2017 Review inc Game of the Year

Posted on 02/01/2018 Written by


It has been a pretty bad year for gaming with only 14 games completed (excluding DLC)

Lego Star Wars - The Force Awakens (PS4)
Destiny - Rise of Iron DLC (PS4)
Tiny Rails (iOS)
World of Final Fantasy (PS4)
Tiny Troopers (PS4)
Costume Quest 2 (PS4)
Firewatch (PS4)
Titanfall 2 (PS4)
Letter Quest Remastered (PS4)
Horizon Zero Dawn (PS4)
Steamworld Dig (PS4)
Ghost Recon Wildlands (PS4)
Destiny 2 (PS4)
Lego Avengers (PS4)
Uncharted Lost Legacy (PS4)

It has been very difficult to find any time for gaming & it does not help when that time is wasted playing broken games like XCOM2 or games that just go on forever & I got bored of playing them like Persona 5.

I purchased a PSVR unit in June and have played various smaller games & experiences which are not on the completed list. PSVR has been a breath of fresh air & I am utterly amazed at the technology & experiences it can deliver.

From the list above Firewatch, TitanFall 2, Horizon Zero Dawn & Ghost Recon Wildlands have been the most enjoyable experiences this year but it is Horizon Zero Dawn which I have enjoyed the most this year. Aloy's adventures in a post apocalyptic world overrun with robotic creatures is a pleasure to explore & the combat is challenging with a range of various weapons that you need to switch out depending on your foe.

I have enough on the shelf already for 2018 but it is Red Dead Redemption 2 & Dragon Quest 8 that I am most looking forward to playing.
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2016 Review inc Game of the Year

Posted on 03/01/2017 Written by
It has not been a bad year for gaming, 22 games completed

Lifeline (iOS)
Lara Croft Temple of Osiris (PS4)
Metal Gear Solid V (PS4)
Game of Thrones - Telltale (PS4)
Lara Croft Go (iOS)
Batman Arkham Knight (PS4)
Football Chairman Pro (iOS)
Uncharted 4 (PS4)
Ratchet & Clank (PS4)
This War of Mine (PS4)
Gone Home (PS4)
Hero Emblems (iOS)
Destiny The Taken King (PS4)
Telltale Walking Dead Michonne (PS4)
Diablo 3 (PS4)
Capitals (iOS)
No Man's Sky (PS4)
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (PS4)
Everybody's gone to the Rapture (PS4)
Dragon Quest Builders (PS4)
Tales of the Borderlands (PS4)
Rise of the Tomb Raider (PS4)

Some very good games completed this year from MGSV, Batman, Deus Ex & Dragon Quest Builders but Uncharted 4 is my game of the year because it was the complete package from gameplay, plot to dialogue. Just an amazing experience I could not put down till I completed. No Man's Sky was a disappointment but I did enjoy the experience & I may revisit once Hello Games have released a few more updates.

I have stuck to my one console this generation even though I was very tempted by Forza Horizon 3, the Wii U I did not touch & even the kids have stopped playing so it will be sold. I expect I will buy the Nintendo Switch maybe even on release depending on the games.

Looking at games for 2017 Mass Effect Andromeda & Red Dead Redemption 2 are the obvious big releases but I am also looking forward to Ni No Kuni 2, Persona 5 & Dragon Quest XI but I expect that will be 2018 before released.
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2015 Review inc Game of the Year

Posted on 05/01/2016 Written by
It's been a much quieter year for gaming, the amount of time I have for gaming is forever shrinking. Excluding iOS & DLC I only completed 11 games, 4 of which were very short.

Watch_Dogs (PS4)
Peggle 2 (PS4)
MGSV - Ground Zeroes (PS4)
Knack (PS4)
Shadow of Mordor (PS4)
CounterSpy (PS4)
Assassin's Creed Unity (PS4)
Battlefield Hardline (PS4)
Journey (PS4)
Witcher 3 Wild Hunt (PS4)
Fallout 4 (PS4)

Witcher 3 was my game of the year because unlike Fallout 4 it kept me entertained for the full length of the game & had a satisfying ending. I also enjoyed Shadow of Mordor but the last boss fight was far too easy.

Maybe I need to stop playing long open world games that consume many hours to complete & enjoy the smaller indie titles like Counterspy or Journey. I have quite a few of these thanks to PS+ & the PSN sale purchases like the Telltale Borderlands & Game of Thrones games. I enjoy playing/watching a good story & it's probably why given the choice I would rather watch a movie then play a game that has resulted in less gaming time.

My predictions from last year included purchasing a Xbox1 console never came true, with my limited gaming time one console is more than enough for me. The WiiU carried on gathering dust & I expect that will be gone at some point this year.

Spending wise I only purchased 3 games on release, Metal Gear Solid V, Fifa 16 & Fallout 4. Everything else was either in a sale or from trades. I don't think I spent more than £150 throughout the year.

2016 then will be very similar to this year, just enjoy what I already own & buy the odd few titles I want on release like Uncharted 4 & No Man's Sky.

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2014 Review inc Game of the Year

Posted on 01/01/2015 Written by
I completed 24 games this year (excl DLC) compared to 28 in 2013.

Champ Man (iOS)
Mass Effect 2 (360)
Deadlight (360)
Dust Elysian Tail (360)
Army of Two Devil's Cartel (360)
Danger Boat (iOS)
Football Chairman (iOS)
Deus Ex Human Revolution (360)
Pocket Mine (iOS)
Dice Jockey (iOS)
Ridiculous Fishing (iOS)
Disco Zoo (iOS)
Mass Effect 3 (360)
Portal (360)
Brothers A Tale of Two Sons (PS3)
Unfinished Swan (PS3)
Dead Island Riptide (360)
Epic Astro Story (iOS)
Monument Valley (iOS)
Kiwanuka (iOS)
Walking Dead Season 2 (PS3)
Destiny (PS4)
Wolfenstein New Order (PS4)
Ghost Recon Future Soldier (360)

Highlights throughout the year have been the completion of the Mass Effect Trilogy, Deus Ex Human Revolution, Brothers A Tale of Two Sons, Monument Valley & Destiny. I did spend a lot of time with Destiny (200 hours+) but the game could & should have been so much more. Destiny did however get me playing the PS4 again which I had not really touched since completing AC Black Flag last year.

The game of the year for me is another game from my back catalogue on the 360. Deus Ex Human Revolution is a sci-fi RPG, you are Adam Jenson and after an attack are rebuilt into robocop. You then go after your attackers using the skills & upgrades you unlock in the game to complete the various missions. I usually went for a stealth gameplay approach but the boss fights forced you to use a more full on attack style. The remastered edition of the game did rebalance the boss fights but it was a very buggy release with many issues on the 360 inc corrupted saves so I played the original release.

It has been a real disappointed this year that games are being released not fully tested like Drive_Club, AC Unity, The Crew etc. The rush to release a game for the Xmas shopping window was more important than the quality of the game. Hopefully this will be a lesson learnt for the industry & we won't get any more rush releases in 2015.

I failed on a few predictions I set last year the Vita I ended up selling without a single game completed, I really do not play portable consoles that don't fit in my pocket. I've also written off for now my Steam pile of shame. I don't have the time & I have enough to play on the consoles without thinking about gaming on a PC. 

Mobile gaming with a few exceptions like Monument Valley & Kiwanuka is now just turn based multiplayer like Carcassonne, Lost Cities, Ticket to Ride etc.

Splurge I lost interest in keeping track of what I was spending, I know that I have sold more than I've purchased this year & more important for me is not buying games to store on a shelf but to play.

Predictions then for 2015.

I will be finished with the 360/PS3 back catalogue leaving the PS4 for gaming only.

I'm not ignoring the WiiU but there is nothing I want to play on the console & it really is just the replacement of the 'family Wii console'. However I have enjoyed the time I've spent playing or should I say losing to the kids in Mario Kart 8.

History tells that I will be weak & purchase the XB1 console at some point maybe if & when it hits the £200 mark.

Happy New Year.
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2014 Review inc Game of the Year

Posted on 01/01/2015 Written by
I completed 24 games this year (excl DLC) compared to 28 in 2013.

Champ Man (iOS)
Mass Effect 2 (360)
Deadlight (360)
Dust Elysian Tail (360)
Army of Two Devil's Cartel (360)
Danger Boat (iOS)
Football Chairman (iOS)
Deus Ex Human Revolution (360)
Pocket Mine (iOS)
Dice Jockey (iOS)
Ridiculous Fishing (iOS)
Disco Zoo (iOS)
Mass Effect 3 (360)
Portal (360)
Brothers A Tale of Two Sons (PS3)
Unfinished Swan (PS3)
Dead Island Riptide (360)
Epic Astro Story (iOS)
Monument Valley (iOS)
Kiwanuka (iOS)
Walking Dead Season 2 (PS3)
Destiny (PS4)
Wolfenstein New Order (PS4)
Ghost Recon Future Soldier (360)

Highlights throughout the year have been the completion of the Mass Effect Trilogy, Deus Ex Human Revolution, Brothers A Tale of Two Sons, Monument Valley & Destiny. I did spend a lot of time with Destiny (200 hours+) but the game could & should have been so much more. Destiny did however get me playing the PS4 again which I had not really touched since completing AC Black Flag last year.

The game of the year for me is another game from my back catalogue on the 360. Deus Ex Human Revolution is a sci-fi RPG, you are Adam Jenson and after an attack are rebuilt into robocop. You then go after your attackers using the skills & upgrades you unlock in the game to complete the various missions. I usually went for a stealth gameplay approach but the boss fights forced you to use a more full on attack style. The remastered edition of the game did rebalance the boss fights but it was a very buggy release with many issues on the 360 inc corrupted saves so I played the original release.

It has been a real disappointed this year that games are being released not fully tested like Drive_Club, AC Unity, The Crew etc. The rush to release a game for the Xmas shopping window was more important than the quality of the game. Hopefully this will be a lesson learnt for the industry & we won't get any more rush releases in 2015.

I failed on a few predictions I set last year the Vita I ended up selling without a single game completed, I really do not play portable consoles that don't fit in my pocket. I've also written off for now my Steam pile of shame. I don't have the time & I have enough to play on the consoles without thinking about gaming on a PC. 

Mobile gaming with a few exceptions like Monument Valley & Kiwanuka is now just turn based multiplayer like Carcassonne, Lost Cities, Ticket to Ride etc.

Splurge I lost interest in keeping track of what I was spending, I know that I have sold more than I've purchased this year & more important for me is not buying games to store on a shelf but to play.

Predictions then for 2015.

I will be finished with the 360/PS3 back catalogue leaving the PS4 for gaming only.

I'm not ignoring the WiiU but there is nothing I want to play on the console & it really is just the replacement of the 'family Wii console'. However I have enjoyed the time I've spent playing or should I say losing to the kids in Mario Kart 8.

History tells that I will be weak & purchase the XB1 console at some point maybe if & when it hits the £200 mark.

Happy New Year.
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2013 Review inc Game of the Year

Posted on 31/12/2013 Written by
Looking back at my 2012 end of year review I managed to stick to my routine of watching less TV/Movies & enjoy gaming more this year. I also predicted last year that 2013 was going to be an amazing year for gaming thanks to my back catalogue, I did not manage to complete all the games I mention but compared to the 10 completed in 2012 I managed to complete a staggering 28 games !!

Scribblenauts Remix (iOS)
Uncharted 2 (PS3)
Skyrim (360)
Halo 4 (360)
Rolando (iOS)
New Star Soccer (iOS)
Little Inferno (iOS)
Ni No Kuni (PS3)
Borderlands 2 (360)
Fifa 13 (360)
Tomb Raider (360)
Lego City Undercover (WiiU)
Journey (PS3)
Clash of Clans (iOS)
Walking Dead (XBLA)
Forza Horizon (360)
Bastion (XBLA)
Walking Dead 400 Days (XBLA)
Red Dead Redemption (360)
Uncharted 3 (PS3)
The Last of Us (PS3)
Dead Space (360)
Mass Effect (360)
Spec Ops The Line (PS3)
Gears of War - Judgement (360)
XCom - Enemy Unknown (PS3)
Remember Me (PS3)
Assassin's Creed 4 (PS4)

Some of these games were truly an amazing experience & it was very difficult for me to choose a game of the year because there were so many great games that I had played from Skyrim, Ni No Kuni, Tomb Raider the amazingly fun Lego City Undercover to the beautiful Journey, Walking Dead, Last of Us, X-Com & Assassin's Creed 4. But above these all it was Red Dead Redemption that was my game of the year. I have always loved watching western movies from the classic John Wayne, Clint Eastwood's to the modern Tombstone, & 310 to Yuma. Rockstar gave gamers the chance to realise their love for the western genre in Red Dead Redemption & what an action packed gun touting adventure it was, like many others I look forward to the next game in the series..

Splurge wise it was a complete failure and I quote "I am really going to try and spend as little as possible this year on gaming, I will not be buying any of the new consoles on release & have no desire for a Wii U. With my iOS stack of games, back catalogue of 360/PS3 games & steam pile of shame I think I am spoilt for choice" I don't need to say any more apart from the fact that "I AM WEAK"

2014 Predictions then I plan to continue delving into my back catalogue especially to complete Deus Ex HR, Mass Effect 2/3 & the Bioshock games but my main focus will obviously be on the PS4 & waiting for the new games like Destiny, The Division, Watch_Dogs, Mad Max, The Order & hopefully Fallout 4. From the hardware I own the PC & the Vita have been neglected quite a bit so hopefully in 2014 I hope to at least complete a few games on each.

Happy new year !!
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