The 52 Games of 2020 Challenge Thread

[teddymeow]

Days Gone continues to be the only thing I'm playing.

At least 3 hours a night, every night for the past fortnight. I can't get enough. It came out the day before my birthday last year and I played a couple of hours but it was pretty buggy in places and I let it slip away from me.

Now that Bend have finished patching it the game is fantastic!! It's so addictive, the story (though clichéd) is engaging and the lead character is actually a likeable one.

I just wish it had a statistics page so I could see playtime, enemies killed, items crafted etc.

Days Gone finished and platinumed.
Played Blood & Truth for a bit. It's great but limited with just the DS4.
Currently working through the Spider-Man DLC. On the last of the three additional chapters. Great stuff!!

[MartyG]

We are at Week 23. This one runs from June 3rd through to June 9th. No I didn't forget to update the topic yesterday, I clearly met all the targets I set and I'm very proud of the success of this thread.
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Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire - (PC Engine Core Grafx Mini)

It counts!! Playing games from this era reminds me how much easier most games are today. This vertical scrolling shooter is typical of the time, a game that has set enemies patterns you simply have to learn if you want to make any progress and you will die very quickly if you don't.

I consider myself reasonably okay at games in this genre, but I definitely chewed through the credits hard on this one. Some certainly unfair moments where enemies spawned on top of me with no chance of evading them, but although tricky, it didn't feel completely unfair, but power-ups were absolutely essential to get anywhere.

Overall, I give this 8 bullet hells out of 10.
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Atelier Rorona Plus: The Alchemist of Arland - PS3

I've been meaning to play a game in this series for some time, but until today had never gotten around to it. I don't know whether I just got lucky with the title I chose, or that they're all similar but I didn't expecting to be playing the game for several hours.

The premise is very simple, get quests, get ingredients, make stuff - sounds all very plain, but the experience is an enjoyable one, even if it's almost a case of my first JRPG. Only annoyance is no auto healing after the turn based combat, so you can run into problems if you forget.

Based on this I will take a look at other games in the series, but as it is, I give it 8 sweet candy tree branches out of 10.
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Detroit: Become Human - PS4

Another David Cage effort. They can be a bit marmite, but I liked this one. Despite it really just being little more than a point-and-click story, the idea of advance AI has alway been interesting to me. This game would suggest the struggle is real. It tries to touch on big subjects, but ultimate it's quite shallow. The decision trees are a nice touch, but makes it clear there isn't a huge amount of branching.

Despite having to clean plates and fetch paint, if you like the way Cage does his games, this is one of his better efforts and I give it 9 microchips out of 10.
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[MartyG]

We are at Week 24. This one runs from June 10th through to June 16th. I did consider updating this on Wednesday, but I thought I'd play it dangerous and update it today instead. That isn't an excuse not to be reducing your pile of shame though, so get to it.
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Coffee Talk - Xbox One

I genuinely don't understand why elves are living in Seatle and drinking coffee, but as a fan of coffee and owner of a reasonable espresso machine and grinder I thought life as a virtual barista would be interesting. But it really wasn't and you didn't get to make coffee, just select some ingredients occassionally whilst pressing X the rest of the time to go through copious amounts of dialogue.

I'm sure there are fans of this quite niche genre (talky service games) and I have played better ones (Red Strings Club springs to mind), this one definitely isn't for me, mostly because I don't really care for your life story, I'm just trying to serve you some coffee. I wonder if there's a game where you play a virtual psychologist?

Oh, didn't like the art style or music either, mind I've been spending way too much time in VR and everything 2D now just seems very flat and featureless.

Anyway, I give this one 5 beans out of 10 because it's not a terrible game, just not of interest for me. Right back to VR.

[MartyG]

We are at Week 25. This one runs from June 17th through to June 23rd. I've gotten in early, and set things up for the week ahead, you can do your part by playing at least one game from your pile of shame this week. I've managed it for 25 straight weeks now and have had to come up with some nonsense to introduce the task at hand each sprint, so it's only fair someone else also feels the pain, the pleasure comes from the satisfaction getting the job done!

Have at it, there are only another 27 weeks to go.
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House of the Dying Sun PC VR

Although the game is a relatively simple fly and shoot things game, plug this into a VR headset and it's almost overwhelming. So immersive, it makes the space combat fantastic, being able to track ships simply by looking for them. As there's a fair amount of movement in this title, it might make some folks a little woozy, but if ED is too deep, this might be just the ticket.

I give this one 8 laser beams out of 10.
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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR

Yes I've been going through some VR games - it's Skyrim, but in VR. It's not much of a looker, but the scale is immense. However, the free movement I find a bit vom inducing and where as I'd spend the whole day in the non-VR version, after 30 minutes it's enough. The problem is the character moves too fast for me, even with the POV masked at the sides when moving.

I'd really like to be able to play more of this, but I think this one is likely to be a VR demo only game.

It's an impressive open world nonetheless, so I give Skyrim VR 9 lockpicks out of 10.
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Elite Dangerous VR

Blimey, this is good in VR. It's still a mindless spend ages flying around doing very little to get from one place to another, but it looks fantastic. I almost actually believe I'm in space, piloting a ship and docking at space stations, it's that good, the rolling does have a degree of quesiness to it, but no where near as bad as Skyrim.

I've been a little skeptical that VR is a better experience than typical gaming on your screen, and for the most part it's still a little gimmicky, but put the right game on and it's a true spectical. I'm now at the point that I'll consider a better VR setup.

I give Elite Dangerous 9 near lightspeed framejumps out of 10.
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TouHou Makuka Sai - Fantastic Danmaku Festival - PC Steam

A fairly traditional bullet hell vertical shooter with anime characters - annoyingly it doesn't support controller input, only keyboard which isn't great for shooters. This one isn't quite so fast paced, so fortunately the keyboard can just about keep up, but despite looking quite nice, it's not a particularly engaging shooter. I have the sequel too, so hopefully that's a bit better, this is fairly average so I don't really have a lot else to say on this one.

I give it 5 predictable enemy patterns out of 10.

[MartyG]

We are at Week 26. This one runs from June 24th through to June 30th. We are half way there and the longest day is past, so as the nights start to draw in again (ahem), it's time to take a look at that pile of shame and plan your week. Do you know where your steam wallet is?

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X-Plane 11

It's rare that I buy a game at full price these days and even rarer that I spend substantial time playing them, but this busts both of those things. At £55 it's not cheap and really it's a simulator, not a game, but damn is this good in VR.

I've always had a facination with flight sims, right back to when I first encountered them beginning with Flight Simulation on the ZX-81 and that was just about 8 squares on a screen for a runway. X-Plane has the entire planet to explore and is truly immersive in VR. Sometimes I just take a flight in a Cessna 182 just for fun, sweeping low across a Sydney beach in the morning sunrise because I can.

But to get the most out of it, you have to learn the system and you will be screaming at programming the FMC/FMS, they require study and practice to get working properly and you definitely cannot fly cross seas and oceans without being able to use them and expect to end up at an airport at the other end.

With all that said, if you are a flight sim fan, you must own this game and despite its UI quirks, this is easily 10 flight checklists out of 10.

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[MartyG]

We are at Week 27. This one runs from July 1st through to July 7th. Yes, July and you've already missed a day as I was too busy playing VR games (it still counts) to post this update on time.

So forget summer holidays, well, given you can't get flights anywhere and even if you could you'd come back with three arms and half a lung, you may as well be playing games from your growing pile of shame due to the Steam Summer Sale. So get to it.
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Beat Saber - Oculus Quest

I think this has become one of my favourite games ever. Simple concept but excellently implemented, a rhythm game for the VR generation. The only downside is the song selection is limited ... that is until you discover the game is hackable and along with a massive community of modders, it opens up the songlist to enable you to add at least a few more tracks you like. Albiet legally dubously.

Then there's the you don't even know you're excercising side of it. Play this for an hour a day and the myth of the overweight gamer disappears.

I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending a purchase of this and a VR headset along with it if required (yeah expensive just to play a game), but this one is a 10 neon choppable cubes out of 10.

[MartyG]

It's now Week 28 which runs from July 8th to July 14th.

I know that you've been busy in the Steam Summer Sales, only adding to your pile of shame. This week should be a reflection of that unnecessary spend and in fact take the time to actually play the games you've purchased. Go on, make that tall pile of shame a mere blip on the carpet.
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PREMIUM BOWLING VR - Oculus Quest

It's bowling, you knock pins down at the end of a lane. But it's a good implementation if a bit feature light, not really much more than being able to choose the environment, though there is some multiplayer support. What was good though is it really did feel like bowling, even though there wasn't weight to the ball.

That is a bit of a downside with these VR games, objects can be a bit immersion breaking when they don't feel right. I'm not sure haptic feedback would be able to help here either.

As it stands though, I give this one 8 strikes out of 10.

[MartyG]

That slow stalking Week 29 is here, straddling over your pile of shame like the dominant in the wild world of pony play. This one runs from July 15th to July 21st, so get those unplayed games played or the bridles will be coming out.

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Assetto Corsa Competizione - PC

The racing in this game is pretty decent (although I must admit I prefer Project Cars 2). The problem with ACC is one of performance. Now I don't have the latest and greatest GFX, but my rig is fairly decent and rarely struggles to hit at least 60 FPS, but stick VR on and there's no chance of a consistent framerate. Well there is, but then the game looks awfully blurry. The wheel setup is awful too, again, PC2 recognises it, sets everything up and it just works, not here, manual calibration and the accelerator and brake are reversed (wtf?). Sigh.

I want to like the game, as from a sim point of view, it's very good - but the lack of optomisation means it can't be a high scorer. I given this one 6 skidmarks out of 10. Perhaps I'll revisit when I have a RTX3080ti.

[MartyG]

That difficult Week 30 is upon us, the one where you realise you're simply not that young anymore - not quite at that middle age week, but past the point where you're allowed to just be one of the lads. You've got responsibilities now, you're week 30. This one runs July 22nd to July 28th, so go play those unplayed games, unless they're on Stadia - never play on Stadia.
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Being With You Together VR - PC

No dodgy naked VR - essentially it's just a set of four mini games not even at the level of dating sim, it's more a demonstration of character models than anything else. You play darts, virual gun fights, rock-paper-scissors and a look for a small red card on a book shelf while Hoshihara checks the top shelf on a ladder in a short skirt (okay, there's a bit of dodginess in it).

The models are pretty impressive although the animations are suspect - more like that's how someone who's never seen breasts move thinks they do, rather than how they actually do, it's like #metoo never happened.

A fleeting experience not really worth the download, I give it 4 unrealistic bouncing motions out of 10.
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Spacecats with Lasers VR - PC

Cats. With lasers. How can you go wrong?

Well it turns out it's a bit of a noddy wave shooter, but it's a fun enough diversion for 10 minutes. It's not really complicated, you have two bases and one slice of cheese which a cat on top with a laser which you can switch between your bases. Then you shoot an ever evolving wave of enemy dogs.

Not a great showcase of VR, but an easy no-vom experience to introduce people to how it works (much better off using Steam Labs for that though).

I give it 5 purrs out of 10 - mostly because it has cats with frickin laser beams.
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Doctor Who: The Edge of Time - PC VR

This is basically a Jodie Whittaker nagging simulator; at its heart it's an escape room with a Doctor Who theme, but Whittaker is constantly repeating instructions over and over - it's like you have a Whittaker in your head that won't shut up which is worse than allowing the Daleks to destroy the Earth. It also exceedling trivial yet annoying at the same time.

I give it 3 retired timelords out of 10.
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[MartyG]

Purchase in haste, repent in playage - yes it's a day late, but it is still Week 31, which runs 29th July to 4th August.

You may think that you should be holidaying in Spain, but right now that's just wishful thinking, there's a virus lurking and it's not on your HDD. So, given you're likely to be quaranteening at home anyway, it's time to sift through those unplayed games, working on that Gamerscore rather than the tan. UV is bad for you anyway. Have at it.
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Unity of Command - PC

I thought I was doing quite well at first. Mashing through Poland in my tanks, destroying the weak resistance as I went. Then I lost. There might be more to this than I first thought - there are limited turns, so all of them need to count.

It's certainly one of the more approachable hex-based wargames I've ever played. Often these are completely unpenetrable for the newcomer, but the UI, combat and movement here (at least on the surface) is very straightforward and the scenarios play through quite quickly.

This game is getting on a bit now, but it's still very playable (although the lack of UI scaling means you're going to be changing the resolution down on a 4K screen). Can be picked up for about £6 in the sales, so if you've ever fancied trying a strategy wargame and don't want to spend loads, this is a good entry point given it's quite easy to pick up and still has a good level of depth to things.

I give this one 7 panzer divisions out of 10.

[MartyG]

It's time for Week 32, it's almost as if they're incremental. Who knew? This one runs from 5th August to 11th August. Things are heating up, well for a couple of days at least, so rather than go outside, sweat in the sun and risk having to socialise with people, why not stay inside and work on those unplayed games instead. You'll feel better about yourself.

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Gran Turismo Sport PS4

Blimey, where to begin with this racer from the stone age. They've tried to improve the UI and at least it doesn't take a thousand clicks to navigate through everything, but it feels like it's stuck in the 90s.

The most stupid thing I think I've seen in a GT game ever though is locking tracks to drive on based on an XP level. Because we all know that certain tarmac needs level 20 right? No, please stop this DP - it pointless. It's stupid and I don't think I want to play this game again even if the driving engine is good and from what I've played, I'm not convinced about that either.

I give it 4 dented barriers out of 10. At least it was cheap, well, so long as you don't pay by the MB/s for downloads.

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Carrion Xbox One

At first this was quite interesting, playing as mass of tenticle monster. Nice idea, but then 20 minutes in, I got stuck in a section I couldn't get out of no matter what I tried. Couldn't be arsed messing about, uninstalled.

I give this 5 questionably long arms out of 10 for the effort of trying something different. Shame about the map.

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The Messenger - Xbox One

Calling from the 8-bit 80s from the chip tunes to the pixel art to the way it plays - perhaps a little bit more compromise on difficulty though, kind Ninja Gaiden like, platform and slash basically. It kept me entertained for 15 minutes at least.

I give it 7 shuriken stars out of 10.

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[MartyG]

Too late, tool late will be the cry when Week 33 has passed you by.

Don't be the person with regrets, you've got from 12th August to 18th August to reduce your pile of shame, even if it's by one title it still counts.
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Forager - Xbox One

It's an indie title where you collect resources and build better and better structure to collect more resources, mixed in with a bit of survival light. It's one of those games that eats away at time and one of the few games I've played recently and not noticed it was 1am.

I give this game 9 chopped down trees out of 10 - it's well worth checking out.
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Flight Simulator 2020 PC

Yes, I'm counting this. It looks pretty but it has lots of issues that need sorting, essentially this is early access.

Expecting stuttering and crashes and a really, really long install and a limited roster of aircraft (unless you shell out for the pricey premium editions)..

I'm sure over time it'll improve, but the lack of VR really hurts it compared to its peers - if you're so shallow that the graphics hook you in, okay, but X-Plane 11 is the better game at the moment.

I give this one 7 Turboprops out of 10 as it stands.

[MartyG]

It's an energetic Week 34, so get those Red Bulls in, keep your eyes wide open into the good night and get those unplayed games played. You've got from 19th August to 25th August. Get to it.
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American Fugitive - PC

This is an interesting one, it reminds me of GTA games of old, but in a 3D isometric point of view. You're wrongly accused and found guilty of your father's murder and subsequently escape prison to prove your innocence. Afterwhich it becomes GTA-lite.

I like some of the interactive environment aspects, like being able to use the crane magnet to lift cars off the road and there appears to be a story to the game too (not played it long enough to tell if it's Chaucer or not though).

Based on first impression, I give this one 8 trespasses out of 10, definitely worth a look.
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[QualityChimp]

Although I'm not taking part, I'm enjoying your posts, your rating systems and your slow descent into madness like a man trapped in a cabin in the woods.

[MartyG]

As our feet drag across the ever dirtying carpets, we've reached Week 35. Instead of getting the vacuum cleaner out, why not lead dust trails and get some of those unplayed games off your pile of shame? You've got from 26th August to 1st September to avoid the housework. Commence.

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F1 2020 - PC

It's an F1 game. It plays like every other Codemasters F1 game but has two new tracks.

It's good as CM does a good job on this series, but other than the updated teams and calendar, it's the same stuff, so it's not worth paying full price for (I got it at a 65% discount). It still has the same flaws too, like terrible AI but the also the good stuff like the ability to customise the level of realism making it as easy or difficult to play as you like.

Also like all the other games, there is no native VR support, which for a driving game in 2020 is pretty unforgivable.

I give F1 2020 8 skid marks out of 10, but definitely wait for a discount if you have any of the other recent games (2019/2018).

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Greedfall - PS4

Maybe there's a good game hidden in here somewhere, but I'm struggling to find it. Following the character creation you're dropped into the world at the beginning of a expedition. The trouble is, this trip isn't something you can just embark on, you've got to spend an hour speaking to different characters in different who are in areas of the map you have to spend time walking to before you can even get on a ship and it's not interesting.

Just let me get on the ship and start exploring; as nice as the town looks spending time in pointless exposition dialogue simply isn't fun.

My general rule of thumb with games has become if it doesn't grab me in the first 30 minutes, then it's not worth any more of my time and sadly this one just didn't. The whole Final Fantasy "it gets better after 12 hours" thing is just that, a fantasy. I'm not going to invest 12 hours in a game waiting for it to get gud anymore.

I give this one 5 dialogue choices out of 10.

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Transport Inc - PC

I've long been a fan of Transport Tycoon, having lost hours, nay days to that title so this one looked like it might be interesting. It's more of managing your fleet rather than building the roads/rails yourself so it's a bit more of a macro than a micro level of management.

Seems pretty fun, so I might find some more time for it, I give it 8 enviromentally friendlies out of 10.