Popular Post Hoopdahoopla Posted January 23, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 23, 2022 #91 - Iron Man 2 (PS3) (15.95%) Trading Iron for Platinum 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Caldor2K2 Posted January 23, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 23, 2022 #137 - Grand Theft Auto III (PS2 port) Been a while since I posted anything here, not even sure why I stopped. But I decided to post this, since this is the first time I have ever got 100% completion on GTA3 since it first came out. Had the game since Sony first started with the whole PS2 on PS4 deal, but didn't play it since I knew I wasn't able to 100% it before. Trophy wise, GTA3 is harder than the other two PS2 games, Vice City and San Andreas. In this game if you do the missions out of order you can lock yourself out of 100% and have to start over. There is also a potential glitch that can lock you out of 100% as well. It also has, to me at least, the hardest side missions in the form of taking an off road vehicle and testing its limits to hill climbing. There are also a lot of collectables to be found in the form of hidden packages stashed around the map, many vehicles to collect and jumps to be performed. Not as hard these days to find everything with maps and screenshots and YouTube vidoes everything. An above average (for me anyway) difficulty platinum for me. Not sure how many more people will earn it as it seems it was delisted in favor of the remastered version. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post M4gic4lTrevor90 Posted January 23, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 23, 2022 111 - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (Wizardry Whiz) 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post whodeygamer Posted January 23, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 23, 2022 #27: Virginia The only reasons I bought this game are because it’s currently on sale for $1.99 and I wanted something quick to plat, along with seeing the meta critic score. I’ll be honest here, I don’t get how anyone who calls themselves a video game critic could possibly have given this game higher than a 50/100, and that’s being generous. Terrible visuals, a nonsensical last 10-15 minutes or so, and no voice acting in a game that would’ve benefited greatly from that are the main reasons that this is the worst game I’ve gotten a plat for so far. I can see why this game is on sale by as much as it is. Didn’t expect much to begin with, and I can say for sure that I got what I paid for. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy547389126yv Posted January 23, 2022 Share Posted January 23, 2022 #1,056 PS5 version of The Sheep P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Hanzoadam Posted January 23, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 23, 2022 #715 Guardians of the galaxy PS5 And Game of the Flarking Year 2021.Haven't enjoyed a games story so much since 13th sentinels, I loved this game, its world and characters, and it made me laugh so much, so funny and well written.I actually pretty much hate marvel besides Guardians, I didn't go for it straight away with how bad I'd heard avengers was. But this I have to say I enjoyed so much.Actually got the ps4 collectors with ps5 upgrade, so I could lend to a friend, but works out great for me, so luckily I can replay this masterpiece again in a few month and relive it, while earning the ps4 trophy list. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ManicComputer Posted January 23, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 23, 2022 25 ? Gravity Rush [Vita] ⏳ 22 hours ? 4 years, 9 months ? ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛? 9/10 Highly recommend this game or its PS4 version. Such a joy to play and a really charming story. Happy to cross this off my completion backlog. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post GoldenShaka Posted January 24, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 24, 2022 143 Doki Doki Plus Doki Doki Literature Club Plus Second VM in my collection. First one was PS3 Steins Gate. I'd say if you're new in gaming and want to try games like Life is strange, Walking dead or Quantic dreams games, you should go first with Doki Doki. No only because as a VM is mostly reading than a more complex gameplay but because it will be more impactful starting with Doki Doki. In fact if you don't go for the platinum or 100% and just beat the game it's just a good game. You need to dig into the game to appreciate what the developer wanted to do here. As I said while playing it I felt that I played something similar, I won't bash in the game, but it's basically an experience. At the end of the day It's just Monika. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MarcusPunisher Posted January 24, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 24, 2022 Assassins Creed Unity 11.01% - Rare So here is a game I thought I wouldn't come back to, but after getting a platinum in AC Black Flag, I had the urge to go to finish all my remaining AC games starting with Unity. I remember being hyped for the initial release. First proper AC game for the next gen console at the time, so many possibilities, the setting looked great, I even pre-ordered the collectors edition......and then the game came out. Needless to say I stopped pre-ordering games from that point. It's been 7 years since then and we have many other AC games since. I like to give second chances to games I was initially disappointed with. I had a better time with it, but that is not saying much as the game has a ton of problems.I will say that what this game does right is the level design. I know we all love Black Flag, but the variety of missions that was not on the boat either sucked or were so repetitive. I challenge you to count how many tail missions are there that are just not fun after certain time. Not only is there more variety here, but when you get to the actual assassination mission for your target, it gives optional benefits that you can do to make it easier to get to your target and it has ways you can ambush them for the final kill. These always varied on the location you are in and the optional objectives you can do, which make those mission actually a lot of fun. Another positive for me was the actual multiplayer aspect, where I had the exact opposite experience from Black Flag. There are still a lot of people that play this game where you can get randomly paired with other players and they will help you to get the objective. There are also sync points you need to get in these missions in order to unlock all the skills and that's where the players also help as well, mainly because most of them need to collect them as well lol. I don't usually like to participate in online components unless I am really forced to, but this was actually a fun experience. Finally, the customization was very engaging and fun to see all the different types of clothing. Although, the free DLC made most of outfits obsolete, since the one designed by Todd McFarlane is singlehandedly one of the best design in an AC game I have ever seen and I keep that one for the majority of the game.The negatives are sadly there and they are pretty severe, starting with the performance. The game does not have any notable bugs anymore, at least I didn't run into any this time, but the game honestly runs like absolute garbage. There are modern AC games that are much more demanding and they run much better than this 7 year old game. It is nothing game breaking thankfully, but when you are in large crowds or a lot of stuff is happening on the screen, be prepared for that frame rate to dip like there is no tomorrow. I also heard that this game is not patched on PS5 to run accordingly, but at least that one should be at locked 30 fps. In here, cutscenes and more demanding stuff, which happens a lot don't run all that well and that is something I don't notice on the more modern AC games. Then it comes to the story and I can't honestly tell you what even happen as I was not engaged at all. Arno is a very bland main character that remains static through out the rest of the game and no memorable side characters are in this besides maybe Bellec. At least Kenway had a decent arc and notable personality in Black Flag. This is also where Ubisoft continued the trend of having absolutely no idea on what to do with the present story and throws you into another nameless character to collect memories for the Assassins only to say thanks a lot at the end lol. Finally, the gameplay is probably at it's worst here. I complained a lot about it in Black Flag and while some improvement was made, the combat and the parkour are still stiff as hell, especially the parkour. I think it was around this time where the meme was made of the player wanting the assassin to jump into certain direction only to jump of a cliff. I can't recount how many times Arno got stock on humping a wall or went to a completely different direction that I want him to. It was around the same year that Shadow of Mordor came out, which people were accusing it for copying AC gameplay style, yet it did the Assassins Creed better than the ACTUAL ASSASSINS CREED! The platinum in this game is on part with other AC games and that is they are not very demanding, yet they are very grindy. Unity at least is not all that grindy and most of it will require to open every chest (which they are not that many), collect sync points to unlock all skills, complete all multiplayer missions at least once, and complete all optional objective in the main missions, which are not as frustrating as they were in Black Flag thankfully. There are reports of some trophies still being glitched, which did not happen to me, but I recommend backing up saves before unlocking last skill or opening the last chest just in case. Overall, the game is not all terrible as the reputation may have it be, but I wouldn't rank it anywhere high with the series. The mission design really holds this game and I wish this was something that could have been implemented more in the future games, which only deviated from the AC formula. I don't regret my time with the game, but it is a one and done deal after the platinum. The last game before a complete shift from the formula is Syndicate and I have to wait on a season pass to get all the DLC that is tied into the trophy list. I have no recollection of that game, only that the hook was fun to use and I liked the twin sister more than the brother. That at least makes it more curious and frightening at the same time to try that game, but it might be a while before I do that. I have absolutely no interest touching AC III with the "remastered" version so definitely not doing that. My closing thoughts are that Ezio is still the best and Desmond deserved better. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post No longer here Posted January 24, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 24, 2022 #146 - Ninja Gaiden Sigma (PS4) Enjoyment: 9/10 Difficulty: 9/10 Time: 110+ Hours PSNP Rarity: 5.62% PSN: 0.5% Seriously, how is this game not Ultra Rare on PSNP? Lol this game was quite the experience for 100+ hours! Honestly though, I loved the game and this was my first entry to the Ninja Gaiden series ever. I have always been a fan of Hack and Slash games, so obviously I shouldn't miss out on this. This first entry in the series is regarded as a "masterpiece" in the Xbox era because the combat was so intense and difficult that it became known as one of the harder games to beat in the past generations of consoles. Luckily the "Sigma" versions came out to PS4/PS5 and there was my chance to play it. The Sigma version of the game is basically the same game with some new additions or changes, either way, the game on normal was more brutal than I thought. I had to get used to the intensity of the combat. Combat is intense yes, but it is actually very technical and requires strategic gameplay before encountering the enemy. I would find mobs of enemies and not knowing what to do. That is why you try different weapons and see which combo can give you the advantage. The combat kept me going for hours and hours and eventually I would run out of steam, which meant I would have to make small breaks. Playing the game at higher difficulties definitely made me more tired than anything, but it sure was rewarded. Playing through each difficulty, I found myself getting better at the combat and eventually was able to beat Master Ninja while including the "Master Ninja" ranking on each chapter, so that was great. Next up was some grinding and miscellaneous stuff, getting me a majority of the trophies. Now the hardest and most grueling part of the game is the trials. They are no joke and can turn anyone off from getting the plat. Finishing the trophies for the story mode felt like a 7/10 difficulty, but after completing the trials the game is certainly a 9/10 difficulty for me, making it one of my hardest plats since Crash 4. Some of the trials were complete RNG or sometimes 'BS", I would have to rely on cheesy strategies online or just hope for the best. Next thing you know I was over at 100 hours of gameplay with this. There were over 300 trials and at many points I wanted to give up, luckily I took the breaks I needed. I knew I wanted to obtain the platinum in this game, because I still enjoyed it that much despite the intensity of the combat. It was a must for me, but ultimately it was worth it. These games aren't like DMC or Bayonetta, but have their own Ninja type hack and slash combat, which makes them stand out still to this day. They are more known for their difficulty, but I found it more of a S-Tier quality type combat game. It certainly is one of the best out there despite how it is, the combat has aged well along with the graphics and atmosphere the game brings. I gave this game a 9/10 quality rating because some parts were complete bs or just some bosses/level threw me off a bit, but that is to be expected from an older games some things don't age perfectly. I wish they made more games like this, but probably won't be that way, atleast for a while. I recommend this game fully if you want to experience a hardcore masterpiece or even if you want a taste of a high quality hack and slash title. Will play the other games as I go 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Akechi_Lokii Posted January 24, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 24, 2022 Platinum Number #13: 13 sentinels Aegis Rim (PS4) Fun: 8/10 Difficulty: 2/10 I was planning to buy this game a long time ago because the reviews for it were really good and in all honesty the game seemed really interesting. In the game you play with 13 protagonists and it has two core gameplays: A visual novel (remembrance mode) where you experience the past of the protagonists, and real time strategy (destruction mode) where you play in the present moment where the game takes place. 13 sentinels story is about 13 protagonists trying to save the world from kaiju while fighting inside mechas and it has pretty complex themes mostly about love, the message the game tries to get across is that love makes us who we are for better or worse, and it explored that message/theme really well. As for the trophies they are really easy it's just completing the remembrance mode, and the destruction mode is just doing all objectives in the missions and doing S rank in 30 of them. It was honestly a pretty good game and a really easy platinum I recommend you playing if you are in search of a really good and complex story and a fun gameplay. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post zid2016 Posted January 24, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 24, 2022 (edited) Platinum # 110 -112 Difficulty - 3/10 Enjoyment - 9/10 ( Ending loses a mark) Time - Each game took between 35 to 45 hours Overall had an awesome time playing. Loved using different biotic abilities during missions. Great set of side characters. My favorites are Javik, EDI and Joker. Not a fan of the ending choices. Edited January 24, 2022 by zid2016 typo 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RaiantheMajin Posted January 24, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 24, 2022 I just got the platinum in Asphalt Injection on the PS Vita. Despite being over a decade old, it still holds up. I love the OST and the knockdown mechanic. This is one of my favorite PS Vita games even though the Shanghai and Hong Kong tracks got difficult due to the sharp turns. I'm mostly working on my PS Vita games with online trophies this year. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozetkiller Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 #769 Lost Ember You're Breathtaking! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Quink666 Posted January 25, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 25, 2022 (edited) Platinum #411 Magicka 2 You Are The Special 1,32% Fun: / Difficulty: / Trophies: / Time to : 21 Hours (4 Days 2 Hours) What an enjoyable game! Took quite a while to learn the basics but when you get going it's really fun! Thr trophies are somewhat meh if you ask me. To many grindy pointless trophies, like kill yourself 1000 times, die 1000 times and kill / revive a teammate 1000 times. But the rest was pretty enjoyable. Don't let the low% fool you. There is only one trophy in the game that will pose a challenge to most players and that the Sage's Diploma (Beat the five base Challenges on Bananas difficulty) trophy. Out of the 5 challenges there is one that is very hard to complete solo. Luckily i got a random to join me and help me with that challenge. Would have taken me quite some time to solo that challenge. If you're just like me got this game way back for free with PS+ i recommend giving it a go. Even if you don't plan to platinum the game it is worth a playthrough. This is me killing Guest1 for the 1000th time ? Edited January 25, 2022 by Quink666 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Kishnabe Posted January 25, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 25, 2022 (edited) Platinum #540: Mafia: Definitive Edition (PS4) Had a blast apart from the Race on Classic Difficulty. Loved the story, recommend just watching the cutscenes as a Movie online. This one looks the most polished out of the 3 games, IMO. No bugged trophies like Mafia 3. Difficulty: 6/10 Enjoyment: 9/10 Time: 40 Hours (10 hours+ on Race, Mileage Varies. Skilled Gamers get done under 30 min) Spoiler Edited January 25, 2022 by Kishnabe 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy547389126yv Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 #1,057 PS5 version of River City Girls 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moridin83 Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 #192 Moons of Madness This one didn't really work for me. It has some creep factor, and I enjoyed the early going, but it didn't stick the landing. It's a horror walking simulator, but as the game progressed, I was less invested in the outcome. Once the intrigue was gone, and you were at the endgame, it didn't manage to creep me out or make me care enough. The early parts were interesting though. #193 Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2 I started this when I needed to give Moons of Madness a break (Although I finished Moons first anyway). It's not a bad game, but I enjoyed the first one a little more. However, this one has a plat and the first didn't, so if that matters to you, go with this one. It's also a significantly easier 100% than the first, with less frustrating trophies or post game grinding. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post HansPatat050 Posted January 25, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 25, 2022 #55 Xenon Racer Fun: 6/10 Difficulty: 4/10 ~ 15 hours Pretty decent quick futuristic arcade racer. The most difficult element is to learn how the cars handle. As I've platted a couple of Need for Speeds I noticed that the handling has a lot similar to these games: initiate a drift, drift through every corner and only hard brake when it's a super tight turn. Slow in - fast out isn't key. Once you've got the hang of this the game is fairly easy. There is a good amount of different cars and changes you make to the car stats (acceleration - top speed speed - drifting etc.) works well. Fun 6/10 because there is a trophy for 10 hours of active racing, while the champioship only lasts for 2-3 hours, the online part is doable in 30 minutes and time trials do not count. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Brainswashed Posted January 25, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 25, 2022 (edited) Platinum Horizon Zero Dawn - DLC 100% Difficult : 3/10 Fun : 10/10 Time : 3 days i really enjoying with amazing game but before never played with amazing Tv to show you the really graphic , the game is fun for good started try any location you visit make save in campfire then go hunt rare skin fox and fatty meat for buying ultimate fast travel this is very important , about the others trophy is easy a lot guide in youtube The NG+ / UltraHard it’s a little difficult when all your weapon improved. About the DLC it’s very cool just keep your eyes in ( ! Quest mission specifically Verga she need you test and buy 3 weapon + she will improving your weapon i am stuck here causes i forget about the weapon and was Thinking is glitch then i got trophy all side quest+ improved weapon from her cause she is the last side quest i played . The other trophy is easy ( but one you can missed not like missable but you don’t know him in mission ( Waterlogged ) in this mission there is a puzzle for ( Drained the Flood ) you can back to puzzle and earn the trophy if you not get it after finishing the mission this all what you need to know for the DLC Edited January 25, 2022 by Brainswashed 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post ZoKu08 Posted January 25, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 25, 2022 Fallout 4 #266 Platinum Trophy Collect all other 50 trophies for this trophy. 11.74% Rare 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post reaperveteran86 Posted January 25, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 25, 2022 (edited) Platinum #243: Spyro the Dragon Gnasty´s Demise - 47,04% Part one of my 3 years plan to platinum the remasters every January and get the "Party like it´s 2024" platinum from Spyro 3 in January 2024 is done. Fun game but the flying levels can be a bit annoying. Platinum #244: Star Wars Episode 1: Racer Now THIS is podracing - 57,50% I got this one without the debug cheat. Nice and fast fun racer, but Aspyr should really make a Shadows of the Empire remaster. Platinum #245: Ghost Parade The Prophesied Protector - 37,20% Indie metroidvania with beautiful graphics that is set in indonesian folklore. The controls can get a bit janky at times. Edited January 25, 2022 by reaperveteran86 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jamescush147 Posted January 25, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 25, 2022 Platinum 294 Completionist Get all other Trophies 21.21% Uncommon Watch Dogs: Legion Platinum in 1 week, 2 days And the PS5 version is finished! Wondering if Horizon 2 should be Plat 300. ? 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MrGarland Posted January 25, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 25, 2022 Platinum #132 Timespinner (PS4 version) Difficulty: 3/10 Playtime: 15 hours (completed in 6 days) Enjoyment: 9/10 The first platinum of the year 2021 and it certainly took a while. The reason for that is that I wanted to revisit a couple of classic Sonic games. I guess I was a little hungry for nostalgia, though I won't regret that. It was fun to experience them again after so many years. Then we have this game. It was another recommendation from a friend, who also recommended The Mummy Demastered (which I also played). Both of them also happen to be Metroidvania-style games. The former one was a solid experience, but what about this one? How was my experience with this? Short version? Great. It turned out to be better than I expected. The gameplay was really good, but what turned out to be the selling point to me was the soundtrack. It sounds really good. Below is a couple of examples (they also happen to be one of my favorites). I do have to give one thing an honorable mention, and that goes to the trophy guide/walkthrough I found on the internet. It's filled with a ton of details which come in handy when it comes to exploring. The guy has done an incredible job creating that. Also, the way it's written was in all honesty, great. Especially this quote which got my attention: "Kill one man, and you're a murderer. Kill millions of men, and you're a conqueror. Kill them all, and you're a god." It reminds me of a guide I saw many years ago, but I doubt that it exists anymore. Shame really. I'd like to read it again. As for the things I wasn't fond of, it's the fact I had to do some grinding for the final familiar. Having to replay that dungeon over and over got boring pretty quickly. The trophy guide I used only mentioned that it spawns as a random reward, but what it didn't mention was that you also need to equip a certain item which most likely makes it appear. I didn't even know about this until I read a comment in there. After a few extra clears, I managed to get it. Also, screw those fetch quests. I also have to mention that I never managed to register one of the enemies into the bestiary. That shadowy enemy (number 63) found in the dungeon always spawned, but neither I nor the enemy couldn't damage each other. Weird. Must be a glitch. Other than that, I filled the bestiary all the way to the end, which means that I completed the game 100%. I also managed to max my level by the time I got the platinum. Overall, it was a great experience. If you haven't tried this one yet, I recommend it. Even if you haven't played any of these types of type games, give this one a try. It's worth it (for the most part). Next project: I'm going back to the past one last time by replaying something that's nostalgic to me. The game I'm talking about is Spoiler I got the platinum from the remastered version a few years ago, but never bothered to play the original. So, it's time to fix that and relive all those great moments I had with this game. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DrBloodmoney Posted January 25, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 25, 2022 (edited) 496 634 The Forgotten City The Forgotten City began as a narrative mod for Skyrim, created over 4 years by hobbyist Nick Pierce, who had never made a game before, but was an avid history buff. It released in 2015 to much critical acclaim - so much, in fact, that, building upon that success, the entire game was remade and reworked for a new setting, to operate as a full-scale product in its own right, releasing in 2021 to immediate and near unanimous critical acclaim in its own right. Waking in a forrest on the banks of the Tiber river after having been rescued from its currents by a mysterious woman named Karen, the player sets out to look for another missing person - Al Worth - whom they are informed had been in Karen's company until recently, when they ventured into a nearby set of Roman ruins. Stepping through the overgrown ruins of an ancient Roman structure, and past a number of curious and forbidding golden statues of Roman citizens, the player comes across the body of an old man hung from a noose, with an apparent suicide note carved in stone beneath his feet. The note confirms this is Al, and alludes to his having been trapped - seemingly for decades - in some kind of inescapable prison. As they explore, looking for further clues, the player steps into a shrine, and is transported to a similar shrine - this one not a ruin, but in full glory - on the outskirts of a vast and beautiful Roman-era city, populated with living, breathing Roman people. Well, some Roman people. 23 of them, to be exact. This is where the game begins proper, and the conceit - fascinating and complex, yet notably well constructed - is made clear. The city is a prison of sorts. All the citizens have come to find themselves here by some happenstance, and none are able to leave. That is partly due to mere physical impediment - the city lies in a secluded valley, surrounded by high cliffs and impossible to traverse, but also due to the mysterious deity that rules over the place. There is a God in charge, and he has rules. One rule, in fact - the Golden Rule. The entire city operates under a divine edict - if any person within the city sins, then all citizens are to die. This includes the player. Within the first cycle, the player is introduced to the current ruler of the city - Sentius, the magistrate - who explains the dogmatic edict under which the citizenry lives, as well as alluding to the manner in which the games signature time-loop exists. This time loop is the crux of the game. The player arrives in the same shrine at the same time of the same day, each cycle, and the city operates on a continual ticking clock. The same day is repeated over and over - resetting each time that the Golden Rule is broken, and the player is tasked with discovering how to break the loop, or how to avoid the Golden Rule being broken - as it always has on this day, for millennia of repetitions. While the player's actions are subject to the same rules as the citizenry - if you steal an item, for example, or harm someone physically, the calamity occurs, and the golden statues around the city coming to life, killing all within. At this point, the player has to run to the shrine to restart the loop before they are killed. However, the player is not the one wild-card. Regardless of player action, there is a clockwork world running all the while. Depending on the actions they have taken - someone else will surely break the Golden Rule too... it's only a matter of time and circumstance. The actual beat-by-beat of the game operates as somewhere between a detective story (as the player endeavours to identify which citizen is going to break the Golden Rule,) and as an exploratory mystery, as the player then slowly turns their attention to deciphering the mysteries of the city itself, and the reasons for the existence of the Golden Rule. There are elements of action - depending on a choice early on, the player may have a limited-use modern firearm available to them, and an early narrative tract sees them acquire one of the golden bows used by the statues during each calamity - however, these aspects are relatively minimal, and take a back-seat to the primary gameplay mechanics: those of dialogue choices, clue-gathering, mystery solving and detective work. Where Skyrim operated an extensive upgrade system, and balanced it's narrative elements against considerable levelling of action elements, here the player character never gets stronger or faster or sturdier - yet the feeling of 'levelling up' still remains, despite not existing in the game statistically or mechanically. The reason is simple - The Forgotten City is a game that uses Social Engineering and conversational manipulation as its primary focus, and as such, the more the player knows, the more 'powerful' they become. If the player has discovered 'X', conversation options involving 'X' will start to crop up in different areas, which can lead to clues to 'Y', or 'Z'. Building upon these clues, and using them effectively keeps shifting the power balance of the City, as the player gains more and more ways to socially engineer different outcomes, slowly allowing the player to feel they are 'levelling up' - from ignorant outsider, to knowledgable deviant, to Phil-Conners-level omnipotent force! It's a formula that works incredibly well, primarily due to the careful consideration on the developers part of land-area, scale, and the size of the population. The city is not enormous - it's certainly large enough to have a stately grandeur, and has enough nooks and crannies to support significant exploration over the length of the game, but is not so large that the player feels lost after thier first few loops. They can come to know the space and the inhabitants intimately, and in doing so can come to know the world implicitly - both understand the routines of the citizens throughout the day, and to identify where changes in those routines have resulted from their actions, as well as what those changes might be in advance of them. The citizens are very well realised, and of a small enough number that none feel superfluous or unimportant. While it might take several loops for the player to come to meet every one, each is well written and with their own distinct outlook, personality and backstory, and so there is a real sense that the player can come not only to inhabit the city, but to understand it - its landscape, its internal political and social machinations, and where its secrets lie. Where the game really revels is in two areas: historical lessons, and philosophical discourse. In terms of the historical information, there is a wealth here. Nick Pierce clearly knows his stuff, and there are significant nuggets of fascinating historical information here presented in a uniquely fun-to-learn form. Indeed, I found myself - more than once - stopping the game, and simply reading wikipedia articles on aspects of the Roman Empire, or Egyptian Lore, or Greek Mythology, as the game has a habit of piquing interest and whetting appetite for knowledge in a way few others do. Philosophically, there is real meat to be found in the game's mining of its own unique premise for nuggets of moral debate. The basic premise of The Golden Rule is clear right from the outset, but the game revels in the grey areas that premise invokes. Being a Roman Empire-era city, there are both Christians and those who hold to the Roman Gods. There is a Greek, who still holds to his Greek Gods, and other moralistic and dogmatic principles at play too - not to mention the fact that it is unclear to the player, (and to the citizens themselves,) what affiliation the mysterious deity who controls the Golden Rule has. The exact nature of what constitutes a "sin" is unknown. Stealing and murder are fairly obvious, however, when the player comes across a man driven by indentured servitude and lost love to suicide, and is tasked with talking him down from the ledge, for example, there are interesting moral quandaries brought up that add extra tension to the proceedings. Is suicide considered a sin? Will his killing himself doom everyone else? Should that matter to him? Is saving him against his will morally acceptable, given that ambiguity? These are the kind of philosophical slants the game enjoys the most, and the richest source of its best writing. Speaking of that writing - it is uniformly excellent here. The game is very clearly based in the Skyrim model - everything from the visuals, to the movement, to the action and general feel of the game are very much analogous to Bethesda's open-world model, and that includes the dialogue trees and the feel of conversations in the game - however, I can comfortably state that The Forgotten City's writing is a cut above anything on show in even the best narrative arcs of any Elder Scrolls game. That is, of course, expected to some extent - Skyrim provides hundreds of hours of gaming across a massive world full of hundreds of missions, while The Forgotten City contains itself in one area, with far fewer lines of dialogue and individual missions - however, the extent to which The Forgotten City outdoes even the best of Skyrim on a narrative front is jarring, even allowing for that. Every character feels rounded and well drawn - distinct and individual - and within the first 10 hours, I really felt like I had come to know each one of them much more closely and more intimately than I ever did with any character in any Elder Scrolls game, or any Fallout game for that matter. There is a level to which individual strands of missions and stories compound on top of one another that is largely absent in Elder Scrolls games - because there are so few characters, each is integrated into multiple facets of the overall story, and features in multiple individual arcs. Because there is no requirement to deal with these piecemeal, all missions tend to blend together into one overall story, which could feel messy and haphazard in some hands, but in this game, feels natural and gives the whole game a cohesive-yet-flexible feeling and flowing overall narrative. It is worth noting - The Forgotten City is a game that has been made before - and it shows. Because the game is a remade version of what was at one point a full-fledged narrative mod, there is an extent to which that mod served as the biggest, longest Beta-Test ever afforded to an Indie Game. The small design team have clearly had a chance to evaluate exactly what worked, what didn't, and where streamlining and finessing is required to keep the experience tight, informationally dense, and fun to play. While some of these might not feel immediately apparent, as the player pushes further into the game, the sheer number of quality-of-life aspects that have been included is remarkable, and more than that - the way these aspects are then folded back into the narrative elements, is downright impressive. They feel less like merely the gameplay flourishes they are, but also like integral parts of a narrative and the effect is a game that feels as tight as a mermaid's butthole. To give an example (without getting too spoiler-adjacent,) let's look at the role of one character: Galerius. Galerius is the first character the player encounters, immediately talking to them as they step out of the shrine. In the first loop, he acts as guide to city - a gameplay-necessary task for first-time players. In the second and third loops, there is dialogue options added to his conversation that both helps to explain the 'rules' of the loop, and provide some required humour and levity to the proceedings. That's a good idea, of course, and in a lesser game, this might be the sum total of what Galerius does in the game, but here, this is but a first step. Once the player has completed a few loops, and progressed some individual storylines through to their conclusions (say, saving a character's life, or finding medicine for another,) the game design reaches a cross-road. There is an internal problem with time-loop games: Because the world 'resets', the game should, by rights, require them to repeat these actions every time they want to benefit from the results. That would be rather dull and repetitive however, and so most games employ some kind of "cheat". In The Forgotten City, at that point Galerius becomes the "short-cut" - the player can immediately tell him specific snippets of information right at the start of the loop, and dispatch him to complete these actions. "So-and-so needs this medicine!" "Tell so-and-so that this will help!" "Pay this money to this guy, to free that guy!" etc. This allows the player to feel a sense of continual forward progress, despite the nature of the game as cyclical and unchanging. That already feels like a smart idea, however, the game isn't happy to simply let him feel like a narrative device in this regard. Later, once the player has got to the point where they are using Galerius as their "shortcut" to help multiple different characters each loop, this action then feeds back into another storyline, wherein Galerius can be proposed as a candidate in the city election (which happens at the end of each day, the particular looping day happening to have fallen on an election day.) Because Galerius has been helping so many people (at the behest of the player,) he is, by logical conclusion, made popular with those characters. That in turn affects his chances in a free election - the player using him as their proxy, means his relationship with other NPCs is changed, and improved. That is the kind of smart combination of quality-of-life gameplay mechanics, and narrative coherence that we - as players - are rarely afforded. Indeed, for the sake of gameplay mechanical fluidity, we are accustomed to looking past narrative dissonance in certain areas - we know there is a reason for them that is tied to our own enjoyment of the game as an entertainment product, and so we forgive them. There is really no expectation on our part for the game to find ways to re-fold those contrivances back into narrative elements again - to make lemonade from the mechanical lemons - we are usually happy to accept the contrivances. However, when a game like The Forgotten City does find a way to benefit narratively from mechanical 'tricks', it really stands out, and should be endlessly applauded. Making a game that affords the player ease-of-play, and not only doesn't break it's own immersion in pursuit of it - it actually strengthens its narrative by way of them - is laudable, and that philosophy is all over The Forgotten City. It's this kind of finessing that has clearly sprung for the unique path this game took to release. By getting to make the game a second time over, this time without the constraints that the original had, but with all of the benefits, the developers have been able to craft something tight and smart, without padding or fluff, and where every aspect feels knitted together in a way few games manage, and Skyrim-style games NEVER do. Visually, the game looks very good. There is a very clear lineage to Skyrim here - while it is not running on the Bethesda engine, it is clearly aping it, and movement and feel are remarkably close to Skyrim. Visually through, The Forgotten City really benefits from having a much smaller land-mass to deal with. The city looks really nice - the architecture are beautifully designed and have an aesthetic coherence, and lighting is a cut above anything seen in an Elder Scrolls game. Graphically, it is not mind-blowing - it is unmistakably Sykrim-esque - however, it is a cut above that game, and while mechanically it might feel a little older than a 2021 game, it still looks much more modern than 2012's Skyrim did. Character models are detailed and distinct. The actual mechanics of conversation are still in the 'front-facing', direct-to-camera-style of Bethesda games, though there is a bit more in the way of emotive expression than Bethesda games manage. Actual NPC animations in walking around or doing motions are still somewhat stilted in the same clockwork Bethesda style, though these are harder to take issue with in The Forgotten City, given that there is less action across the board. For the most part, the game is about simply talking to these characters, rather than seeing them partake in long animated sections. Audio is good in the game - there is a strong, if not intensely memorable score, however, the real audio-work is in the acting and voiceover, and that is of across-the-board high quality. There are a lot of lines of dialogue, and they are well read, and character personalities and loyalties are evident in their performances. There can be the occasional hard-swings in tone that are somewhat unavoidable in dialogue-tree games (and particularly in The Forgotten City, where many characters will have multiple story-narratives that affect them, and can be addressed all within the same conversation,) but never enough to really feel jarring. Overall The Forgotten City is a hell of a game - and a really outstanding achievement. It would be the easiest thing in the world to state that "The Forgotten City is amazing, considering it come from such a small team" - and it is - but that really undersells what is, I think, a remarkable achievement regardless of which developer put it out. We have seen other games which use the Bethesda-style model and apply it to smaller, less janky overall products - The Outer Worlds, for example - however, I have never seen that medal re-applied to something as small and tight as The Forgotten City before, and the effect is really something. Rather than an impressively vast, but rickety and stitched-together feeling world, here, we have a solid, smart, well crafted small one, with a labyrinthine narrative of interconnected and well-crafted missions and narrative, strong, bold characters, an arc that works really well - in all possible endings - and a game that feels lean, clever, fun, and just a joy to play. (For original review and Scientific Ranking see HERE) Edited January 25, 2022 by DrBloodmoney 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now