NOAJANG'S PROFILE

Decided to do a "23 for '23" challenge where I pick 23 unfinished games from my collection to finish this year, in the hopes of cutting down some more of my endless backlog. Tried to pick a mixture of stuff I was excited to play and stuff that has sat on my shelf gathering dust for way too long. My list is:

.hack//Mutation
Alundra 2
Ape Escape
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Beautiful Katamari
Bioshock
Code Age Commanders
Dead Space 2
Drakan: The Ancients' Gates
Eithea
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
Front Mission
Genma Onimusha
Legend of Heroes: White Witch
Medieval (PS4 remake)
Metal Gear Solid 4
OZ / The Sword of Etheria
Rez
Soukaigi
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Tales of Xillia
Tricolore Crise
Voodoo Vince

Finished so far this year

Batman: Arkham Asylum
First game off my 23 game list. Had heard good things about this series since they were first released but never got around to any of them until now. Blazed through this first entry in about three days, and was largely impressed by how well it held up. The combat did feel a little limited and I thought some of the bosses were a bit naff (particularly the last one and the recycled "not-Bane" fights), but loved the menacing atmosphere of the environments, thought the game had some really memorable moments (the Scarecrow sections especially!) and found the stealth gameplay and gadgets to still be a lot of fun. More than anything, though, the game really nails the whole vibe of the character and the world, and it's tons of fun just getting to be Batman and do Batman things. Not sure how much the sequels are really my thing given their more open-world trappings, but will probably try City sometime.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
Started this at the tail end of last year and finished a few days ago. Torn on this one. Voice acting, writing and motion capture are incredible and so far ahead of most games of the era, and the art direction is genuinely stunning at times. I also really like how it reimagines the source material. But it's riddled with technical issues, and the gameplay feels wholly unimaginative and so much less than the story deserves. Read it was pitched as a CG animated movie originally, and feel like maybe that might have been the right choice in hindsight. Still, much more good than bad, and was worth a go once as a fan of Alex Garland's work, even if I doubt I'll replay.

In progress

Front Mission
About nine missions into this. Playing on an actual SNES / SuFami on a CRT, which feels super cosy as someone who only ever played SNES through emulation, and always dreamed of owning one as a kid. I've only finished Front Mission 3 in the past, and haven't really dabbled that much in the rest of the series, so it's been fun looking back to the series's roots. Impressed by the level of customisation you have over your machines in this for an SNES game, and the pixel art in the battle cutaways is gorgeous in typical 90s Square fashion. Combat is kind of basic SRPG stuff, but it's still good fun, and little touches like being able to destroy individual parts of targets add a nice bit of flavour. Also loving the Amano character art and Yoko Shimomura tunes. Really good stuff so far.

Drakan: The Ancients' Gates
Played a little of this back in 2010 and was quite impressed, but never got around to giving it a proper look until now. Extremely ambitious for a 2002 PS2 title, feeling almost like an early Elder Scrolls game with its large world, decent amount of side quests, and relative level of freedom. Can imagine the ability to traverse the world on the back of a dragon must have been particularly impressive at the time. Combat is awfully janky and the loading times are pretty bad, but having a pretty good time so far, and it feels like a shame that this one seems to have mostly flown under the radar at the time. Might give the PC prequel a look at some point too.

Finished in 2022:

Mother 2 / Earthbound
Finished and enjoyed Mother 1 back in about 2016, but for some reason I'd never played either of the sequels properly. Was realistically going to have a hard time living up to the hype that has built around it over the years, but even as a first time player now it's undeniably charming and frequently very funny, and has a great visual style and some real high moments, particularly the final boss battle. So I still really enjoyed. Combat is also surprisingly fun for something so simple, although the game is not as well balanced in its final act as it probably should be. Not my favourite game ever, but I can see why it's so beloved by people who played it at the time, and I had tons of fun even now. Looking forward to trying Mother 3 in 2023.

Dragon Quest V (PS2)
Have played bits of a few Dragon Quest games over the years, but this is actually the first one I've ever finished. Had a really good time. Characters are sweet and charming, and the multi-generational framing of the story makes it feel quite grand in spite of its familiar trappings. And while the battles are very straightforward, the game's difficulty feels well-tuned, and there are lots of fun choices to make in terms of party composition. Found the PS2 version to be a really nice way to play the game, too, with fully orchestral arrangements of the tunes and 3-D monsters that retain all the charm of Toriyama's original designs. One of these games where I felt as if I had seen basically everything before, but where it was all so cosy, polished and pleasantly familiar that I didn't care. Definitely want to play more of the series soon.

Wild ARMs 4
Played most of this in English years ago when it was first released, but dropped it towards the end. Going back and replaying it in Japanese now, I think I made the right choice back then. There are things I really like about the game - the music is typical Wild ARMs greatness, the platforming segments are a really neat idea that works well, some of the environments are gorgeous, and the hex battle system has loads of potential. But the writing is awful, with some of the worst JRPG villains in history and a story that descends into straight up nonsense by the end. And the promising combat is all but ruined by an almost hilarious lack of balance, with Raquel being capable of trashing every boss in the game in a matter of turns. Has most of the raw materials there to be a quality title, but just... isn't, unfortunately, and winds up instead being one of the worst PS2 RPGs I've finished, and by far the worst game in the series for me. A big shame.

Metal Gear Solid 2
Replay - hadn't touched it since it first came out way back in high school. Loved it then, and loved it even more this time. Story is perhaps the most Kojima thing to ever Kojima, but as bonkers as it is, it's bonkers in an extremely fun way, and while it felt like a very weird sequel to the first Metal Gear Solid at the time, I think its willingness to take so many risks with such a big property makes it one of the more interesting games from the era to look back on now. The game also feels eerily prescient for its time, with some of the stuff about truth in the digital age feeling uncomfortably close to home in the modern era. And having played a lot more action games in the years since I first played it, I found I was struggling a lot less with the gameplay than I did as a high schooler, and generally enjoying the moment to moment gameplay way more. A great time, and one I'm glad I revisited.

Metal Gear Solid 3
First play. Not sure why I never played this one back in the day given that I liked the first two and it's arguably the fan favourite, but glad to have finally given it a go. Thought some of the bosses were a bit naff, and had a few issues related to the original PS2 version I played (framerate was rough, and the camera definitely needed the reworking it got in later versions). But otherwise a fantastic game with some extremely memorable set pieces and a really fun story. Probably my least favourite out of 1-3, but that's a reflection of how much I like the other two more than it is a slight against this one, and I had a blast.

Tsugunai
Have been meaning to play this for years simply because I love Yasunori Mitsuda's soundtrack to the game. Has a good bit of early PS2 jank about it with the bland environments and character models, but between its lovely tunes, its pretty fun timing-based battle system and its unconventional story structure focused around a single town and its residents, I found there was enough that was interesting about it to make it a worthwhile play. I think to really make a success of the game, the developer should have focused more energy on making the town's residents feel like individual people instead of the generic NPCs that they often were, as the type of story it was trying to tell really rises or falls based on the strength of its character writing. But a decent wee game for what it was.

.hack//Infection
Owned this one back in the day and never finished. Kind of glad I didn't at the time, as I finished it in less than fifteen hours this time around, and I think I would have been sorely disappointed by just how little content was there for a game I bought full price. It really does feel scandalous in hindsight that they cut up one RPG of fairly standard length into four parts and sold them all for full price. But putting that aside, I didn't think this was bad at all. The dungeon design was pretty wretched even at the time, and the combat is a bit flat, but I had a great time with the setting and characters, and while I'm reading one of the supporting novels before I move on, I'm invested in the story now, and I'm definitely going to play the other three.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Had the game's biggest twist spoiled for me shortly after release, and it always put me off playing it. But I really shouldn't have waited so long. Even knowing a little bit about the story, there was still tons to like here in terms of character development, dialogue, and world building, and though I'm not generally a huge extended universe person, for me this one captured the Star Wars vibe in a way that felt extremely cosy and satisfying. Was right at home with the combat and mechanics, too, as someone who grew up with Baldur's Gate, and had loads of fun building my characters into engines of pure destruction. A really good time, and one of my favourites I played this year.

Tales of Rebirth
Of all the games I finished this year, this is the one I'm most divided on. On one hand, absolutely gorgeous visuals and arguably the best that Tales combat has ever been. Absolutely loved the gameplay, and would happily play another 100 hours with this combat system. On the other hand, though, possibly Motoi Sakuraba's most throwaway soundtrack ever, absolute mountains of filler content, and the straight up worst story and dialogue that I have ever seen in a JRPG. No hyperbole, it is awful, and so comically bad that it almost loops around to being good again. Between the unintentional comedy of the story and the genuinely great battles I had a pretty decent time overall, but I can safely say that I will never replay this one.

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
Decidedly average DmC-like with Castlevania trappings. Level design was pretty bad (so many of the same corridors!) and it's pretty slim on content, but it's fun enough, doesn't outstay its welcome, and has lovely music and some quite nice visuals. Worth finishing once, but nothing more.

The Granstream Saga
Replay. Want to like this one more than I do, really. It's a Soul Blazer game in all but name, and has some really interesting plot beats, lovely music, and an absolutely wild endgame that is kind of great and very on brand for the series. But the combat was jank at the time and is straight up awful now, so it winds up being a real struggle to play at times, even as someone who has all the time in the world for PS1-era 3-D weirdness. Will never be remade, but I would 100% be down for a 2-D demake in the style of Terranigma.

Zone of the Enders
First play, as I'd only finished the second one. Incredibly light on content, and I would have felt cheated had I bought this at full price at the time. But a fun wee game to run through now. Visually very impressive for the time, fun to play despite being very simplistic, and I really loved the music and the relationship between Jehuty and the main character. Can see why it was largely forgotten when the sequel is just so much better, but not bad for what it is.

Alundra
Outstanding game. I'm not a huge fan of Zelda and don't play a lot of games in that style, but I really, really liked this one. The emphasis on platforming and surprisingly dark story gave it its own distinct flavour, and the dungeons were fantastic, with surprisingly tricky puzzles and some really inventive designs. Lovely art too, and absolutely mountains of content for the type of game that it is. Think it took me like 50 hours to beat, which is wild for an action RPG. A new Playstation favourite for me, and one of the best games I played this year by far.

Silent Bomber
Played a little of this at a friend's back in high school, and it always stuck in my head as one I wanted to go back to. Really enjoyed. Great tunes and impressive visuals for PS1, a high skill ceiling, gloriously so-bad-it's-good dialogue, and a really unique style of gameplay that sets it apart from basically anything else from the era. Even the incredibly cruel final boss couldn't kill the good vibes for me. Great little game, and one I'll replay.

Persona 2: Innocent Sin
An old favourite that I hadn't played in years. Last time I did was also before I learned Japanese, and I was struggling through with a text-only script, so it felt like a new game this time around. Battles were a bit clunky even at the time and don't hold up that well, but for me the characters and story of the two Persona 2 games are among the best in any JRPG, and in that regard it held up just as well as I remembered. Still by far my favourite piece of the Persona series, and looking forward to replaying Eternal Punishment next year.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
A wonderful playable fairytale with immensely satisfying platforming and puzzles and some gorgeous architecture. Had an extremely good time even playing for the first time in 2022, and was interesting to see the game's clear influence on so many that followed it. The combat is fairly bland and forgettable and outstays its welcome, and the final boss was silly and unnecessary, but all in all a beautiful game that I'll remember fondly for many years to come.

Parasite Eve
Replay-ish - not sure I ever actually finished it back in the day, but definitely played most of it. Still love this one, and absolutely dig the music, story and atmosphere, even if the 3-D models haven't held up nearly as well as the rest. Forgot how unbelievably cruel the endgame is if you're not well prepared, though. Really does not mess around, and took me ages to get those final boss fights down.

FolksSoul / Folklore
Really liked this one. Lovely little mystery story with a unique setting and great payoff, and some gorgeous music and visual presentation. English voices weren't bad at all either (it's dubbed even in Japanese), and it's nice that they went to the effort of casting actual Irish and British actors given the setting. Felt like the game could have done more gameplay-wise, and the level designs are very bland despite strong visual presentation. And there are also some really bad framerate dips in boss battles that make it hard to play at times. But much more good than bad, and well worth a go.

Alan Wake
Remember this being presented as Twin Peaks the game back in the day. Don't think it's really that at all personally, as things escalate into full on action way too fast and there isn't really a lot of the small town weirdness despite the setting. But while it's more X-Files than Twin Peaks for me, I thought it was a really fun ride with amazing production values and some outstanding moments (absolutely loved the "rock concert" especially). Combat does get a bit repetitive as it goes on, but I think it's just about short enough that it doesn't outstay its welcome, and I had a great time. Want to play the DLC soon.

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Like many games of the sort it ran out of steam a little towards the end, and I wound up dropping it during the last few hours out of fatigue before finally finishing it months later. For the most part, though, a very good SOTN-styled not-Castlevania, with wonderful Yamane music, a nice art style, and some addictive mechanics. Little bit too easy and also fairly buggy at times, but neither issue was a dealbreaker, and I had a lot of fun.

Rockman Dash / Megaman Legends
Sweet game. Lovely cast of characters and world, fun mechanics, and art style that still holds up quite well. The controls are unfortunately really clunky, even for PS1, and there’s some frustration as a result. And the game also ends on a big cliffhanger, and doesn’t resolve in an especially satisfying way. Still, a lovely and often very charming entry in the series that I’m glad to have played. Will definitely play 2 and Tron.

Thief: Deadly Shadows
Massively underrated. Avoided because I heard it was a letdown, but for me this is a very worthy sequel with some incredible high points, and a couple of levels that are all time greats imo. A handful of aspects do suffer slightly due to console limitations, but I think it’s more than outweighed by all it does well. The game does have its issues - a number of glitches, some elements that felt unfinished, and a very poor framerate in the XBox version I played. But I really did not expect to like this game as much as I did.

Gun
Cool little game with great production values, fun arcade-y shooting, and a real flair for the cinematic compared to most games of its era. Tarnished a bit for me by its lack of content (I did almost everything in ten hours), a janky and unfun final boss, and some ethnic stereotypes that felt dated even for 2005, but an impressive and fun title all the same.

Dead Space
Awesome game. I feel like it struggles to maintain the impressive menace of its opening moments, and for me it very quickly ceases to be scary as such, but it's exciting, atmospheric and delightfully gross right the way through to its conclusion, and it boasts slick gameplay and impressive production values to boot. Easily one of the most polished survival horror games I've played, and a great sci-fi horror story by the standards of any medium. Really impressed, and will definitely replay someday. Going to play 2 in 2023, and might check out the remake too.

Xenoblade 3
For me this is a masterpiece and one of the best JRPGs I've played in years. Absolutely fell in love with the cast, and would rank it among my favourites in any game. Battles were loads of fun, music was beautiful, and side content was surprisingly worthwhile and interesting. Story is also lovely, with amazing cutscenes and some very powerful moments. Only really falls down for me in its mostly underwhelming villains, but a small complaint, and I loved the game from start to finish.

Lunistice
Really lovely little indie with solid platforming, a gorgeous retro aesthetic, and some amazing tunes. Perhaps a little slim on content, but hard to complain at the price point, and I thoroughly enjoyed the game while it lasted. Extremely promising for a debut project, and I look forward to seeing whatever the team works on next.

Metroid Prime
Had heard a lot of good things over the years and expected to be a bit disappointed, but absolutely loved this and found it totally worth the hype. Incredibly atmospheric and does an amazing job of putting you in Samus's shoes despite the shift to first person. Great level design, great music, surprisingly good controls for a non-twin stick shooter, exceptional visuals for the era, killer boss fights... Just outstanding, and maybe the best "new to me" game I played this year.

Quite a few come to mind, but by far my favourite underrated soundtrack is the one to Lime Odyssey, an ill-fated MMORPG that was a spiritual successor to Ragnarok Online. The game didn't even make it out of beta before plans for the original version were cancelled and it was rebooted as a terrible gacha game on mobile. So it... just about exists as a game, and not much else.

The soundtrack for the game, though, betrays its once loftier ambitions. Yasunori Mitsuda of Chrono and Xeno fame worked on the game alongside its Korean composers, and while there's no official release and it's hard to know for sure how many of the tracks are his, the soundtrack has his style all over it, and for me it's honestly some of the strongest stuff he's worked on since his Squaresoft days. Really gorgeous stuff, and such a shame that it's attached to a game that is so much nothing. It deserves so much better.

Still have to add code to switch to the next page of the items list, but otherwise largely done with the items page for my event scripted 2K3 CMS. I can reuse large chunks of the code for quite a few other pages in the menu too, so making good progress through it as a whole.

Yeah, my first instinct was towards 99 in a stack as well, though I think it's probably just my Final Fantasy bias showing, and I find myself questioning the sense of it more and more. Feel like if you want to avoid breaking the game, you're kind of forced to either make items weak enough that they're not useful, or rare enough that the huge stacks aren't really merited.

I guess one thing it does have going for it is that it's rarely going to make the experience actively worse in the way that a badly handled restricted inventory can. I mean I can't recall ever getting mad at a game for having too much inventory space. But yeah, feel like it might be good to settle on some kind of happy medium.