My whatevs in Feb:
Valdis Story
Rocksmith 2014
Crow
Armored Hunter Gunhound EX
Finally beat Valdis Story, and got about halfway through two more playthroughs. It's a good game that I got substantial enjoyment out of despite being hard as balls to pick up. Once you understand how the systems work and the ins and outs of enemy and boss patterns it becomes substantially easier, which makes it perfect for teenagers who like to beat the same game multiple times. (I know a bunch of you tend to replay certain franchises but I don't remember a Metroidvania ever being among them.) This game really needs an easy mode to let you play through once just focused on discovery and exploration. By the end you would understand enough of how the game works to really dig into the very nice combat system on a subsequent playthrough. As it was, I was consulting walkthroughs and forums every step of the way which definitely hampered my enjoyment of the game. The gameplay is super solid though, graphics are decent, music is good, and I even like the world and lore. Plot was cookie cutter but I have no problem with a story cliches in a game like this as long as they sell it.
Rocksmith 2014: I've got a baby on the way, my first, and I figure this is my last chance to do anything really ambitious for myself like learning a new instrument, so I got my siblings to get me an electric guitar for my birthday. I have to say I'm very impressed with RS 2014. I haven't put a ton of time into it yet but what I've seen is a huge upgrade from the the original, with my main complaints (load times, lack of features) addressed and a slew of new stuff added. It really feels like a complete teaching package now. On that note, anyone expecting something like Guitar Hero should probably be warned that it's really more of a teaching tool masquerading as a game.
Crow: I think some people here said good things about this, and the soundtrack is excellent and I like the atmosphere, but in 45 minutes of play I found it to be just another mobile game lacking in depth. On-rails flying where you swipe to attack and draw a circle to shield? And that's it? Uh...no thanks.
Gunhound EX: It is kind of hilarious how this obviously controlled-required mech shooter requires you to manually configure the X360 controls, instead defaulting to the keyboard which makes the game practically unplayable. Once I had my pad set up correctly I started having some stompy Contra-like fun. The size of the pixels is kind of an insult to my eyes, though. I love this style of game but the reluctance of Japanese developers to figure out what a PC is is a continual frustration to me. But I now have Crimzon Clover and Danmaku 2 in the backlog, so I'm hoping to be able to change my tune soon.
At least Bobby added boobs.
