Board 8 > my top 10 games of 2017

(+) Yeah! (+)

this list reminds me that i seriously need to get into EO5 this break.
also bloodstained is pretty good so far. the demo they've had for cons is really good with excellent jumping, as opposed to the floatiness the initial demo had. attacks could be a bit faster but it's quite solid. the music so far is great too.

mighty no 9 was very mediocre.
and the music sucked.
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2. Etrian Odyssey V

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoXXIgPRMos
3DS

The Etrian Odyssey series is best known as that old-timey RPG series where you draw a map because that's an old-timey thing for old-timey people to do, but it's not about the map, not really. Etrian Odyssey is about the slow crawl from confusion to clarity. It doesn't obscure any information from the player. There are meters that show you when you'll get into an encounter, how much HP an enemy has, what body part is bound, etc. It's very explicit in its difficulty. This ain't Dark Souls.

You start a floor without any knowledge of where to go and the enemies are all dangerous. You have to learn not only your way through the dungeon, but how to deal with each enemy, how each FOE (avoidable miniboss) moves, what the gimmick of the floor is and how you can move through it, all without dying and having the resources to get back safely. You slowly unlock shortcuts through the dungeon. Your eyes illuminate throughout this until a place that was once hostile is now completely comfortable.

The end result is a game that reminds me of classic Final Fantasy more than anything - a game where you slowly learn where to go, one screen at a time, escaping with your life until you're ready to make one big dash through. The difficulty encourages slow exploration that feels really rewarding. The map is only one aspect of that journey from the darkness to the light.

EO5 is basically like EO3 and EO4 but without any gimmicks. It's you, your classes, some interesting subclassing opportunities and a big ass dungeon. I like EO4 more than 5 but 5 is also really really good. I hope they find a way to continue making these games as the 3DS exits its prime. There's talk of a new EO game coming to 3DS which is music to my ears.
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In any other year I probably would have made time to actually finish EO5. I liked the demo, but I was in the middle of too much other stuff at the time.
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#1 most anticipated is La-Mulana 2

which may finally actually come out next year
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1. Bleed 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUloJK7nw7g
PC

I fucking love the Bleed games. They're basically Contra turned into dual stick shooters with tons of character mobility and a slowdown mechanic. Bleed 2 takes the original Bleed - which is now on PS4, Xbox One and Switch if you're allergic to PC - and adds a parry mechanic and some local multiplayer if you're into that kind of thing. The levels and fights are a little more intense. There's a boss fight every 90 seconds or something. It's pure, concentrated adrenaline.

The game's maybe an hour long if you're good but is super replayable and really hard, especially at higher difficulties. There is a ton of nuance to the controls and the ways in which you can tackle encounters. The parry stuff is really addicting to do, sometimes to your detriment. This game is fantastic.
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I've meant to play Bleed 1 all year...but I didn't exactly finish my itch.io bundle I bought last year. Almost finished that $1 tier, almost...and a whole lot of it sucked, but it also introduced me to Night in the Woods's developers/mini-games so it's all good.

Think Bleed was in that next $8 tier, hard to remember. Damn the filler!
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Bleed 1 + 2 PC are like $7 are Steam if anyone's interested
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I own the first! And I assume I'll play more old games next year than I did this year.
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I'm interested in Etrian Odyssey but I haven't played any yet. Should I get 4 or 5 first?
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get one of the demos from the 3DS eshop first. they're meaty and the demos transfer into the main game. I'd go with 4 because 5 is a lot harder - plus it's cheaper.
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Distinct lack of Cuphead here tran.
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Cuphead would seem to be right up my alley but it never appealed to me. I'll get it someday when it's like 4 bucks.
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Interesting list. I don't think I've even played 10 games this year...
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I'll get to EOV someday

I swear it
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10 - cosmic star heroine
9 - walking dead season 3
8 - monument valley 2
7 - metroid: samus returns
6 - hollow knight
5 - life is strange: before the storm
4 - persona 5
3 - mega man maker
2 - etrian odyssey 5
1 - bleed 2
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Only played Monument Valley 2. It would place in my top 2, but I've also played fewer than 10 games from this year.
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No wonder 2017 sucked to you. You didn't play anything good.
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nah, I played a lot of good games
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Bleed fans representing!

I've barely played any games this year. Part of that is due to my interests shrinking though - I'm a lot more discerning about what I decide to play. I have no intention to play Odyssey for example simply because I don't particularly care for the genre, even an extremely well-done version of it.

It kind of makes me sad to say but I have little interest in playing Xenoblade 2. All my reliable sources paint it as an unmemorable JRPG, and goodwill from Xenoblade 1 only goes so far.

My list would be something like:

1. Nier Automata
2. Bleed 2
3. Pyre
4. Persona 5
5. Doki Doki Literature Club
6. Prey

Want to play: Breath of the Wild (no Switch yet)

Nothing else I played stuck with me. I almost put Persona 5 at #5. That game has so much going for it but it drags itself down with a myriad of issues. Considering the pedigree I ended up disappointed.
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Also I have a friend who adores Etrian Odyssey 5. He was very happy with 5 and has considered every mainline game since 3 to be awesome.
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I'll have first impressions of Odyssey and Xenoblade tomorrow. I bet I end up loving Xenoblade 2. I really like X and that game is flaw central.
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oh yeah, I guess I haven't said it here - the wife and I bought a Switch back in early November for the kids for Christmas. I've had Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in my house for six weeks now, and Xenoblade 2 since release. it's been killing me. but tomorrow, I get to see some happy faces and break into those games. I decided not to go with Zelda because Xenoblade probably scratches that open world itch to a certain degree and I'm much more interested in a Xeno game than a Zelda game, even though Zelda might actually be the Xenoblade game I'm looking for.
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BotW is so much better, it's not even funny.
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Yeah Im really interested to see how into Xenoblade you end up being.
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here's my switch takes so far

- feels really nice. there's a lot to be said about satisfying clicks and the switch is the best at that. makes sense given the click advertising.
- I feel like an idiot. how are you supposed to charge the joycons / the grip?
- that scene where Mario possesses a frog in Odyssey is fucking terrifying
- Mario Kart 8 is... fine? my kids got bored fairly quickly which surprised me.
- Xenoblade tonight
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joycons charge when theyre attached to the tablet and docked
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that's what I figured after ten minutes of trying to find out how to open the grip like the idiot I am
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Yeah, I miss the days when I used to be able to sink countless hours into multiplayer games like Mario Kart or Smash Bros.
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The frog possession reminded me a lot of the Majora's Mask scene where you become a deku scrub the first time.

And the clicks are great, just a great feeling and sound pairing.
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LeonhartFour posted...

Yeah, I miss the days when I used to be able to sink countless hours into multiplayer games like Mario Kart or Smash Bros.

200 + hours of PUBG this year
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tranny don't be like me and lose one of your joycons already

I've played nothing on this list, but it was an enjoyable read. Glad to see Metroid here, since I recall you making a pretty harsh topic about it shortly after release. I think I might finally go pick that game up...kind of unbelievable I still haven't!
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Oh yeah, I should play EOV at some point. I did enjoy IV. I kind of forgot this new one was a thing, whoops!
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