Key

As it's been blatantly obvious over the past couple years, I enjoyed writing about video games more than I do about music. And seeing as these journals have just become a place for anybody to write about anything they want, I don't see a problem in introducing a thread such as this that I can continuously work on. Now, obviously to start this thread off, it's going to start with both my personal recommendations from 2017, and some of the most fun I've had in video games during the year of 2017. I want to try to focus more on 2017 going forward, as opposed to beating a dead horse with discussing video games released in prior years. I've talked in detail about a lot of video games in my Arcade thread, so if you're interested in more of a broad discussion of video games, you can find it there.

Hopefully by the time I'm done with this journal, there will be a pretty refined and compiled list of video games I have both played and enjoyed during the year of 2017 and onwards, as well as discussing some of the misplays that took place during that year. Let's be honest, the year was filled with disappointments in the video game world, but not as many as you may have initially thought.

Now obviously I'm going to be extremely biased, as most people tend to have different opinions about video games, and surely there will be something here that you either disagree with, or just aren't entirely sure about. Given the general consensus regarding video games at this site, I don't see many problems coming into fruition, but there still may be one or two.

Anyway, strap in. It's going to be a fun ride.

Key

Slay The Spire
Release Date: Nov 14, 2017

Slay The Spire, where do I even begin? So, as it's probably been obvious time and time again, deck building style games aren't exactly always in my eyesight, so I tend to just brush them off as I feel like a lot of deck building games are simply not that good. That's not to say games like Hand of Fate 2 and Hearthstone aren't good, I'm just making sure people understand that this isn't a genre I dive into very often. Slay The Spire has found a certain combination of genres that seems to work in its favor. Yes, Slay The Spire is yet another deck building style game, but instead of just buying booster packs and trying to make the best deck from the get go, you are actually meant to go through the levels given to you in order to unlock new cards, unlock new potential synergies for your character, and build decks progressively instead of making it right from the get go. I think that has a lot to do with my enjoyment of the game because I'm a big fan of progressively completing more and more and getting more powerful as time goes on. A lot of games that have been released recently also do this well. Dead Cells deserves a mention based on that alone. And please do keep in mind, I've never actually played any of the deck building games that I mentioned, I just know myself well enough to not find much enjoyment out of them. Slay The Spire however takes the deck building style and mixing it with a lot of different genres, some of which shine really well. You've definitely got the side scrolling and combat system from the likes of Darkest Dungeon, and of course the deck building and progressive improvement much like Binding of Isaac and Dead Cells, except it's just with cards and not items.



The cards come in different categories too. I mentioned synergies for a reason, because even though this is a pretty straight forward deck building game, it's still got that rogue like feel going on where you really don't know how your run is going to go until you see the type of cards you unlock throughout your travels. And of course, even your own exploration isn't always certain. You can follow a path on the map that leads you to the boss on every floor, and sometimes the rooms on that floor will have combat, a shop, and sometimes it can be random. And although some may think that games sounds like it's repetitive, it kind of is. But it's done in such a way that each run you do feels different and you feel more inclined to really strategically think about which cards you want in your deck, and whether you want less cards or more. From my own personal experience, I've noticed that not only one build works really well. Recently I had a build that focused a lot of block generation based on certain cards giving my character block depending on which cards I play that round. And yes, the combat is turn based, but in this case, it works really well. And again, it shouldn't be a surprise that I enjoy this seeing as Divinity Original Sin 2 made me a believer of turn based combat again after seeing games do it so poorly. That and this game do it so well that it's a lot of fun and you feel the impact of every move you make, causing you to really think about how you're going to go about the fight you find yourself in.



As far as difficulty goes, a lot of people are probably expecting a game like this to be super easy and simplified. However, the cards that you find and unlock tend to make the game not only more difficult, but way more varied in the way that you decide to take on the rest of the map. It's interesting in the sense that even if you're working on a certain build for your deck, you'll find a card after one room of combat that could completely shift how you take on the rest of the game.

I have yet to actually beat a successful run of Slay The Spire, but I can say that I've gotten extremely close. But of course, as you progress further, the game gets harder and harder, and the enemies get smarter with their decks.

All in all, I bought this game based on a recommendation from a Youtuber and I don't regret it. It's still in Early Access, but in this specific case, Early Access is not a bad thing. The developers have made it so the game they have presented is the game they want to finalize and make better, with updates every two weeks. As it stands now, the game works really well, it's a lot of fun, and I can find myself playing this even when I'm not in the mood for video games. In fact, even after a long work day, I can find myself going to my computer and thinking "yeah, just one round of Slay The Spire." It's certainly piqued my interest not only for gaming purposes, but for deck building style gameplay as well. I'm excited to see where this game goes from here, but it can honestly only improve from here, and that's saying something.

With 6 hours already put into this game, and with me working all the time and really only putting time into this game, I'd say it gets my full recommendation.

Key

They Are Billions
Release Date: Dec 12, 2017

What do you get when you mix together the classic RTS style ala Starcraft / Warcraft and mixed it with hordes of zombies and survival? Well, add on some steam punk aesthetic and you've got yourself a game titled They Are Billions.

So, don't let the name fool you. It's actually pretty accurate given the nature of the game. Basically, you've given a plot of land much like other RTS classics where you have a central hub, and multiple structures and buildings you can manage and build. The trick that I've found yourself is deciding when certain buildings are worth your resources, and when certain resources aren't worth gathering at a certain time. Think of it as a much more simplified version of Starcraft or Warcraft but with more to worry about.

You have a certain amount of time in the map provided to survive in your city as long as possible while also building up your defenses in order to take on the multiple hordes of zombies that are inevitably going to break into your city. Now, I get it, in this day and age, any games with zombies should be shunned. However, in this particular instance, I think the use of zombies is done in such a way that it doesn't feel overdone or stale. The amount of time you have depends on the difficulty you like to play at, but obviously the longer you have to survive, the harder the game gets. And if you don't protect yourself, the zombies will not only make their way into your city, your townsfolk will be infected and turned into zombies right away. The scary part about the game is how quickly your city can go to **** without even realizing it. Sometimes you have a city so large that your people are already being infected and you don't even know about it, and before you have a chance to blink, your entire city is filled with zombies looking to destroy everything. It's definitely got a difficult curve and a learning curve, but once you learn it, it's great.

This is yet again another example of an early access game showing what it wants to be without keeping away the big parts of the game. The main framework is there, it just needs some kinks worked out in order to make this an RTS game worth flourishing. I do personally think this game will take a lot of people by surprise and it's got the potential to be one of the best recent RTS games we've ever had. It's such a unique take on the genre, much like Slay The Spire, that it has it's own room to grow in however way it wants to without deterring from it's original framework. They've got something special here.

Key

Dead Cells
Release Date: May 10, 2017

I know, I KNOW! I've probably beaten a few dead horses by now when I'm talking about Dead Cells, but I say that with a bit of a gleaming patch of confidence. Dead Cells is not only one of the most fun games I've played in 2017, but it's also potentially one of the absolute best roguelike games I have played in several years. The last time I had this much fun with a game was when the original Binding of Isaac was getting popular. We've had several great roguelike games before Dead Cells of course, but none of them quite scratch the surface of near perfection that this game thrives on.

From the minute I started playing this game months ago, I knew this was going to be a game that I would eventually put 55 total clocked hours into it. I'm quite surprised with how low that number looks to me, but I guess it's also because I live a busy schedule, so even to put 55 hours into one game with that kind of schedule is pretty amazing. I've not played it very often lately as I've been putting all my time into Slay The Spire, but Dead Cells will always be that game I fall back on when I just need to sit back and chill.

The game was in very early access when I played it for the first time, because that's when it started really getting popular. So I've seen the game from it's first day. To look at it now is pretty mind blowing, especially with all the great updates and changes they have already made. The developers seem to have this fiery passion within them to not ruin this game. They have been pushing updates out on a regular basis, and every single one single-handedly improves the game in some way. They've managed to get the controls so tight in this game that every single button you press is a life or death situation. It's pretty insane the amount of attention to detail that has gone into this early access game.

I know it's fairly obvious by now, but this game could potentially win Game of the Year in this little thread that I have dedicated to it. My game of the year for 2017 has changed so many times that it's still a fight between Dead Cells, Divinity Original Sin 2 and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In fact, I'd say those three are about tied for first place. Which is saying something about the quality of games that have come out this year.

Last thing I want to mention is the soundtrack to go along with this game. I've actually come to love this soundtrack so much that I even got a copy of it for myself on my phone so that I can listen to it in the mornings while I walk to work. Yeah, I know that sounds super nerdy and cheesy, but what can I do? The soundtrack just works in that way. Here's a sample:



And keep in mind, that's just for the first level of the game.

Key

My steam library is constantly updating and changing and many hours are put into many many games. 2018 has already been a pretty strong year when it comes to games, so I'd like to not only point out the games that I've loved from this year, but talk about the games that have taken up most of my time in 2018 already. Keep in mind, this doesn't necessarily mean the game HAD to be released in 2018, it's more about which games I enjoyed during the year so far.


Divinity Original Sin 2

This game not only took up so much of my time in late 2017, but it's also the reason I decided to really look into a gaming PC. My PC prior to the one I had could load Divinity Original Sin 2 sometimes. I finally invested into a PC and it's made such a world of difference. Not only have I gotten further in this new file but I've also made a powerhouse of a team. I'm beating enemies at least 2 levels above me sometimes. It feels really good. Still one of the best RPG's I've probably ever played, and I will stick to that opinion as long as I can.


The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Again, due to me getting a new PC, I've been able to play games that I haven't experienced before, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt falls into that category. So, holy ****, what a game. Not only is the combat a **** ton of fun, but the story is really strong. I've found myself actually caring about the characters in this game, and the cutscenes are absolutely breathtaking. This game is a piece of art in more ways than not. I will say that at first the combat is pretty tough to get used to, but once you get it, you realize how much fun it is to find hordes of enemies and fight them. Definitely a purely beautifully made RPG with open world elements.


Playerunknown's Battlegrounds

I'm a little bit surprised to see myself putting this game on my list since I'm not been the biggest fan of the game as a whole. I feel like the community surrounding it is super toxic, and really gives the League of Legends community something to strive for in toxicity. However, recently I did start playing this, and I get it. The problem I have with Battle Royale games is that the matches are way too long, and Playerunknown's Undergrounds is no exception. I've found myself just straight up leaving matches because it goes too long. I know, it's idiotic. However, that also hasn't kept me away from the game, because when I'm enjoying the game for what it is, I really enjoy it, and for me to enjoy a Battle Royale game is a pretty big deal. I put a lot of time into H1Z1 and I think that game is still superior in some ways, but this game certainly does a good job and could take its place for a while. It definitely says something about the game when it's able to bring me back in even though I dislike a pretty evident part of the game. I'll keep going back though.


Turok 2: Seeds of Evil

Remember this game? It's ****ing great. And recently I came to find out that this game had a remastered copy on Steam. Little did I know the people in charge of this game went above and beyond what I expected. Not only are the controls much more refined, but the pace of the game really feels structured and dare I say, tough. I remember Turok 2: Seeds of Evil from the N64 days, and I genuinely enjoyed it back then. To see that the game got remastered and is on Steam today is certainly something to be excited about. I would highly recommend this game to anybody, and it's a game that took a lot of my time in 2017 and in my childhood. The levels can be long though, but other than that, the game is a staple in video gaming history.


Divinity Original Sin

Because of my infatuation with the sequel, I figured I'd put some time into the original title. And fortunately, I found a remastered copy on Steam for pretty cheap, and thus it began. Going from the second game to this was tough to stomach sometimes, since the second game genuinely came with some necessary improvements. But on its own merits, it holds up to today's standards I would say. The combat is a lot of the same as the second game, which made it really easy to just jump right into, and the story is told surprisingly well, and feels like it has a good pace. The only thing I did notice is that the game is much shorter than it's sequel, but I can't act like I'm surprised by that. I will say, I put a solid 23 hours into it, and I still had plenty to do before I finished it up. So if you're interested in a pretty decent story strong RPG for about 30-40 hours of your time, I'd highly recommend this.

Key

This is still going. Stay tuned.