Here we are - the finish line of the first cycle. It has been an interesting challenge, to say the least. Back in December 2023, when I decided to challenge myself so, I wasn't sure I would stick with it. I figured I might get bored or the temptation to play something out of sequence would be too great. I'm not going to lie, I did play on the PS5 on some occasions, but I generally kept PC gaming mainly for this challenge. The only exceptions were a couple of online games with my brothers or a sandbox game when I only had a few minutes to sneak a game in.
And now, not only did I finish the cycle but I've been chronicling the journey on a blog. I'm grateful that it grew as it did. I had always enjoyed writing, but I lost the passion for it as I grew older because of adulthood responsibilities. The blog helped me rekindle that passion.
It was also because of that re-awakening, that I had been looking forward to and planning out this post for some time. I knew, that once I reached the end of the cycle I wanted to write up a summary of my experiences. I chose to break it all down like it were an interview format, to focus on specific things. I even ran the questions by my brothers to see if they were good and made sense.
So without much further ado, let's get through our first summary round-up.
Were there games that exceeded expectations?
Overall, I would say the majority either hit my expectations or just missed the mark. But if I were to at least pick one, I would say it was Red Glare. At a glance, I thought it was going to be a poor Commandos clone, but I was genuinely surprised. I was even more impressed with the level of communication by the developer. Even now, he is still responding to feedback, and some things that I had highlighted (and probably others had as well) were implemented in the game.
What games were a struggle to finish?
There is no contest for this one. That would be Narcos: Rise of the Cartels. It was so poorly designed that I had to force myself to finish the game. Technically I only finished one of the campaigns. I could not subject myself to the same punishment to complete the second campaign. Personally, I think the main feature that made the game such a pain, was that you could only move one character before the AI had its turn, which then meant proper planning was somewhat stunted.
Any games you would be willing to replay again?
If I want to be technical, I technically already replayed Loom and The X-Files Game. But setting that aside, I probably would return to Loom again, mainly to play it with my daughter. And maybe even return to O.D.T: Escape or Die Trying to play it at a harder difficulty so that I can actually get a chance at the good ending.
Any game/s that you expected more of?
Two games immediately come to mind. The first is Kursk. Because you play as a spy who infiltrated the doomed submarine, I originally thought there would be more spy-related tasks in the game. So I was rather disappointed that they only did a quick thing in the prologue, and then practically abandoned the premise for the rest of the game. The other game, I am sad to say, is 198X. The whole thing was just incredibly short. So much more could have been done - not just with gameplay, but even with story. It was rather disappointing that it ended before things really got started.
Any sections/parts of a game that left you in awe/disappointed?
There were a lot of scenes in Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo that left me stunned. I cannot really go into it without spoiling the story, but the plot, once I pushed past the main character's arrogance, had me hooked. And the developers weren't shy to go down some dark paths. Another game that affected me, I would say was Styx: Master of Shadows. That big mid-game reveal - and cannot unfortunately say what it is because it's a massive spoiler - completely stunned me because while I sometimes can work out upcoming twists, this one completely blindsided me and changed my understanding of their other game Of Orcs and Men. One last title I would include would be The Forgotten City. It has several striking moments, but the one that really got me is when you realize you are always being watched. While it was subtle, it was startling once discovered.
Which would you recommend to a friend?
While it does depend on genre preference, I do believe there are a couple of titles that I would recommend without hesitation. For the story, I would recommend Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo and even Yakuza 0. For gameplay, along with the two previously mentioned, I would also add, The Forgotten City and Loom.
Which was the most memorable?
This one is tough because I am not sure which one I would say is the most memorable. I mean I could say Narcos: Rise of the Cartels because of how bad it was. But if I were to choose something positive, I would probably have to say Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. The storytelling has stuck with me, and I would have loved to discuss it with a friend or family member who played the game.
Which was the most forgettable?
Originally I was in mixed minds on whether it would be Gemini Rue or VirtuaVerse but in all fairness, while both games might not have had much that made them stand out, they did have their moments that stuck with me. The one game, that I would classify as forgettable, would be Kursk. If it weren't for the fact that it shares the same story as its tragic namesake, it would have nothing going for it.
Which was the most visually appealing?
While I was disappointed in the game, I cannot deny that the level of detail in the different genres/stages in 198X was impressive. And it's probably why I feel so disappointed because I wanted to see more of that.
Which had the best soundtrack?
Without a doubt, there will always be a spot for the Quake 2 soundtrack. It's a classic and it gets the heart pumping. The same can be said for Jazz Jackrabbit. I will happily have that playing in the background while I am working. There are a couple of runner-ups also. The first I would say is UberSoldier, mainly because it wasn't so much the soundtrack, but the main menu song. I enjoyed it so much, that I even made mention of it in the blog post. The other runner-up would be 198X. Most of the songs were nostalgic, and I will probably listen to them on Spotify. But they couldn't compete with the other two games.
Which was the most atmospheric?
The game that I would say is the most atmospheric, was Kursk. While the game had its shortcomings, I have to at least commend the developers for the detail they added when navigating around the submarine. You don't have any in-game music to distract you, so you get to hear the metal groaning and creaking from the outside water pressure. And, depending on what ending you go for, trying to escape from a flooded submarine, with disturbed silt all around you, while air is running out? That was nerve-wracking.
Are there any titles you wish you could have added to this run or the next?
I do hope to at some point get Gunlok and Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine working again, as they are both games I wanted to play. Gunlok I'm not sure what caused it to fail as it worked previously. Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine, however, I just need to get the mapping done correctly to make it functional. Wish it was as easy as O.D.T: Escape or Die Trying.
I would have liked to add Command & Conquer: Tiberium Sun as I have been wanting to finish it for quite some time. But the load times are so long! There are times I have to wait close to half an hour before the level would load. Another game that I want to add is Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor but I worry it may take quite a long time before I can complete it. I haven't scratched this possibility off entirely though. I just may wait and see if I can justify the length of the game. And considering I am going through the Yakuza titles, I probably can.
Anything from the next run you are looking forward to?
If all goes well, there are a couple I am eagerly looking forward to. The first would be Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice and the second would be Robocop: Rogue City. Obviously, I want to play all the games I have scheduled, but these two... yeah, I'm itching for them.
Anything from the next run you are dreading/skeptical about?
From the list that I have, there is one game that I am a bit hesitant about, but am willing to give it a try. The game is called Frigato Shadows of the Caribbean and it's a pirate-themed Commandos-style game. It is a fairly new game and has received a share of negative reviews. However, I am hoping it is a diamond in the rough, and that I will enjoy it as much as I did Red Glare, which was similarly new and had the same style of gameplay.
Any foreseeable changes to the challenge rules down the line?
One thing that I am going to have to see what I am going to do about is entries for the letter X. I only have a few titles that I have not played (and I really do not feel like having to cycle through the X-Com franchise, XIII and The X-Files Game over and over again). I will first see what games I can find out there, primarily ones that I previously came across and had wanted to play, but never bothered to get. Once that dries up, I may start adding games that at least have the letter X somewhere in the name.
At one point, I was also toying with the idea of streaming my sessions (not something I had ever done before) but after some consideration, it would not be feasible. My playtime is rather irregular. Even if I did have a set day and time for a stream, I wouldn't have left the game untouched until I stream day. Maybe down the line I may reconsider, and have it as a preview of my current progress.
For now, though, I start getting ready for my second cycle, starting with Adam's Venture Chronicles.
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