Really enjoyed Half-Life 1. I was quite surprised with how "well" the games went with just using a crowbar. Just moving in the game was fun. And the variety was also on point and I really liked all the interactions between levels and enemies. Makes you understand why HL had such an impact. Want to see how HL2 holds up but that's for later. For now I am in my Resident Evil arc...

#HalfLife #GameThoughts

I was listening to the Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack, and I was thinking. The thing that is really missing from the radio stations is an Asian channel. Japanese own has such a bombastic existence in the game.

Having a Hispanic station is so natural for California, but it could really use more styles to represent cultures.

Really love the soundtrack, though.

#cyberpunk2077 #gamethoughts #music

Finished Diablo II: Resurrected, playing a Druid.
I'm a bit late to the party, but what a great game. I've played many, many clones and games that have expanded this genre, but it didn't prepare me for how addicting the core loop could be on this specific iteration. I can see why for many, this was their favorite - both in the series, and the genre.

I'll add that I wasn't expecting the switch controls to work so well for a game that was so clearly designed for a mouse.

I just loved roaming the random dungeons with my 20 strong army of various animals, spirits, and hirelings, facerolling most things in my way - with the ocassional troublesome elite or boss. Fighting the titular Diablo gave me the most deaths, which seems appropriate.

Worth a try even if you may have bounced off of other arpgs.

#Diablo #Diablo2 #VideoGames #ShareYourGames #GameThoughts

My 2023 #GamingResolution is to #CompleteFinalFantasy

Starting with Final fantasy III, and finishing with Final Fantasy XV. I've previously completed the FF1 on gb advance, and fairly recently halfway-ed FF2 on mobile. I will skip FF1, and might include FF2 somewhere along the journey - if I can stomach it.

#GameReview #Gaming #VideoGames#GameThoughts #ShareYourGames

Sinless by MGP studios, played on #switch
My #GameThoughts

👎Skip/wait

This is a #Adventure game in an appealing, if familiar cyberpunk world. The atmosphere and sound design are on point. The 1st person scenes, are full of layered elements some with a cool 3d effect. It sells a dystopian world where augmented reality colors everything with nothing firm to hold onto. It's at once familiar and alien.

All of this effort is let down by the gameplay. I love adventure games and appreciate the Snatcher influence here. However, progress feels very random and kills pacing. When stuck, clicking around the environments I'd already fully examined to try to remember how to get to a specific scene was tedious. Would benefit from a better map or hint system. And clearer click spots.

After all of this trial and error, waiting for the interesting part of the story to start, it ends on a huge cliffhanger. No sequel yet, and it's been 8 years! I'd play the next game if it was improved.

#GameReview #Gaming #VideoGames

Ori and the Blind Forest; and Ori and the Will of the Wisps #GameThoughts

played on steam deck
platforming action adventure by Moon Studios

👍👍Excellent!

🤔 Storytelling a bit eh; too much dialogue in some parts, and so slowly spoken. Completely silent would have been stronger

⛰️ You will feel these worlds come to life with the lush environments and full soundscapes

⚖️ Enjoyed the manual magic-based save system in game 1 which provided a fun risk vs reward system. Sad to see game 2 go more traditional

⚖️ Enjoyed the automatic attack in game 1 which pushed focus on maneuverability. Ok with more traditional weapons in 2, movement still important

🤔 Would like to see a similar game take out combat entirely

🗺 Maps and mechanics very engaging and unique

📈 Ability unlocks exciting throughout. Game 1 skill tree felt more impactful, but variety nicer in 2

⚡️As you master getting around the world, you feel like a flying god!

Sequel please!

#VideoGames #GameReview#Gaming

I wonder how many games someone worked so hard on do not get played beyond a “pity play”.

#Gaming #GameThoughts #ByteSized #ThoughtBytes

Gris, for switch #GameThoughts
puzzle platformer by Nomada Studio

👍worth playing

- Well known for its stunning painterly art and animation. Starting in black and white, each segment has you adding back a color, taking you on a reflective visual journey

- Level terrain has awesome scope, at times the camera is a little too far back, hard to connect with the tiny character

- The opening was too slow - it fits the theme, but harder to get hooked

- Pretty good variety, each segment has a different style of puzzle

- My favorite segment is a forest where you have to feed apples to a little critter who helps you progress

- I didn't like being cut off between sections, I want to explore and find the optional pickups. I don't have motivation to get them once story finishes.

- Repeatedly platforming up a statue in various stages and forms of disrepair was a great concept that keeps a pretty abstract game feeling cohesive.

#VideoGames #GameReview

Elli; Switch #GameThoughts
3d puzzle platformer
by BandanaKid Games

👍Worth playing

- Very cute
- Peaceful
- No combat and simple moveset, yet still finds a way to keep things fresh (for a while) by varying the puzzle designs in each section. Puzzles are zelda esque - timed switches, key collection, box transportation, bomb flowers.
- Main action button is a magic burst, which is used to reveal hidden platforms or traps. Not used as much as I would have expected.
- With the fixed perspective, some of the platforming is annoying. the game also expects you at times to go where it feels a little out of bounds.
- Has a section where the level is dark and you have limited visibility. Not as bad as I've seen, but a real pet peeve of mine that shows up in games too often.
- Drags a bit toward the end, overall its a short game, but perhaps could have been shorter still to be more engaging all the way through.
- Solid bones but lacking narrative weight for satisfying finale

#VideoGames #GameReview

Since we have so many crafting games, you'd think that the materials the player uses would have names for the units (e.g. cords of wood, ore of copper, length of wire, bushels of leaves, and so on). #Craft #GameThoughts