#well i am expecting a story DLC down the road because there's just so many loose ends that need to be answered

[yuzuna123]

now that Tekken 8 is out

[nyrator]

And thus ends another Kresnyan week of wonders

It was quite an eventful week so buckle up for tons of photos, mainly arcade photos~

okay so I talked about Monday already

Tuesday was good, first thing in the morning we play F-Zero GX to wake us up, and somehow managed to beat the Ruby Master Cup with Silver Rat. What an awful, awful character, and yet such a good game for rewarding good mechanics.

Then we went around town exploring the local shops, got led into a strange pawn shop where the entire building was covered with junk, you had to shimmy through a small hall of junk to get through the place, and the owner followed in behind us without us realizing, pretty strange. Also entered a quiet little music shop and had Kresna serenade me with his good accordion skills, then visited my workplace and discussed seeing fireworks with them (we decided not to and instead played EDF and then more DDR, I also even bought a dance mat + two PS2 DDR games that day)

speaking of I got a second PS4 controller and so we played EDF 4.1 and over the course of a few days managed to 100% Hard mode with me as a Wing Diver and him as a Fencer, good times, lots of me dying and him saving me. Reminded me a lot of the PS2 one we played story-wise which after looking it up is a form of reboot of it, so neat. We decided to go straight to Inferno after that and managed to get up to about mission 23 before he had to leave, but man, we were decimating that mode (let’s ignore the having to deal with dragons in the future)

Bit disappointed we didn’t unlock Geist D because as dumb as it is I love the Geist, but mannn, got a sweet laser and Thunder Bow/Sniper 40s that I like to use

Anyway, Wednesday, the big event.

Round1

So initially it was a three-person trip that’s been planned all year, Kresna, Spade, and myself, though sadly but understandably Spade couldn’t make it this time. But mannnnnn.

So, we get up, struggle waking up, and head out on the two-and-a-half hour drive to Exton~

there was lots of neat street signs

there was also a Batman Road but couldn’t take a picture in time

also tons of great sights I forgot to take pictures of, but man, wouldn’t mind living in this area honestly, very pretty and very tree, we took a bunch of detours to avoid tolls and it was a very nice trip

but yes

round 1

this place is massive

this is what we first see going inside

that’s probably less than half of the cabinets they have

you got the shooting and driving cabinets to the right of the entrance, to the left is all more simplified games like pinballs and other popular brand ones, down the hall is the bowling alley which is adjecent to a bunch of claw grabbing machines for things from plushes to anime figures, past that you got the billards with karaoke booths, the fighting game cabinets, and at the mall entrance you have all the dance and musical cabinets, and mannnnn

see when I heard of this place I figure “oh yeah they advertise their bowling alley and also have karaoke, probably an arcade on the side, yeah”, no, this is an arcade feat. special guests bowling and karaoke

we got there at 1PM, took a small food break halfway through, and left around 5PM

my dudes, this place is amazing

I admit, I’m not much of an arcade gamer, but mannnn, what an amazing place.

Here are some of the games we playeddd

Kresna with his Tetris Grandmaster skills~ He played it three times, but man, given enough time he can easily top the scoreboards for sure

Some Outrun 2 SP~ My first time playing and I am bad at it but Kresna did pretty well

I tried playing some of that Gunslinger Stratos game I’ve heard about (aka saw there was Kuja costume DLC some years ago) but unfortunately the gun cursors were awful on the machine I used, all over the place, still beat two missions somehow with the girl in the giant robot, but mann, those cursors

heck yeah, some dekarissss and boy I absolutely am awful at tetris I am so sorry Kresna, the giant joysticks are fun though but man, multiplayer dekaris was suffering for the Kres

for reference, his solo attempt

there was also some rhythm heaven which was neat, Kresna again amazing at it and me not-so-much

we also decided to play this to fulfill our DDR thirst before taking a break

also SHOUTOUTS TO MUSIC GUNGUN, a simple but fun game with lots of good music and Kresna and I love it and may have to buy a cabinet, probably my favorite game there

after the break was more games but less photos to save battery life and repeating some of the aforementioned games, some that stood out

playing lots of Mario Kart DX, I won a grand total of once at the end but I’ll take that, thanks Waluigi and curse you Rosalina

I tried playing some Gitadora but failed miserably, my high school guitar hero skills were not enough for Medium Gitadora

meanwhile Kresna and his incredible talent at Beatmania

we finished the day at Round1 with some last bit of Music Gungun and trying out two-player Dancerush Stardom

and thus ended the trip to Round1, where we decided to head... east

East into New Jersey.

There was one more cabinet we needed to play.

Have some foliage that I forgot to take earlier to show how trees PA is~ There was a ton of nice foliage driving on the way there like I mentioned, just did not get to photograph ittt~

After another hour and a half drive (most of it spent in Philadelphia traffic, I will have you know that I am scared of heights or at least get vertigo easily, as well as being terrified of cars, and being in Philadelphia traffic is still absolutely terrifying to me)

I tried taking a photo of the Delaware but mannn could barely look up out of my seat because crippled with fear (seriously it’s only gotten worse the older I get for some reason)

anyway, just past 6:30, we finally arrive

Tilt Studio at Voorhees, NJ.

I admit, it had some neat cabinets, like Luigi’s Mansion, but nothing like Round1. However, we played none of these other cabinets

Kresna and I (mostly me) had a mission, and that mission was one cabinet

F-ZERO AX, BABYYYYY

look, you don’t understand

f-zero ax

I don’t have an addiction okay

anyway I brought my Memory Card (except I have unlocked basically everything in GX already so hm) and played with my custom vehicles~

and in just under $20 dollars worth of credits (with some used by Kresna of course) I managed to race every single race and I got my name on every single leaderboard (though they’re probably erased at the end of the day at this point)

yes we drove basically four hours to play F-Zero AX (plus Round1 goodness)

was it worth it? Yes

Sadly there aren’t any more licenses (to be expected though), but Kresna and I may have to buy our own cabinet, but a Deluxe Cabinet- the kind with moving seats and two-player actionnn

(it’ll happen you’ll see)

So then, the journey home, a night drive through NJ and bed

Thursday was firework day, though it was mainly EDF day for us. What a good game, EDF. Got some ice cream and hung out and was nice

Friday things began to slow down, EDF feat. more pizza and DDR dates~

Saturday was also pretty slow, slightly stressful day, including blahs from both of us, struggling at Inferno EDF and suffering my bad gameplay, and getting a flat tire on the way back from our last DDR trip of the night (oh boy), though we decided to watch a movie at least~ Genocidal Organ, based on a book Kresna read, it was pretty good~ Got Netflix to watch it (and Spy Kids 3D in honor of Red Square), though sadly SK3D didn’t have an anaglyph 3D option, and Genocidal Organ wasn’t on US Netflixxx, but we watched it through other means instead~

Today we finished the day with some car repairs, window shopping, and eating a big meal at a diner~ This is notable for being my first time eating somewhere in public and eating something that wasn’t just french fries (I had a blueberry pancake with whipped cream~)

Speaking of foods, this visit I tried sardines for the first timeee, not a fan but it was edible, my first time ever eating something fish-y~ Otherwise some neat treats from the Kresna involving many eggs and toasts and even an english muffinn

it was a good first anniversary week, and being with Kresna is always wonderful

And now to await the end of August, where I will finally migrate north and visit the Canadian lifestyle...

[pallideinanis]

Dishonored’s The Outsider :::: RP Starters

Alright kids, I wanted to experiment a little bit and get to know my character more so I WENT THROUGH AAAAAAALL OF HIS DIALOGUE (which includes all three games, both dlcs and the trailers for both Dishonored 1 and 2...) and have presented some of his lines for you all to use for prompts! Those that wish to avoid spoilers, please tread carefully.

Oh! And feel free to change the pronouns. :)

DISHONORED “My dear _____. What a sad hand fate has dealt you.” “We know what really happened, don’t we?” “You don’t want to end your life to the sound of idiots cheering as your head hits the muck, do you?” “Let’s see if we can do better.” “And to make things interesting…. My Mark.” “Consider it a gift.” “Your life has taken a turn, has it not? “You will play a pivotal role in the days to come.” “For this, I have chosen you and drawn you into the Void.” “I am the Outsider and this is my Mark.” “Use this new-found power, my gift to you.” “Come find me.” “In the days that follow, your trials will be great, _____.” “These runes will grant you power beyond those of other men.” “I give you this, the Heart of a living thing, molded by my hands.” “How you use what I have given you falls upon you.” “Know that I will be watching with great interest.” “You wouldn’t recognize her name, or even the name of her family.” “An emperor begged for her hand, once.” “Then she made a different choice.” “What will you do, I wonder?” “Now your choices interest me.” “I’m older than the rocks this place was built on, and even I didn’t see that coming.” “I suppose I should thank you.” “Rivers change course over many lifetimes, and eventually, all bridges tumble down.” “He’s not special like you are.” “If he really wants to meet me, he could start by being a bit more interesting.” “Going to a party, _____?” “I can see all her tomorrows.” “Will you tear it all to pieces?” “Either way, it’s _____’s last party.” “I suppose she had to go.” “What choice did you have?” “Here you are, _____, within the high walls of your enemy’s stronghold.” “How will you end his reign? By blood or by truth?” “He’s not an easy man to get close to.” “Is it just revenge you’re after? Or do you have another plan in mind?” “Will you restore things? Make it all right again?” “Or will you send them all howling into the Void?” “Either way, I expect a good show.” “You’re an unstoppable force, it seems…But also unpredictable.” “And that is most surprising.” “He must have realized that all his planning was for nothing.” “That must have been exquisitely terrifying.” “But in the end, you chose the more measured response.” “What will that mean in the days to come, I wonder?” “I’ve lived a long, long time, and these are the moments I wait for.” “The scent of his blood is still fresh in the air.” “My, how you’ve changed things.” “The truth is, he knew he deserved to die.” “Don’t worry, I’m not about to tell you he deserved sympathy.” “The worst part must have been knowing it was all his fault.” “Here you are at last, in a ruined and drowning world.” “Your friends poisoned you and dumped your body in the river.” “Did they do it to protect themselves, so no one would ever know what they had done?” “Perhaps that’s just the nature of man.” “You find your way into such interesting places, _____.” “How does it feel knowing your allies betrayed you?” “Strange how there’s always a little more innocence left to lose.” “You had him in the palm of your hand and you let him walk away?” “You fascinate me.” “Was it the primal desire to rise above other men?” “Do you even know why?” “You watched and listened while other men would have shouted in rage.” “You held back instead of striking.” “What will history tell us?” “Whether the stories told mention you by name or not, she will remember you were there, _____.” “I don’t know about you, _____ , but I’ve had a lovely time.” “Soon there will be nothing left for the rats.” “All it needed was the right man to send it over the edge.” “But now you’ll be off over the horizon on an outbound ship.” “I wonder. Are you chasing something? Or running away?”

KNIFE OF DUNWALL “_____, my old friend, it’s been a long while, but you got my interest again.” “How the years pass and the bodies fall.” “Did you know there are only eight like you in the world, bearing my Mark?” “I’m here because you’re right.” “This time, you can’t just fade away into the shadows.” “There will be consequences.” “Your story is close to ending, and even you can’t escape it.” “But what ending will you make for yourself?” “I’m here to give you one last gift, _____.” “It’s a mystery.” “Here’s one last lesson, for old time’s sake.” “I see everything. I see forever.” “And right now I see a man walking a tightrope over a sea of blood and filth.” “The Empress is dead and the water’s rising.” “Surprisingly clean work for a man with so much blood on his hands.” “Do you think this will help you dodge what’s coming?” “You better hurry. You’re running out of rope.” “You left a mess on the killing floor,  _____.” “I guess you know by now these things have a way of catching up with you.” “But maybe you’re past caring.” “At the last moment you seem to be acquiring a curious sense of justice.” “Funny how the final days always mean so much.” “He died before he could say his last words.” “She watched you. Learned from you. And then she saw you losing your grip.” “_____, who spared his betrayer’s life.” “When she saw weakness, she struck. Just like you taught her.” “Only you were a little better.” “In the seconds before she died, she remembered the first time she met you.” “She had no regrets. And you, _____?” “You once told me _____ was your finest pupil.” “She proved to be more ruthless and deceptive than you thought.” “But she was no match for you.” “I wonder what the final chapter will be.” “What happens to scary monsters, in the end?” BRIGMORE WITCHES “You keep surprising me, _____.” “I wonder? Are you hoping it will change the way things will work out?” “The song’s almost over. And when the music stops, we all fall down.” “This is the _____ I remember!” “They soon won’t forget you, either.” “What a relief. Life has been remarkably grim in Dunwall lately.” “But in the long view, a smoking ruin makes as good a monument as any.” “Hello, _____. I’m enjoying renewing our friendship, if we can call it that.” “You’ve become quite the peacemaker, _____.” “Be careful what you do.” “You’ve always been canny, a spider in the web of the city.” “But you may out-do yourself on this little adventure.” “It’s the moment just before the light goes that matters most.” “I can see nothing’s going to stop you.” “You’ll cover yourself in blood if you have to.” “He lived a long time and knew many secrets that were lost with him.” “Did you take pity on him or was it simply easier to get what you needed that way?” “You’re putting it together, aren’t you?” “It’s not easy. _____ is exceedingly bright.” “Change is coming, and  _____ has a plan. But do you, _____?” “What will you do with what you find there?” “_____ knows you’re coming, cutting a bloody path through the city in search of her.” “She’s afraid of you.” “I wish you luck.” “I don’t decide who wins and whose body gets tossed into the river to rot.” “But I enjoy watching.” “You have many talents, _____, and they’ve served you.” “We’re witnessing her masterpiece, and perhaps yours as well.” “I gave you _____’s name and you followed it to this moment.” “You see now what hangs in the balance.” “In your long life I’ve rarely seen you act with such consummate grace.” “I give my mark sparingly and I don’t play favorites but I will watch this… with unusual attention.” “Now you understand what you were doing all along.” “The next few moments may be the last choices you make in your life.” “There are times when I delight in seeing lives ends and chaos spread.” “The path you’ve taken here honors your skills.” “I give my mark sparingly, _____.” “You’ve taken a bloody road here, and no one has enjoyed it more than I.” “But there are still a few more choices left to make.” “The end is coming.” “It’s been glorious to watch you throw your will against the machinery you set in motion.” “All things end, all things burn to ash. But you, my friend, burn bright.” “You make an eloquent plea for a man with innocent blood on his hands.” “It’s a shame _____ doesn’t know the real story, isn’t it?” “You make your own choice, and accept the price.”

DISHONORED 2 “It’s happened again: someone’s pulled the rug out from under you.” “An empire at your feet and you’ve lost it all.” “Be honest, did you really deserve any of it?” “More important, what would you do to get it back?” “Careful, there’s always a price to pay. What you decide will ripple across the years.” “Blood in the gutters and corruption on the wind… It will be fun watching this unfold.” “What will you do with the power I’ve given you?” “How will you make your mark on this wretched world?” ”The years are long, but it’s always good to see a familiar face.” “_____ old friend, do I even have to say it?” “Fifteen years ago _____ could have warned you about her, if you had bothered to ask.” “But you were too busy for questions.” “Times have changed, _____, and you haven’t been watching the dark corners of the world.” “Maybe living in a palace has made you soft.” “What happens when you push a man farther than he ever thought he could go? Does he snap?” “What happens when he tries to go home?” “Maybe you’ll finally know what it feels like to kill an empress.” “_____ could have told you about that, too.” “There’s no one quite like _____.” “She took all the abuse the world could deal out, and now she has a crown.” “But I’ll let you in on a secret; she’s got her eyes on a much greater prize.” “I gave you my mark for a reason.” “I wanted to know what happens when you take an honorable man’s life away.” “What will he do, given the chance?” “And what a sight it was.” “You gave yourself over to blood and terror, and gave it everything you had.” “Then you spent fifteen years making sure it wouldn’t happen again.” “Will you do it all again? Where is that good man now?” “I’m a friend of your father’s from the bad old days.” “I never expected us to meet.” “I thought that was the end of the excitement.” “You’ve lost your throne and your father… And I promise, _____ won’t just give them back.” “So what are you prepared to do about it, _____?” “And are you clever enough to do it without spilling a river of blood?” “I asked _____ these same questions fifteen years ago.” “This is the moment that changed him. Now it’s your turn.” “How many of your own subjects are you willing to slaughter and what are you willing to become?” “We’ve both seen cities go bad before.” “I hope you’re ready.” “Did you miss it? The years that made you who you are? Don’t deny it.” “Welcome back. Welcome home.” “People like you and _____ are a part of places like this.” “But you’ll always remember the truth, won’t you? Your truth, at least.” “Look at you, making your way across this shuddering city.” “You know he’d be happier deep down if this ended with _____’s head on a spike.” “Look at you, leaving a trail of bloody boot prints across this dying city.” “He doesn’t care a fig for me.” “What will he leave behind? And what about you? Who will you leave behind to pick up the pieces?” “Three years ago, something inside of _____ snapped like a cheap lock.” “The Void is not exactly a place, and it is much older and stranger than you could ever know.” “See for yourself what they did.” “Look around you, a crumbling island at the very edges of the Void.” “But this one is special.” “It’s the place where my life ended and began again.” “It’s where they made me.” “Right up until the end I thought I’d find a way to escape.” “I fought but the ropes cut my skin and I went limp.” “And the knife touched my throat and I knew I had waited too long.” “The blood ran out and I became a god.” “_____ is… a part of me now. And I don’t like it.” “You have to give _____ credit.” “But what comes after that might be the hardest thing you will ever have to do.” “You’re back at the heart of your homeland.” “Feeling nostalgic?” “Will you ever be comfortable in _____ again, assuming you make it back?” “You’ve seen the suffering here, the decay.” “Here you are back among your own people.” “Are you feeling more comfortable, _____?” “It never seemed to bother you before.” “Maybe it looks different up close.” “In any case, I know what you’re after.” “You better be ready to leave something behind.” “_____’s waiting for you.” “_____’s been waiting for you with murder in her heart, but also fear.” “All hail the victor, assuming there’s anyone left to celebrate.” “But now she’s got a secret as well.” DEATH OF THE OUTSIDER “She can see it all.” “We carry what was done to us throughout our endless days.” “No one asked if we wanted it.” “I’ve seen the bones these places are built on.” “I’ve seen them under the mud in the riverbanks, under the stones in the streets.” “It will all shudder and writhe.” “All the old boundaries are falling apart.” “She  watches them crumbling.” “They cower, fearful, and try and halt the tides.” “A thousand lives, a thousand choices, all converged into one wounded body, one wounded mind.” “Let me tell you something about the Void, _____.” “It touches the minds of the dreaming and the dying alike.” “And sometimes, dreams can only tell you what you wanted to forget.” “People usually want something from me. But you don’t want my Mark, do you _____?” “So, I will return something you lost.” “The world was wounded around you, and you carry the scars.” “You will never be the same… I wonder if you’ll like that?” “There is death in their dark eyes.” “They kill and dive deep to escape the slaughter.” “They scramble to find meaning while each day cuts deeper into their throats.” “Some want revenge, others just want peace.” “There is freedom in being hated.” “There is license in being cast out.” “Some learn this lesson a little too well.” “You and I were both abandoned to uncertain futures on dangerous streets.” “_____ spared your life all those years ago.” “But I was taught a lesson that you still haven’t learned.” “Some wounds stay with you, even in the Void.” “Time repeats in the same unending patterns.” “Four thousand years ago, this knife cut my name away…Forgotten forever.” “You know what it’s like to lose one name and live with another.” “We are all made from the things that are taken from us.” “I know more than most.” “I know that time is bleeding itself around you.” “I know that you have felt it.” “I know that _____ is dead where you left him on your ruined ship.” “And I know that you will carry that knife to face me at the black center of all things.” “I’m here because you are different.” “The Void has found you through the cracks in your broken life.” “And when you cut me out of it, what will remain?" “What will you leave behind when you walk away?” “The Void tempts mysteries and craves answers.” “Bones and dead things, thrown into the dirt.” “They scream against the indifference and whisper questions.” “I died because they demanded it.” “But soon there won’t be any more demands.” “They won’t meet my gaze.” “She will peel back all the lies and symbols.” “For some, a catastrophe. For others, a revelation.” “And for some, my death will be a promise.” “What will it be like, to finally experience and ending?” “I see forever, and even I can’t see that future.” “When I died, this world was remade… And when I die again…” “Soon she will see me unobscured.” “The age closes around us all like rows of black teeth.” “I can taste blood in my mouth.” “I can hear _____’s voice in my ear.” “You have done something impossible.” “These eyes were closed for centuries. And I saw…everything.” “Bound here, I walked through the minds of generations.” “I see...I see… There are no choices left.”

[tenshinokorin]

fic news!

I'm just like 2000 words short of breaking 100K total on the RRD series (+ the FF8 Crossover), and that's all only happened in about two-three months. This is a humongous thing in so many ways and I'm trying not to think about it too hard because it'll flip me out. But! I'm posting this because I've got two big trips in a row coming up, plus I do have a remarkably grown up kind of day-job and it's kicking into busy season, so updates might be a little wonky until about mid-April.

I have so many wonderful comments, thank you guys all so much! I promise I'll try to reply to all of them as soon as I can. I gobble them all up and reload my inbox way more than I should. ^_^; I made a vow to myself to reply to every comment (and to try to get most of the reply-tos as well) but it's actually really hard for me and I get overwhelmed easily (in a good way! But also in a hello-my-generalized-anxiety-disorder way) so sometimes it takes a while. Also, if I'm feeling low on resources I'll always prioritize more fic over comments in an either-or situation, because I figure more fic is always good for everybody. ^_^ But please don't stop leaving comments. :D  I never expected this to get so big and I am having a fantastic time. You guys are super.

Here's the best way to keep up with the series: Running Down a Dream (Series) on Ao3

With the exception of Tyrants and Kings, which is complete, all stories in the Running Down a Dream series are still live and will still get updates. Here's what I have in the works (in no particular order or planned publish date):

RDD (main): * Ignis' skin care routine is truly alarming/impressive * car wash (that miiiight wind up in the b-sides ;) * any inevitable business from the DLC * anything that happens while I'm running around working my game save to platinum / inspired by actual road trips

B-sides: * a case of mistaken identity in the middle of the night * Ignis and Gladio while away the time waiting for a hunt to appear on a rainy evening in Altissia * Soft beds, baby. (Prompto's turn.)

One Other Year: * First night camping, Luna borrows everybody's clothes, the return of Prompto's lucky socks, new kinds of magic, dreams, smooches, marriages, boyfriends, chocobos, adventures and dangers, fishing, fencing, fighting, true love, all that good stuff (yaay)

Persistence of Memory (FF8/15 crossover) * continuing chapters (Orange rolls, SeeD exam, President Heartilly, Leviathan, Magitek)

And here is some Very Important Information: * Gladio's pole-dancing routine at the Gimme Cat was to Need You Tonight by INXS. * I realize I have not said boo about Ardyn, but this isn't his story. I'm still getting him sorted out, and he's unlikely to turn up seriously until I do. I do know that his image song is The Boy Racer by Morrissey. (He's gonna kill this pretty thing.) Plus, I need Prompto's DLC. :\ * I'm sorry if I gave anyone the impression that this was something other than the Prompto Argentum Show starring Prompto Argentum. Once I used to have high-falootin' ideas about the kinds of characters I attract, holy warriors and whatnot, but no. I am equipped with a magnet that is tuned expressly to the resonance of blond cinnamon bun idiot puppies with big mouths and more heart than sense, and that's just how it is. (see also Zell Dincht, Joey Wheeler, Bart Fatima.) * Runnin Down a Dream is a song by Tom Petty from the album Full Moon Fever. It's about driving! And about going out to get things instead of waiting for them to come to you. * I would make an entire playlist but I fail at posting that kind of thing (by which I mean I make great playlists for myself but never manage to actually share them in any way). * I totally want to draw more XV/Songbirds of Valnon crossovers, except for how Noct and Eothan are kind of already the same person. O_o * I'm going on multiple roadtrips over the next three weeks and you bet your ass I'm taking action figures for photoshoots. * I owe you an email. I know. It's on my list. * Thank you all so much.

[audiogrizzly]

GOTY 2020 - Runners Up

I feel I should start off with saying a bit about what this year was like for my gaming hobby,  it was the first in many years that the PS4 was not the system where I took away the most games, for me it was the PC for a change which has slowly been becoming my number 1 place to play.  Though this year also brought a new console generation and I have picked up a PS5, as well as an Oculus Quest 2 (so technically I can now play PC VR, which for a couple of years was always a platform that gates off a few key releases for me despite having a headset for my PS4.  And yeah, working from home has allowed me to use the time that would have been taking up with commuting to play games, so I have had more time to play than usual.

Just a note, I’m only one person and despite what I said in the previous paragraph, I cannot play every single game that comes out in a year, I try to prioritise the games I want to play and I do pay attention to games that get good write ups from critics.  At the time of writing, I have yet to give a good amount of time to the following titles which are likely to come up on many other GOTY lists: Half Life Alyx, The Pathless, Hades, Cyberpunk 2077.  I’m sure these are great games, I have enjoyed many other titles that the developers of them have released before, but however much I enjoy them further down the line, they have missed their chance at being included in this particular list.

So in addition to my GOTY, Ghost of Tsushima, here are the other games I have enjoyed most of all in 2020, ordered by release date:

Journey to the Savage Planet

This was the traditional January game for me.  I know a lot of people see the first month of the year being a bit slow for games but I feel there’s always at least one gem.  It was great to see a Metroid style game that took a lot more from the Prime series rather than the 2D roots of that genre.  The humour didn't quite connect with me but this was a fun distraction that I wasn’t expecting at the start of the year

DOOM Eternal

One of the earliest games I had added to my 2020 watchlist, the sequel to one of my top games of 2016 was always going to be something to be all over.  I felt it was a little more arcadey and leaned on typical game mechanics (e.g. extra lives, traversal puzzle, arena based encounters) rather than the exploration aspects of the 1993 original that the 2016 reboot left intact.  But you don’t get action as satisfying and as brutal as DOOM

Final Fantasy VII Remake

The earliest game I picked up that I put forward for this list and wasn’t on my original watch list.  I didn't play the original FF7 all the way through, but I had played to the point where this remade 1st episode stops at, it essentially covers the first disc on the 1997 original.  I’m more into action RPGs than the turn based menu cooldown mechanic that’s more typical of Japanese RPGs, so with that out of the way I was able to enjoy the world and the story.  I got really engaged by this one and I can’t wait to carry on the story.

Gears Tactics

I always loved the idea of the turn based tactical strategy game when XCOM Enemy Unknown came along.  But I was always more a fan of the combat side than the whole running of the base part of the game.  XCOM was also one of those top games that I always sort of pretended to be into, to make myself seem more like a thinker than a button masher, y’know?  I can name a large number of people who fall into that category too.

I reckon Gears is perfect for this genre and I’m glad to see that Tactics doesn’t make me collect resources and develop new technology while making sure my underground bunker has enough power.  It’s pure action and I love it.

Streets of Rage 4

This game was on my watch list but even I was surprised at how good it turned out.  SOR4 will appeal more to those who played the original games, and the second in the series is my favourite SEGA game ever as well as being quite high up my all time list in general.  This 21st century continuation does not diminish the originals in any way and even makes you come around to the third in the series in a way by including references and it’s best elements.  A hyper stylish tribute and great brawler in its own right.

The Last of Us Part 2

I assigned Ghost of Tsushima as my game of the year, but TLOUP2 would have come a close second.  I just enjoyed being in the world of Tsushima more than I did in the zombie infested post-apocalyptic Seattle.  I see this game as being the equivalent of a great box set, typical more of the second season of an excellent American TV series where they do add a few interesting ideas, a few “wow” moments, but more than its share of devisive moments too.  I can get why people didn’t like the twist as we are used to playing heroes in our games, it can throw us when a bit of perspective is added.  Personally, I felt it was an act too long, but still an intense action adventure.

Rocket Arena

I still played a lot of Destiny at the start of the year and both last year and this year's Call of Duty's were on my most played list.  But Rocket Arena held my attention for most of the summer.  Ultimately, I fell off the game because I was sick of teammates leaving matches, it’s the sort of game where leavers get penalised but are not replaced.  But I found the game to be enormous fun and soon I hope to jump back into the game as I see a few changes have been made.  The game has also taken all sorts of steps to be made available to as many people as possible thought giveaways on Twitch and PlayStation plus as well as being added to EA Play Pro, everything that stops short of just being made free to play which is something I actually hope it shouldn’t have to come to as I like the idea of the Overwatch model where new maps and characters are added for free every now and then.

Carrion

Carrion was a game I added to my watch list after it was shown in Devolver Digital’s over-the-top and sometimes sort of ‘trying too hard to be subversive’ E3 presentations (2019 and 2020).  It looked like a take on the Metroidvania game that took, if you ask me, one of the most appealing aspects of the Metroid games, it’s atmosphere.  Plus it sometimes feels great to be the menace, especially when you go out to total massacre your captors (see also Ape Out)

Fall Guys

I’m sure a lot of people have just totally fallen off of this game since about a month after it’s launch in August, I know I have.  But when it was new and in the conversation, there was no doubt that this was a fun game.  It also came out around the time where you could have guests round and it made for a great “pass the controller” type of game, despite having no split screen modes.  It may be my lack of desire to play a new multiplayer game which stopped me from playing it, though it’s appeal to me is that it’s one of those first of games you can just leap into matchmaking by yourself with.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2

I don’t normally put ports or remakes into my year lists, but I will make an exception here (and one later on) as it has been so long since the games included in this collection first appeared and to compare old with new, it’s almost a whole new world.  Yet it is still familiar, and there’s no bloat, even the item shop (where you can buy decks, wheels, profile pictures etc) doesn’t get in your face.  It also, thankfully, takes influence from the right places of the follow up to both of these games, Pro Skater 3, in making the most finely tuned Hawk’s experience.  I only wish they had included the 3rd game, at least as DLC, but there’s still time.

Star Wars Squadrons

Air or space combat has never appealed to me all that much over my many years of gaming.  I’m not even all that big a Star Wars fan, but I got on board with Squadrons in a big way.  Playing in VR and with a HOTAS really immerses you too, there’s nothing like playing past someone and turning your own head to see where they heck they have got to.  And although I am not all that big into Star Wars, I can tell they have taken great care with the universe and turned out something that doesn’t interfere with cannon all too much.  Put this alongside Gears Tactics in the “I like the idea of this sort of game but I never get on too well with it, but I really liked this one” bucket

Watch Dogs Legion

I know Legion got a hard time in reviews, and I did experience a less than optimal performance in the game, but it was great to run around modern London on foot for a change.  I enjoyed Watch Dogs 2 before this and yes, I get why people think the game is just silly, but Legion finally shows that the game knows when to not take itself seriously and it's all the better for it.  A great touch is when you recruit people for your organisation, they can all get into any car and drive it around, but every now and then you will find a recruit for whom one of their perks is “has their own car”, that is London in a nutshell!

Dirt 5

Dirt 5 wasn’t on my list, and I have had a sort of on-off relationship with the series.  Dirt 5 represents a sort of middle point in the scale between the off-road racer and the serious rally simulation.  I would actually say it's closer to the former actually, it’s definitely the most arcade like the franchise has been in years.  It forgoes point to point rallys in favour of an “all racers” starting grid in most disciplines.  The inclusion of a story is a bit weird, especially as you never actually see any of the characters, it made me wonder what the point was, but I loved the racing as well as all the weather and mud effects.

Assassins Creed Valhalla

I’ve literally just finished this game at the time of writing and what a monster this was at over 55 hours in my playthrough.  I had my doubts that a game set in Viking/Saxon era England could rival the BC Egypt in AC Origins, and that game is still my fave, but there was a lot of beautiful scenery in Valhalla as well as crazy plot points when you got near the end.  It was great to finally play one of these “new” AC games with a steady frame rate (I always had technical problems before) as I have enjoyed the new combat system since Origins and it was fun to visit settlements whose names I recognise from modern era England.  Apart from one really annoying game breaking bug (saved by a previous save file) a number of freezes and it being maybe a bit too long, I’d recommend this heartily.

Replay corner:

Master Chief Collection (throughout the year)

As I said earlier when I talked about Pro Skater 1+2, I don’t normally put ports and remakes, but I wanted to give a shout out to the Halo Master Chief Collection, which I played on PC throughout the year.  It’s in it’s own section here as part of it was released last year, but each couple of months in 2020, it was great to replay each of the games in this series, especially as I said goodbye to Xbox in 2013, Halo was one of the franchises that I knew I would miss and it’s great that I can finally get reacquainted with all the ones I have played before.  It's a shame that Infinite did not come out this year, though I can tell why they wanted to put it back in the oven, plus I still haven’t really played Halo 5 yet as it’s one of the few games that are actually Xbox One only, I have my fingers crossed for a PC port of that though.