COMPLETED GAMES THREAD (2025 EDITION)

Gamer Bhoy 89 · 22-02-2025 03:48AM

Red Dead Redemption || PS5

Pretty much "Golden Pathed" this one purely for the story, as I had very little memory of it. Surprisingly shorter than I remembered as well, probably because I plugged through the main story doing very little side stuff (I did go for the Legend of the West outfit though so that took me most of the day to do)

This is the first time I've beaten the game since 2011.

It's definitely aged pretty well from a gameplay perspective, though the mechanics of RDR2 have spoiled me somewhat, so it was still a bit jarring at the same time not having those modern touches.

The visuals were hit and miss looking at this.

Since it's an upscaled port (barely a remaster) i appreciated the higher resolution and sharper textures...at least when they're up close. Distant textures looked awful and the general LOD wasn't well implemented nor upgraded all that well (I reckon the PC version probably nails that much better). Not to crap on it too much, for a game released in 2010 it still looks damn impressive.

All in all this was a delight to go back to. I'll be jumping back into RDR2 after this and see if I can get that beaten a 2nd time too, after many prior "second attempts" lol

Necro · 22-02-2025 07:29AM

2025 so far:

Mass Effect 1, 2, and 3

Mass Effect Andromeda

Killer Frequency

The Plucky Squire

The Last of Us Part 1 Remastered (PS5)

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered (PS5)

Not much to say here really other than I got caught up in another run through with the PS5 version of Part 1 on PSN. Love both games, definitely (and perhaps obviously) do have a slight preference towards the original but mainly because there's at least some let up in the crushing depression accompanying both games and Ellie in particular.

Not to drag on a discussion about the second one again but it really is a misery filled romp with every decision made taking you down a darker path (I guess that's the whole point it's trying to make regarding revenge and being careful what you wish for). I do find some of the stuff a little TOO in your face about what you've done as Ellie rebounding to supposedly feel bad as Abbie (the dog stuff in particular), but I feel they really flubbed the ending and it stuck around probably one act too long.

There's no need for the Rattlers stuff in Santa Barbara whatsoever especially when you don't even get to decide a certain someone's fate in the end the game rips that decision away from you (speaking of the whole revenge thing, it pretty much does that repeatedly throughout the game too in either having the targets dead on arrival or cutscenes doing the dirty work). That being said I find the gameplay and scenery pretty much flawless so my issues are primarily plot related.

Anyways. Part 1 was a masterpiece that most would struggle to improve upon. Part 2 has a lot of flaws (Druckmann thinking he's the next coming of Scorsese possibly being the main one) but is still overall very enjoyable. I just wish it would get out of it's own way more often.

FelixChan · 22-02-2025 08:37AM

Kingdom Come Deliverance II is completed! Great game

Sgt Hartman · 03-03-2025 08:06AM

I recently completed Witcher 3 although unfortunately I got the bad ending. This is because I greedily accepted the money from the Nilfgaardian emperor after rescuing Ciri 🤑

Just started Assassin’s Creed Unity now, mainly because I want to meet the Marquis de Sade in it.

Mr.Fantastic · 04-03-2025 01:20AM

Metaphor:ReFantazio | PS5
Ninja Gaiden Black | Series X
Still wakes the deep | Series X
Tactical Breach Wizards | Steam Deck
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Series X

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Fantastic game, I really enjoyed the puzzles in it. Felt like I was in the movie. Combat was funny slapstick esque but the sense of exploration was great and the set pieces were exciting too.

TinCanMan · 11-03-2025 07:51AM

Return to Monkey Island [PS5] - An old fashioned point and click adventure game starring a somewhat incompetent wannabe pirate called Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood on his adventures. There is a lot of humour in this game and those that remember the older games from the 90’s will know what to expect.

TinCanMan · 14-03-2025 11:40AM

Return to Monkey Island [PS5] - An old fashioned point and click adventure game starring a somewhat incompetent wannabe pirate called Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood on his adventures. There is a lot of humour in this game and those that remember the older games from the 90’s will know what to expect.

GRIS [PS5] - A puzzle/platformer and an absolute visual masterpiece with some amazing art design, along with beautifully soothing music. This game is a pleasure to play and whilst not overly challenging it is a must play if you need something to relax to.

Gamer Bhoy 89 · 15-03-2025 04:03PM

Red Dead Redemption 2 || PC

I hadn't beaten this game since it first released. There were so many moments I couldn't remember but I was delightfully reminded just how unbelievable this game is. A technical marvel, to say the least, and it looks amazing even today.

This is one the best games I've ever played.

dulpit · 15-03-2025 04:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123267294#Comment_123267294

Hope you got the high honour ending. That game is perfection.

Mr.Fantastic · 18-03-2025 02:55AM

Metaphor:ReFantazio | PS5
Ninja Gaiden Black | Series X
Still wakes the deep | Series X
Tactical Breach Wizards | Steam Deck
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Series X
Avowed | Series X

Avowed

I wasn't excited about this a year ago when I saw trailers of it but I thought I would give it a chance as it was on gamepass.
I was not disappointed it feels like what outer worlds should have been elements of humour are sprinkled throughout but its not completly slapstick.

Enjoyed the combat and it looks amazing on oled and series x pleasantly surprised with this. Very much oblivion/morrowind vibes off it with mad colors.

da gamer · 19-03-2025 03:19PM

Alan wake 2 - PS5

Space marine 2 - PS5

Indiana Jones and the great circle - Xbox series S

Tomb raider 3 - PS5

RubyGlee · 20-03-2025 12:15AM

2025 so far

Silent hill 2 remake

Alan wake remastered

Alan wake 2

Control

Retr0gamer · 20-03-2025 02:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123280400#Comment_123280400

Forever games don't have endings. The only way to win is to stop playing

Gamer Bhoy 89 · 24-03-2025 03:43AM

Grand Theft Auto V || PC

I feel like I'm the only person I know that only plays GTA for the story and not the Online portion. Every time I lookup GTA 5, it's only GTA: Online I see. I still think the single player is one of the best. Had a lot of fun going back to this. The enhanced version particularly didn't look as impressive as one would think but the ray-traced reflections were a nice touch. Other than that it's the same ol' GTA 5 I still enjoy.

Mr.Saturn · 26-03-2025 11:57PM

Games Beaten 2025

Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door (Switch)
Pokemon Emerald Legacy (GBA)
Metroid Dread (Switch)
Oxenfree (Switch)
Super Mario RPG (Switch)
Yakuza 6 (PS4)
Yakuza: Like A Dragon (PS4)
Like a Dragon Gaiden: Man Who Erased His Name (PS4)

Take a guess what series I've fallen back into recently.

Retr0gamer · 28-03-2025 10:47AM

Wizardry Variants Daphne (Mobile)
Spiderman (2018) (PC)
Track & Field (Arcade)
Ace Combat 6 (XBox 360)
Mars after Midnight (Playdate)
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black (PC)
Super Mario Wonder (Switch)

Super Mario Wonder

Not sure why it took so long to beat this game. I kept dropping it and then not coming back to it. Yet every time I came back to it I was reminded how incredible a game it is.

While I really enjoyed the NSMB games (other than the first DS one which is uncharacteristically safe and boring for a Nintendo game), there was something a little off about then. Probably the art style. Super Mario Wonder is a brilliant antithesis to NSMB. It looks great with vibrant colours and pleasing visuals and every level is full of surprises and, well, wonder. The wonder seeds are totally transformative and lead to some spectacular set pieces.

I ended up 100% the game, I enjoyed it so much. Like Mario Galaxy and Odyssey, it's another example of why nobody comes close to Nintendo when it comes to platform games.

Necro · 28-03-2025 10:57AM

2025 so far:

Mass Effect 1, 2, and 3

Mass Effect Andromeda

Killer Frequency

The Plucky Squire

The Last of Us Part 1 Remastered (PS5)

The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered (PS5)

Final Fantasy XVI

Second run through on FFXVI, I do like the darker tones of this but they really flubbed the ending with the big bad. Combat is fun if repetitive and the sheer level of sidequests which are 'go here, fight a bunch of lame enemies and come back with this item' kind of make a lot of busywork especially at the end. They had a top idea with the evil queen but that resolution was just terrible too, I feel if they leant into that more than focusing on the crystals so much it would have been a much better game. First half was definitely better than the second even if the Eikon/Summon battles were pretty awesome. Played the DLC too and the Leviathan one was decent.

The Casting of Frank Stone

Just finished Frank Stone last night, it's probably the worst of all the Supermassive games I've played. Completed it over a few nights, maybe that didn't help but the bouncing between timelines and generally poorly written characters meant I hadn't the foggiest what was going on half the time. I didn't really care about the characters either whereas at least in Until Dawn, The Quarry or hell even Little Hope you got to know them a bit even if it was a bit contrived. I am a fan of these 'choose your own path' games in general though.

You spend ages wandering around trying to find documents etc and then have a few flashpoints that are straightforward enough, but the final chapter then ramps stuff up a little but it's a fairly lame game all around. I'm tempted to go back and replay it for different arcs but I honestly don't know if I can be bothered as it doesn't even try to make any sense half the time. Definitely the poorest game I've played this year.

Mr.Fantastic · 30-03-2025 11:24PM

Metaphor:ReFantazio | PS5
Ninja Gaiden Black | Series X
Still wakes the deep | Series X
Tactical Breach Wizards | Steam Deck
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Series X
Avowed | Series X
Astro Bot | PS5

Astro Bot

Finished this recently after starting it last November, I got distracted with Metaphor. Really enjoyed it the use of the controller and the mechanics were great.

Currently around 50 percent of the way through silent hill 2 remake its an amazing game but oppressive to play.

Mr.Fantastic · 02-04-2025 01:18AM

Metaphor:ReFantazio | PS5
Ninja Gaiden Black | Series X
Still wakes the deep | Series X
Tactical Breach Wizards | Steam Deck
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Series X
Avowed | Series X
Astro Bot | PS5
Thank goodness you're here | Steam Deck

Thank goodness you're here

A delightful short indie game with bizarre British humour. Enjoyed it for its short time and humour reminded me of untitled goose game.

dulpit · 04-04-2025 03:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123139877#Comment_123139877

The case of the golden idol (Xbox): A point and click puzzle game. Originally started it in late 2024 to tick the box for the xbox achievements, but I really enjoyed this. I added the 2 DLCs (The Spider of Lanka and The Lemurian Vampire), and finished these off last night. The DLC wasn't as good, and some of the puzzles were overly complicated to the point of relying on guesswork, but the main game was excellent with a quirky humour too. There is a sequel to the game (The Rise of the Golden Idol) which I believe is free on mobile with Netflix, so I'll have to take a look at that.
Spider-man Remastered (PC/Steamdeck): I played this on the PS4, but really enjoyed this playthrough on the steam deck. Ran perfectly most of the time and the gameplay is great. Swinging around New York is very satisfying. The voice cast here is excellent too. Played the 3 DLC stories too (Under the banner of The City that Never Sleeps). Moving onto Miles Morales game now.
The Rise of the Golden Idol (Android): This is the sequel to the case of the golden idol and I really enjoyed this too. It's free on Android if you have a Netflix account and playing this on a tablet was a much better experience than playing the first on Xbox. The first game is also on Android via Netflix games, so I'd go that route if you want to play either. Like the first, there is a quirk sense of humour and there is an overall story tying the various scenarios together. Also like the first, some of the puzzles are so complication that you kind of have to just guess, but it's good fun all the same.
Call of Duty - Black Ops 2 (Xbox): Towards the end of last year I played Black Ops 6 which I really enjoyed so I decided to go back and play the older titles. I enjoyed Black Ops 1 too, but boy did I not like this game. The story is split between the past and future (although the future was 2025, so we are the future now) and I just didn't enjoy it. I didn't care about the story and I found the mechanics a little bit clunky. I don't know, just wasn't for me. I have started Black Ops 3 now (I picked up both games at same time in CEX) and it seems better, so I'll probably play through that next.
Spider-man Mile Morales (PC/Steamdeck): I loved the original Spider-man, so figured this would be good too. It was at times, but I found it hard to get stuck into the story. I like how the mechanics are deliberately not as smooth as Spider-man (because Miles is still learning), but it was only okay. I put this game down ages ago, and only because I'm down with the flu decided to pick it back up this week to finish it. No interest in going back to do all the little side-quests to 100% it which is telling.

JimBurnley · 04-04-2025 08:43PM

Indiana Jones & the Golden Circle (Series X)

2. Alan Wake remastered (PS5)

3. Yakuza Kiwami 2 (Series X)

4. Open Roads (Series X)

5. Botany Manor (Series X)

Delightful and charming little first person puzzle game based around completing gardening recipes. Didn't sound like my kind of thing tbh but it was well crafted and each puzzle satisfying when complete. Short length too so nice change of pace inbetween sessions of Death Stranding. Just seen its leaving gamepass this month so recommend folks who not played it give it a bash.

Mr.Fantastic · 07-04-2025 12:48AM

Metaphor:ReFantazio | PS5
Ninja Gaiden Black | Series X
Still wakes the deep | Series X
Tactical Breach Wizards | Steam Deck
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Series X
Avowed | Series X
Astro Bot | PS5
Thank goodness you're here | Steam Deck
Silent Hill 2 Remake | PS5

Silent Hill 2 Remake

First time playing this , I knew of the original on ps2 but I was way too young to play that. Enjoyed is the wrong word to describe the feeling playing this game. Honestly dreaded playing it when it was dark. Thought the sound design and the game design was great. Unsure of what to make of the story, I got the in water ending.

Higgo84 · 11-04-2025 09:04PM

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle [Xbox]

What a game loved every minute of it.

Retr0gamer · 12-04-2025 12:49PM

Wizardry Variants Daphne (Mobile)
Spiderman (2018) (PC)
Track & Field (Arcade)
Ace Combat 6 (XBox 360)
Mars after Midnight (Playdate)
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black (PC)
Super Mario Wonder (Switch)
Dragon Quest 3 HD 2D

Dragon Quest 3 HD 2D

Fantastic remake of one of the most important JRPGs of all time. It looks and sounds fantastic. The pixel art sprites on top of the 3D backgrounds look gorgeous as they've used a depth of field effect to make each area look like a little handmade diorama. The reorchestrated soundtrack sounds incredible. They've also added some great quality of life features to make it more accessible to people that wouldn't have experience with the brutality of a NES RPG, although this was always a more approachable game than it's contemporaries.

DQ3 is deeply beloved by Japanese people and it wasn't just the hype, it's a fantastic game that set the template for every JRPG that follows. It eases the player in with a quite linear set of quests before opening the world up to the player and slowly ramping up the challenge as the range of combat options increase for the player.

What surprised me were the little story moments that were quite heartfelt. It starts as a pretty basically quest but there's some genuinely moving moments and quite dark sub plots along the way. It's a massive step up from the very basically quests of the first two games.

This is a true classic given the love and attention it deserves. Wonderful.

Higgo84 · 12-04-2025 03:12PM

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle [Xbox]
Avowed [Xbox]

Avowed

Finished this up just now. What a game. I loved every minute of it. So much to do in it.

dulpit · 15-04-2025 10:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123326816#Comment_123326816

The case of the golden idol (Xbox): A point and click puzzle game. Originally started it in late 2024 to tick the box for the xbox achievements, but I really enjoyed this. I added the 2 DLCs (The Spider of Lanka and The Lemurian Vampire), and finished these off last night. The DLC wasn't as good, and some of the puzzles were overly complicated to the point of relying on guesswork, but the main game was excellent with a quirky humour too. There is a sequel to the game (The Rise of the Golden Idol) which I believe is free on mobile with Netflix, so I'll have to take a look at that.
Spider-man Remastered (PC/Steamdeck): I played this on the PS4, but really enjoyed this playthrough on the steam deck. Ran perfectly most of the time and the gameplay is great. Swinging around New York is very satisfying. The voice cast here is excellent too. Played the 3 DLC stories too (Under the banner of The City that Never Sleeps). Moving onto Miles Morales game now.
The Rise of the Golden Idol (Android): This is the sequel to the case of the golden idol and I really enjoyed this too. It's free on Android if you have a Netflix account and playing this on a tablet was a much better experience than playing the first on Xbox. The first game is also on Android via Netflix games, so I'd go that route if you want to play either. Like the first, there is a quirk sense of humour and there is an overall story tying the various scenarios together. Also like the first, some of the puzzles are so complication that you kind of have to just guess, but it's good fun all the same.
Call of Duty - Black Ops 2 (Xbox): Towards the end of last year I played Black Ops 6 which I really enjoyed so I decided to go back and play the older titles. I enjoyed Black Ops 1 too, but boy did I not like this game. The story is split between the past and future (although the future was 2025, so we are the future now) and I just didn't enjoy it. I didn't care about the story and I found the mechanics a little bit clunky. I don't know, just wasn't for me. I have started Black Ops 3 now (I picked up both games at same time in CEX) and it seems better, so I'll probably play through that next.
Spider-man Mile Morales (PC/Steamdeck): I loved the original Spider-man, so figured this would be good too. It was at times, but I found it hard to get stuck into the story. I like how the mechanics are deliberately not as smooth as Spider-man (because Miles is still learning), but it was only okay. I put this game down ages ago, and only because I'm down with the flu decided to pick it back up this week to finish it. No interest in going back to do all the little side-quests to 100% it which is telling.
Botany Manor (PC): Thanks to @JimBurnley and their recommendation I downloaded this last week and finished it just now (it leaves gamepass at midnight so just got it in). Lovely little puzzle game where you wander around a manor potting flowers and making them grow. The difficulty wasn't too high and logic made the puzzles okay to follow. Completed it with all achievements too.

Mr.Fantastic · 17-04-2025 01:27AM

Metaphor:ReFantazio | PS5
Ninja Gaiden Black | Series X
Still wakes the deep | Series X
Tactical Breach Wizards | Steam Deck
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Series X
Avowed | Series X
Astro Bot | PS5
Thank goodness you're here | Steam Deck
Silent Hill 2 Remake | PS5
Star Wars Outlaws | PS5

Star Wars Outlaws

Got this discounted on amazon around November I heard there were bad issues with it initially, so I held off until it was patched. I had a blast, all be it I just blasted my way out of things and did a lot of the expert stuff so I had a lot of unlockables.

Was good fun and I liked the main story.

Proceeded to start up Unicorn Overlord and I have never been as disappointed in my life I thought it was like FF tactics or Tactics ogre, I was sorely mistaken. Autobattle every battle very boring.

Retr0gamer · 17-04-2025 10:13PM

Wizardry Variants Daphne (Mobile)
Spiderman (2018) (PC)
Track & Field (Arcade)
Ace Combat 6 (XBox 360)
Mars after Midnight (Playdate)
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black (PC)
Super Mario Wonder (Switch)
Dragon Quest 3 HD 2D (PC)
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (SNES)

The Legend of the Mystical Ninja

I've used the localised name for this one but it's part of Konami's long running Ganbare Goemon series. There's about 20 games in the series but this was the first game to make it to the west. It would be followed by a Gameboy game and two N64 games before disappearing into obscurity. Which is a shame because not only are these really well made and fun games but they pretty hilarious as well, feeling like a gag manga or a japanese version of Asterix. The game sees you take control of the legendary thief Goemon and his sidekick Ebisumaru in 2 player mode as they travel across Japan on a mad cap adventure.

The game has two modes, one has you exploring towns and lets you move into and out of the screen, sort of like Final Fight or Streets of Rage, but plays very differently. You can enter houses to talk to some amusing towns folk, shop for items to help you or take part in a wide range of activities. It's actually impressive how much attention to detail they put in here. There's everything from a first person maze to explore, whack a mole, multiple forms of gambling and even an arcade where you can play a version of the first stage of Gradius. There's even a stripclub, which was removed from the western release, which is unfortunate because it's very tame and has some of the best jokes in the game. When you have enough money or items you can advance to the next part of the stage, a side scrolling platform level usually ending in an impressive boss battle.

Konami were on an absolute roll during this period, producing some of the best games every and Goemon doesn't buck that trend. It's a really fun action game with excellent visuals and music. The levels and bosses are really inventive and made great use of Mode 7. It has a great sense of humour with some genuinely great jokes and I love how the ridiculous use of modern concepts and tech in the medieval japanese setting.

I've a few complaints. Some of the later levels force the player to grind for a ridiculous amount of money before they can access the side scrolling stage and many of these stages are really tough which means if you fail them, you have to grind again. The penultimate stage and the final stage with its boss rush are pretty egregious in this regard.

The only other flaw is that the game was followed up by two sequels on the SNES that do everything this game does but way better but never saw release in the West. There are fan translations thank god and I'd even recommend playing this one with a fan translation rather than the official release.

Ganbare Goemon - Yuki hime Kyuushuutsu emaki (English v2.0 SRAM)-250412-202915.png

Ganbare Goemon - Yuki hime Kyuushuutsu emaki (English v2.0 SRAM)-250412-203118.png

Ganbare Goemon - Yuki hime Kyuushuutsu emaki (English v2.0 SRAM)-250413-010113.png

Ganbare Goemon - Yuki hime Kyuushuutsu emaki (English v2.0 SRAM)-250413-223149.png

Ganbare Goemon - Yuki hime Kyuushuutsu emaki (English v2.0 SRAM)-250413-003637.png

TinCanMan · 21-04-2025 04:27PM

Return to Monkey Island [PS5] - An old fashioned point and click adventure game starring a somewhat incompetent wannabe pirate called Guybrush Ulysses Threepwood on his adventures. There is a lot of humour in this game and those that remember the older games from the 90’s will know what to expect.

GRIS [PS5] - A puzzle/platformer and an absolute visual masterpiece with some amazing art design, along with beautifully soothing music. This game is a pleasure to play and whilst not overly challenging it is a must play if you need something to relax to.

Golf Club Wasteland [PS5] - I got this game for €1.49 and what a hidden gem it turned out to be. A 2D side scrolling puzzle golf game set on post-apocalyptic Earth with an amazing soundtrack and background radio narrative. The story is engaging and quite moving, especially as the game progresses. The crazy golf style of gameplay is both challenging and fun but the story is what really cements things.

Retr0gamer · 22-04-2025 12:18PM

Wizardry Variants Daphne (Mobile)
Spiderman (2018) (PC)
Track & Field (Arcade)
Ace Combat 6 (XBox 360)
Mars after Midnight (Playdate)
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black (PC)
Super Mario Wonder (Switch)
Dragon Quest 3 HD 2D (PC)
The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (SNES)
Thronglets (Android)

Thronglets

This is a pretty neat tie in game for an episode of Black Mirror, which I've yet to watch. It's created by team that created the oxenfree games.

The game begins as a pretty straightforward building game, like you'd find for many f2p garbage mobile games but quickly escalates into something a lot crazier and saying anymore would be massive spoilers. Honestly, play it. It's gets pretty wild and is short enough to be finished on a long lazy evening.

The game can be a little too self knowingly clever but has some great ideas and some genuine humour mixed with sci fi. It really uses the mobile platform well.

Well worth a go.

Screenshot_2025-04-19-01-12-55-55_ad60ae796e6f424899ff7161964129df.jpg

COMPLETED GAMES THREAD (2025 EDITION)

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