On: PC/Windows

This game is fantastic, despite the claims that it was just another Meta title following in the steps of Undertale. And while there may be a little truth to that claim, just in the planting of that idea of storytelling, Meta content has been around for quite sometime, and it isn't fair to pigeonhole something based on that information alone. Anyways, the difficulty of playing through Pony Island is just right. The actual skill required in the game is minimal, with some of the puzzles requiring more thought, but scaling just right in terms of difficulty, and the platforming sections being easy enough to get through.
Completing the game isn't that much harder, but it does require more thought and provides more challenge. The achievements can be a little obscure unless you deliberately search for them, and there are a one or two occasions with hidden trophies that I had to look up at least what they were called so that I could try to get them. Weird Easter eggs and interactions with characters hidden away in far corners of the game provide an interesting experience for one willing to seek them out. That being said, a lot of these Easter eggs are actually required to get tickets, the game's collectibles. One of them is actually hidden in the options menu of the main game itself, and can be gotten before technically even starting up a new game (A very P.T. move). This game doesn't have much replay-ability just based on its content, but as with other games that do similar things with their own storytelling, its very fun to be in the know, sitting down and having someone else play it and watching their reaction to the game as things unfold. Yeah, it's one of those kinds of games.

On: GameBoy Advance

Though really dull and with a reward for completion that isn't worth it at all (even being hyped up in the beginning), Shrek 2 on the GameBoy Advance is at least an easy game to complete. Just finish the levels (easy enough, with the exception of a few pixel perfect jumps that are always a pain) and then collect all of the coins in the game. Some levels don't even have coins to collect, which makes that aspect of it even easier.
For starters, though, there are puzzles in levels that require multiple characters to solve, which sucks as swapping between characters can be a pain when you have three characters all in different sections of the level based on where they were supposed to go. Another gripe I have with this is that in some levels, specifically when playing as Gingy, there are pits that kill you and others that may lead somewhere, with no real tell to look for, which leads to trial-and-error pitfalls. All of this adds up to unlocking a mode that lets you play all of the mini-games there are, something that could already easily be done by starting a level and going to the Leprechaun, but now you can play them and save two minutes to boot. Not really worth it, but again, it's easy enough to complete. Now if only doing so would improve your Gamerscore/PSN Trophy Score, then it would really be worth it.

On: Nintendo Switch

Wow, did I love this game. I honestly don't think I've enjoyed playing one this much since I first played Shovel Knight when it came out. Even the new God of War from earlier this year, and I really liked that game. This can best be described as Ninja Gaiden meets Shovel Knight meets Sonic CD. I've gotta say, the trailer obviously didn't quite prepare me for all the different aspects of the gameplay that were waiting in store, but that's exactly the way I like it. I prefer to be surprised. Lastly, I don't necessarily mind, but I'm am surprised that there were no other modes to unlock after I completed it, such as a New Game Plus or a No Death Mode. Regardless, from what I've seen so far, this is easily my GOTY for 2018. We do have 4 months to go, though, so anything can happen. In my opinion though, The Messenger is a tough act to follow.

On: PlayStation 4

The main reason to play this game is because it is basically a free platinum trophy for your PSN account (and maybe XBox achievements, I don't know where else the game can be played). The game is an extremely simple platformer that can be fully completed in less than two hours if you have the patience to get some of the more tedious trophies. Two of the trophies involve getting all fragments and then dying, and getting all fragments but one and then dying, so a lot of retreading with slight variations. The game can also be fairly glitchy, but I don't think I ever encountered anything that broke the game or cause me to die, so that's good in the least.

On: PlayStation 4

Pretty fun puzzle game with easily obtainable trophies. The hardest one here I believe is completing the game in under 45 minutes, which I did with plenty of time to spare because after completing the game the first time and then completing the hardcore mode (which has the same puzzles but with keys you must also collect to open the doors at the end of the level), you will know the puzzles inside and out, easily finishing the puzzles in the designated time. Additionally, the game has elements that respond the same way every time you interact with them, sort of like a physics game, with no randomness that needs to be accounted for, allowing you to strategize (like you should in puzzle games) your way to victory.

On: PlayStation 3

While at times glitchy and not nearly as polished as it's sequel, which is also my favorite in the series, Batman: Arkham Asylum has the atmosphere and collectible-hoarding gameplay that I had been looking for when this game first came out.The fact that it was Batman only sweetened the deal. When it comes to games, I'm the type that loves collectibles and checklists, so the Riddler Challenges/Trophies were definitely the main thing that kept me playing, but the story and overall presentation still kept me invested past all of the side material. The trophies for this game aren't that difficult either. The hardest aspects to this will be the last couple of predator challenges, as sometimes getting inmates into the proper spot to perform the required tasks can be painful. Secondly, the trophy requiring you to perform all of your moves/gadget attacks in one combo can also be trifling, but the later games definitely make this same trophy harder to obtain. The best place to get that last one would be in one of the later combat challenges, though I believe I got mine in the final room with two Titan brutes, before the final Joker fight. The DLC just adds more challenges that can be beaten in the same vain, so not much in the way of extra strategy there. Overall, another fairly easy, though time-consuming, game to complete. And this one has a checklist, which I wish more games had.

On: PlayStation 4

This one took a lot out of me, it stressed me out quite a lot. So, the side quests can be a little exhausting because it can be fairly easy to miss one as you're playing, in which case you'll have to get them in another playthrough. The collectible notes honestly aren't that bad if you just go search every room in each area too. However, the real pain comes through the hardcore mode. Basically a no-death run, but since it is a horror game, there's the added notion that getting overly stressed will also end you. I don't know if this is hard or not, because I did it my first time, but the stress of worrying that I would die and have to restart the run kept me stressed out I would say. In fact, I actually got the trophy by sheer luck at the end, as there is a final chase sequence that stresses your character out, and I was just about to die when I reached the final door of the game. Perhaps that aspect of the game is easier than I know, but I don't think I would be willing to put myself through it again on the off-chance I was lucky.

On: PlayStation 4

This is one of those games where the story is so obtuse, you're really supposed to find or interpret your own meaning to what's going on. Unfortunately when I say obtuse referring to this game, I mean it. I've looked up some interpretations online and I can't say I understand/agree with any of them, but I guess that's the point? I don't know about this one though. As for horror games, this one does get scary/stressful as you play, and honestly it doesn't ever really let up with that vibe. Unfortunately, the collectibles in this game require you to have prolonged exposure with the creatures that kill you, so as you play you get less scared and more frustrated with the way they behave. You're meant to stay in the darkness out of their line of sight, leaving them to be sort of mysterious in a way. But trying to collect notes means that, for example in one case, you have to get one to chase you so that it leaves a room with a note that you can then enter from the other side while he's looking for you. As always, a game that has a trophy for collectibles but no checklist for them may require a guide, which I did eventually need, but otherwise it is also straightforward. The most off the beaten path trophy involves ignoring some hanging individuals that show up later and two endings that are easy to get due to chapter select. Besides the notes, pretty easy 100%.

On: PlayStation 4

My first foray into the Ratchet & Clank series of games, which is unfortunate because it didn't leave a very good taste in my mouth. The game wasn't even that bad, and I partially blame myself because I REAAAAALLY should've looked at the game's trophies beforehand, but I had to play through the whole of the game three times, even though it should've only been two. A chapter select would've been very helpful for this. So collecting holo-cards and weapons/weapon upgrades aren't that bad, especially since if you get a certain number of duplicate cards you can trade them for one you don't have, but one of the trophies really screwed me. There is a trophy for using the Groovitron on every enemy in the game, which I didn't know existed until after my New Game Plus run, so I had to go back through and systematically use this weapon on every single enemy in the game, all the way up to the final boss, which finally gave me the trophy. That, however, is the worst part about this game, I think I just burned myself out on the entire franchise (for now) because of how many times I had to play through the game. I'll pick up another one at some point I'm sure, but not in the near future.

On: PlayStation 4

A fun puzzle type game with a lot of things to collect. Toys, cloaks, pieces to a song, and shattered runes? That's a lot of things to collect for a game with so few chapters. The music in this game is fantastic, but perhaps the best sections are the ones with no music, where you just have to listen to the ambient noises of the environment. It's fairly clear that the game's chapters are going through the 5 stages of grief, but even knowing that doesn't take away from the feeling you get while playing. As for trophies, they aren't that bad. As always, collecting things can be annoying, but while the best part is that items are collected sequentially, so if you are at a point in the game and collect something, you can go view it in your menu, and any missing spots before it means that you've passed up items while you've been playing. There are a lot of strange side trophies to do that don't necessarily pertain to anything that you may need help figuring out. Things like destroying 5 specific statues in the desert, or throwing an object "as far as you can". Trophies like this can be gotten for the most part by viewing the non-spoiler trophy list ahead of time, and then going out of your way to try and accomplish these tasks. Otherwise, just use a guide. This is definitely a game I would play through again.

On: PlayStation 4

I love this game a lot and can't wait until next year, because that is when I'm going to allow myself to complete the game again on PC. I really do like the puzzles, the various settings, and the countless Easter Eggs that can be found everywhere. It really gives off the vibe of an early PC game, something I would've bought off the shelf in the tech aisle at WalMart. At least in my case, a guide was certainly needed to get some of the secret stars (for the secret areas) in the game, but for the most part I just plowed through it, spending upwards of an hour on one or two areas. It never feels cheap, like there was some lazy way to solve what you were trying to solve, everything mechanic has a specific way that it works, and you need to use it in that way combined with the other mechanics you've learned to properly solve it. Like a real puzzle game. The worst trophy would have to be the one requiring you to be stuck on a puzzle for a period of time, because I believe the time requirement increases as you get further in the game. Which I did, because I wasn't aware of that trophy, so it took about 30 minutes of doing nothing in a puzzle to get the trophy. I wasn't even stuck, just bored. Besides that, can't wait to play again on PC in 2019!

On: PlayStation 4

DLC for the original game, so my thoughts are basically the same. The puzzles I think are actually easier overall, the one big thing I liked about the DLC is that it relies heavily on internet culture for its storytelling. Not necessarily the memeiness of it or references to websites, but just the way message boards and internet communities function as a whole. And as you progress through the story you almost become a mythic character to these individuals while the admin's try to figure out what's going on before the regular members. A pleasant addition, though I think a bit overpriced. I would try to get the game/DLC bundled if possible.

On: PlayStation 4

I actually liked this game? Like, enjoyed it way more than I thought I would? It's a point-and-click based on the goosebumps books, but unlike those books, it can actually be funny/clever at times. There are some bs jumpscares, I can think of three instances where it unfairly screamed at me or made a jarring noise for no good reason, but besides that its a good time and the trophies are pretty manageable. I had to use a guide for one trophy though, which requires picking up every single item in the game. Thankfully, you don't have to have them all in your inventory at the same time, it just requires you to grab them all at least once, because in order to get some secret items, your required to throw some non-key items into a laundry chute, which has a chance to have them spawn as one of the secret items at the bottom of the chute. So yeah, I used a guide for that. But this is a pretty fun game I think with interesting deaths and plenty of references to the books if you manage to remember any of them.

On: PlayStation 4

THIS. GAME. IS. UNFAIR. Not intentionally, but due to the randomized nature of the biomes and the layout of those biomes, there are optional bosses to beat for one trophy that may all spawn on your first time through, or could require you to spend hours running to the right trying to get one to finally show its face. And even then, one of the optional bosses (the beaver in the snow biome) has spikes on the walls of its arena, so if you are lucky enough to get it to spawn, be careful that he doesn't kill himself, or else it won't count towards the trophy and you'll have to start running right again until he spawns. I hate games that work this way, mainly because it's such a time waster. And the more you just run to the right, the more boosts you will want to use, which runs high risk of glitching out and breaking the game, which ruined two of my runs. The music is great, and I love the way the foreground and background work in tandem to the field you play on. Other than that, I hate this game and don't want to play it again.

On: PlayStation 4

Suffice it to say, I wasn't actually the person who completed this game, though I was there for it and it is my copy of the game. I was with a group of 4 other people playing this game a few days after Halloween, and another person was steering the ship while the rest of this helped/reacted to what was going on. The game is an extremely easy walking simulator with trophies that are mostly story related. There are a few trophies for notes you can pick up, but you have a mechanic that allows you to call out your son's name, which will reveal items nearby. There's also another trophy you can get that isn't story related, and while it can be missed, you can just start another playthrough and get it at the very beginning of the game by trying to leave the parking lot. Unfortunately no platinum trophy, but rarely do these types of games have those. It wasn't all that scary either, but not only am I sort of desensitized to horror games at this point, I was also playing with other twenty-somethings, so that also diluted it a bit.

On: Nintendo Gamecube

I've played this game numerous times in the past, but this was the first time I had the audacity to complete the damn thing. And having done it, I don't think I will ever do it again (well, maybe on PS2...). The game would be a standard GTA clone in its own right if it weren't for how problematic the A.I. can be. For a game with Hit & Run in it's title, you really don't ever want to get it. Having the cops on your tail in GTA can be fun at times. It is never fun here, mainly because of how tight the maps are and how constraining some of the times can be for missions. All that said, the worst bit was probably purchasing everything, and even then most of that was due to how much money the cops took from me. I wasn't aware of the box glitches that exist to get more money early on, but outside of that, the only way to get more money is by performing wage race after wage race, which can be monotonous. Again, maybe on PS2, but I can't forsee myself going back to this well again. And that's with The Simpsons being my favorite of all shows too. Just wish they had more than one good game...

On: PlayStation 4

Platinum relics are harder to get than I remember, especially being that there are a few run breaking glitches present in the game (at least when I went through and did it). Thankfully, if you are only going for the trophies and not the relics like I did, you only need to get 26 gold relics (or better), and that's manageable. Otherwise as easy as the original Crash Bandicoot is, just be on the lookout for the collectible heads in order to get the bonus stages, and therefore help to get all of the gems for the secret ending. If I remember the other Crash games in the trilogy, I'm gonna have a much harder time with the other two when I get to them.

On: PlayStation 4

This game was delightful at most every turn, with minimalist designs and engaging music, I didn't even really mind doing the same thing over and over again. The trophies are easy to get as well, because there are no curveballs here: everything that you do in the game for all 12 endings will get you a trophy, including a platinum for getting all the trophies. Even better, each playthrough doesn't take long at all, maybe 5-10 minutes, depending on how much dialogue you skip (which I did an awful lot for scenes I had already encountered more than twice). The one things I wasn't a huge fan of were the "secret codes" you get for each playthrough, as I thought they alluded to some puzzle that could be found in game. As soon as I inspected it further, however, I was told to plug the codes into a website, at which point I was told I could purchase a hardcover book of that particular adventure. A neat touch for sure, and I'm sure it appeals to some, but not me, especially nowadays when I'm so accustomed to secrets and hidden puzzles in games.

On: PlayStation 4

First time I've ever completed this game, especially the Final Mix version. I've actually done all of the synthesis grinding and secret bosses in the past, but this time I went for the gummi missions, which I've always hated and never actually completed before. So I did it this time, surprisingly easy after I found a guide to help construction. The missions themselves aren't too complicated, the problem is that the menu for constructing things is so confusing, even after reading the help menu, that I could never really figure out how to work it properly. However, I was able to do it this time. I'll eventually do the PS3 version too for the trophies, but I'll wait a while. Especially with KHIII coming out in January 2019.

On: PlayStation 4

Decided to include this even though it's just the cinematics, because I decided to unlock all of the items in this game after realizing that the trophies for the PS4 release had been removed. Of course, no real gameplay here, just watching through the various movies and reading through the unlocked journals to get the plot of the game. Will probably do it again on the PS3 version sometime next year since that version has trophies.

On: PC/Windows

This game representing a game that Toby Fox would like to make in the future, Deltarune Chapter 1 provides us with more than enough to decide whether we would want to play a fully realized version. And I do. I liked Undertale enough, enjoyed the writing and the combat system, but I always felt that it was a little flat. It got tiring for me personally because the whole system was based around your decisions causing the games outcome to change, which is fine but requires more than just a couple of playthroughs to truly complete the game (one of the reasons I have yet to do so). Deltarune has all the charm that Undertale had and similar combat with some much needed variety added as well in the form of party members and slightly more complex combat choices. And, at least for this Chapter 1 demo, there isn't as much importance placed on choices. They're still there, but you don't necessarily feel like everything you do will be impacting anything. The game goes so far as to outright tell you this in the beginning. So, yes, I'm definitely looking forward to this project should Toby Fox consider to pursue it, and I'll be right there to play it when it comes out proper.

On: PlayStation

Thankfully this game came on the PlayStation Classic, because it's a game that I saw a lot of in the past, always wanted to play but never had the means to, and then completely forgot about it. Sure, the game is a quick play and it's incredibly easy, even on it's unlocked extra mode, but the game is fun all the same. The crazy polygonal creatures that dot every level mixed with the bizarre colors and patterns painted across the various landscapes makes me long for those strange early platformers that flooded the libraries of the Playstation, N64, and Dreamcast (even the likes of Glover and Bubsy 3D). I'm aware of the sequel game and hope to play that one sometime in the near future, but I'm sad that there are only two games that exist for this... I hesitate to even say franchise due to the lack of titles. Perhaps it was just too out there for players, or maybe the first person view coupled with the heavy emphasis on jumping made players new to the 3D platforming concept literally sick. Regardless, with all of the early Playstation games that have been getting remastered recently (with Medievil on the way), I hope that Jumping Flash is next on the docket.

On: Nintendo Switch

Finally a Smash that can compete with Melee. I truly enjoyed every second of playing this one, even some of the more grindy challenges (like 200 Online Quickplay battles) didn't elicit much frustration. As the title suggests, this is the ultimate version of Smash, containing every character from the past games and almost every stage from the past stages (there are a few missing stages that I wish were in it just for novelty sake, like Poke Floats), including a soundtrack consisting of, by my count, 876 songs from various franchises to listen to. As with most new games I play, I'll be awaiting the DLC and unlockable lists to come out in case I've missed something, because I would like to have this filed away as complete, while also experiencing everything that the game had to offer. I wish this game had came out a bit earlier so I could've put it on my Top 10 Games I Played This Year, because it's definitely up there. To be honest, if there isn't another Smash game after this one, I'd be content. This is the perfect sendoff for the franchise. Though please Nintendo, make a final DLC pack with the remaining stages so it can be truly complete!

On: PlayStation 3

The final bit of my Kingdom Hearts prep before III's release, I decided to finally complete this game this year. I've beaten the game in the past, but the synthesis was so seemingly different from the other game, and the Lingering Will left a sour taste in my mouth, so I remember moving on to other things. Don't even get me started on the Gummi Missions. But this time around, with Kingdom Hearts III coming out in January, I figured that I should complete both games this year, and so that's exactly what I did. I don't have time to go through the handhelds before III's release, so I'll probably watch all the cutscenes online to get fully caught up on the story, but otherwise, yeah! The Data battles were brutal, and Sephiroth took me roughly 30 minutes, but outside of that not nearly as hard as I had thought. Even Lingering Will turned out to be not so bad. I'll do this again in the future at some point for PS4 and the original PS2 release.

On: PlayStation

I am definitely not a fan of these types of games. I like puzzle games, but at a more leisurely pace. I've been through this once before with Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, though that game is a bit easier overall. The part that perhaps worried me most about the game is the fact that it had unlockables to obtain. I was so excited after the first few hours when I finally beat the game on Hard Mode, only to be met with no unlockables, and I was upset. Then I found Street Puzzle Mode, and the old saying "Be Careful What You Wish For" rung ever true. The rest of my time was spent performing the same match over and over and over again until finally beating the match through the A.I. making mistakes. I do think that I got better at the game over time, I set up combos and try to set them off, but any victory I had was pure luck. I work at half the speed the A.I. does, and would perform horrendously in any form of tournament. But jokes on you, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo! I played your game and completed it! And I hopefully won't be coming back...

On: Nintendo Switch

This has gotta be one of my favorite Mario games to date. I'm glad that, even a year after it's release, they're still adding material to the game, even if that means more required grinding later. The utter weirdness of the New Donk City's residents and the Dragon in Ruined Kingdom do nothing but add charm to the game for me, and while the extremely large collectible count seems daunting at first, any game with checklists for collectibles automatically gain favor with me. The fact that the game manages to work as both an excellent 3D platformer as well as almost a Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Mario franchise only makes it better. The game includes aspects of every Mario game to date, with 2D sections, send-up's of the original Donkey Kong, segments without Cappy that are very reminiscent of Sunshine stages without F.L.U.D.D., and the entire Mushroom Kingdom working as a collection of references to Mario 64. I don't know what's next for the Mario franchise, but Odyssey is going to be very hard to top.