Tanonero's quest to maintaining a completionist profile

[tanonero]

 

I've always been inclined to complete games to 100%. I remember dedicating entire afternoons trying to persistently find all Hidden Packages in GTA Vice City back when the Internet wasn't a thing in my home and no guide was available. When PSN Trophies were introduced, they represented a dream come true, a digital way to keep track and showcase my completionist instinct. 

 

My approach consists of going for games that I think I would like, from which I won't move on until they are fully completed (DLC trophies included), regardless of the challenges. My only self-imposed "rule" is that I will complete only one version of a game (no stacking, no autopopping, and no remastered/remake version of a game if I have completed the vanilla version and vice-versa). And no shovelware of course. 

 

Feel free to suggest more games to complete, especially towards full franchise completion. 

 

LIST OF GAMES TO COMPLETE

 

Spoiler

 #214: Returnal

 

 Returnal: Ascension

 

  #215: Marvel's Midnight Suns

 

  Marvel’s Midnight Suns: The Good, the Bad, and the Undead

 

  Marvel’s Midnight Suns: Redemption

 

  Marvel's Midnight Suns: The Hunger 

 

  Marvel’s Midnight Suns: Blood Storm 

 

 #216: Lost Judgement

 

  Lost Judgment: Detective Essentials Pack 

 

 Lost Judgment: The Kaito Files

 

 #217: Yakuza: Like a Dragon

 

 

LIST OF COMPLETED GAMES

 

2023 (from #198/198 to #202/202)

 

Spoiler

#198/198

 

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus

 

Short but sweet. The Ryno playing Night on Bald Mountain while shooting was the highlight of the game for me.

 

#199/199 and #200/200

 

  

 

Twisted Metal + Twisted Metal 2

 

Inspired by this video, I decided to make more use of PS Plus Premium and play the two PS1 Twisted Metal games for the first time. While I don't think these have aged particularly well, I can see how they could be a source of mindless fun back in the day. I enjoyed completing the respective campaigns once, before grinding out victories on the last battle with all characters. Trophy-wise, both are short and straightforward, especially the first entry.

 

#201/201

 

 

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince

 

After looking for a couch co-op game available via Extra to play together, I and the wifey settled for this one because of its art and puzzle design looking interesting enough. Trophy-wise, it's straightforward, asking to complete all levels and pick up all collectables, the latter being made simple by a handy chapter select feature. We pledged not to look at any guide to solve the puzzles and got temporarily stuck in a few of those. Combat is shallow and I wish it were more refined within a more balanced gameplay experience. Overall, it's an enjoyable couch co-op platinum journey, and I'll check out more games from the Trine series. As a heads-up, Trophies unlock only for player 1.

 

#202/202

 

 

 

Destroy All Humans 2! Reprobed 

 

I and the wife were again looking for a local co-op experience. We didn't know anything about this game and we decided to play it for its open-world formula. I liked the humour and the design/art style of the maps, and somewhat disliked the repetitive nature of the gameplay, especially towards the end. The game is also a little glitchy when it comes to registering objectives' completion, and mildly prone to crashes and game-breaking bugs. Other than that, nothing is missable, and the trophy list features a nice balance of miscellaneous, collectables, and completion-related trophies. Trophies unlock only for the host.

 

2024 (from #203/203 onwards)

 

Spoiler

#203/203

 

 

God of War: Ascension 

 

This one kicked my ass until it didn't. It was great to go back to the old, Greek-mythologised, Kratos. I had forgotten the fixed camera and the use of the right stick for dodging, which required some time to re-familiarise. With this, I've now completed all the GoW games I can access with my current hardware (PS5 only).

 

#204/204

 

  

 

Nobody Saves the World + Frozen Heart

 

Another game completed in couch co-op. Without PS Plus, I probably wouldn't have tried this game. It's an enjoyable dungeon-crawling RPG with witty writing and exciting, chaotic combat. The standout feature is the level-up system, which lets players combine abilities from different characters while preserving a unique identity through signature abilities. Base game trophies are straightforward, and the DLC adds a bit more challenge, but a guide and maxed-out upgrades can make them easy, too. I highly recommend it as a PS Essential game.

 

#205/205

 

 

Judgment

 

Perhaps because the most recent Yakuza games I had played were Yakuza 3, 4, and 5, which are notoriously rough around the edges, I found Judgment to be polished and refined to a surprising extent. The game features numerous quality-of-life improvements and introduces a new friendship system that enhances the appeal of open-world activities. The traditional minigames, including pool and darts, play more smoothly and are more user-friendly compared to the aforementioned remastered versions, making it easier to fulfil completion requirements. Nonetheless, the completion list and requirements are still massive and the grind is substantial, personally clocking in at 105 hours for the platinum. As is characteristic of Yakuza games, the story is stellar, featuring a mix of pathos and thrilling twists and turns, but also spaced out by the usual silliness of the substories, which create the mixed tone the Yakuza games are known for. As a video game, absolutely recommended.

 

#206/206

 

 

Final Fantasy VIII

 

Perhaps because I somehow skipped the Final Fantasy games from the PlayStation 1 Golden Age, I never developed that affection for the franchise that most gamers my age have. However, I've been wanting to give this franchise a proper chance for a while. After a quick look at my library, I chose to play FFVIII as a representative of that Golden Age and as a follow-up to the only other Final Fantasy game I've played, VII Remake, while also scratching my current itch for retrogaming. Although the tone of the story and character interactions didn't always align with my taste, I found the game charming overall, especially with its fantastic pre-rendered backgrounds. Gameplay-wise, the Junction system seemed convoluted at first, but after getting familiar with it, it became almost enjoyable. On the other hand, spreading Triple Triad's rules to different regions proved to be more complicated than I'd hoped for, and I ended up spending more time than I'd like to admit trying unsuccessfully to manipulate these rules. The bottom line is that I plan to complete more Final Fantasy games in the future.

 

#207/207

 

    

 

Gotham Knights + Heroic Assault + The KELVIN IncidentI

 

I am not entirely sure about what pushed me to play this, perhaps the lukewarm reception that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League received, which made me realise that we might have to wait until Insomniac's Wolverine or Arkane Lyon's Blade for a great superhero game. Overall, I think this game received more hate than it deserved, possibly because people were expecting, perhaps rightfully so, a new Arkham game. In fact, Gotham Knights' capital sin is having an atmosphere, a combat system, a story, and a gameplay that fall short of the Arkham games. Additionally, the game introduced a numbers-heavy loot system and online coop elements that moved away even more from the Arkham formula. Despite this, I fairly enjoyed the content and the gameplay. I believe that the key to enjoyment is to view it, on its own merit, as a standalone passable superhero game, rather than comparing it to idealised expectations. I liked the concept of the patrolling nights and, especially, the lore, but the game doesn't particularly excel in any area. The two DLCs added an enjoyable challenge, encouraging me to master the combat, despite the repetitive and lacklustre environments and objectives.

 

#208/208

 

     

 

Rally Cross

 

It's always fun to play these PlayStation 1 Classics with Trophy support. This was the first time I played Rally Cross, and I started to enjoy it only after I got used to the clunky control and physics. The Rewind feature saved me from more than a headache, and I can see this game being a source of great frustration without it.

 

#209/209

 

     

 

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

 

Had my eyes on this since the PS showcase. It draws some mechanics from various well-established franchises, such as Uncharted for its yellow painting-led one-button climbing and Horizon for its stamina-free dodge, which are delivered in a safe package. Importantly, don't be fooled by its family-friendly art style or its dreamy score; this game is tough as nails, but in a fun way, rewarding both skill and quick thinking, at least in a normal difficulty playthrough. In the NG+ Master Difficulty playthrough, things take a turn for the worse, and the game can become quite frustrating, with the protagonist feeling significantly underpowered. Alongside the rewarding combat, the sound design is also particularly commendable, but there also are some questionable design choices, such as the use of the game currency that is only used for minor cosmetic changes. By the end of the game, I found myself with over 3000 of these Crystal, unsure of what to do with them.

 

#210/210 and #211/211

 

      

 

Jet Moto and Jet Moto 2

 

Another two from the Premium catalogue. I seem to have a thing for old arcade-style racing games recently. These fit that bill perfectly. I enjoyed their arcade feeling, epitomised by the concept of all-terrain hoverbikes and the magnetic grapple feature for quick turning, which seems particularly innovative. There's a nice mix of tracks, environments, and characters, and great soundtracks. Both games were quick and easy to plat.

 

#212/212

 

      

 

Trine: Enchanted Edition

 

Another one from the Trine series. This game was bound to be played at some point as I and the wifey look regularly for couch co-op games to play together. Playing games out of release order sometimes prevents an appreciation of the evolution of the design and mechanics in different franchise iterations. For this reason, Trine: Enchanted Edition felt like a step back from Trine 4, especially in terms of puzzle design. Puzzles feel less sophisticated and give the impression of being solvable by pure luck and exploiting tactics, rather than requiring some thinking and precise deployment of each character's main ability. Still, the game remains a fun couch co-op experience, especially in this market lacking enticing exemplars. On a positive note, there's a fairly difficult trophy to spice things up ("Better Than Developers!").

 

#213/213

 

      

 

A Plague Tale: Requiem

 

I fairly enjoyed the first game, A Plague Tale: Innocence, for its visual design and story, but at the time I also hoped for a more diverse and deep combat system in a possible sequel. Well, A Plague Tale: Requiem surpasses its predecessor not only in terms of combat but in any aspect and to a remarkable extent. The combat system is more refined, finally enabling stealth kills, which were sorely missed in the first game, and implemented in much larger "arenas". Skills progression is based on playstyle, but it's rather convoluted in its implementation, namely, on the number of kills in each encounter, which requires the players to consult a guide to see how many enemies to kill in each encounter to max out everything. The more power of the PS5 also means many many more rats, which in this game reach grotesque amounts. On a more negative point, navigation in open spaces can be quite confusing and in the first few chapters, I find myself stuck at a checkpoint with no option to proceed (that I could see). Based on rumours and the post-credit scene, it seems that a third iteration of A Plague Tale might happen, so I'm looking forward to that.

 

#214/214

 

       

 

Returnal + Ascension

 

I've debated for a long time whether to play this game, afraid that I wouldn't like the roguelike style. While roguelike still has a long way to go before becoming my favourite genre, as I am fond of permanent character development and builds, this game is nothing short of phenomenal and is easily one of the best first-party games available on PS5.

 

The game looks and runs fantastically, and particular praise should go to the excellent sound design. Returnal can also be notoriously challenging, where mistakes are heavily punished and good runs can be quickly ruined by even minor missteps. Luckily, the suspend feature that was retroactively added, together with the almost non-existent loading times, makes everything more manageable.

 

The completionist side, however, can be extremely tedious, with heavy RNG elements involved and repeated runs for collectables that contradict the way the game was intended to be played.

 

The Ascension DLC makes for a great opportunity to get more of the fantastic gameplay in a more arcade and fast-paced setting.

 

 

Edited April 26 by tanonero
Update

[Super_Mep]

8 minutes ago, tanonero said:

Hi all, I've always been inclined to to 100% games. I remember dedicating entire afternoons trying to find all Hidden Packages in GTA Vice City back when the Internet wasn't a thing in my home. When PSN Trophies were introduced, they represented a dream come true, a digital way to keep track and showcase my completionist instinct. 

My approach consists of selecting games that I think I would like, from which I won't move on until they are fully completed, regardless of the challenges. My only self-imposed "rule" is that I will complete only one version of a game (no stacking and no remastered/remake version of a game if I have completed the vanilla and vice-versa). 

 

This is a list of the games I want to complete next:
#199: God of War: Ascension 
#200: Twisted Metal 
#201: Twisted Metal 2 
#202: Judgement 

More games to come. 

I've just completed my 198th game: Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus. Short but sweet. The Ryno playing Night on Bald Mountain while shooting was the highlight of the game for me.

Why the rule on no remastered versions? Just curious. Look forward to seeing your progress!

[LukeTheGooner]

best of luck keeping it at 100%, impressive stuff

[tanonero]

Just now, Super_Mep said:

Why the rule on no remastered versions? Just curious. Look forward to seeing your progress!

Because there are so many games that I want to play I always prefer playing something new. It works either way. If I know that a remastered/remake version of a game that I plan to play is coming out, I will wait until then. 

[Super_Mep]

34 minutes ago, tanonero said:

Because there are so many games that I want to play I always prefer playing something new. It works either way. If I know that a remastered/remake version of a game that I plan to play is coming out, I will wait until then. 

I gotcha makes sense. Do you prefer to play the original over a remake or remaster? Or vice versa? Perfect example would be the 2016 version of Ratchet and Clank vs the OG since it came to PS Plus with trophy support.

Edited November 26, 2023 by Super_Mep
Typo

[tanonero]

13 minutes ago, Super_Mep said:

I gotcha makes sense. Do you prefer to play the original over a remake or remaster? Or vice versa? Perfect example would be the 2016 version of Rachet and Clank vs the OG since it came to PS Plus with trophy support.

It's almost always the remastered/remake version. Not only because they are more polished and modernised, but also because they tend not to have online trophies when the original does, and I am not particularly fond of them. 😇 For instance, I waited for a long time for a remastered version of The Last of Us, Uncharted 4, or Red Dead Redemption 1 with no online trophies. 

About the specific example you made, once I subscribed to Premium and had access to the original HD trilogy of Ratchet and Clank, I didn't play the first entry because I had already played the 2016 remake, but at that point, I kind of wish I hadn't because the original trilogy is fantastic. 😅

Edited November 26, 2023 by tanonero

[Super_Mep]

13 minutes ago, tanonero said:

It's almost always the remastered/remake version. Not only because they are more polished and modernised, but also because they tend not to have online trophies when the original does, and I am not particularly fond of them. 😇 For instance, I waited for a long time for a remastered version of The Last of Us, Uncharted 4, or Red Dead Redemption 1 with no online trophies. 

About the specific example you made, once I subscribed to Premium and had access to the original HD trilogy of Ratchet and Clank, I didn't play the first entry because I had already played the 2016 remake, but at that point, I kind of wish I hadn't because the original trilogy is fantastic. 😅

In that particular example I tried going back to the original and just couldn't do it haha. But I have no nostalgia for the originals. Honestly the 2016 remake was the first genuine Ratchet game I played. I did play the All For One game on PS3 that I will highly recommend though.

[tanonero]

1 minute ago, Super_Mep said:

In that particular example I tried going back to the original and just couldn't do it haha. But I have no nostalgia for the originals. Honestly the 2016 remake was the first genuine Ratchet game I played. I did play the All For One game on PS3 that I will highly recommend though.

Fair enough, but there's something about older games that tickles my fancy. The 2016 remake was the first Rachet & Clank for me, too. All for One is another game for which I hope a version with no online trophies one day. 😅

[Super_Mep]

3 minutes ago, tanonero said:

Fair enough, but there's something about older games that tickles my fancy. The 2016 remake was the first Rachet & Clank for me, too. All for One is another game for which I hope a version with no online trophies one day. 😅

I wouldn't hold your breath they seemed to release that game then forgot about it. I will mention it's online is p2p and takes like 5 minutes to get the two online trophies. I'd even help you do it if you want. I've helped several people in the past haha.

[tanonero]

6 hours ago, Super_Mep said:

I wouldn't hold your breath they seemed to release that game then forgot about it. I will mention it's online is p2p and takes like 5 minutes to get the two online trophies. I'd even help you do it if you want. I've helped several people in the past haha.

Oh, thank you, that'd be great. Isn't the online region lock?

[Super_Mep]

1 hour ago, tanonero said:

Oh, thank you, that'd be great. Isn't the online region lock?

Not that I'm aware of. The only thing I remember doing was you have to get one of those online passes registered on your PS3 first before you can get online.

[tanonero]

I am going to throw in a bonus game to play with the wifey. After looking for a couch co-op game available via Extra to play together, we settled for this one because of its art and puzzle design looking interesting enough.

 BONUS: Trine: The Nightmare Prince

Edited March 27 by tanonero

[tanonero]

#199/199 and #200/200

 

   

 

Twisted Metal and Twisted Metal 2

 

Inspired by this video, I decided to make more use of PS Plus Premium and play the two PS1 Twisted Metal games for the first time. While I don't think these have aged particularly well, I can see how they could be a source of mindless fun back in the day. I enjoyed completing the respective campaigns once, before grinding out victories on the last battle with all characters. Trophy-wise, both are short and straightforward, especially the first entry. 

Edited March 27 by tanonero
Udpate

[Super_Mep]

6 hours ago, tanonero said:

#199/199 and #200/200

 

 Twisted Metal   Twisted Metal 2

 

Inspired by this video, I decided to make more use of PS Plus Premium and play the two PS1 Twisted Metal games for the first time. While I don't think these have aged particularly well, I can see how they could be a source of mindless fun back in the day. I enjoyed completing the respective campaigns once, before grinding out victories on the last battle with all characters. Trophy-wise, both are short and straightforward, especially the first entry. 

Because I have nostalgia for them they are on my list to go for but as you mentioned I'm sure they aged poorly. But hey they are quick so no harm no foul.

[tanonero]

8 minutes ago, Super_Mep said:

Because I have nostalgia for them they are on my list to go for but as you mentioned I'm sure they aged poorly. But hey they are quick so no harm no foul.

Yeah, managing the controls is half the battle, but the built-in rewind features makes it all much more manageable.

[Super_Mep]

1 hour ago, tanonero said:

Yeah, managing the controls is half the battle, but the built-in rewind features makes it all much more manageable.

That's how the first 30 mins or so of playing Syphon Filters was like for me then muscle memory from eons ago kicked in and I pushed right through them haha.

[tanonero]

#201/201

 

 

 

Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince

 

As said above, after looking for a couch co-op game available via Extra to play together, I and the wifey settled for this one because of its art and puzzle design looking interesting enough.  Trophy-wise, it's straightforward, asking to complete all levels and pick up all collectables, the latter being made simple by a handy chapter select feature. We pledged not to look at any guide to solve the puzzles and got temporarily stuck in a few of those. Combat is shallow and I wish it were more refined within a more balanced gameplay experience. Overall, it's an enjoyable couch co-op platinum journey, and I'll check out more games from the Trine series. As a heads-up, Trophies unlock only for player 1.

Edited March 27 by tanonero

[tanonero]

#202/202

 

  

 

Destroy All Humans 2! Reprobed 

 

I and the wife were again looking for a local co-op experience. We didn't know anything about this game and we decided to play it for its open-world formula. I liked the humour and the design/art style of the maps, and somewhat disliked the repetitive nature of the gameplay, especially towards the end. The game is also a little glitchy when it comes to registering objectives' completion, and mildly prone to crashes and game-breaking bugs. Other than that, nothing is missable, and the trophy list features a nice balance of miscellaneous, collectables, and completion-related trophies. Trophies unlock only for the host.

Edited March 27 by tanonero

[tanonero]

#203/203

 

  

 

God of War: Ascension 

 

This one kicked my ass until it didn't. It was great to go back to the old, Greek-mythologised, Kratos. I had forgotten the feeling of the fixed camera and the use of the right stick for dodging, which required some time to re-familiarise. With this, I've now completed all the GoW games I can access with my current hardware (PS5 only).

Edited March 27 by tanonero

[tanonero]

#204/204

 

   

 

Nobody Saves the World + Frozen Heart

 

 

Another game completed in couch co-op. Without PS Plus, I probably wouldn't have tried this game. It's an enjoyable dungeon-crawling RPG with witty writing and chaotic combat. The standout feature is the level-up system, which lets players combine abilities from different characters while preserving a unique identity through signature abilities. Base game trophies are straightforward, and the DLC adds a bit more challenge, but a guide and maxed-out upgrades can make them easy, too. I highly recommend it as a PS Essential game.

Edited March 27 by tanonero

[tanonero]

#205/205

 

 

 

Judgment

 

Perhaps because the most recent Yakuza games I had played were Yakuza 3, 4, and 5, which are notoriously rough around the edges, I found Judgment to be polished and refined to a surprising extent. The game features numerous quality-of-life improvements and introduces a new friendship system that enhances the appeal of open-world activities. The traditional minigames, including pool and darts, play more smoothly and are more user-friendly compared to the aforementioned remastered versions, making it easier to fulfil completion requirements. Nonetheless, the completion list and requirements are still massive and the grind is substantial, personally clocking in at 105 hours for the platinum. As is characteristic of Yakuza games, the story is stellar, featuring a mix of pathos and thrilling twists and turns, but also spaced out by the usual silliness of the substories, which create the mixed tone the Yakuza games are known for. As a video game, absolutely recommended.

Edited March 27 by tanonero

[ProfSeajay7]

I really appreciate this list. It's pretty hard for me to complete games with difficult content, I salute you! 💪

[tanonero]

2 hours ago, ProfSeajay7 said:

I really appreciate this list. It's pretty hard for me to complete games with difficult content, I salute you! 💪

Thanks! It's stubborness more than skills that enables me do it. 😅

[MidnightDragon]

I tried for 100% for a while, but ultimately gave it up. Now I do what I can. Good luck!

[tanonero]

3 minutes ago, MidnightDragon said:

I tried for 100% for a while, but ultimately gave it up. Now I do what I can. Good luck!

Thanks. What made you stop pursuing the 100%?