Archive for the 'Year in Review' Category

December 11th, 2020

Better Late Than Never

Um… hello! It’s been quite a while since I posted here. As I was thinking on how my 2020 went, I realized I never put together a Year in Review for 2019. I know it’s something I don’t have to do, but I’ve always liked having a recap for myself.

Saying Goodbye

Unfortunately, my 2019 started with saying goodbye as a high school friend unexpectedly passed away. It happened 6 months after we coincidentally ran into each other and talked about catching up. Unfortunately, we never did, so I missed my chance.

Part way through the year, I also lost one of my uncles to cancer. He was the oldest sibling on my dad’s side, one of the kindest people I knew, and a supportive rock to the family. Though it was a sad occasion, it was also nice to see so much of my extended family.

Both were wake up calls to keep in touch better, something I’ve always been bad about. I ended up meeting up with several former coworkers who I had not seen in a while, but I had been meaning to catch up with. My cousins and I also talked about traveling to meet up more (which of course, got ruined by 2020).

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December 29th, 2019

Gaming year in review: 2019

Though I haven’t been able to play as many games as I used to, I’m still happy that I’m able to play some games throughout the year and complete a few! I think the biggest shift for me is playing more console games than PC, which is opposite of how I used to be. With a toddler now, being on the couch to play consoles has been easier than sitting at my computer.

So here’s my usual annual gaming year in review! This is where I briefly review the games I played this past year, and I start with my favorites of those, which may or may not have been released in 2019.

Favorite Single Player: God of War

Wow. I get it now. I get why this game is so highly rated. As someone who played and enjoyed the first three God of War games, I’m amazed that this one managed to improve on every aspect of the series. The story was wonderfully crafted with its own take on Norse mythology. The open world unraveled in a clever way. The combat felt cleaner and worked well with Atreus. And finally, finally, FINALLY, Kratos has more personality. It was so refreshing to see him have a vulnerable side and actual character development as the game progressed. Really well done, bravo.

Favorite Multiplayer: Risk of Rain 2

I never played the first Risk of Rain, but I knew it was a sidescroller roguelike. I thought changing it to 3D and over the shoulder was an interesting choice, and it became the perfect co-op game for people with babies. We didn’t have to keep up with progress or level. It was great being able to play co-op with friends again and start anew every time (since it was roguelike).

Favorite Indie/Download: Cadence of Hyrule

Though I haven’t played the first Crypt of the Necrodancer, I’ve always thought the rhythm gameplay it had was interesting. I loved that it was combined with a Zelda game, making it part roguelike, part rhythm, and part Legend of Zelda. I had a lot of fun with this one, was addicted, and ended up beating it three times (solo, co-op, and permadeath mode).

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January 12th, 2019

Gaming year in review: 2018

2018 was a year where I spent less time on most of my hobbies, and gaming took a hit as well. Though I didn’t play that many games, I still wanted to put together my annual year in review! This is where I briefly review the games that I played throughout the year that are “new” to me (i.e. I haven’t played before, are remakes, or have new content – no replays).

First, let’s reveal the favorites! As usual, this is picked from games I played in 2018, which may or may not have released that year.

Favorite Single Player: Super Mario Odyssey
Mario Odyssey felt like a combination of two things I love: Mario 64 and open world games. I loved being able to explore each area and figure out where the moons were. It had the whimsical fun that you’d expect from Nintendo games, especially using Cappy to take control of your enemies. There’s been several Mario 64 clones, and this one exceeded my expectations.

Favorite Multiplayer and Favorite Indie/Download: Full Metal Furies
I normally pick a different game for each category, but since I didn’t play that many in 2018, I decided to award both favorite multiplayer and indie to Full Metal Furies. Done by the creators of Rogue Legacy, this is a co-op game featuring 4 women of different weapons and play types. Even with each character, the play style changes depending on the abilities you chose for each skill, and you could mix and match to fit what you need. The game has fun dialog and was an enjoyable challenge that really made you work together to get through hard battles.

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