Exploring the city is fun, not as detailed as Shenmue but this game, once you get past surface level comparisons, is a very different game than Shenmue. The game alternates in chapters between the two main protagonists. Majima is a little more exuberant but not by a whole lot when you start out with him. Kiryu while very naive and stoic, is a very likable main character. Almost from the very beginning, I was hooked. A game anyone can play without any prior knowledge of the rest of the series.
#Xanadu next hardcore gaming 101 series
I wanted to before but the series was so deep in sequels I felt like the boat had sailed. This was my first time playing a Yakuza game. Fantastic side-scrolling ARPG action, designed to be played and beaten in a single sitting. The Genesis port is great too, but this one has all four character classes intact. Taito's arcade classic, localized by Working Designs. Emerald Dragon is "short" and unpretentious, with a killer OST and a unique turn-based / "bump" hybrid battle system. Anyone who enjoys classic ARPGs needs to check this out.Īnother port of an old computer JRPG, this one's got a fan translation as well. It is undeniably derivative, but it's so well-crafted it doesn't matter. It contains all the elements found in the aforementioned classic: shockingly good music, the godly bump system, and that classic late 80s anime style art. These are the three standouts.Ī port/compilation of the computer originals, this is Micro Cabin's take on the Ys Book I & II formula. Sticking with old stuff I played this year of course. Still looks amazing with gorgeous sprite work and plays better than more modern updates to the series. X-men Vs Streetfighter, a sublime fighting game, broken as hell but pure fun. Everything you loved about Mega Drive era Sonic, condensed, refined and expanded upon into one amazing platform game. Super addictive farming sim with elements of Animal Crossing, Zelda and Legend of the River King all combining to make a really chilled but also really engaging experience. Stardew Valley, the perfect panacea to a month of solid soulsing. It took a while to love the souls series but I would hold it up now as perhaps the second best IP from the last gen and generally one of the top five games of a pretty incredible generation. Truly a magnificent experience, combining old skool challenge with a modern asyncronous online system it also sports deep gameplay, badarse boss battles, a richly detailed world and some outstanding level design. I had played DS way back in the halcyon days of 2011 but only beat it this year. With that in mind, what are your personal favourite games of 2017? It can be an old game you played for the first time this year or a game from 2017 or both! While there is a week of 2017 left to game in and many unopened xmas presents waiting under the tree, it's also busy for a lot of us with work and family commitments.