trymer89

Finishing Hogwarts Legacy: Got one more beast, crypt, and a couple more field guide pages (plus the final stages of the main storyline) and I will turn the page on an excellently realized and gorgeous looking Harry Potter experience.

Assuming I finish that in two or three days, it's on to Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown: haven't played an entry since Sands of Time but going back to its 2D roots has me interested.

Hogwarts Legacy: It's been great fun exploring the castle and Hogsmeade, catching and breeding thestrals, unicorns, and hippogriffs, flying around on a broomstick, taking on goblins and assorted dark wizards, and getting immersed once again in the Wizarding World.

The story is just okay, but the environment and exploration are top-notch, making for a wondrous experience.

The only thing for me would be more from the ground up remakes like Metroid Prime Remastered. Simply upscaling the resolution seems like they're just doing the bare minimum, although it is nice to be able to access them on the latest available console.

Hogwarts Legacy: Never did I imagine being able to roam through a fully realized Hogwarts, learning spells like Diffindo or Alohomora, riding broomsticks, or getting messed with by Peeves, but here I am.

Finding the Room of Requirement, battling trolls and goblins, sneaking into locked rooms and exploring Hogsmeade... it's all excellent, and all heightened by incredibly crisp visuals. If you're a Harry Potter fan, you owe it to yourself to check out this game.

I don't say this lightly: this is a can't miss opportunity.

Hogwarts Legacy: I've only just begun the dive but am quite impressed with the graphical fidelity and the faithfulness to the source material. It's great fun wrapping your head around the history of Hogwarts while still running into the occasional familiar face.

I've longed for a new Harry Potter game since the Lego versions and this is proving to be a great one so far.

Hogwarts Legacy (PS5): As a big fan of Harry Potter (books more so than movies, but still) I have heard nothing but great reviews of this game, so I am very much looking forward to this.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was a fun JRPG that I ended up sinking 125 hours into across three weeks; I still may do its DLC Future Redeemed concurrent with Hogwarts.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3: I'm 65 hours in and greatly enjoying the story, class systems, Interlinks, and entertaining cast of side characters (Ashera being my personal favorite).

It's proving to be a strong finish to an excellent JRPG trilogy.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3: I thoroughly enjoyed the first two entries and this is no different. Interlink is very interesting, as is the change into Ouroboros and the lore surrounding that, along with impressive visuals, affinity charts, and a new class system involving rotating heroes.

I'm only about twenty hours in, but I can confidently say this is one of the best JRPGs I have ever played.

Star Wars Jedi Survivor: Finishing up bounties, the last plant for my garden, and rounding out my time with Cal and BD-1. It's been a lot of fun, and I particularly enjoyed the different combat forms as well as building up the saloon.

Assuming finishing that by tomorrow, it's on to Xenoblade Chronicles 3, as I am finally caught up with the story and have heard nothing but praise regarding it. Can't wait!

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor: Been wanting to play this ever since it was announced, and so far it does not disappoint. The graphics, the facial animations, the world and lore, fast traveling (I know this is more of a "D'oh!" but it wasn't in its predecessor), the new abilities and stances... it all meshes together wonderfully in a cohesive whole, with an appropriately epic (and somber) story to match.

Cal and BD, here's to many more hours with you.

Super Mario Bros Wonder: I gotta say, I'm pleasantly surprised. I thought this would be quite difficult (given that I have struggled with 2D Mario's in the past) but it's not so bad and really is very inventive. The Wonder Flowers have zany and wacky effects that keep you on your toes, and the Badges provide a nice little boost if you're struggling.

It might be the best Mario I've played since Odyssey.

Finishing Horizon Forbidden West: One more Tallneck, the last of the collectibles, all but one Hunting Ground (I've been slacking on those) and only two more machine entries. It's been a fun ride, massive in scope and graphically stupendous with lots to do packed in.

If I finish in the next couple days, I will be doing something completely different: Detective Pikachu Returns. I've heard good things about it and its prequel, and this is a different style Pokémon than the mainline games. Should be interesting.

Horizon Forbidden West: I've got the POSEIDON, AETHER, and MINERVA subfunctions in the main story which, while not as good as its predecessor, is still full of twists and turns. The rebreather, firegleam, and pullcaster are all fun tools (the last making you feel a bit like Batman from the Arkham series).

The visuals are gorgeous and a definite upgrade. Some of the side quests are also more engaging and less rote. The map is a lot bigger, and I'm still a little less than halfway through the game overall. I keep running into melee pits, vista points, salvage collections, gauntlet runs, and all manner of distraction from the main story.

In other words, it's a cracking good time.

Horizon Forbidden West: Having just finished the prequel, I'm pretty excited to jump into this. About eight hours later, I'm quite impressed: little touches like follow road for mount or highlighted climbing tracks, vastly improved visuals (especially cutscene) and an intriguing premise all indicate an excellent follow-up to the banger that was Horizon Zero Dawn.

Horizon Zero Dawn: Getting close with just a couple Hunting Grounds, Corrupted Zones, and Side Quests left. I do need to make progress on the main storyline though.

It's proven to be a very enjoyable experience. I really like the vast assortment of bow ammunition at your disposal, and the variety on offer of machines to figure out how to kill or convert. The cauldrons and main story provide neat little glimpses of how the world went to hell.

Looking forward to the Frozen Wilds DLC and, of course, its sequel.

Horizon Zero Dawn: A pretty great combo of survival and RPG with stealth mixed in for good measure, and one that I can tell will take a while. Aloy is an interesting character study, and I'm sorry I didn't play this sooner.

Assassin's Creed Mirage: As is obvious by my profile picture, I'm a big AC fan, particularly old school, and the series has fallen off the wagon a bit lately.

This seems to be a return to form so far though, with impressive improvements in the right places and a great locale. Here's hoping.

Super Mario RPG: As a big fan of the Mario & Luigi series (and RPGs in general) I recognize quality games of this genre when I play them, and this is up there with the best of them. Beyond the excellent gameplay, its quirky humour and off kilter sensibilities, coupled with some truly memorable new characters, make for a fun Mario story to dive into.

His platforming adventures are always fun, but his RPGs - this one included - are truly something special.

Bayonetta 3: Been looking forward to this a long time. I love getting to transform into your demons and Jeanne's missions are a fun diversion. The combat is probably the most polished it's ever been, as sleek and stylish as you'd expect. A breezy game, to be sure, but one hell of a thrill ride while you're in it.

Hell yeah! I never played it before, admittedly, but I have played Paper Mario: The Origami King and all of the Mario & Luigi series, so I'm confident that this would be entertaining in that same vein.

I can honestly say this is one of my most looked forward to Switch games this year.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition: Finished the main story including Linkle missions and am starting the Wind Waker maps. I've had a lot of fun beating on bokoblins, moblins, wizzros, lizalfos and (a first for me) meeting the likes of Midna, Zant, Darunia, Ruto, and of course Lana and Cia.

Still not a fan of how combat intensive these games are, but I can appreciate them for what they are.

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition: Having played its sequel, I'm familiar with the hack-and-slash style. That said, having never played Majora's Mask, Twilight Princess, or Wind Waker, it's been a real treat being introduced to Midna, Young Link, Skull Kid, and all the rest.

Still wish it was a little less combat intensive, but I get that's what these games are about, and the combat is damn fun.

Finishing Chapter IV's of Octopath Traveler: everyone is 53 except my main Primrose at 65, I have two advanced jobs, and feel confident I can defeat the superboss Galdera.

Octopath Traveler: Working my way through Chapter III's now, everyone at 41 except Primrose as my main at 52. Enjoying seeing everyone's individual stories progress, and beginning to understand how it all will connect. Great visuals (if not my go-to for gaming), simple but showy combat, awesome voices: it's all coming together nicely.

Octopath Traveler: The HD-2D art style is growing on me, surprisingly enough. I also enjoy being able to equip/switch secondary jobs, as it affords a surprising amount of versatility to team-building. I'm just about 40 hours in and have done two characters' Chapter II stories, so this should last me a while.

Octopath Traveler: I've really just dug into it, having started with Primrose and now acquired Alfyn and Olberic, after completing their first chapters.

I thought the 2D graphics might bug me, but they're weirdly charming. The combat is the same tried-and-true turn-based JRPG affair, but with enough flash to differentiate it from other entries in the genre. I like, too, that the chapters are short, easily allowing you to feel like you've accomplished a lot in only a few hours.

So far, I'm impressed.

Octopath Traveler, although I haven't been focusing on it much with work. Regardless, I intend to put in some time this weekend and enjoy what I've seen so far.

Octopath Traveler: I'm not completely sold on the HD-2D aesthetic but so far it looks pretty good. I started as Primrose who has a very compelling story and the combat is fantastic, so I have high hopes for my experience.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Technically I have beaten the game - by which I mean I have seen Act II done and the credits rolled. However, as fans of the series are no doubt aware, that's not the end - not by a long shot. Sooo, it's on to Act III and Calasmos.

Really awesome series that I cannot believe I have never played before now.

@Daz73 Have you played Dread? If not, I highly recommend, especially given how much you enjoyed Prime (yes, even with the perspective shift to 2D).

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age: What a game. I've just finished Act I, and the story is a glorious realization of the Hero's Journey. Add in excellent characters like misguided knight Sir Hendrik, long-lost princess seeking her place Jade, or thief looking for a purpose Erik, plus gorgeous visuals, sharp turn-based gameplay, and a really fun 2D mode, and you have one of the best JRPGs - no, RPGs period - of our generation.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. My first foray into this series, and thus far it has yet to disappoint.

What started as typically standard fare plot-wise has gradually morphed into a truly memorable one, chock full of entertaining and extravagant main characters as well as NPC's, a gorgeously realized world, and an excellently incorporated 2D mode (both as a side quest in a nod to previous entries, or as the entire game if you like).

I'm a sucker for big open world RPGs and JRPGs and this game fits the bill. It's also got quite a bit of heft, which is always welcome for those of us that prefer more substantial games.

@Aispen Right, my friend: embrace the Dark Side.

@Aispen That's crazy talk! Surely there must be some armor piece or bit of exploration you can still do.

Tears of the Kingdom.

Progress: 70 Shrines, 16 Hearts, 2 Stamina Wheels, 8 full armor sets, 2 Dungeons (Fire and Wind) and 1 upgrade to each ability, 5 Geoglyphs, 15 Wells.

Oh, and 95 hours put in... so far. 😎

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that the two dungeons I've played through in TOTK (Wind and Fire) are the greatest in Zelda history, but what they are is a decent return to form - that is, toward the traditional dungeons - in that they are comparatively more complex (if not necessarily more sprawling) than BOTW's.

Are they as great as the Ancient Cistern and Koloktos, the Eagle's Tower, Sandship (and excellent Pirate Captain miniboss), Turtle Rock, Forest Temple, or the Sky Tower? Well of course not, but these are arguably among the best in the franchise history.

So sure, these dungeons maybe do resemble BOTW's a tad too much, but they have also expanded on those to gift us a more traditional - if not particularly lengthy - experience, so that it approaches a middle ground between modern and classic.

To probably no one's surprise, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and I've got a three-day weekend to boot, so here's to lots of Hyrulean hijinks!

Luigi's Mansion 3.

...

Nah, I'm just playing: of course it's Tears of the Kingdom. It was a hard road to hoe just to get to that point, though: I've been slacking on Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for the past month and finally put in a solid two days worth to roll credits the 11th. The 11th. And Zelda I grabbed the next day.

Now, though, I can relax, breathe, and enjoy the wonder that is a new Zelda game, and it has been truly wondrous. I expect it still will be this time next month, and hopefully quite a while after.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: I have been moving and therefore haven't touched it in about five days, so it's time to pick up in the fourth chapter where I left it and where, to be honest, the story is starting to evolve into more than just the prototypical fantasy narrative. The gameplay is excellent, the visuals are crisp and sharp, and the world-building is quite good.

If it keeps up, it may just become one of the greatest games I have ever played.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: I have mixed feelings about the more anime-esque dialogue that sometimes occurs, but I love the concept of Blades and Drivers. Rex is likeable enough, but my favorites (as of Chapter 3) would have to be Pyra or Vandham.

I still like the first better, but this is shaping up to be an excellent experience nonetheless.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe: I have only beaten the first world, Cookie Country, and its associated challenge, but I like it. It's old school Kirby done to perfection, and ranks above Kirby Star Allies in my estimation thanks to it just being Kirby this time around, making it a tad more challenging. Also, apparently Magolor Epilogue should satisfy that itch, so we'll see.

Well, I am putting the finishing touches on the sequel trilogy in Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga: to wit, I simply have to collect any kyber brick stragglers as well as do a few side missions, and I will achieve the oh-so-coveted 100% completion rate. On a personal note, rather unexpectedly, and clocking in at about 100 hours, this has toppled Xenoblade Chronicles as my second most played game (Breath of the Wild has yet to be dethroned in first place with 175 hours).

Assuming finishing Lego by today, it's Kirbin time: that's right, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe. A nice and breezy (if sadly short and thus somewhat bittersweet) romp through what is widely regarded as one of the pink puffball's best adventures.

Still hammering away at Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Going for completion on all but the Scavenger collectibles on the prequels and Episode IV before moving on to Empire; probably be at it for another week or so.

I completed Metroid Prime yesterday after some very nostalgic thirty-odd hours. I missed some missiles and one particularly troublesome energy tank, but I did copy my save before completion, so perhaps I'll dip back in.

For now, though, my focus is squarely on LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and great googly moogly, there are a ton of kyber bricks. The class system is an interesting wrinkle, the worlds are gorgeous, and there's that classic tongue-in-cheek Lego humour. It's been great fun traipsing through Naboo once more (yes I do the episodes in chronological order, whether playing or watching; it's the way George Lucas intended they be done, after all).

I only bought a Switch in 2021 (very late to the party, I know), so while there were definitely some bangers from 2017 (namely The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle), when I look at my collection of 30+ games played, I have to say that either 2021 or 2022 brought me the most joy.

2021 was all about catch up: in addition to playing a wide variety of previous year Wii U ports (Bayonetta 2, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker) or entries that came out in the intervening years (i.e. Luigi's Mansion 3, Link's Awakening, Paper Mario: The Origami King), I got to play the vast majority of 3D Mario's thanks to 3D All Stars and 3D World + Bowser's Fury, while also being introduced to Metroid Dread, Xenoblade Chronicles, Skyward Sword, Sonic Colors, and Bravely Default II. All in all, a solid year with a lot of my favorites (Skyward Sword, Link's Awakening, and Super Mario Galaxy all being in my top ten).

2022 I am still playing games from and frankly, it has yet to disappoint. The year got off to a very good start for me (and a lot of folks, I'm sure) with Pokémon Legends Arceus, followed by Kirby and the Forgotten Land, which after playing Star Allies (still a decent game, btw) I wasn't sure how much enthusiasm I would have for until I saw the trailer with Mouthful Mode. I would dearly have loved to play Xenoblade Chronicles 3, but I had just finished the first and am only now approaching the second.

The middle of the year was sort of bare, but then October arrived and along came a little game called Bayonetta 3. After that, the hits kept coming for me with Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Sonic Frontiers, NieR:Automata, and most recently Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. I would quite easily put Arceus, Kirby, and Xeno in my top ten, with Sparks of Hope not far behind (as I'm still playing Bayo I'm not comfortable ranking it just yet).

So it's a toss up. I will say that 2021 had Metroid Dread and Skyward Sword, both of which are real contenders for my absolute favorite games on the Switch, while I would only maybe pick Arceus from 2022, so I guess I'd have to give 2021 a very slight edge.

Metroid Prime: Finally got my copy and will be playing this for the first time in fifteen years. It's going to be great to go behind the visor once more.

@ThomasBW84 Granted I tend to disagree, but with the notes about framerate dips, NPCs repeating themselves, and occasional AI dimwittedness, this review seems closer to a 9 or 9.5.

For me, I acknowledge those issues, but I just don't care; the excellent presentation far outweighs any minor quibbles I might have.

NieR: Automata End of YoRHa Editon: I've just unlocked transport which makes completing side quests a hell of a lot easier I can tell you. It's a pretty fun blend of hack-and-slash, exploration, and occasional side scrolling. The music is appropriately somber or rousing depending on the situation and the visuals are quite impressive (the abandoned theme park in particular evoked an ethereal quality).

I'd like to say Metroid Prime Remastered, but given that NieR encourages multiple playthroughs... well, we'll see.

Well, I finished Sonic Frontiers yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed that, so I think I'll give Nier:Automata a go.

I'm a sucker for sprawling RPGs and being a recently converted fan of Xenoblade, I'm told this is in the same vein. Plus, it looks gorgeous.

Sonic Frontiers was awesome though. I had my doubts but even before all the trailers and gameplay footage I was cautiously optimistic and thankfully, Sonic Team and Sega did not disappoint.

It's challenging where it should be (especially the towers on Rhea and the first two titans) but by the end, you really feel you have a better handle on the various robots, grind rails, and puzzles, along with a pretty interesting story filled with great bonding moments among Sonic, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, and the newest and most curious addition, Sage.

Sonic in open zone works and I would love to see this direction explored further in upcoming entries.

Having completed Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope yesterday, I've begun the dive into Sonic Frontiers.

I'm with Alex and Zion: it's not perfect but it is a lot of fun. A very enjoyable core gaming loop with a decent amount of diversions to keep things varied.

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope was excellent, truly top-notch. Freedom of movement and action within battles, open worlds full to bursting with little quests, gated ladder pathways a la metroidvanias, and hidden levels very reminiscent of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker all make this one that much better than Kingdom Battle, which was already quite good.