korb provides another sterling soundtrack here, marking his fourth masterful score for a Supergiant game, and smashing into my Darren Korb Spotify playlist before I had even played the game!

 

The music is fantastic, but Hades also manages to keep up it's auditory high-bar with the voice work - a great cast delivering uniformly excellent performances of the (huge volume of) writing, gives characters that are often no more than a few static artistic still pictures a level of life and personality that most games - and let's face it, a lot of Hollywood films - fail to match.

Add in excellent sound design for the menus, for combat and for just general foley work, and Hades runs away with this one!

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight
(Not Yet Ranked)

 

Sneaking into eligibility in the first week (and avoiding it's brother, Persona 4: Dancing All Night, which missed out on eligibility by less than 6 hours!) there was only one honest-to-goodness rhythm game that I played this year, so it's fitting that it gets a nod in this award - and deservedly so!

 

The fact that Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight is the only Persona Dancing game I have played without the benefit of having played the main-series game it is based on didn't stop it being maybe my favourite of the three games musically.

 

The tracks are great - fun, light and catchy-as-all-hell, and the selection of remixes and versions keeps a pleasantly paced and fun rhythm game feeling fresh from the first minute to the last. 
The game has a sizeable amount of voice work too - and it's well done, (though - full disclosure - I tended to be lost, given the lack of background to the characters!) Really, this award is recognising the music and its arrangement first and foremost... but places in the medals anyway!

Frankly, even if there was no voice work at all, the music would be enough to secure this spot!

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Maquette
(Reviewed in BATCH 18)
 

Indie puzzle game Maquette does great things with audio on two separate fronts. 

 

Firstly, there is the excellent curation of, and use of, its primarily San Francisco-based indie-folk-rock soundtrack, featuring such artists as Cannons and Clouds, Jay Som and Meredith Edgar. All of these are good tracks, and are used really effectively to convey the stages of the relationship between the two principle characters.

 

Secondly, there is the voice work in the scenes between these two characters: Michael by Seth Gabel, and Kenzie by Bryce Dallas Howard. 
The performances do a huge amount to personify and characterise two people who we never actually see or interact with during the gameplay, and reaches genuinely uncomfortable moments of relationship heartache at times. The chemistry between the two is good (no doubt owing to them being married in real-life!) and the performances elevate a game who's puzzles leave a bit to be desired, but who's overall package is pretty great.

 

 

3RD RUNNER UP: Mass Effect: Andromeda
(Reviewed in BATCH 18)
 

Yes, one might think this would go to Mass Effect if it was going anywhere in the franchise, but really, in terms of the original trilogy, the original score and voice work is one area in which both subsequent games made marked improvements, so that would feel a little hollow.

 

In terms of gameplay, narrative and technical hiccups, Mass Effect: Andromeda remains a lesser game than the trilogy that birthed it by a fairly wide margin, however, audio is one aspect that it certainly doesn't stumble on.

 

The original score is uniquely separate from the original trilogy - much more ethereal and odd, and one I came to really love. 

Voice work is hit or miss with some secondary characters, however, the main cast do a great job, and the much richer back-and-forth between the crew members really elevates the game, when driving around the wide, more open planet areas. I found myself taking crew members I was less comfortable with mechanically on missions, simply because I wanted to hear a new combination of incidental dialogue, and the game didn't disappoint me! It provides hundreds of combinations of chatter, all performed to a high level of quality.

Where the game really excels auditorially though, is in the sounds. Foley is excellent in the game - everything from weapon shots, to alien screeches, to tyres crunching on gravel or ships taking flight- Andromeda may be a worse game than we hoped it would be in a lot of different ways, but close your eyes, and you'd never know it! 

 

Any developer looking to make their game sound rad could learn something from Andromeda... even if Andromeda could have done with learning some lessons on most other fronts from them!  

 

 

 

 

Some games are great, some are bad, and some, (not unlike myself,) are just... fucking peculiar!

This is the category where we celebrate oddness in any form - if a game has a weird mechanic, or design, or tone, or just something that makes you go "Well... that's unusual..." then this is the category to celebrate it!

 

WINNER: Observation
(Reviewed in BATCH 12)
 

In most games, you play a human, and you do the human stuff. The game takes care of the rest. You hit a button, the game takes care of all the system processes and internal electronics that make that button do what it should.

Observation turns that concept on its head, with the game controlling the humans, and the player in charge of doing all the other parts!

 

A great looking and playing little game, Observation tells it's interesting and compelling story from a wholly unique point of view, and turns what sounds like it should be a chore on paper into some really interesting and fun game mechanics, putting a new, odd twist on an existing sci-fi concept, and combining elements of Hidden Object Games, Puzzle Games and Adventure Games in a way that is unique and never less than interesting!

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Knee Deep
(Reviewed in BATCH 23)
 

Knee Deep might not be the strongest game in any other category, but there's certainly one thing it has going for it - it isn't like anything else!

 

Telling its odd, off-kilter swamp-noir narrative through the completely bizarre medium of a theatrical play within a game really gives it a strange, unique hook. I recall being a little disappointed that the game played the "theatre-within-game" concept straight - never using it to do any meta-theatrics or 4th wall breaking narrative elements, (and I stand by that complaint) - however, the lack of any of those factors only helps Knee Deep in this category: it cements the oddness of the whole concept!

 

Say what you will about the relative quality of narrative, visuals, audio or mechanics, but when it comes to strangeness, Knee Deep is a winner!

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Lost in Random
(Reviewed in BATCH 31)

Lost in Random is a game revelling in it's oddness (Hell, the game's primary quest is to rescue protagonist Even's sister, Odd!) but that oddness isn't just narrative - it permeates every facet of the game!

 

From the bizarre, slightly-grotesque character designs, to the mishmash of accents, to the designs of the peculiar townships in the game, everything is in some way unusual, obtuse or askew. Even the combat mechanics are strange - combining deck-building, random dice-rolls and 3D battling is peculiar enough, but the game also adds its special battles, wherein a giant board-game is being played via the dice-rolls as an additional meta-layer on top of the already weird combat!

 

Everything about Lost in Random is designed to feel unusual, and it works a charm. Regardless of obvious Tim Burton and American McGee influence, Lost in Random manages to be peculiar enough to stand on its own two strange legs, and be memorably good, and memorably weird, all at once!

 

 

3RD RUNNER UP: The Pedestrian 
(Reviewed in BATCH 20)
 

Puzzle games are sometimes 2D, and sometimes 3D, but rarely are they so curiously both. 

 

A strange concept - guiding a stick-man through a 2D world of warning signs and announcement boards in a 3D city that is designed to a degree and level of quality it has, frankly, no right or reason to be - The Pedestrian is a game full of curious and interesting twists on the 2D puzzler, leading to a finale twist that is really something to behold.

 

Odd, unusual, and very, very fun!

 

 

 

 

 

This award is not about the "Best Trophy List" necessarily, but about the effect the trophy list had on the game experience. 

If the trophy list really added to the game, either with clever, additional meta-challenges, or by complimenting the experience without detracting from it, and if I could easily see the game experience being lesser if the trophy list wasn't as good, then it's a good candidate for placement in this Award!

 

SUPER SCIENTIFIC NOTE: Games like Hitman 3 and Invisible Inc do have excellent trophy lists, but they are excellent primarily because they are minimal - the games are great regardless, and the trophy lists aren't particularly additive, they just stay out of the way of the game experience by being non-prescriptive and unobtrusive. As such, they aren't really a fit here.

 

 

WINNER: Deathloop
(Reviewed in BATCH 26)
 

A great game already, but the trophy list for Deathloop really adds to the experience, and encourages experimentation with powers, never letting the player fall into a "single-build" mentality. 

Simultaneously encouraging experimentation, acting as a tutorial of sorts for some less obvious mechanics, and adding some great little meta-challenges, the list does what all good trophy lists do: adds flavour to the parts of the game experience that might otherwise be missed, but stays out of the way of the best aspects.

 

Arkane always has interesting lists, for all 3 Dishonoured games and for Prey, but Deathloop is their finest one so far in terms of adding materially to the game experience!

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Hades
(Reviewed in BATCH 24)
 

Another great list - it stays clear of being prescriptive about the main path of the game, but encourages engagement with the side-areas, and pushed the player to dabble with the late-game additional challenges, without requiring them to go nuts with the top end of said challenges.

Hades' list does a smart thing, but being one of the main drivers to the player ear on, to explore the hub areas, and discover all the elements that will keep them hooked through their long journey out of Hades!

 

Some trophy lists don't do enough, and some others ask so much that you end up sick of the game by the time you finish... Hades' list is the perfect sweet-spot in-between! 

 

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Sackboy's Big Adventure
(Reviewed in BATCH 30)
 

A nice, smart list, requiring a lot of engagement with the game, but - crucially - giving the player a little bit of leeway in terms of collectibles. It doesn't ask for everything, just ALMOST everything  -and that is exactly the kind of easing of collectible requirements that I applaud! It helps to encourage exploration, without ever necessitating guide-use.

 

The requirement for the game's big challenge - the Ripsnorter - to be finished in a certain time ensures the game is no cake-walk, but aside from that, the trophy list is happy to encourage without commanding, asking the player to at least sample what the game has to offer, but without force-feeding them until they cannot stomach more!

 

 

3RD RUNNER UP: Gods Will Fall
(Reviewed in BATCH 31)
 

Sometimes a good list is about adding to a great game, other times, it can be used to alleviate some issues, and in Gods Will Fall, the latter is very well done!

 

The game has some problems in terms of balance - defeating Gods can be too easy, and can be done through simple attrition at times, but the trophy list, with different God-specific challenges, and a couple of overall run-specific ones, really adds the requirement for a level of skilled-engagement that the game can often fail to require to simply see the narrative through. 

 

None of the challenges are ridiculous, but each is interesting, and the overall list really helps a game brimming with ideas, but sometimes lacks the base mechanics to realise them effectively. 

There are some cracks in Gods Will Fall, but the trophy list papers over a lot of those cracks - and does it really well!

 

 

 

 

 

This award is not about the "Worst Trophy List" necessarily, but about the effect it had on the overall game experience. 

If a game had an awful list, but was also an awful game anyways, it isn't going to make it in this category.
If, however, the trophy list really dragged down the game, and I could easily see the game experience being better if the trophy list was different, then it's a good candidate for placement in this Award!

 

 

WINNER: Rainswept
(Reviewed in BATCH 24)
 

Rainswept is not the most compelling game in the world by any stretch, however, it has one aspect that really works very well - its well written narrative about its emotionally complex and interesting characters.

 

So what's the best way to play to that strength with the trophy list? 
Yup, you guessed it - to award the platinum about a third of the way through the game, thus actively encouraging the more trophy-minded folks to never bother seeing the best parts the game has to offer!

 

A foolish and baffling undercutting of the games biggest strength - Way to Spoil it, Rainswept!

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Lost Ember
(Reviewed in BATCH 30)
 

Lost Ember is a lower budget game with a few problems, but it has a fair few really good aspects: primarily the meditative elements. There is great joy to be had in simply relaxing, breathing and taking the environments, the music and the narrative in.

 

All of those pleasant aspects are, unfortunately, thrown out the window when you go for the platinum, by the silly decision to require every single one of the difficult-to-find and even-more-difficult-to-track collectibles. Serving no real narrative or mechanical purpose, the majority are easy to stumble across, but it is almost impossible to find everything without a senseless, dull trudge through a guide - and the lack of reasonable collectible tracking makes this a terribly slow and painstaking process.

 

The entire platinum experience could be immeasurably improved by simply making the requirement 90% of all collectibles, and not 100%, but as it stands, failure to realise that secures Lost Ember a spot on this Award winners list!

 

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Void Bastards
(Reviewed in BATCH 7)
 

There's loads of things to love in curious, funny, gorgeous-looking FPS rogue-like Void Bastards, but, unfortunately, the platinum trophy requirements aren't among them.

 

By requiring 3 separate runs using only one kind of weapon, plus a fourth using no weapons at all, the game forces a large portion of the platinum journey to be a slog through repetitious cycles of very similar runs - the runs which are far less fun and far more frustrating than the "normal" ones.

The idea that doing the "UNARMED" run does not also stack-unlock the "ONLY FIREARMS", "ONLY INDIRECT" and "ONLY DEVICES" trophies is silly and unwarranted, especially since those runs are markedly less engaging than anything else in the game!

 

You made a load of fun weapons, guys! 
Why not make the trophies for, y'know... using them!

 

3RD RUNNER UP: Jedi: Fallen Order
(Reviewed in BATCH 25)
 

Simply playing Jedi: Fallen Order is already a pretty terrible experience, so I did spend some time considering whether it's really a good fit here, but in spite of everything else wrong with the game, the trophies still managed to drag it down the Scientific Rankings significantly further than it would have placed otherwise. 

 

All the issued that Lost Ember had are present here - too many collectibles, to little tracking, to strict a requirement to get every one...
...but here, there is the added bonus of levels being oddly one-way and over-long, and to top it off, there is collectible tracking here... it just ignores some collectibles!
The only thing worse than no tracking, is bad or inconsistent tracking - and Jedi: Fallen Order has both!

 

If the game were better, this one would win this category, but it is "saved" from that indignity, simply by already being such a bad game that even a good trophy list wouldn't really help it much. Hardly a compliment, but it is at least spared further indignity!

 

 

 

 

 

This Award isn't necessarily about the best games, but about the games that I simply don't understand how I never got to playing earlier!

Whether that's because it is so good that I should have tried it before, or that it's so much my kind of jam that I should have heard about it earlier, or simply that I owned it for so long, but never got around to actually playing, here I celebrate finally ending procrastination... 
...and being rewarded for it with gaming goodness!

 

WINNER: Quantum Conundrum
(Reviewed in BATCH 29)
 

Well, this one really had to be the winner!

 

I checked my purchase history, and yes, according to my emails, I purchased on the 29th of June 2012 - only 9 days after its initial release on PS3, but for reasons that I cannot fathom, it slipped through the cracks, only to be finally loaded up over 9 years later... and hooked me immediately!

 

Thank goodness for the "Trophies for Cancer" Event, which sent me scurrying through my backlog looking for Orange and Pink in the game images, because that was the catalyst I needed to finally right this unjust wrong, and discover what should have been apparent to me in 2012 - a new game from the creator of Portal, is, in fact, awesome!

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Invisible Inc
(Reviewed in BATCH 17)
 

Given away for free with PS+ in December 2016, this game lay unplayed on my backlog, quietly pretending it was just another game... and not one of the best games I've ever played!

When I finally tried it in February this year, it got it's hooks in and I DEVOURED the game, loving every second of punishing, stealthy, emergent awesomeness, (and securing a top-20 placement in the Fastest Leaderboards!) 
I never complete games fast, (certainly never purposefully fast,) but that placement is purely a measure of how hard the game got a hold of me - I was setting my alarm for 5am (an hour earlier than usual,) just so I could play a level before beginning work!

 

If that's not an endorsement, I don't know what is!

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time
(Reviewed in BATCH 29)
 

I had played most of the R&C games already, but for some reason, the "Future" games had passed me by. 
Well, when the "Trophies for Cancer" event required Pinks and Oranges in the game images, a bit of coaxing from @rjkclarke encouraged me to check out both this and Ratchet & Clank: Nexus. 

Both were enjoyable, but this one hit me really strongly - and ended up even out-doing Ratchet & Clank 2: Going Commando, to become the current highest ranked Ratchet and Clank game on the Scientific Rankings!

 

 

  / 

3RD RUNNER UP: (Tie) Headlander / RAD
(Reviewed in BATCH 6 &  BATCH 13)

Despite my love for the studio, there are a few gaps in my DoubleFine trophy collection.
I never did get the Brutal Legend PS3 version or play The Cave or Costume Quest (yet.) 
Some of their stuff, like Iron Brigade and Massive Chalice is Xbox exclusive, and Psychonauts and the Rhombus of Ruin was VR, so I had an excuse there...
... but there was no good reason why it took me so long to play Headlander and RAD.

 

When a rewatch of DoubleFine Adventure (the excellent docu-series about the making of Broken Age,) rekindled my DoubleFine passion, I finally took the plunge, sampled both... 
...and what do you know? 

They're both awesome in their own weird ways!

 

 

 

 

This Award is a little nebulous. It isn't purely "Games with the least owners", nor it is purely about the quality of the game overall, but about a rather indefinable X-factor that lies somewhere in between. 

It's really about the disparity between owners and quality. If a game seems to have wildly fewer players than it should for its quality, then it's a good fit here!

 

SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC NOTE: For very new games, I do consider the player-count to mean a little less - The Touryst, for example, or Lost in Random, are eligible and low player-counts, however, they have been out for such a short time that the low player-count may be less as a result of it being overlooked, and more to do with people just not having gotten around to it yet. As such, very new games are pretty much excluded from this category.

 

WINNER: Superliminal
(Reviewed in BATCH 18)
 

Despite being out for over a year, and featuring some of the smartest, most mind bending 3D Puzzling money can buy, this one still only has around 1500 players for the EU version, and less than 2000 for the NA version.

A Crying shame, considering the quality of what I consider to be a real gem of a game, a relatively easy platinum, and a look at what a great single concept can be when the work is put in to really showcase it!

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Void Bastards
(Reviewed in BATCH 7)
 

There's only one version of this smart, funny, well executed Rogue-like FPS and it has less than 1500 players on Playstation!

 

Genuinely funny, smart, well put together, and with a really satisfying loop, this game might have some issues with the platinum journey vis-a-vis repetition, but those issues shouldn't be anywhere near enough to put off all but 1500 people!

Get this played, y'all!

 

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Through the Darkest of Times
(Reviewed in BATCH 26)
 

The lowest player count of any game I played this year, this very effective little strategy game showing well known history from a less well known point of view has more than enough good aspects to compensate for a little bit of jankiness around the edges. 
With only 80-odd players in the EU version, 50-odd players of the NA version, and only 5 platinum achievers total, this game deserves some more attention!

 

I know you all need Ultra Rare games for your difficulty-specific community events - well, here is a great one for you that is achievable, smart, interesting... and who knows - you might just learn some stuff as you go!

 

3RD RUNNER UP: The Pedestrian
(Reviewed in BATCH 20)
 

The fact that between the PS4 and PS5 versions of this smart, great looking and super-fun 2D puzzle game there is only 2000-odd players is a gaming outrage!

Genuinely clever, more lavishly designed than it has any need (or right) to be, and with a twist at the end that made me comment out-loud to an empty room, The Pedestrian is screaming for more attention - and deserves it!

 

 

 

 

This Award is not about the quality in a vacuum, but about quality vs. expectation - which game was I really amazed by how much better it was that I initially expected, or was a very different (positive) experience than what I though it would be going into it?

 

SUPER SCIENTIFIC NOTE: A Game like Hitman 3, for example, is fantastic... but I expected it to be. It had a whole series, and 2 awesome immediate prequels to cement that idea, and as such, it isn't a good fit here. This Award is more for games where I expected something less, and got something more!

 

 

WINNER: Returnal
(Reviewed in BATCH 23)
 

The winner of this category was a fait accompli from the start - it had to be Returnal!

 

Anyone who did some detective work and looked through my old posts on this site would be able to watch me change my mind about Returnal so fast it would give them whiplash. 
Prior to release, I was, quite simply, not a happy camper. I had heard about Housemarque's financial troubles due to the lack of good sales numbers on some of their smaller titles like Resogun, Matterfall and Nex Machina - every one of which I had loved - and that they were looking at making bigger games going forward. I saw screenshots of Returnal, and assumed they were trying their hand at a big, splashy Dead Space-style narrative 3RD person game. (I don't dislike those games - Dead Space is awesome, but there are hundreds of good studios making those, and only one Housemarque!)

Really, looking back, I was projecting my anger at other gamers not supporting a unique and talented studio, to the extent they had to change their output to something I thought would be more generic - and I was prepared to hate Returnal. I'm fairly sure I actually wrote the words "I hope this game fails" on this site - which anyone who knows me should realise is pretty out of character! It speaks to how rattled I was by the move.

 

Then, of course, Returnal came out. 
It was bigger. And more lavish. And more expensive.
It was also fucking awesome in every conceivable way! 

Housemarque took all their best parts of their previous smaller games, and used them to make the biggest small game ever made. They didn't lose any part of what makes their other games great - they just added a whole smattering of splash, grandeur, majesty, and new narrative elements that are so good, they leave other, bigger games from other, bigger studios in the dust!

 

Long story short: 
Me dumb. 
Housemarque smart. 
Returnal fucking rad!

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Astro's Playroom
(Reviewed in BATCH 16)
 

Expectations for pack-in tech-demo style products were relatively simple on Playstation prior to Astro's Playroom - The Vita Welcome Pack was a nice little thing, good for an hour or so, and the ante was upped just a little by the PS4's The Playroom, and then a little more with the VR Playroom (I didn't play that, but have it on good authority)... 
...but nothing in those demo-products could possibly have hinted at the way Astro's Playroom would blow the roof off the specialised genre - effectively creating a new one: The "Tech Demo come Nostagiaseum Platformer"!

 

All Astro's Playroom needed to be - all we expected - was a quick half hour set of mini-games to demonstrate the new haptic controller and its features. What we got instead is a cavalcade of Playstation memories, wrapped up in a genuinely fun and varied 3D platformer that has style, smarts, a narrative arc, collectibles... all the hallmarks of a full game, and one that is charming as all hell to boot!

 

Most people's first experience with the PS5 system is going to be this game - and for the first time since Wii Sports, that pack-in product is setting a bar for other games to beat, rather than simply providing a springboard from with to dive into something more meaty.

 

Doing a great job for free is one thing, but doing far, far more than was required or expected for free is quite something else - and Team Asobi certainly did that. 

Most welcome, and most surprising!

 

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Invisible Inc.
(Reviewed in BATCH 17)
 

I did have some notion that Invisible Inc was going to be pretty good - I had a vague memory of Austin Walker (currently of Vice Games, but previously of Giant Bomb,) picking it as his Game of the Year one year, much to the surprise of his colleagues and making an impassioned argument in its favour... 
...but really. That didn't necessarily guarantee it would have such an effect on me. I mean, that guy is famous for loving Mech games. Me... not so much.

That impassioned argument was enough to linger though, and to jog a vestigial memory when I was at a loss for something to play and perusing my PS+ list. When I took the plunge, and fired up Invisible Inc, the speed and voracity with which the game hooked me, (and kept its hook in me,) was like nothing I've experienced in gaming.

 

The game was sublime - I can't recall a time a game has felt so satisfying and awesome to play, while at the same time shocking me with its quality of balancing and design ever. 
Hitman did some of that, but with Hitman, there has been a decade-long build up. There were great Hitman games leading up to its current (best) incarnation. Invisible Inc, on the other hand, came like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky!

 

Not just awesome - but surprisingly awesome, and so, it has to take a spot in this category!

 

 

3RD RUNNER UP: Observation
(Reviewed in BATCH 12)
 

This was one I was recommended (refer to the "Backlog Gremlin Award" winners to see by whom!) but to be honest, I really didn't know what to expect. 

That makes total sense having played it, as Observation is certainly an odd game. It's difficult to accurately articulate what is so awesome about it from a description - you really just need to play it.

Well, I did, and man, did it get a grip on me! There is a style of 'Hard-Sci Fi' that games attempt not terribly often, and succeed at capturing pretty rarely, but Observation might just be the best instance I can think of of it working 100%, perfectly, flawlessly and without dilution.

 

A visual style that is awesome, a play-style that is wholly unique, a narrative that is compelling, and a game-feel that is somehow as old-school as a CD-ROM version of the Encarta Encyclopaedia, yet as modern as any current indie darling - Observation is an impossible game to properly describe, and so never less than surprising once it's in your hands!

 

 

 

 

 

The flip-side of the "Most Surprising" Award, this Award is, again, not about the quality of a game in a vacuum, but about the quality vs. expectation - which game was I really disappointed by how much worse it was that I initially expected, or was a very different (negative) experience than what I though it would be going in?

 

 

WINNER: Jedi: Fallen Order
(Reviewed in BATCH 25)
 

For the most part, the games that feature in the "Worst Game" category aren't represented in "Most Disappointing" as most of those are smaller games, ranking low partly due to scale and budget. I don't go into those games with overblown expectations...
...the one exception being this Star Wars flavoured turkey!

 

There is a certain level of quality I expect with a 'Triple A' title - the gameplay, narrative and mechanics might be wanting, or misguided, or simply not my cup of tea, (all of which are true of Jedi: Fallen Order,) but there is a certain level of baseline presentational quality that I expect. 
Jedi: Fallen Order - with it's outrageous audio-sync issues - even failed to clear that questionable bar!

 

I saved Jedi: Fallen Order for when I was in the mood for a big, flashy, fun action game. I kept it in the back-pocket, for when I fancied an Uncharted-style blockbuster - expecting, at worst, a silly, fun, good-feeling game of limited emotional substance.  I even went as far as holding off until I had a PS5 to experience it at its visual and auditory best.

 

The disappointment began within the first few hours with the flat combat, cheesable bosses and serious technical issues, and only got worse with the simplistic, small-feeling narrative, the unmemorable baddies, and the convoluted and directionless level design. It reached a true nadir, however, in the endgame, with the absurd and fury-inducing collectible tracking frustrations.

 

A whopping disappointment from a studio I expect higher quality from, working with a property I expect more from, in a medium I expect better from.

 

1ST RUNNER UP: It Takes Two
(Reviewed in BATCH 31)
 

It Takes Two was spared a placement on the "Worst Game" category, by virtue of having some genuinely good stuff. The gameplay is frivolous but good fun, the visuals are great, and the puzzle mechanics are pretty good overall. It also serves an underserved market, in being a co-op only narrative game.

However, I went into this one expecting a charming, delightful romp. I convinced MsBloodmoney to accompany me on the journey based on that.
What we got was a built-by-committee, decidedly un-magical and charm-free narrative unable to support the over-long game. The humour isn't humour - it's just unfunny lines in a silly accent - the concept is unsound, and the entire endeavour is completely undone by a grotesque, dangerous and emotionally dissonant ending.

 

We all feel stung by disappointing games at times, but there is one thing worse than being disappointed by a game - having to bear that embarrassment in front of the loved one, who you convinced to play the game with you! 

It Takes Two's ending has, without a doubt, made it harder for me to sell future game experiences to MsBloodmoney. 
In suggesting future games (with both Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, and Overcooked, I have already experienced this,)  I've heard the inevitable, predictable: "Oh, you think it'll be good... like you thought It Takes Two would be good...?"

 

A game being disappointing is one thing. 
A game poisoning the well for future co-op games is something altogether much worse, and so this one has to make the list! 

 

Cody and May should thank God for Jedi: Fallen Order sucking the way it did, as that janky light-sabre-nightmare is the only thing keeping it from winning this category!

 

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
(Reviewed in BATCH 19)
 

It may feel incongruous to have the winner - THE WINNER! - of the "Eye Candy Award" also be in the "Most Disappointing" category... but visuals, no matter how impressive, cannot be all a game relies on.

That isn't strictly the case with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart - there are plenty of good aspects to the game - however, it is an entry in a storied, long-running, beloved, powerhouse-of-a-franchise, and as compared to most (if not all) other entries in that series, aside from visually, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart fails to measure up.

Level design is basic (and limited,) with secrets and exploration gone, replaced with invisible walls and auto-death chasms. 
The story is okay, but never more than that, and sorely lacking in the humour the series is famous for.
The gameplay is among the most basic the franchise has seen, the weapon-set among the least interesting, the enemies among the least smart, and the challenge easily the weakest so far.

 

Not an awful game, but a bad Ratchet & Clank game for sure - and one destined to be forgotten once other games catch up to it in terms of the one area in which it truly shines in 2021 - graphical fidelity.

 

 

3RD RUNNER UP: Metropolis: Lux Obscura
(Reviewed in BATCH 10)
 

Metropolis: Lux Obscura isn't actually a bad game - ironically, if it was, it would never place in this category. 

Interestingly, if I had played fewer games this year, Metropolis: Lux Obscura is the only game I can think of that could, in theory, have placed in both the "Most Surprising" and the "Most Disappointing" categories simultaneously.

 

The reason, is the Match-3 game that forms one half of it's gameplay and all of it's fight-scenes. It is great. A smart, clever, well put together take on Bejewelled-esque gameplay, it is really good fun, and used cleverly, and in varied ways, to represent combat in the narrative.

 

The fact that that aspect of the game was so good was a genuine surprise - there was no expectation for such a robust puzzle-variant in what is sold as a choose-your-own-adventure motion-comic. However, that surprise then leads to serious disappointment, because so little is done to highlight that part of the game! The actual motion-comic and narrative are pretty pedestrian and rote, and the writing not great. That would be acceptable if it formed a 'campaign' section, with the Match-3 puzzle element having its own modes - but it doesn't. There is no 'Endless Mode' or 'Arcade Mode'. There is no way to experience the great Match-3 gameplay, except through the short, fairly dull narrative - and once you've seen all the endings, that holds little repeat appeal or longevity.

 

Metropolis: Lux Obscura is a game that could have had a long tail as a casual match-3 puzzler, but ends up being simply an also-ran narrative-adventure with some comic art and a great mini-game folded in. That is really disappointing!

 

 

 

 

 

The only award that rewards non-S-Ranked games from this year - these are the games I started up, and so quickly realised were not my cup of tea that I got the hell outta there, making sure they could get their sticky trophies all over my list, thus cementing their place in my eternal backlog!

 

 

WINNER: Mecho Tales

 

Running away with this award, Mecho Tales seemed - from the screenshots - like a nice little trip back to a certain kind of Genesis / Megadrive era style of platformer that I remembered enjoying back in the day.

Unfortunately, its stiff-as-a-board controls, and finicky motion would have stood out like a sore thumb, even back then. 
The game just felt terrible right from the very start, and 20 minutes of frustration was all I needed to realise this wasn't one for me, and it got dropped like bomb. 
Game deleted from my console, list deleted from my profile.

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Ghost of Tsushima

 

Yes, I know, I know - we all love Hot Takes...
...but hopefully y'all know by now -  I'm not really a 'hot-take' guy. 
I don't go around deliberately disliking games, or being inflammatory about games other people like, just to be different or contrarian. If anything, the opposite is true - I'm the guy who likes games too much, and try to find the good in everything... often to a fault!

 

There's clearly a great game in Ghost of Tsushima - that's obvious from the general consensus, and far be it from me to argue otherwise, having played so little of it. 

However, again, it comes down to controls. The Right-Hand bias of the camera made every fight and bit of platforming/ stealth feel lop-sided and wrong, and I felt like for the 45 minutes I played, I was adjusting the camera, fighting against the default every 3 seconds. The world felt out of frame, and I just couldn't get the camera to work for me.

 

Ghost of Tsushima is the first case of a game I can think of, where a simple patch to enable swapping camera bias from one shoulder to the other would probably fix my entire issue with it...
...but until they do, it just isn't a game I am willing to commit to the kind of duration it requires, knowing that I will be fighting the camera default every step of the way!

 

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Absolute Drift

 

Not one based on controls exactly, but simply on the game-feel and movement dynamics. 

Even just the basic intro to Absolute Drift felt slippery and unwieldy, and I really disliked the motion-feel of the game. 

A small thing? Well... perhaps in a bigger game, but in Absolute Drift, motion-feel is pretty much the entire basis for the game, and so when I realised I wasn't ever going to get along with it, I made a swift retreat!

 

 

3RD RUNNER UP: Assassin's Creed Chronicles (VITA)

 

A slightly odd one here, as Assassin's Creed Chronicles is a great game... on the PS4. 
I really liked it actually, (so much so I have the S-Rank,) however, when I decided to recapture that good feeling with the Vita version, the downgrade was much, much steeper than I was prepared for. 

 

A massive visual reduction, serious frame-rate issues, plus several crashes and freezes meant I realised midway through the first episode - AC Chronicles: China - that I just wasn't having fun.

As I had played in airplane mode (as I generally do all the time on Vita,)... I did the thing. 
You know - THAT thing. 
I re-formatted the vita, keeping the list off my profile, and decided that AC Chronicles is best remembered as a great AC side-story... exclusive to the PS4!

 

 

 

 

 

This final award is not for games, but for people!

 

This one is a little unscientific, in the sense that I am relying on memory - I don't always keep perfect track of who really cements a game as being something I need to check out, and often it is as much about the person who recommends it initially, as it is the pile-on of agreement after the fact!

I do try to always keep track so I can thank (or curse!) the person who encouraged me to try a game, but with the amount of great games and great takes flying around, I'm 100% certain there are some games I just forgot about, or forgot who was the instigator!

 

SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC NOTE: I know that some folks might be thinking - "Hey! I totally recommended this other one to you Doc!" 
That might well be the case, but I've tried to be ruthless here, and only award games that I'm sure would not have ended up on my list (or would have remained in the infinite void of my backlog) if not for the specific recommendations of these fine winners. 
If a game was one I was already very likely to play, and someone just cemented that decision, that's great and I love it, (keep 'em coming!) but this Award has to be just games people fired at me, and stuck entirely because of it!

 

 

WINNER: @rjkclarke

 

Running away with the prize this year, I suspect he already had an inkling!

A grand total of 10 games landing on my backlog, (3 of which have been played already,) RJ recommended:

 

 

Nier Replicant, Broken Sword 5, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, Thimbleweed Park, 2064: Read Only Memories, VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action, Snooker Nation, Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time (Played), Ratchet & Clank: Nexus (Played), Tales of Arise (Played)

Congrats RJ, you big sexy gamer you - you are the Backlog Gremlin of 2021!

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: @Arcesius

 

First runner up is our resident Ultra-Rare-hunter and titan of the Checklist Community, Arcesius!

With a very respectable 4-game addition to my backlog, Arc managed to add:

 

Hyper Light Drifter, Alienation, Hollow Knight, Solar Ash

 

Congratulations my friend - you have more than burdened me with gaming awesomeness for 2022!

 

 

 / 

2ND RUNNER UP: (TIE) @Crispy_Oglop / @YaManSmevz

 

A tie between PSNP Gentleman-and-Scholar Crispy_Oglop, and my fellow checklist-newbie and Aphex Twin-loving brother YaManSmevz!

With 3 games each added to my backlog, (both of which have 1 already played,) 

 

Crispy added:

 

Carrion, Stories Untold, Observation (Played)

and Smevz added:

 

Beholder, Beholder 2, Afterparty (Played)

 

Congratulations to you both - my backlog saturation, and my gaming-boner, salute you! (in a very appropriate, hedro, and MeToo-acceptable way, of course)!

 

 

 

 

3RD RUNNER UP: ...HOLY SMOKES PEOPLE! IT'S A 9-WAY TIE!
@Copanele, @Joe Dubz, @KindaSabbath, @Cassylvania, @GonzoWARgasm, @delfierro006, @HusKy, @Charizarzar, @NMErickson

I secretly love the way this worked out, as the bronze Gremlin award gets to go to everyone who added 1 game to my Backlog!

 

The following lovely people, through either their enthusiasm, their reviews, or their recommendations, added one game each:

 

copanele added:

Slain: Back From Hell

 

Joe dubz added:

Skul: The Hero Slayer

 

Kindasabbath added:

Titanfall 2

 

Cassylvania added:

Lair of the Clockwork God

 

GonzoWargasm added:

The Talos Principle

 

delfierro006 added:

Gods Will Fall (Played)

 

Husky added:

Sniper Elite 4

 

Charizarzar added:

The Bridge

 

NMErickson added:

Praey For the Gods

Congratulations all you beautiful bastards, you are all actively contributing to me being crushed under the weight of my backlog... and I love it!

 

 

 

Well, that concludes our little Award Festivities for this year!

 

We've laughed, we've cried, we've called DrBloodmoney every expletive we know!

All that remains is to fill our wish-lists with the good stuff, CAP-LOCK the keyboard to yell about the injustices...
... and look forward to an awesome gaming 2022!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Platinum_Vice]

Doc, I wanted to say something:

 

Thanks for putting in such a considerable effort this year with this checklist. I loved it. I'm a fan of your sense of humour ("gaze upon the wonder of the glorious wall of eligibility?" "snicker at the picket fence of ineligibility?" I mean come on, dude), and your taste in games is just in the Goldilocks spot for me of matching with just enough of my own tastes but giving me a healthy dose of humility with other things.

 

I literally did sit down with a bevvy just now and I read this as if it was an end of season TV special or a GOTY wrap-up from a key YouTuber, and I wanted you to know that as you go into the happy Christmas season (as I assume you'll cool down on this site for a few weeks and pick back up again in the new year)...

 

Regarding backlogs: ou contraire. You have added WAY TOO MUCH to my backlog... Dishonored 1 and 2, Prey, Superliminal, ALL FOUR Supergiant games, Driver: San Francisco, Operation Tango, Hitman 3, Mark of the Ninja... and now I think I'll have to concede Returnal, Observation and Invisible Inc as well despite warming up to them at an admittedly slower pace... So... thanks, dick, and enjoy yourself this holiday season.

 

❤️

 

[Copanele]

My god what a fantastic way to end the year in terms of gaming. Loved all the takes, all the cakes and all the partakes there Doc  and I can say that I pretty much agree with EVERYTHING that you wrote there. Not half, not 99.9999 and a cookie %, but everything. It's odd, but yeah, I read the entire thing from start to finish, and I will read it again tomorrow, because I tend to read good stuff 3 or 4 times. I am an adult I do what I want with my time  

 

ANYWAY

 

I agree even with THIS:

 

2 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

 

2ND RUNNER UP: Shadow of the Colossus Remake
(Reviewed in BATCH 10)
 

Taking a game that came out long before the tech was able to deal with it -and that had already had a 'soft' remaster - and doing a full-blown remake, Bluepoint finally realise the vision that Team Ico had all those years ago. 

 

An acquired taste, certainly, but for someone like myself who always knew the unique tone and pacing of Shadow of the Colossus was something special, finally seeing it realise it's potential, and shine bright, without having to squint to see the majesty is something truly wonderful. 

 

The 3RD best game S-Ranked in 2021 is also the current 18th best game of all time on the Scientific Ranking, and deservedly so!

... take THAT, @Copanele!

 

 

If it was eligible (sadly I platinumed it in 2020 so it won't count for my upcoming list), I would also add it as my 3rd ...

....3rd worst game I ever played in 2021 ? Sorry, I love horses, but I still wish Agro would be turned into salami.

Doesn't meant I don't recognize your acquired taste here  it's just that if I see one more failed grab, one more stupid horse turn, I might reformat my PS4 drive. With a hammer.

 

2 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

 

 

1ST RUNNER UP: Ghost of Tsushima

 

Yes, I know, I know - we all love Hot Takes...
...but hopefully y'all know by now -  I'm not really a 'hot-take' guy. 
I don't go around deliberately disliking games, or being inflammatory about games other people like, just to be different or contrarian. If anything, the opposite is true - I'm the guy who likes games too much, and try to find the good in everything... often to a fault!

 

There's clearly a great game in Ghost of Tsushima - that's obvious from the general consensus, and far be it from me to argue otherwise, having played so little of it. 

However, again, it comes down to controls. The Right-Hand bias of the camera made every fight and bit of platforming/ stealth feel lop-sided and wrong, and I felt like for the 45 minutes I played, I was adjusting the camera, fighting against the default every 3 seconds. The world felt out of frame, and I just couldn't get the camera to work for me.

 

Ghost of Tsushima is the first case of a game I can think of, where a simple patch to enable swapping camera bias from one shoulder to the other would probably fix my entire issue with it...
...but until they do, it just isn't a game I am willing to commit to the kind of duration it requires, knowing that I will be fighting the camera default every step of the way!

This one surprised me big time however, but not from the reason you would expect.

It is also my main Nope of the entire year.

I played Ghost of Tsushima at a friend's house, I was previously decided to buy it and experience this Japanese Odyssey for myself. He loaded up the game and went to buy some stuff to eat. I pressed some buttons, marveled at the graphics, walked around, did some fights...

...and I fell asleep. I did have my coffee and my 8 hours beauty sleep in the night prior, but the game bored me this much that I instantly fell asleep.

Therefore, I am surprised and mad amused that this game is also a Nope for you  what were the odds!

 

P.S. Before others ask, I think the online is the best part of the game. Played a couple matches and it was a blast...when the camera worked as I wanted. Sorry, this ain't a game for me.

2 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

 

copanele added:

Slain: Back From Hell

I was at first surprised that I got tagged here  but then I saw the game and .... yep, always a pleasure to spread the good word of Metal! May the Horned lords be ever merciful in your no-death runs and never forget to headbang!

 

On my side however, I might hold you responsible for adding so many games to my shopping cart. Not that I regret it, but hell, if I don't blame you, I'll blame myself and I don't want that ?

 

Great list, love the Hitman pictures and here's to an even more glorious 2022  gaming!

[NMErickson]

*Applause* Great show, a fine read. Man, it’s good to see Hitman 3 getting the love and top honor. Totally onboard with that. I’m surprised It Takes Two went over so poorly there. It was the opposite here and except for that one cruel scene, was loved in our house.

 

It will be interesting to see if any of those backlog games end up on next year’s awards. Am happy and honored to “contribute” to that and be a tiny part in this. Merry Christmas and here’s to an even better 2022. ? 

[Joe Dubz]

Huzzah, glad I could make a small contribution to the wonderful scientific endeavour you have taken on here!!

 

Man, absolutely brilliant with your awards here ? You have given me some things I want to check out as well! You really have such an eloquent way with words, it is a joy to read. I had to skim through quite a bit because I'm a little busier at work today than I want to be, but I'm planning to go back through later to give it the full proper read!

 

It has been such a pleasure to follow along with your "experiments". I look forward to more in the future! Keep up the stellar work, Doc!!

[DrBloodmoney]

2 hours ago, GonzoWARgasm said:

Doc, I wanted to say something:

 

Thanks for putting in such a considerable effort this year with this checklist. I loved it. I'm a fan of your sense of humour ("gaze upon the wonder of the glorious wall of eligibility?" "snicker at the picket fence of ineligibility?" I mean come on, dude), and your taste in games is just in the Goldilocks spot for me of matching with just enough of my own tastes but giving me a healthy dose of humility with other things.

 

I literally did sit down with a bevvy just now and I read this as if it was an end of season TV special or a GOTY wrap-up from a key YouTuber, and I wanted you to know that as you go into the happy Christmas season (as I assume you'll cool down on this site for a few weeks and pick back up again in the new year)...

 

1 hour ago, Copanele said:

My god what a fantastic way to end the year in terms of gaming. Loved all the takes, all the cakes and all the partakes there Doc  and I can say that I pretty much agree with EVERYTHING that you wrote there. Not half, not 99.9999 and a cookie %, but everything. It's odd, but yeah, I read the entire thing from start to finish, and I will read it again tomorrow, because I tend to read good stuff 3 or 4 times. I am an adult I do what I want with my time  

 

1 hour ago, NMErickson said:

*Applause* Great show, a fine read. Man, it’s good to see Hitman 3 getting the love and top honor. Totally onboard with that. I’m surprised It Takes Two went over so poorly there. It was the opposite here and except for that one cruel scene, was loved in our house.

 

It will be interesting to see if any of those backlog games end up on next year’s awards. Am happy and honored to “contribute” to that and be a tiny part in this. Merry Christmas and here’s to an even better 2022.  

 

1 hour ago, Joe Dubz said:

Man, absolutely brilliant with your awards here  You have given me some things I want to check out as well! You really have such an eloquent way with words, it is a joy to read. I had to skim through quite a bit because I'm a little busier at work today than I want to be, but I'm planning to go back through later to give it the full proper read!

 

It has been such a pleasure to follow along with your "experiments". I look forward to more in the future! Keep up the stellar work, Doc!!

 

Man, you guys touched my cold, dark little heart ?

Thank you all very much - that's really nice, and incredibly gratifying to read!

 

 

 

 

 

[YaManSmevz]

 

Brilliant work, sir!

 

Also I'm very pleased to be included, but I have to give the assist to Mr. Realm, especially for Afterparty - wouldn't have picked those up without his nudging!

 

As for you (yeeeewwwww), I haven't tried to compile all the games you've added to my backlog, but it's a lot more than a few, I can tell you that!

 

You gave me a great start to the day - this was the absolute perfect morning read, and Gonzo said it best -

 

6 hours ago, GonzoWARgasm said:

I literally did sit down with a bevvy just now and I read this as if it was an end of season TV special or a GOTY wrap-up from a key YouTuber, and I wanted you to know that as you go into the happy Christmas season (as I assume you'll cool down on this site for a few weeks and pick back up again in the new year)...

 

Your way with words is a mighty one, whether you're analyzing or crackin jokes, and as this (whole checklist really) has displayed, you could write for days and I'd happily read it all.

 

Also real quick - @GonzoWARgasm, may i humbly suggest playing Mark of the Ninja sooner than later! You'll tear through it fairly quickly, and it's absurdly fun.

 

Not much for me to disagree with here (not that it would matter - the science doesn't lie after all), all I can say in that regard is that it's a pity Tsushima didn't speak to you, but oh well... not everybody has to like everything!

 

Overjoyed to see Hitman 3 raking 'em in, as well as Afterparty (of course). I'm even more excited than before now to delve into Mass Effect, Little Nightmares, Invisible Inc., and Shadow of the Colossus, plus I'm more curious now over Observation, The Touryst, and Hades.

 

As usual, you've outdone yourself!

 

Do you uh... need any help pickin up popcorn or leftover drinks or anything?

Edited December 17, 2021 by YaManSmevz

[DrBloodmoney]

2 hours ago, YaManSmevz said:

 

Also I'm very pleased to be included, but I have to give the assist to Mr. Realm, especially for Afterparty - wouldn't have picked those up without his nudging!

Ah - see - this is what is awesome in these threads - the round-robin of word of mouth is powerful, and a good game gets spread around like wildfire!

 

Big ups to @realm722 too then - Afterparty was dope!

 

 

Quote

 

Also real quick - @GonzoWARgasm, may i humbly suggest playing Mark of the Ninja sooner than later! You'll tear through it fairly quickly, and it's absurdly fun.

absolutely - Mark of the Ninja is something special!

 

Quote

 

Overjoyed to see Hitman 3 raking 'em in, as well as Afterparty (of course). I'm even more excited than before now to delve into Mass Effect, Little Nightmares, Invisible Inc., and Shadow of the Colossus, plus I'm more curious now over Observation, The Touryst, and Hades.

Ah - same same for Observation here man - that’s a game you’d tear through fast - it probably a 3-4 hour one-sitting kind of game at it’s best (with a couple hour clean up playthrough after the fact) - but I must admit, that’s a really gratifying one to see that I could get some new interest around! 
 

Feels like something really fresh, and with it being tough to describe, I’m glad to encourage anyone to play it - it rocks!

Edited December 18, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[grayhammmer]

2 hours ago, DrBloodmoney said:

Ah - same same for Observation here man - that’s a game you’d tear through fast - it probably a 3-4 hour one-sitting kind of game at it’s best (with a couple hour clean up playthrough after the fact) - but I must admit, that’s a really gratifying one to see that I could get some new interest around! 
 

Feels like something really fresh, and with it being tough to describe, I’m glad to encourage anyone to play it - it rocks!

It's also currently 60% off on the psn store, so now is the perfect time to get Observation if you're interested (like me).

[DrBloodmoney]

7 hours ago, grayhammmer said:

It's also currently 60% off on the psn store, so now is the perfect time to get Observation if you're interested (like me).

 

Good looking' out mate ??

 

It's a steal at that price! 

[rjkclarke]

I had to put my Tuxedo back on to post this one....... At least I hadn't sent it off to the dry cleaners after the awesome awards ceremony.

 

Sorry for the really late response on this one..... I was kind of in a similar boat to how you  are at weekends, when you are practically limited to your phone for posting, in my case though, I'm pretty sure the Luna Module guidance Computer on Apollo 11, runs faster than my phone, a bit of a nightmare to say the least.

 

 I always like to dedicate as much time as I can or need to dropping responses like this, so that's why it's a little late.

 

I'm not going to comment on every single thing on the awards, there are only so many hours in the day after all ?..... 

 

....... I am so glad that Hitman 3 did well and cleaned up pretty nicely at the awards. It sounds like I'm in for a real treat once I actually manage to get that sweet game in my hands.

 

I loved reading the entire thing obviously, I particularly enjoyed the Ear Candy section, well and one other section, but I'll get to that ?...... Still as a mole person, it was nice to read about some of the better elements of some of those games. I am one of the few people who you could probably literally sell a game to  on decent sound design and foley work. I already owned Mass Effect: Andromeda, but I definitely want to play it that little bit more, just on the basis of how strong that department is.

 

On 17/12/2021 at 1:24 PM, DrBloodmoney said:

 

WINNER: @rjkclarke

 

 

This seems like the only appropriate reaction.....

 

Especially with @YaManSmevz, comparison with me to Marty McFly on the regular - and how he thinks every time I say "Doc!" It's just like Marty, although I think that's hilarious, and the idea of that really does make me laugh.

 

I must admit I did I have a slight little inkling that I would probably have at the very least been in the running for that award.

 

I couldn't be happier that you ended up enjoying Crack in Time as much as you did though.

 

You know what though? You've added to my backlog just as much as I've added to yours.........  and I love that though!  Bearing that in mind though - and I absolutely mean this with all the sincerity I have - I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

Seriously mate, I really  wouldn't have it any other way - you know what else? We started our respective checklists literally a day apart, so we've had almost five whole months less of the year to actually add to each others backlogs. So I'm looking forward to a full year of backlog adding from both of us in the year to come! ?

 

I'm not sure how I managed to wangle getting you to pick up a Snooker title, I really ought to get that Encyclopedia Snookeria published I guess

 

Without sounding too much like I'm parroting everyone else.

 

Thanks for all the fun, and the interesting reads over the past half a year, it has been an absolute blast to read, and follow along with. I've enjoyed all of it, whether it's the descent into talking about obscure films or books in my thread or shooting the breeze about some of our favourite games here, it has been such a joy. It really has, it's refreshing to see someone always looking for the positives out of the things that they play. I always get a little frustrated when I see people just incessantly complaining about the things they are playing, it genuinely makes me wonder why they are even bothering.

 

On 17/12/2021 at 1:24 PM, DrBloodmoney said:

I don't go around deliberately disliking games, or being inflammatory about games other people like, just to be different or contrarian. If anything, the opposite is true - I'm the guy who likes games too much, and try to find the good in everything... often to a fault!

 

This is something that you and I share - and I'm very glad that we do, but I do worry it's going to get me in trouble one day, when I wax lyrical about something that has very obvious flaws, that I could look past. Someone else plays it, and then wants to hunt me down and hit me on the head with a block of wood, or something sharper and more painful. 

 

This one is very me specific. However, thank you for putting my mind at ease on so many occasions, that you don't have to limit how much you are writing, so long as you are saying all that you want to say - it's just you and I clearly have a whole bunch to say sometimes. Well - that, and being a massive part of me re-finding some of my passion for writing, I've told you before that one of the reasons  I started my own checklist was to get a bit of pressure free writing practice. The pandemic  had all but beaten a lot of that passion out of me (seriously, I hadn't felt creative for the better part of a year,) but the huge quality of your output, has absolutely inspired me to get better and improve, and I think most importantly to look forward to approaching my keyboard, instead of trepidatious and anxious about the whole thing, which I had been, so honestly thank you so much for that!

 

Huh I barely mentioned games in this whole post, but that's fine, the awards were a pleasure to read - but I think you should absolutely be the main focus from me here, on this one, WE as readers are the real winners here. We've had over half a year of eye opening, opinion sharing, obscure title unearthing, so many fascinating discussions too.

 

We should all raise a glass of our favourite alcoholic, or non alcoholic beverage.......

 

....... in the words of Joan Baez. "Here's to you"

 

It's been a pleasure man! It really has.

 

Bring on DrBloodmoney Game Awards 2022 

 

 

Edited December 19, 2021 by rjkclarke

[MidnightDragon]

Nice checklist. I haven’t read everything yet, but will do so when I’m slacking off at work tomorrow.  

[DrBloodmoney]

On 17/12/2021 at 4:17 PM, Copanele said:

I agree even with THIS:

 

 

If it was eligible (sadly I platinumed it in 2020 so it won't count for my upcoming list), I would also add it as my 3rd ...

....3rd worst game I ever played in 2021  Sorry, I love horses, but I still wish Agro would be turned into salami.

Doesn't meant I don't recognize your acquired taste here  it's just that if I see one more failed grab, one more stupid horse turn, I might reformat my PS4 drive. With a hammer.

 

? I figured that one might trigger your equine PTSD - oh Agro, I still love you, but man, do you need to learn how to deal with small ledges!

 

It's true of course - the big bonus of that great remake is being able to experience the best things about SotC without them being bogged down by technical stuff - but that impact only works if you liked the good parts to begin with - It's like a book.... if you hated the story in the dog-eared, weather-beaten paperback copy you found in a hedge, then you aren't gonna like it any more in a beautiful, illustrated, leather-bound hardback-copy on high-stock paper!

 

 

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This one surprised me big time however, but not from the reason you would expect.

It is also my main Nope of the entire year.

I played Ghost of Tsushima at a friend's house, I was previously decided to buy it and experience this Japanese Odyssey for myself. He loaded up the game and went to buy some stuff to eat. I pressed some buttons, marveled at the graphics, walked around, did some fights...

...and I fell asleep. I did have my coffee and my 8 hours beauty sleep in the night prior, but the game bored me this much that I instantly fell asleep.

Therefore, I am surprised and mad amused that this game is also a Nope for you  what were the odds!

 

That is curious - I must admit, that one is the closest I came to wondering "do I just leave this one out..." as I didn't want someone to scroll down, see that, and assume I'm one of those curmudgeonly hot-take machines who's "reviews" are all just negative take-down pieces, designed, presumably, to show how much they hate their own hobby  ?

(I sometimes wonder if Lorde was talking about some gamers when she wrote the lyric "It's a new art form, showin' people how little we care (yeah)" ?)

 

Glad to see it was takin in the spirit it was intended, and that I wasn't the only one to come to that conclusion - even if we took different paths to get there!

 

 

 

 

14 hours ago, rjkclarke said:

 

I loved reading the entire thing obviously, I particularly enjoyed the Ear Candy section, well and one other section, but I'll get to that ...... Still as a mole person, it was nice to read about some of the better elements of some of those games. I am one of the few people who you could probably literally sell a game to  on decent sound design and foley work. I already owned Mass Effect: Andromeda, but I definitely want to play it that little bit more, just on the basis of how strong that department is.

 

I really like it when I get to give some props to games that aren't likely to be making off with a ton of accolades, but do one thing really well - and sticking Andromeda on that list was a super easy decision really - definitely the only one on there that really made it primarily based on foley work, and well deserved!

 

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Seriously mate, I really  wouldn't have it any other way - you know what else? We started our respective checklists literally a day apart, so we've had almost five whole months less of the year to actually add to each others backlogs. So I'm looking forward to a full year of backlog adding from both of us in the year to come!

 

Haha - that's true, god help my wallet in the coming year - it's taken a pounding so far! ?

(having my kind of wish-list is a serious danger now - I was confined to car, waiting for like 20 minutes last night, and just scrolling my wish-list for what is discounted in the sales right now.... 

....and I 'accidentally' bought like 20 games! )

 

 

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This is something that you and I share - and I'm very glad that we do, but I do worry it's going to get me in trouble one day, when I wax lyrical about something that has very obvious flaws, that I could look past. Someone else plays it, and then wants to hunt me down and hit me on the head with a block of wood, or something sharper and more painful. 

 

Tell me about it - the number of times I see takes on here where the same folks are just bashing every game they play, left right and centre, I just think "well... have you ever considered knitting? or football? Or.... I don't know... jigsaws? 'Cause you sure don't seem to like videogames!" ?

 

 

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This one is very me specific. However, thank you for putting my mind at ease on so many occasions, that you don't have to limit how much you are writing, so long as you are saying all that you want to say - it's just you and I clearly have a whole bunch to say sometimes. Well - that, and being a massive part of me re-finding some of my passion for writing, I've told you before that one of the reasons  I started my own checklist was to get a bit of pressure free writing practice. The pandemic  had all but beaten a lot of that passion out of me (seriously, I hadn't felt creative for the better part of a year,) but the huge quality of your output, has absolutely inspired me to get better and improve, and I think most importantly to look forward to approaching my keyboard, instead of trepidatious and anxious about the whole thing, which I had been, so honestly thank you so much for that!

 

Dude - tell me about it. These reviews have been as much about keeping some writing sharpness as anything else -  I've barely written a single page of fiction for well over a year - the routine-knock that Covid did has not fully recovered, and I need a new normal if I'm ever going to get back in that swing!

 

 

 

 

 

On 17/12/2021 at 3:46 PM, GonzoWARgasm said:

( I assume you'll cool down on this site for a few weeks and pick back up again in the new year)...

 

This brings up a point...

 

☢️☢️SUPER SCIENTIFIC UPDATE☢️☢️

 

Over the festive period, Science shall be entering....

 

 

I'm not 100% sure how I'll be handling this thread over the next few weeks - I'll be playing games a fair amount no doubt, and will like be on this site plenty... (there's only so many different ways to distract from compulsory family visit times, and using a phone is the primary one! ?)... but will likely not have the free alone time to do much in the way of reviews.

 

As such, my plan is to just play away, build up a fair few new reviews, then in the early part of the new year, I'll do a batch or two to catch up on those, before getting back into the swing of the older reviews and the few outstanding requests.

 

 

Edited December 20, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Arcesius]

So, my weekends don't really give me much time to browse PSNP, so my response is a bit late... But regardless, I read your awards thing and man, once again the reading didn't disappoint! But this time not only in terms of literary class, of which one can only have the highest expectations when it comes to your own writing, Doc, but also in terms of presentation. I dig the banners for each category, and the fun modifications on the trophy symbols for the "bad ratings", the presentation... Just a fantastic review of how 2021 has been for you. 

 

My biggest surprise is that RAD didn't make it into the "worst trophy list" category ? I can only imagine how bad the winners must be... 

 

As for It Takes Two... Damn... I don't know how close we are to the ending (probably not that close yet), but I am not looking forward to finishing that one! 

 

 

What I'm particularly happy about, obviously, is to have added four games to your backlog ? All four very different, yet fantastic games. I can't wait for your reviews once you get to them next year!  

[DrBloodmoney]

17 minutes ago, Arcesius said:

So, my weekends don't really give me much time to browse PSNP, so my response is a bit late... But regardless, I read your awards thing and man, once again the reading didn't disappoint! But this time not only in terms of literary class, of which one can only have the highest expectations when it comes to your own writing, Doc, but also in terms of presentation. I dig the banners for each category, and the fun modifications on the trophy symbols for the "bad ratings", the presentation... Just a fantastic review of how 2021 has been for you. 

 

Thank you man!

 

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My biggest surprise is that RAD didn't make it into the "worst trophy list" category  I can only imagine how bad the winners must be... 

 

You know - I did consider RAD - particularly when thinking about Void Bastards, as they are both rogue-likes that are really good in the main game, but made a bit more burdensome by the trophies... but the reason I didn't end up putting RAD on there was, in fact, partly down to you, my friend!

 

I spent some time thinking about the games in terms of "What ones would the trophy lists be most detrimental to the experience, even if you knew all the info ahead of time?" - and because you actually outlined a way to "jimmy" the RNG a bit, I figured RAD actually gets softened a little!

I figured,  if someone were to read your method ahead of time (and didn't do what I did, which was not look at the list, and so not even bother looking out for the quests until they were nearly done with all other trophies... ) then they could probably save themselves a lot of the pain-in-the-ass parts of the grind. 

 

With Void Bastards, however, it's not that the list is bad because of RNG or grind - it's that the least fun runs are all quite similar, and don't stack the way 99.999% of games would make them do. There is really no justification for a "No Weapons of any kind" run not also unlocking all the other "No Weapons of X kind" at the same time - and that, to me, is a more egregious oversight on the part of the developer in trophy implementation.

RAD's issues are simply randomness in the game, and the trophies just reflect, and are made irritating as a result of, that.

With Void Bastards, the issue is purely as a result of the trophy implementation and nothing else, so I think it's worse - even if the resulting irritation was a little less on my personal part!

 

 

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As for It Takes Two... Damn... I don't know how close we are to the ending (probably not that close yet), but I am not looking forward to finishing that one! 

 

Hey - look on the bright side - knowing there's a bad ending coming, you can enjoy what is really the most fun part of It Takes Two with MsArc - making fun of Cody and May, free of the potential for guilt after the fact! ?

 

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What I'm particularly happy about, obviously, is to have added four games to your backlog  All four very different, yet fantastic games. I can't wait for your reviews once you get to them next year!  

 

Thank you for your service bud - my backlog salutes you! ?

Edited December 21, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Shrooba]

Well written Awards Ceremony, doc! ? I don't have a tuxedo and tie, I'm wearing a standard shirt and shorts, but I hope that's formal enough for the occasion! ?

 

Here's to a good 2022 with more great games to discover, and more scientific retrospectives on your games! Every game you play is part of your likings, dislikings, and everything in between, and seeing our past games is always an important part of what we've enjoyed. You've put in a great amount of attention to detail, and like Arcesius says, the banners are a great touch, but it also shows you put a good amount of time into it. Nicely done, and I look forward to what's next!

[DrBloodmoney]

 

 

 

SCIENTIFIC RE-CERTIFICATION!

 

A little update here, necessitated by the DLC addition to a previously ranked game, who's DLC I have now earned, re-qualifying it for the main list!

 

 

  

Superliminal - "New Modes Added" DLC

 

Summary:

So after a slightly rocky initial launch (in which the addition of this DLC introduced a rather serious autosaving bug to the main game...) Pillow Castle Games - to their credit - got a patch out within the week, and got everything sorted out, allowing me to sample the new DLC bug-free!

 

The New Modes DLC adds 2 new menu items to the game, unlocked after a full completion file is saved - A Developer Commentary mode, and a Challenge Mode.

 

Firstly, on the Developer Commentary Mode. I think this is a great idea. It's a concept I've seen implemented a few times before, (I believe Bioshock had some version of this in some of it's releases, and I want to say one of the Portal games had something similar...)

I am a fan generally of "making of" documentaries, behind-the-curtain discussion, and getting to hear some of the aspects of the media I enjoy that were tricky or interesting or fun to create. (I'm the guy who bought the full Lord of the Rings Extended DVDs primarily for the extra's discs, and the extended cuts of the actual films were a secondary bonus!) 

The gaming version of these commentaries is pretty well implemented here - because, unlike a film, the pace of a game is determined by the user, the developers do not simply speak at set points, but rather the game implements "beacons" throughout the game, interaction with which will trigger behind-the-scenes insights into the particular aspect of the game in question.

 

Due to the unusual nature of Superliminal's mechanics, a lot of these insights from various members of the team - the writers, programmers, sound designers, composer etc. - are often fascinating. I must admit though, I do think the concept is a little underused. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I actually found I would have happily had far more detail and far more in-depth discussion of some of the elements. While the developer commentary is good, and brings up some particularly interesting aspects I had never considered when playing, a lot of the time they tend to amount to "this was a problem we had to solve", without the "...and here's the journey we went on to solve it". 

I, for example, found the sound engineer comments on having to come up with "smooth transitions" of sound-types for the same falling object, when said object can be changed by the player from the size of a fingernail to the size of a building, and everywhere in between fascinating. I'd love to hear about some examples, or what he did to figure that out, or what the failed versions were, or the solutions they came up with... if only they would tell me!

While I accept that would likely mean the player would need to wait around for a while for the discussion to finish, I would argue that if a player is already invested enough to play in a Developer Commentary Mode, they want to hear you, guys! Tell us more!

 

 

The Other half of this DLC is the Challenge Mode. In this mode, the whole game is replayed, but most puzzles (not all, as some puzzles are rather unsuited to the premise, but most,) are given a set number of jumps, and a set number of "object interactions". Remaining under or within the limit of these will complete that challenge.

 

This is really the meaty section of the DLC - and it is something of an interesting dilemma for review. As a part of the main game - if I were playing now, for the first time with this DLC installed, I genuinely believe it would be a great addition to the game. However, having already achieved the platinum over a year before, I don't really think it adds much to the experience - beyond the simple pleasure of replaying an excellent game.  

 

The reason, really, is the Speedrun trophy in the main game's trophy list.

Because the speed run requirement in the main list is quite strict, it actually necessitates a lot of the same solutions that the challenge mode asks. Because the player is required to come up with very streamlined, smart methods of solving each puzzle in order to achieve the speed run time, and will likely have repeated each puzzle multiple times in order to finesse these, it is arguable that most, if not all, the additional challenge added by the challenge mode will actually be second nature to them by the time they play the DLC. Certainly, I found only 2 or 3 puzzles throughout the challenge mode really required me to do anything wildly different than I would have done anyway, as I had already put in that work a year ago, and Superliminal is such a memorable game, that these were engrained in my brain already!

 

As a result, I think for a new player, playing Superliminal now - the Challenge Mode is a great thing. Played after completing the game once, it will give added challenge, while honing their skills for the speed run without the stress of a ticking clock. It could provide a smoother difficulty curve, letting them practice pure efficiency, before they are required to combine efficiency and speed.

 

However, as an added bonus after the fact, it is, really, just a replay through the same game, with a few very minor tweaks.

 

Overall, New Modes Added is certainly not a bad DLC - I genuinely welcome the Developer Commentary (and wish there was more of it - both in this game, and in other games!), and I think the Challenge Mode is a great addition for newcomers to the game, or those who have not yet achieved the Speed-run trophy, and want a good way to practice for it. However, those with the full platinum already should note - they are likely to find "Challenge Mode" not much of a.... well.... challenge!

 

 

 

Re-Ranking:

While the DLC modes are a worthy add-on for the game, and certainly doesn't reduce the Scientific Standing of Superliminal, I look at the placement it currently has, and don't really feel it warrants moving it further up the Ranking either at this point.

Superliminal already enjoys a nice placement - and I think, even with the DLC added, that position is perfectly suited!

 

 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[DrBloodmoney]

A little End of Year (ish) Thank You Missive! 

 

So, as we head into 2022, I feel compelled to write a little note of appreciation to those folks in and around this thread in particular - and in the Checklist CommunityTM generally!

 

So, I've been a user of PSNProfiles as a site for a good long while. I joined in 2013, primarily after the unceremonious disappearance of the trophy tracking site I had used prior to that... (I wish I could remember what it was called, but the mere fact that I can't is a pretty strong testimony to the strength of this site!)... but I use the term "User" rather than "Member" quite deliberately.

 

As much as I felt I had found a good site for the many years prior to 2021, and one in which I thought the community was nice enough and welcoming enough for a middle-aged fart like myself to be able to wax lyrical about games and not be too intimidated by the Big Beasts of the Leaderboards, I very much tended to be a "hit-n-run" kind of poster - I'd use the tracking and statistical side of the site often, but in terms of the forums, I would hop in on occasion, say my half-formed opinions, and then skedaddle, before anything got terribly far into the weeds!

 

 

With lock-downs in full force in 2021, however, I finally decided that keeping my writing skills sharp by starting a checklist would be a fun little distraction.

I expected, at most, maybe 2 or 3 nice folks to check in every now and again.... and probably dip in, say a little something, then be on their way - and I would have been more than fine with that!

 

What I didn't expect, was for it to become the monster project, it has become, the genuinely fun, community driven good time it has become, and - most importantly - a wedge through which I have discovered the warm embrace of a whole side of the community that I have really come to love being a small part of!

 

Prior to getting into the Checklist side of PSNP, my relationship with the site was just that - a relationship with a site. Now, almost a year into this, I feel it's more than that - I feel I have genuine relationships to individual people within that site, as well as a much richer and more fulfilling relationship with all the aspects of the site proper!

 

From the very early posts on this thread - where @Copanele, @GonzoWARgasm, @Cleggworth, @rjkclarke& @JoesusHCrust were incredibly supportive right from the get go  that washed off any initial fear or reticence about putting my opinions on game up in a public spotlight.

(In particular the enthusiastic welcome from @Copanele was a huge reason this thread taking off - his own Checklist was (and remains) one of the Big Beasts of this side of the site, and that welcome meant a great deal, man!)

 

 

I just want to stick a real massive thanks to all the folks who have been a part of this thread-  those listed above, along with @Arcesius, @YaManSmevz, @Grotz99, @Slava, @pinkrobot_pb, @Together_Comic, @The_Kopite, @Joe Dubz, @GraniteSnake, @elpoko, @det_gittes, @Glorious Fury, @Shrooba, @PlutoRico , @Destructor-8 , @grayhammmer , @Briste... as well as all the other folks I'm 100% sure I'm missing out!

 

It's been insanely gratifying - and more than a little baffling! - to see how much my own reviews have increased in length, and in detail over time, and a lot of that is testament to how many of you have been following along - I know I'm putting way more effort into these now, as I know others are giving their hard-won time to read them, and I need to measure up to that responsibility! ??

 

 

 

It's not just been this thread that I'm thankful for though - far from it!

Starting this thread may have been my "way in" to feeling like apart of this site, rather than an observer of it - but it was only that - a way in.

 

Having become a part of this, has meant a sideways entrance into a scene that was thriving long before I dipped my toe in the water - and has led me into being a follower of so many amazing threads here!

 

Following along with the various checklists, from @Copanele, @Cassylvania;s and @Arcesius awesome ones that were the catalyst for my own, to  @rjkclarke's one that started within a day of my own, (and has resulted in more metric tonnage being added to my wish-list than any other!) @Together_Comic's, @Briste's, @DrunkEngineer's ones, @ExistentialSolid's crazy Destruction challenge, @yuber1234's Fighting game specific one, or @Destructor-8's Racing thread, @GonzoWARgasm's full-blown magazine spreads, @KindaSabbath's, @Baker's, @realm722's amazing curated list of the wierd and obscure, or @YaManSmevz, @popnheart & @MissShake's newer ones...

 

...the whole year has been filled, top to bottom, with awesome takes, new games, recommendations, and un-reccomendations - and best of all, just a load of great discussion about the thing we're all here fore GAMES GAMES GAMES!

 

 

 

 

Even beyond the checklists, being suddenly thrust into a new group of game-savvy chaps, many of whom I consider real friends now, has more than pushed across the threshold, finally sampling some of the Community Events in the site - participation in @Beyondthegrave07's Trophies for Cancer Event was such a ton of fun, that I've already signed up for @Squirlruler's Bingo Bonanza Event for next year, along with @Rebourne07's Platinum Difficulty Challenge, and a whole host of the ongoing A-Z Challenges!

 

If anyone were ever in any doubt about the power of the Checklist Community to slam someone full force into the PSNP Community at large, one only need look at a "Before and After" shot (courtesy of the Wayback Machine) of a profile...

 

 

 

...it took me 8 years to amass about 4000 rep points... and 10 months of being a participant in this side of the site, to more than triple that... ???

How the hell did that happen?! ??

 

 

 

 

 

It's not about the numbers though - as we all know.

It's about the people - and being very happy to be one of them, and to know the rest of them!

 

Here's to all you fine folks, and to a great gaming 2022!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[Shrooba]

Well written, doc! Well written. I raise my glass to you on the occasion! ?
In all seriousness though, these checklists are one of the best places in the forum; not only are they encouraging, but it allows people to be themselves. I've lurked other threads on this site and they're rife with drama about the leaderboards and the quality of games etc etc... but here, people play what they want, and they're free to discuss them how they like. In that regard, this side of the forums opens up the ability to not only find awesome games to check out, but also awesome people! You're one of them, man! Your thread is filled with a ton of effort, and that's an understatement! Every time you release reviews in batches, there's a lot of love put into each game you discuss, and I can only imagine how much time it'd take to write about each and every one. But that leads back to the passion of these threads; we talk about what these games mean to us. To me, these threads are the heart and soul of PSNProfiles. For every one of these checklists I visit, I see people inspired about what they play, getting motivation when they're stuck on tough challenges, and ranking games they've experienced with the input of the community!

Great work @DrBloodmoney, and here's to a great 2022! ???

Edited December 29, 2021 by Shrooba