It's been about 5 and a half years since I did my last Top 100 list. Due to my OCD and compulsion to constantly create lists in my head I think it's time for an all new Top 100.
My first thought was to reevaluate the old top 100, but fuck it, it's easier to pick 100 new games that I didn't have on the list last time. In the past 5 and a half years I've played more than I usually have, largely due to COVID. And in that time I've played a lot of new great games.
Plus, when I made the last list, I avoided adding multiple games from the same franchises. So I can dip back into the Dragon Quest pool and a few others.
Anyway stay tuned. Starting tomorrow we're doing this shit again.
My first thought was to reevaluate the old top 100, but fuck it, it's easier to pick 100 new games that I didn't have on the list last time. In the past 5 and a half years I've played more than I usually have, largely due to COVID. And in that time I've played a lot of new great games.
Plus, when I made the last list, I avoided adding multiple games from the same franchises. So I can dip back into the Dragon Quest pool and a few others.
Anyway stay tuned. Starting tomorrow we're doing this shit again.
Recently Spotted:
*crickets*
The Art Style series of games on the Wii and the DSi were quietly some of the most interesting games on Nintendo consoles at the time. Much like the Bit.Trip series, they took simple concepts and basic graphics and found a way to turn them on their head just a bit. Sadly they didn't quite have the same success as the Bit.Trip games, but they mostly were just as good.
BOXLIFE in particular was a favorite of mine. However, it is one of those games that when I tell people about they think I'm an idiot. Or possibly 5 years old. Or maybe just a really slow 8-year-old. Here it is in a nutshell. You're given a sheet of segmented paper, and you have to trace out segments that could be folded up into a box, creating as little waste as possible. You do this for 14 levels, and for some reason it is insanely fun. Oh, and you get a reward too. When you clear a segment, you get new papercraft figures for your home that you grow from an empty field to a farm to a house to a giant building.
I could try and explain it further, but it's just one of those things that doesn't make sense until you actually play it yourself. And even then, if you're not really a fan of puzzle games, or making boxes, I suppose, you still might not think it's worth a damn. But I will say that when I first started it, I was immediately addicted and I pretty much played straight through until I had completed every level. It's a real shame that it's essentially locked away on the closed DSi and 3DS shops.
As much as I love the game, Dragon Quest XI seems like the least original game of a series that prides itself in playing it safe and taking as few risks as possible. In this case, Dragon Quest 3, Final Fantasy 6, and Chrono Trigger seemed to be the direct inspiration. But you know what? If you're going to borrow, borrow from the best. And in this case, it 100% worked. While you can't say it feels fresh, that doesn't stop it from being a great game and experience.
Really the only downside of DQ11 is the length. If you want to get the true ending, it's around a 100 hour investment. JRPGs had an unfortunate trend in the last few years of bloating their playtime to or near triple digits, and DQ11 was no exception.
However, that true ending is well worth the time. I've said it before, and I still stand by it, DQ11 has the best ending of all time. The moments where it drags or gets repetitive, are all paid off with an ending that not only wraps up the game, but wraps up a series with over 30 years of history.
Yeah, loved Dragon Quest XI but it was a really long game. It was a game that just didn’t want to end. Like you said though getting that true ending was well worth the time spent. Felt like a love letter to the entire franchise.
So on that subject, I've said this before, but if anyone wanted to dive into the Dragon Quest series, just play 3, 5, 8, and 11. And while it's a pretty basic and simple game, I would still even say the original is worth a play, if for no other reason, then it helps set up dq3.
I think the best way to describe Cult of the Lamb is if Animal Crossing was much faster paced. And also had combat. And orgies. And everyone dies of old age. Unless of course you end up sacrificing them to the dark one. Other than that though, it's really quite similar to Animal Crossing. Oh and some of the members of your cult will ask you to make meals for them out of poop. But yeah, just like Animal Crossing.
So yeah, it's a twisted game with an absolutely adorable presentation. And if I'm going to spare everyone from the Animal Crossing jokes, basically it's a Dungeon Crawler with a hub that offers one of the crazier city building life sim games you'll ever come across.
For all the fucked up cold aspects though, it actually does a very good job balancing both of the elements. The village perhaps takes a little too long to get to the point where it's self-sufficient, but once you hit that point, you're pretty much free to focus on whatever you like.
I can honestly say I wouldn't recommend this game to everybody. If my grandma were alive, I wouldn't recommend it to her. But for anyone who likes The Binding of Isaac, this is a very logical next game to put on your list.
For some reason the entire write up I did for this game vanished after I posted it. I'm not doing the whole thing again, so to sum up:
Not as good as the original, due to the limitations of the PSP, but it jams in a ton of extra features that weren't in the original like fleshed out backstories for all of the soldiers, new classes, and class specialization. For that reason it's still great game and on the list.
And fuck... That was a lot of writing down the drain.
This is a series I've always wanted to try but have never gotten around to. I'd like to say that one day I'll find the time, but really, who am I kidding?
Cult of the Lamb sounds like Animal Crossing meets Binding of isaac?
This is one you should get around to.