So, what was your favourite game you played in 2021? (Gaming)

by INSANEdrive, ಥ_ಥ | f(ಠ‿↼)z | ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ| ¯\_(ツ)_/¯, Wednesday, January 05, 2022, 10:55 (841 days ago) @ CyberKN

Red Dead Redemption 2, Shadow Warrior 2, Prototype 2, Katamari Damacy REROLL, Carrion, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, & Sundered: Eldritch Edition. Based on achievements, these are the games I played this year (that were new for me). I started Red Dead 2 late into 2020, but most my time playing was in 2021... thus here it is.

See too some Witcher 3, Splinter cell and what not, but I've played those before... they don't count. Some clips at the end though.

Of them all, I'd have to say... Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Should be Red Dead Redemption 2, but it isn't. Why? Well read on!

Red Dead Redemption 2 - Wow... wow. Wow. Let me just start off with that. This is my first Rockstar game I've ever played and... well, ok. That might not be true. Earthworm Jim 3D & Max Payne come to mind, so maybe its better to say that it's been a while, and this is my first modern Rockstar game I've played. In any event, despite it's "Grand Theft Auto in-the-Old-West" core... it's more as if made for me then not. The Tech. The Environments. The attention to details... all so well crafted into a pot of... I traveled back in time. I actually traveled back in time.

This game gave to me it's price of admission and more with one beautiful moment. I cherish it. It's something only this sort of media could ever provide. Know too that while I am no Historian, I do have a solid if occasionally lightly smudged map of history. Old west included.

For the sake of the story, I'm going to include a visual (which is not the story its self). This clip here starts off right after I tossed a knife into the back of a would be robber, saving a couple. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The old west m i rite?

Make a mental note of the environment right afterwords when I turn around and call my horse.

Finally the story; So in this game there are vaudeville style shows, as there would be at this time. I totally ignored them. Waste of virtual cash, I thought. That despite the option, it would be some cheap trick. As we play video-games, or at least for me, as I enjoy I also know that its all simulated. So I just ignore the shows and why not... have I mentioned how utterly GORGEOUS the environments are in this game? OH-My-LAWD! Just to have the idea was silly. (Side Note: Goodness its so odd to praise how good the game looks and not mention... you know... REAL LIFE.)

Then I finally reached a point in my exploration where I uncovered on my map, Saint Denis. The "Jewel of Lemoyne". Wow. At some point, I had on my person enough funds to say... you know what, sure. There is nothing to lose, what do ya got Rockstar? So I went to the local vaudeville theater, purchased a ticket, and watched. And man folks, credit to Rockstar, it was a full on vaudeville show. I was surprised that song was as old as it apparently(?) is. (Presuming they did their homework, but looking around in the game, I have no reason to aggressively doubt it.)

It was indeed, in some way, fun. A good time. Got out of the virtual seat, left the theater, and as it always seems to happen, day was now night (with the bonus of some very atmospheric fog). When I walked out of that theater *SNAP* that's when it happened. I time traveled.

You ever just... you walk out of a theater, totally jazzed and satisfied by the entertainment, only to walk out and be met by a similarly fine ambiance of the evening? The cherry on top of a particularly fine experience... it's a beautiful night. Calm air matched by the distant songs of equally satisfied folks walking in their respective directions as needed. It's simply lovely. It's good. Everything is good and as it should be, if only for the moment.

I walked out of that Red Dead Redemption 2 theater, this video game, and suddenly... I was not playing a video game. I was in 1899 and I was walking the quiet foggy streets of New Orleans...er, Saint Denis. I would, for about 5 minutes time, completely lose myself and just... be there. It all just jelled... just a beautiful experience, a waking dream, cognizant and alive. And yes, I did realize it and yes I did indeed shed a tear.

...fantastic. Best I can, but the words just don't do true justice.

Then I must 'posit the question; With such an experience alone, not even including the rest of the praise this game well deserves, how is it that this isn't my favorite game I played in 2021? One thing. This one choice totally became a gamestopper for me. For a game to be so... so BRILLIANT, for this one thing, this choice... I just. It's a darned pebble in a shoe, and suddenly I can't walk anymore.

A big part of game is speaking in ever old west fashion, guns. Could say more, but you get it... I'm pretty sure a tumble weed just rolled by just now. What surprised me starting out this game, is that while in your "bullet time" there was no manual control of the "where to fire" aim. You just sweep the cursor over, and it auto ticks for ya. Fine. Felt rather unwieldy at first, but as I played the game at my own pace, I got better with it and ended up enjoying it. I got used to it and was able to play the game as I wanted to.

Well, I can't say how deep into the main story, but deep enough, apparently when you play a particular one of these unskippable story missions, you suddenly "gain" the ability to manually aim the "where to fire" and there is no option to change it back. This is such a shit, piss poor... I just can't. It's like mid-way playing Mario, hitting bricks doesn't break them, it just causes a concussion. A core rule of how to play the game has been ripped from me. I would feel the same way if it was the other way around too, the game should not be taking away options to play, but adding to it. That's the brief of it anyway, and I've not touched the game since. I reverted a save in-case I want to play around in the wilds again, but as far as the story goes, I'm stopped. And it's a darned shame.

Shadow Warrior 2 - This game is a candy enema. It's stupid, it's sloppy, and despite being shit, is pretty good if you just want to sit down, turn your brain off and dice demons. So... like Doom I guess, but its cheap cousin that's been eyeing across the room.

Prototype 2 - Only got this because it was on a heavy discount, and I recalled wanted to get it back in the day, and never did. Writing is more of a vapid joke then usual, but writing isn't why one plays this game either.

Katamari Damacy REROLL - Oh Japan.

Starting in October, I decided that I would start playing side games that generally matched a theme of that month. Nothing absolute, just a push towards expanding the styles of game I play.

Starting with...

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice - I've had the disk for this for over a year. This game was totally off my radar until I just so happened to circumstance my way into... (don't ask; just work with me here)

---There are Spoilers in this Video. Come back after you have played!---

...this.

I was in that audience. Chatted with Tameem Antoniades after words. The big takeaway from this video above is the great effort they took in authentically representing the different shades of severe mental phycosis. To which I must now admit; I am a straight sucker for honest and authentic representations, but often in the case for the past. Historical movies and what not. Yet these folks claim they've in-great-effort congealed from the abstract and anarchic nature of the mind, thoroughly authentic representations of extreme human experience? BRO I'm SO IN. And I say that knowing I'd be about to confront the visual manifestations one can find in the dark caky corners of a human soul, but... well... sister, I'll be that extra voice for ya. After all, what's one more!

Really though... this game is not to be trifled with. It is not casual, as it's topics are not either. THIS GAME IS NOT FOR CHILDREN, and that ain't in just age there folks. When a Blood Eagle is one of least gruesome visuals seen, no more need be said there. And if you don't know what a Blood Eagle is, don't look it up. The nice version in description would be... what if lungs were wings? Yeah. And each moment, each "flavor" of phycosis is based on the experiences those with phycosis have had. Yes. Even, apparently, the meat hell. It's not funny, I'm actually glad I can't comprehend anymore then I can.

I really can not say it enough, this game is not for those whom are weak in stature or stomach. You are visiting through some of the most extreme and incomprehensible experiences a human can have, all with no control to bare! If you can survive this game (not that it's hard in that way), I can say with some confidence that you will be ever wiser from the experience. That alone makes it my game of the year for me, but of course there is more.

Note, this is a video game, and I've not even mentioned yet what it's like to play! What is the game? Well before I try to describe it, let me first say; headphones or a high end surround sound system is ABSOLUTELY required for full effect. This game grants content for all the senses, much like phycosis can do as well. No smell-o-vision though... thank goodness. So what is this game like to play? It's... very art house and very indie for starters. It is every method of telling a story. It's a moderate puzzler, and a mild fighter. I highly suggest you play this game on as easy a difficulty as you can, 'cus frankly, the fighting is more filler then not, which-does-not-mean it isn't enthralling or poorly done! There is just more to this game then swinging a slab around.

The clip is late in the game, but is at the same vain vague enough to tell you nothing all while showing you what I mean.

Alright folks... almost done with this one. What I'm about to talk about is what really makes this game the best game I have played this year. I could give more! I have plenty of praise for this game, but after this part here is where I'm going to end it. You're welcome.

So I'm about to share the very beginning to one of the experiences. Here it is.

How this was handled through out was done brilliantly. I can say no more. This game was the Best Game I played in 2021. Good Luck.

Carrion - Getting this out of the way first; the most common demerit of this game is its need of a map. And indeed, if you want to 100% all its levels, you will probably need to back track, when a map would be the most helpful. Fortunately in my play-through I was able to, through a mix of logic and dumb luck, weave my way to every which way I needed to go to allow me to 100% the game. Also, perhaps, mild memorization of locations, due to being aware of the issue mentioned. I knew that, for me, I had to dedicate my play time to this game, otherwise I would start forgetting stuff and potentially become lost. That's what is going against this game.

But...otherwise, it's a good time by and large. It honestly sells its self. Here are some clips. Cheers.

Sundered: Eldritch Edition - Grabbed this at a discounted whim. Why? Thought the art style (apparently this is hand drawn) looked neat. That's it.

This game, which has no new game plus might I add, starts SLOW, and there are definitely low points as you "clean the map" of the fog of war. Your untold figure it out your self (welcome!) task is to explore the whole map and gain power as you do it. Oh and there are morality endings too, but I'll say no more of that. It's a low tier metroidvania platformer. I had my fun with it, it had some cool bits. The clip below this is one of the more higher action moments, but there are some lulls too. The biggest enemy of this game is its uneven moments, and the biggest enemy in the game is suddenly becoming overwhelmed by the environmental traps & endless waves of foes slapping you around the map, with what you see below being some of the easiest to manage.

So yea, if you see this on discount, it looks interesting, and you are ok with high points and low points, then hey give it a go.

The End. "Some clips at the end though."