Tumgik
#been replaying zero dawn which gives me a chance to look at them again
xasadnerdx · 9 months
Text
been back on my bs with them lately 💕
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
75 notes · View notes
thomas-mvller · 4 years
Text
Tag games x 283129
Hello everyone so uh lately i've started to be more active on my music sideblog which means i've been hearting stuff like crazy for the past couple of months aka all the things i've been tagged in has been buried under all that nonsense SO because i hate leaving things undone i thought on doing them all at once and tagging a bunch of people so they can get a little distraction by doing them (as in, not all of them but whichever they might want to do)
Again: you do not have to do all of them, not even one if you don't feel like doing so! there's a game for everyone so hey!
Tagging: @havertsz @foreverbayern @germanynts @sherlockisonfire @debushit @sadiiomane10 @miasanmuller @elishamanning @abcde-fc @bbjim @littletentaclemonster @tamtam-elizabeth @minimalloss @pearfight and whoever wants to do this! if you see it, consider yourself tagged >:))
Alright, here we go:
1) I was tagged by @/tamtam-elizabeth and @/sadiiomane10 to post a capture of my lockscreen, homescreen and last song i listened to. Thank you both <3
Tumblr media
I used to be very annoying when it came to changing my lock/homescreen so now i just don’t do that often anymore (previous to that my homescreen was a pic of lfc winning ucl OBVIOUSLY) also i haven’t really been listening to music lately but i did have a depeche mode phase like two weeks ago and this was the song i replayed the most so hey!
///
2) “Get to know me” tag
Tagged by the always thoughtful @/tamtam-elizabeth , thank you and i’m sorry for taking so long ;-; <3
Name: Cloud
Birthday: sometime in november
Zodiac Sign: scorpio
Height: 5′4′’ or 1.65 (last time i checked..... which was like seven years ago)
Hobbies: lately it has been sewing facemasks 😂 that aside i like watching movies, random videos on yt, baking and crafting sometimes
Favorite colors: black, red and teal
Favorite Book: don’t think i have one :o
Last Song Listened to: barrel of a gun by depeche mode
Last Movie Watched: currently watching prince of egypt. if that doesn’t count then ben hur 😂
Inspiration or Muse: i really don’t know what to say here 😂
Dream Job: i still haven’t given up to my goal but at this point i just want a job that gives me stability and zero worries
Reason Behind my URL: Thomas Müller (German pronunciation: [ˈtoːmas ˈmʏlɐ]; born 13 September 1989) is a German professional footballer who plays for Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. A versatile player, Müller plays as a midfielde- okay no in all seriousness yess this url is bc of a football player 😂
///
3) Ten songs playlist tag
Tagged by the joy that is @/foreverbayern and the always sweetest @/havertsz . thank youuuuu <3
Rules: We’re snooping through your playlist. Put your entire music library on shuffle and list the first 10 songs and then choose 10 victims.
Some months ago I made the mistake of transfering the songs i had in my old computer to my current laptop and there are some stuff that just........ should not be acknowledged so i can’t do shuffle HOWEVER i will choose ten random songs i’ve listened to/discovered this year (technically speaking is the same) so here it is:
art-i-ficial by x-ray spex
sunny afternoon by the kinks
desire lines by lush
paper cuts by incubus
pure love by hayley williams
spirit by bauhaus
no one knows by screaming trees
let’s love by suho
all we need is a dream by cheap trick
cosmonauts by fiona apple
bonus: you’re so close by peter murphy (god i adore this song)
I wouldn’t be surprised if these aren’t your cup of tea tbh 😂
///
4) “Core aesthetic” tag
Tagged by @/havertsz - i’m sorry for the delay ;-; and thank you <3
rules: search your name + "core aesthetic" on pinterest, get a moodboard & select a few photos that come up
i can’t really use pinterest so i googled it instead, as you might’ve guessed this is what i got 😂
ps: i’ve been informed not to use pinterest so if you wish follow this post’s indications
Tumblr media
ah this is so pretty, i loved doing this!
///
5) 
Tagged by @/germanynts @/havertsz and @/elishamanning to do this tag, thank you all <3
rules: describe yourself with pictures you already have saved. no downloading or searching for new ones. then tag 10 people.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
if you want further explanations for each pic... ask ahead 😂
///
6) “bold what applies” tag
Tagged by the always enJoyable @/foreverbayern, thank yoooou <3
rules: bold what applies to you and tag a bunch of people
- Appearance
I am over 5’5 // I wear glasses/contacts // I have blonde hair // I prefer loose clothing over tight clothing // I have one or more piercings (had three...) // I have at least one tattoo // I have blue eyes // I have dyed or highlighted my hair // I have gotten plastic surgery // I have or had braces // I sunburn easily // I have freckles // I paint my nails // I typically wear makeup // I don’t often smile // I am pleased with how I look  // I prefer Nike to Adidas // I wear baseball caps backwards
- Hobbies and interests
I play a sport // I can play an instrument // I am artistic // I know more than one language // I have won a trophy in some sort of competition // I can cook or bake without a recipe // I know how to swim // I enjoy writing // I can do origami // I prefer movies to tv shows // I can execute a perfect somersault // I enjoy singing // I could survive in the wild on my own // I have read a new book series this year // I enjoy spending time with my friends // I travel during school or work breaks // I can do a handstand
Relationships
I am in a relationship // I have been single for over a year // I have a crush  // I have a best friend I have known for ten years // my parents are together // I have hooked up with my best friend // I am adopted // My crush has confessed to me // I have a long-distance relationship // I am an only child // I give advice to my friends // I have made an online friend // I met up with someone I have met online
- Aesthetic
I have heard the ocean in a conch shell // I have watched the sunrise // I enjoy rainy days // I have slept under the stars // I meditate outside // the sound of chirping calms me // I enjoy the smell of the beach // I know what snow tastes like // I listen to music to fall asleep (i did that for a long time and i sicnerely don’t recommend it) // I enjoy thunderstorms // I enjoy cloud watching // I have attended a bonfire (quick story time: one time when i was 12 my friends and i sneaked into our seniors’ school anniversary activities and they lit this huge bonfire near the football field, it was nuts) // I pay close attention to colours // I find mystery in the ocean (spoopy shit) // I enjoy hiking on nature paths // Autumn is my favourite season
- Miscellaneous
I can fall asleep in moving vehicles // I am the mom friend // I live by a certain quote(s) // I like the smell of sharpies // I am involved in extracurricular activities // I enjoy Mexican food // I can drive a stick-shift // I believe in true love // I make up scenarios to fall asleep // I sing in the shower // I wish I lived in a video game // I have a canopy above my bed // I am multiracial // I am a redhead // I own at least 3 dogs
///
my god this is getting embarassing i had stuff long due ;-;
7) 
Tagged by @/tamtam-elizabeth. think you for thanking on me when doing tag games, i mean it :-: <3
How old are you?: 24
Surgeries?: one
Tattoos?: none yet ://
Ever hit a deer?: i have never seen one so... no 😂
Sang karaoke?: yeah... years ago 😂
Ice skated?: nope
Ridden a motorcycle?: had the chance but nope
Ridden in an ambulance?: nope
Skipped school?: a handful of times
Stayed in a hospital?: for a few hours
Broken bones?: nope
Last phone call?: i haven’t called anyone in ages 😂
Last text from?: my mom
Pepsi or coke?: coke but i don’t mind having pepsi
Favorite pie?: haven’t had one
Favorite pizza?: chorizo + corn + red pepper
Favorite season?: autumn
Received a ticket?: don’t even know how to drive
Favorite color?: black, red and teal
Sunset or sunrise?: both!
Favorite Christmas song?: don’t think i have one, maybe universe by exo?
Cupcakes or cookies?: uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh good q, cookies?
///
8) “find your match” tag game
Tagged by @/tamtam-elizabeth, you’re allowed to punch me in the face at this point
Rules:
Take the test
Reblog this post with what type you got
Tag 7 mutuals to do the same!
I got the Dreamer and my ideal partner would be The Innovator ?)
Seek out opportunities to collaborate with INNOVATOR types, who combine your lofty idealism with a focus on pragmatic solutions. The grounding energy of the INNOVATOR can inspire you to apply your imagination to real-world change.
that’s deep fam 😂 but okay!
///
9) “get to know me tag”
Tagged by: @/littletentaclemonster . thank you and sorry for the delay ;-; <3
nickname: cloud zodiac: scorpio height: 5′4″ / 1.65 last movie I saw: can you believe i managed to watch another thing while making this? anyway it was The celluloid closet last thing I googled: block site extension favorite musician: as of right now? depeche mode song stuck in my head: you’re so close by peter murphy other blogs: @/brltpop and @/s-lay-ing amount of sleep: as long as i can get (usually 7 or 8) lucky numbers: don’t think i have one dream job: whatever gives me stability what am I wearing: pajamas  favorite food: chinese, mexican and italian language: which ones do i know? spanish and english somewhat. i want to learn japanese and german :c can I play an instrument: nope favorite song: atm is YOU’RE SO CLOSE (8) random fact: my nails usually grow sort of square except for my thumb and index fingers, they grow round for whatever reason describe yourself in aesthetic things: ?????????? idk man, messy room? loose clothes? football? cd’s on a shelf, posters on the walls ?????
///
MY GOD WHY AM I LIKE THIS????????? 
10)
Tagged by @/littletentaclemonster you too can punch me in the face
Rules: Bold the statements that apply to you, italicize your aspirations, then tag nine people.
AIR: I have small hands • I love the night sky • I watch small animals and birds when I pass them by • I drink herbal tea • I wake to see dawn • The smell of dust is comforting • I’m valued for being wise • I prefer books to music • I meditate • I find joy in learning new truths from the world around me
FIRE: I don’t have straight hair • I like to wear ripped jeans • I play an organized sport  • I love dogs • I am not afraid of adventure • I love to talk to strangers • I always try new foods • I enjoy road trips • Summer is my favorite season • My radio is always playing
WATER: I wear bracelets on my wrists • I love the bustle of the city • I have more than one set of piercings • I read poetry • I love the sound of a thunderstorm • I want to travel the world • I sleep past midday most days • I love dimly lit diners and fluorescent signs • I rewatch kids’ shows out of nostalgia • I see emotions in colors not words
EARTH: I wear glasses/contacts • I enjoy doing the laundry • I am a vegetarian • I have an excellent sense of time • My humor is very cheerful • I am a valued advisor to my friends • I believe in true love • I love the chill of mountain air • I’m always listening to music • I am highly trusted by the people in my life
AETHER: I go without makeup in my daily life • I make my own artwork • I keep on track of my tasks and time • I always know true north • I see beauty in everything (sort of) • I can always smell flowers • I smile at everyone I pass by • I always fear history repeating itself • I have recovered from a mental disorder • I can love unconditionally
Water an aether huh, i don’t know what to do with this information 😂
/////////////
if you ask me i would very much appreciate it if you do the songs playlist tag bc i need recommendations thanks. Also massive apologies to the ones that were due since last year I had them in my drafts i swear!
Stay safe everyone :D
8 notes · View notes
pressxtoalex · 6 years
Text
My Top 12 Most Anticipated Games of 2018
2017 was an absolute monster of a year for video games, and it’s starting to appear that January is going to be the only time where we aren’t going to be inundated with new releases to play, and inevitably miss out on. However, there are already more than a few games coming out in 2018 that have my attention and think they should have yours, too. Now bear in mind: This is a pretty PS4 heavy list, for obvious reasons, but if you do some Googling, you’ll find a lot of these are multi-platform releases. The other thing to consider, is while I consider myself a great optimist, I have to be real with myself, so no matter what the developers and publishers tell us, you aren’t going to find games like Death Stranding, Kingdom Hearts III, or The Last of Us Part II on this list, because, let’s face it, they aren’t coming out in 2018. Perhaps, the most frightening part of this list, is most of these games have been confirmed for at least the first half of the year, leaving June through December pretty wide open for us as gamers to have a crowded schedule.
12) The Longest Five Minutes
Tumblr media
Coming out of NIS America, The Longest Five Minutes takes a twist on the traditional RPG and starts out at the end, facing off against the game’s final boss, however, your character has lost every memory of their adventure, including their name, abilities, and even why he’s in this battle. Throughout the battle, comments made by his allies, and taunts by the Demon King will trigger flashbacks to help fill in the heroes memory gaps. It comes out in just a few weeks on both Vita and Nintendo Switch and the premise alone put this on my radar.
11) Days Gone
Tumblr media
We finally saw what Sony’s Bend Studio has been working on at E3 2016, and while it felt more like a “Lookee how many things we can have on the screen at once” they expounded on the stealth aspects of the game at PSX, showing the game to potentially being somewhere between The Last of Us and Horizon Zero Dawn. It sits so low on my list, partly because it’s Bend’s first release since Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and their first console release since Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow, and partly because I’m not 100% sold on this coming out in 2018, but, if I’m over here spoutin’ off Last of Us Part 2 is coming in 2019, then Day’s Gone needs to be hitting shelves in 2018 as to not be cannibalized by a much more established IP. I love the idea of an open world motorcycle game, though, and hopefully, it’s something akin to much under-appreciated Mad Max.
10) The Walking Dead: A Telltale Series The Final Season
Tumblr media
It’s pretty firmly established that I love adventure games, and I love Telltale. They hit a home run in 2012 with the first season of The Walking Dead, but while they continue to swing for the fences on various other licensed and popular properties, they haven’t quite fully captured the magic that made The Walking Dead’s first season so special. Sure, Season Two and Season Three had their high points, and Telltale has shown some of the magic in their other games like Tales from the Borderlands, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Batman, but this is their chance to give Clementine, a character we’ve spent six years growing up with, a proper send-off and story, after spending Season Three side-stepping her.
9) God of War
Tumblr media
Yo. Real talk, I’m not a God of War guy. I don’t need that much screamy chain man in my life, and frankly, Kratos has just been a dude, to me, that has zero redeeming qualities. Yea, he’s angry because of his tragic backstory, but, like...can you not? Here’s the thing though, Sony Santa Monica has created a tamer, humbled Kratos that seems to have far more to lose. While I think we’re starting to teeter on seeing too much of the game, game director Cory Barlog keeps saying the right things about this installment that has more-than-piqued my interest. And me being interested in a God of War game speaks volumes. 
8) Adventure Time: Pirates of the Enchiridion
Tumblr media
Adventure Time is the one franchise that has been itching for a quality game under its banner. We’ve had a handful of various dungeon crawler games, top-down Zelda clones, and adventure games, but they’ve either missed on the art style or totally whiffed on the gameplay. Pirates of the Enchiridion may possibly be the Adventure Time game that the series fans have been clamoring for. It’s an open-world game set in the Land of Ooo, with an original story, multiple playable characters, full-cast voiceover, and sailing. The series is wrapping up soon, and this may be one of the last Adventure Time games we see, so here’s hoping this is the one they get right.
7) Church in the Darkness
Tumblr media
I’ve had my eye on Paranoid Productions’ Church in the Darkness for a couple of years now. It’s a top-down, procedurally-generated action/infiltration game set in the 1970s where you’re an ex-law enforcement officer tasked with checking in on your nephew, who has recently joined the Collective Justice Mission cult. Each playthrough promises to be different, down to the characters’ personalities and reactions to you being in the camp. If you want to go full-stealth Metal Gear with it, you can, or if you want to go full guns-blazing, go right ahead. The idea of uncovering more of the story based on your investigating, and the varying degree in which characters respond to you each time you play, leave a lot of opportunities for the game to have mass amounts of replay value.
6) Jurassic World Evolution
Tumblr media
Hi. I would like to build my own Jurassic World, please. That’s at least what developer Frontier is promising. While I had no idea Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis even existed until it became too rare to justify purchasing, I did spend a lot of my summer in 2012 tapping away at Jurassic Park Builder on my iPhone. Jurassic World Evolution looks to bring that Jurassic Park-meets-Sim City hybrid back to home consoles. Hopefully “Life finds a way” and this game will be exactly what Jurassic-verse fans have been looking for this summer. Just, please, don’t Animal Crossing this and make me have to play every day or risk being infested with weeds and whatnot. That’ll be the quickest way for me to nope out of this.
5) Crossing Souls
Tumblr media
Somewhere between the Burger King Kids Club and Stranger Things lies Fourattic’s Crossing Souls. Set in 1986 in California, Crossing Souls is an action-adventure RPG where five kids make a mysterious discovery that thrusts them into navigating two planes of life and death and begin uncovering a government conspiracy. With five playable characters, each with their own style of combat, puzzles, and 80’s arcade references, Crossing Souls is right up my alley in the indie-game realm.
4) Detroit Become Human
Tumblr media
Heavy Rain is one of my all-time favorite games. Hell, it’s tangentially linked to where my YouTube namesake came from. While Beyond: Two Souls wasn’t entirely the follow-up a lot of fans were looking for, I have no problem putting all of Quantic Dreams eggs into the Detroit Become Human basket. Between its Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick-style of story, stunning visuals, and varying degrees of story direction, this seems to be the Quantic Dream getting back on the right track. The big question is what side of their spectrum the story is going to fall on.
3) Dreams
Tumblr media
If you listen closely, you can hear the hype-train leaving the station for Dreams. Media Molecule has been a voice in the gaming industry that needs to be heard again. Their style and creativity has been sorely missed, but a few questions remain: Is there a major market for a curation-based platformer, will the customization be as flawlessly executed as we’ve been lead to believe, and will this even hit 2018 despite the developer’s best efforts? It’s hard for me to temper my excitement for a game that has a far more expansive Super Mario Maker feel to it. The in-game campaign may not be the reason to buy the game, so it’s going to be on those that pick up Dreams to keep it alive.
2) Red Dead Redemption 2
Tumblr media
I totally missed on Red Dead Redemption. It was at a time where working in gaming retail and feeling that need to play everything, the last thing I wanted to do was play a massive open-world game. Red Dead Redemption 2 feels like my opportunity to atone for this mistake. I loved what I played of Grand Theft Auto V and am dying to see what Rockstar Games has learned from then to now with Red Dead being their first proper current-gen game release. Rockstar has carte-blanche with the gaming industry, so if they came out tomorrow and said, “This is delayed again, and will be delayed a third time” almost everyone would understand. They’re still Scrooge McDucking in their money from GTA-Five, so they don’t need to rush a Red Dead sequel out the door, but they are looking to be the heaviest hitter in 2018 and every developer and publisher has to be waiting for a release date so they know to stay away.
1) Marvel’s Spider-Man
Tumblr media
I am absolutely salivating for Insomniac’s Spider-Man to just get a release date. I don’t even need it in my hands yet, I just want to know when I can have it in my hands, and based on recent tweets from the game’s dev-team, we may know sooner rather than later. Not only is this my most anticipated game of 2018, if you were to put a gun to my head and tell me I can only pick one game from this year, I would not even flinch when answering “Marvel’s Spider-Man.” Between the combat, the cinematic uses of QTE’s, to the open environments, I am absolutely sold on this game. The most exciting thing about this release is that, despite what we’ve already seen, I don’t even think we’ve seen a lot of it. Through tweets, and various interviews, I think we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg with this game. Outside of a certain popular character’s appearance in the E3 2017 trailer, we already know they play a larger role than just a cameo, leaving me to wonder if we’re getting a Sons of Liberty situation where the what we’ve seen could be a misdirection to what we’re getting. Regardless, Insomniac Games and Spider-Man are an incredible pairing and I cannot wait to get my hands on this.
So there you have it! My most anticipated games of 2018. I’m sure most of the titles didn’t surprise you, but I absolutely hope I was able to turn your gaze toward some upcoming releases you may not have previously known about. Feel free to drop by and let me know what you’re most looking forward to!
95 notes · View notes
filligan-universe · 7 years
Text
TOP 5 Games of  2016?
It’s October 2017, so I can’t think of a better time than now to reflect on the games I played last year and rank them based on specific merits. But wait! Did I even play any games last year? The answer… is no. But also yes, kinda. 
Look, this is gonna be a little different than my standard list, all right, because shit got weird and sad last year, so let’s just get this over with.
No Man’s Sky and Overwatch
I hit what I’ve trademarked as a Gamer’s Slump, better characterized as The Great Game Slump of 2016. But here���s the thing: I had no reason to. Two games, that I own, that came out in 2016, have become relevant, life-altering pillars in my good friend’s world – No Man’s Sky and Overwatch. But NMS had one of the worst launches in history and I canceled my preorder. I didn’t buy it until this past summer when I grabbed it for $13.
And No Man’s Sky is… stressful. It has a decent difficulty curve, which is admirable, but it also makes all actions a slog. Everything needs improvements and all of those improvements require hours of time slotted into the game like quarters in a Galaga machine. This is fine if you have a bong to hold you over with the crazy visuals and the weird animals that all look different but also all look the same, but I don’t. I gave that game 4 hours. I came close to death several times and my ability to survive close calls excited me. Then, randomly on my trip between planets, space pirates blew me up. I died and it seemed there was nothing I could have done about it.
I played that game on Twitch and my friend watched the stream and then sent me several paragraphs of bullet points of what I was doing wrong. I think he even said I could’ve avoided death from the space pirates. But I couldn’t find out how at the time. And that’s kind of the biggest problem with NMS: it feels like walking into Grade 10 Spanish without knowing even knowing what Ay caramba means. It’s a good game for budding game developers to learn that, yes, while we generally hate games that hold our hands to the point where it’s playing for us, we also still need a semblance of guidance. No Man’s Sky drops you, alone, with little in the way of intuitive guidance, and that’s part of its charm, but it made the game feel cold and uncaring to me. 
But also, I’m not done with it. I will return to it, but it’s difficult these days now that my Game Slump is officially over (seriously, I am having trouble squeezing all the games I love this year into a Top 5, and the year’s not over yet).
I should have gotten sucked into Overwatch. But I didn’t and I’ve tried, oh lord, oh lawd, how I did try. And I’m still willing to try because it’s not like I’ve disliked my time with it, it just hasn’t grabbed me by a big metal hook and yanked me into the fray. So, again, another game that I want to spend more time with before I can even decide if it belongs in a Top 5 list.
Remakes, Remasters, Returns
The new games in 2016 didn’t excite me much, so I delved into some remasters. I like remasters. They give me an excuse to play older games I missed that are now overpriced on the used game market or a chance to replay one of my favorites. The latter applies to two games (or should I say 4 games) that took up a sizeable chunk of my gaming time last year: Batman: Return to Arkham (which has the first two remastered Arkham games) and the BioShock Collection (of which I only replayed the first and third). 
It’s no secret that the Arkham games are some of my favorites of all time. The first game is a masterpiece. I own every installment, even those not developed by Rocksteady, so this was a no-brainer. And it was fun! This, in part, is why 2016 was so slumpy, because I craved fun. I didn’t want to work, and work, and work, and work towards better stats or perks or shit like that. I didn’t want to rely on other players to have a good time. At the start of 2016, I was just walking out the door on the Halo franchise, which is to say I was done with its online multiplayer. Guardians was so far removed from what actually made Halo an addicting franchise, but also I think I’ve grown cantankerous and grizzled and I have way more fun with local multiplayer these days. I like to joke around with people I know, to challenge them upfront, to call them out on poor judgments, instead of what Guardians had devolved into: a joyless, grindy, perk-based pay-to-win pile of puke where nobody talked to anybody else because they’re in a party with their three pals. I was over it and I think Overwatch got caught in the wake of that.
But the Akrham games? Those are still polished perfect. I don’t need no other stinkin’ players to have a good time with those! The only downside was Arkham City kept fucking freezing!
And BioShock, well, it had been like ten years since I played the first one, so it was neat to dive back into that. And it holds up! Infinite even more so, though I think Infinite is best delivered as a first-time experience. Knowing the twists and turns, it’s not the rollercoaster it was the first time around, but it still plays fantastic.
Gears of War 4
Last time I tried to cobble a Top 5 of 2016 list together, I was so desperate that I actually considered Gears of War 4. Boy, how this franchise has fallen. I’d almost consider this new addition worse than Judgment, which was always a third-party placeholder game and played like one. Gears of War 4 is mechanically great, but holy shit is it boring. The campaign never became a good time. The only moment I remember is Marcus angry about his fuckin’ tomato plants. The rest blurs into gooey sounds and robots and insufferable characters. And it’s not like this franchise had great stories or characters to begin with, but its macho, Starship Troopers-like atmosphere made it feel like violent 80s schlock that straddled the line of ridiculous and somber. The new game? It plays tight. The Coalition knows how to make this game feel right. But everything they have you do is just mindless. 
ABZU and Firewatch
Two games that stood out from last year – indie gems that were fun to play and emotionally involving. That said, I didn’t play these in 2016. I played them both in 2017, after the Game Slump lifted, and so they didn’t ping on my radar until well after 2016 was over.
Firewatch is grossly engaging. It’s the same praise you’ve read a hundred times over. Its biggest hiccup is that the main twist in the story is one based on backstory that has no bearing on your character’s involvement with the story. As well, I’m not sure how much the opening choices affect the plot, because they seem pretty unrelated, but it did function as a nice way to emotionally anchor the player into something serious.
ABZU is a fantastic water-based Journey that is a little too gamey with a camera that is sometimes wonky. I love Journey. It’s my favorite game of the Xbox 360/PS3 era. ABZU is sort of a cheaper version (except it’s more expensive, ha ha). The music isn’t quite as good, there’s no unique multiplayer stuff, the emotional punch of the story is muted in comparison to that heavenly ascension. But it’s still beautiful. There are several moments that are so gorgeous and spiritually affecting. I saved this clip from my first playthrough where I encountered the whales: 
If I had to pick a #1 of last year, ABZU would probably be it. And even though I haven’t said much about it, I think that’s all I need to say. There’s a poingancy in its minimalism that can only truly be felt by playing it.
2016 was a weird year. I think I can thank Horizon: Zero Dawn for breaking my slump and bringing me back to games. I’ve been playing different things non-stop since February and I’m eager to boil down my favorites of the year into a Top 5 list. Here’s hoping 2016 was an anomaly that won’t repeat until I have responsibilities and priorities well beyond sitting on my ass.
0 notes