#yakuza 5 audio glitches

[kenzan-kiwami]

i don't remember how much i've blogged about this here, but yakuza 5 (and only yakuza 5?) has some buckwild audio glitches during certain pre-rendered cutscenes when you play on linux via proton, such as the following (big spoilers for 5 finale) (and shinada intro i guess if you understand japanese):

it's been like this in a good half of the cutscenes since the beginning. i've just kept on getting random fucking shinada jumpscares throughout the ENTIRE GAME

[nintendowife]

The year is nearly over and it's time for my personal game of the year picks again. Finished a record amount of games this year (53, full list of games at the end of the post). COVID-19 pandemic didn't really cause an increase in my gaming, the main contributing factor was Xbox Game Pass for PC which allows me to easily pick up and try out a variety of games. As a "blast from the past" I finally beat a Nintendo 64 game Blast Corps together with husbando, a game I had been stuck in in the 90s. Like usual, I didn't play many games released in the current year so most of my picks are older games. But without further ado, here are the best of the best. 

1st place: Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PC, also available on PS4, Xbox One)

Thrilling and serious crime drama featuring the legendary ex-yakuza Kiryu who finds himself in absurdly hilarious situations at every turn. This is a game you don't want to miss, but playing Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami prior to this is recommended. 

+ Amazing story with various charismatic and memorable characters + Some incredibly funny side quests and entertaining minigames + Gorgeously detailed environments in 4K + Cool soundtrack and superb voice acting + Majima Saga is a nice continuation to events of Yakuza 0 + Well-made PC port with no issues besides occasional amusing ragdolling - Lack of different fighting styles make battles a bit repetitive - No Ansel support 

See my posts about Yakuza Kiwami 2

2nd place: Octopath Traveler (Switch, also available on PC)

Classic JRPG of modern times with quality of life improvements and gorgeous presentation. Each characters' stories, the game's engaging turn-based battle system and mechanics kept me glued to the screen for over 125 hours.

+ Fun and rewarding battle system with a good amount of team customization and strategy with subclasses and skills + Beautiful visuals mixing old-school sprite graphics with modern lighting effects + Splendid soundtrack, dual audio option and great Japanese voice acting  + Likeable characters with their own individual stories and engrossing overarching story that lets you find the connections of the characters  + Quality localization with rich language. I learned many new words and H'aanit's old manner of speaking added a new layer of immersion. + Nice quality of life features like fast travel and seemingly unlimited inventory space - Random encounters (they didn't actually bother me much in this game as the battle system was engaging) - Sudden crazy difficulty spike when encountering the real final boss 

See my posts about Octopath Traveler

3rd place: Portal 2 (PC, also available on PS3, Xbox 360)

Immersive sci-fi first-person puzzle game with fascinating game mechanics and tons of great humor. Portal 2 lives up to the universal praise it has gotten.

+ Interesting premise and great writing + Well designed physics-based puzzles + Difficulty is just right, not too hard and not too easy + Super good voice acting and soundtrack that fits the environments spot on + Great humor right from the starting tutorial + The first-person camera immersed me into the game - Some issues like autosaving at unfortunate moments 

See my posts about Portal 2

Honorable mention: Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)

Sci-fi action JRPG with a surprising twist in its story and a peculiar setting where the player isn't really the protagonist. Battle system is fun and rewarding once you get a hang of it.

+ Impressive world that made me go "woah!" and "ooohh!" + Cool sci-fi story + Great use of Wii U GamePad + Skells (flying mech suits) make traversing the vast world pleasant + Online multiplayer is still active - Tedious fetch quests (wiki/guide recommended) - Soundtrack isn't consistently good

See my posts about Xenoblade Chronicles X

Honorable mention: Ruiner (PS4 & Switch, also available on PC, Xbox One)

I'm in love with this game. I've played it on 4 platforms already and I'm waiting for my Switch physical copy. Ruiner was in my top 3 games last year so I'll just give it a honorable mention now.

+ Amazing world-building and atmosphere + Great soundtrack + Fast-paced action gameplay that stays fun even after multiple playthroughs - Some glitches in PS4 version, Switch version aiming doesn't feel as accurate as on other platforms

See my posts about Ruiner

Honorable mention: Death Coming (PC, also available on PS4, Switch, mobile)

Kind of like a point and click isometric Hitman game. Humorous game where you need to figure out how to reap as many souls as possible, causing fatal accidents with the environments.

+ Fun assassination gameplay with well-designed, wildly imaginative levels + Charming graphics and presentation + Hilarious ways to kill targets - More levels would have been welcome 

Nominees for my personal Game of the Year 2020

Only games I have finished in 2020 have been included.

A Plague Tale: Innocence (PC)  ACA NeoGeo: Metal Slug X (PC)  Bayonetta (PC)  Blast Corps (N64)  Carrion (PC)  Cat Quest (Switch)  Costume Quest + Grubbins on Ice DLC (PC)  Death Coming (PC)  Doki Doki Literature Club (PC)  Etrian Mystery Dungeon (3DS)  Final Fantasy XV + DLC episodes (PC)  Gears 5 (PC)  Gris (PC)  Helltaker (PC)  Her Story (PC)  Hypnospace Outlaw (PC)  Katana Zero (PC)  Kirby: Triple Deluxe (3DS)  Lonely Mountains: Downhill (PC)  Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)  Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (PC)  Mr. DRILLER DrillLand (Switch)  My Nintendo Picross: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (3DS)  Observation (PC)  Octopath Traveler (Switch)  Paper Mario: The Origami King (Switch)  Pikmin 3 (Wii U)  PictoQuest: The Cursed Grids (Switch)  Pikuniku (PC)  Pokémon Shield (Switch)  Portal 2 (PC)  Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (3DS)  Rainy Season (PC)  Ruiner (PS4)  Ruiner (Switch)  Star Fox 64 3D (3DS)  Stella Glow (3DS)  Streets of Rage 4 (PC)  Super Bomberman R (Switch)  Super Mario 64 (N64)  Super Mario 64 (Switch)  Super Mario Sunshine (Switch)  Tacoma (PC)  Tetris Effect: Connected (PC)  The Gardens Between (PC)  The Messenger (PC)  The Touryst (PC)  Thimbleweed Park (PC)  Watch_Dogs 2 (PC)  Wilmot's Warehouse (PC)  Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)  Yakuza Kiwami (PC)  Yakuza Kiwami 2 (PC) 

Wishing you all a safe journey to a brave new year 2021! May it be blessed with plenty of quality gaming.