September 2019 Progress Report
This was the first month where most of the games I played I got annoyed with because I felt stuck after a while and didn’t feel like looking at a guide or something. Before I reached that point with those games, I otherwise enjoyed playing them. The one game I beat was very satisfying and I would pick up again sometime - So that’s what matters. :)
I expect to get less game time for the rest of the year with the exception of holiday seasons, as I will be travelling for a while at least once a month. Steam has a list of games that formally support mobile Remote Play (aka Steam Link), but I dunno that I want to have my PC on 24/7 when I’m gone just to support the presumably little travel downtime I’ll have. So instead I will likely play mobile games that happen to have cross-platform saves like Gladiabots, Door Kickers, Talisman, etc.
End of September stats
686 games (+43)
75% never played (+1%)
8% unfinished (-1%, +4 games)
12% beaten (+0%, +1 games)
1% completed (-1%)
4% won’t play
As you can see, I enjoyed Fanatical’s BundleFest and got a few SG wins. On SG, I reached level 6 with my contributions to the recent community train, and it will also be interesting to see how my own SG group will pan out now that we allow some whitelist giveaways.
Game I Beat
A wonderful rewarding turn based strategy/tactics game that is balanced very well on nearly all fronts that I’d recommend to anyone who doesn’t hate that genre. The versatility in gameplay shines between squads, mech types, and item types. So I recommend unlocking squads and playing with them as soon as you get enough coins through achievements. Some common and some unique achievements can be unlocked with each squad type, including the ability to play a random or custom squad.
Games I Got Stuck On
This is a slightly easier but more amusing 3D version of QWOP in the form of a physics puzzle-type platformer. It has been walking a thin line between frustrating control and amusing gameplay, but its crossed the line into frustrating control.
Occasionally awful camera views aside, I even tried using a controller, but that felt even more difficult to control.
I tried several instances of multiplayer as well, but they weren’t particularly helpful or much more entertaining.
A fun arena action platformer that I’d recommend playing with a controller and with friends. It has a single player mode where you play a bunch of challenges: Complete course in X time, kill X enemies, make X laps, etc. I unlocked maybe one fifth of the challenges before I got stuck. Multiplayer was okay for me but not as enjoyable for me as Stick Fight.
A 2D shoot em up platfomer with crafting elements nails the classic console & arcade vibe, especially with its co-op capabilities. Crafting weapons and some things is neat and the gameplay is fine although the true-to-arcade control choices take some getting used to: No diagonal firing, jump to shoot downward, etc. There can be like a dozen missions per map, which is a double edged sword because it makes the enemies more predicatable but being more predictable makes gameplay a bit more samey. I’m hoping that the future maps are cooler. I got stuck with the first boss, even trying to use the shock bomb thing. So I’m going to pass on this game for a while.
Games I Started Playing
The first Crysis-engine game I’ve played is an FPS puzzle. It looks pretty good visually, but even with fully maxed settings seems not as visually crisp as some other AAA games within the last few years - Perhaps outdoors & nature are tougher to pull off. The “story” which isn’t told through voice or other people in your game world is somewhat interesting. I’ve been motivated just enough to get through at least half of the game, but its getting tougher and tougher to figure out where I haven’t explored yet to get the things I need to advance. Hopefully I’ll find more stained glass shards soon. Maybe that part of this game subconsciously compelled me to start playing Glass Masquerade, lol
(Click game panels above to see brief reviews)
October 2019 Queue
- Aporia: Beyond The Valley
8 hours playtime
9 of 41 achievements - Glass Masquerade
8 hours playtime
15 of 32 achievements - Shark Attack Deathmatch 2
12 hours playtime
2 of 22 achievements - Dex
6 hours playtime
1 of 32 achievements - EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 4.1 The Shadow of New Despair
4 hours playtime
0 of 51 achievements
First impressions of each game: Ancient puzzling using glowing energy juices to find stained glass pieces, put together stained glass clocks, Shark vs Diver Deathmatch - Unity edition, 2D Deus Ex with a reluctant woman protagonist, EDF! EDF! EDF!
It’s been a while since I played Aporia, but do you actually need to collect all glass shards to progress in the game? Doesn’t it just gives you something (not gonna spoil)?
And few tips - try searching ruins of the building thoroughly, there is one or two spots that kinda go underground with shards inside. Also you need to solve all puzzles that have wall paintings in front of them. Lastly the main area at start that has four locked doors, there’s a view of the whole valley you explore later and from that view right under your feet - broken stairs. If you go there from the other side to the bottom you will find at least one shard piece, I think there might a second one too but I’m not sure. Good luck!
I guess I assume that the shards will unlock an area that gives an item symbol thing that unlocks other stuff.
I might have found them.
I solved several and am currently at one where I have to twist stone columns. I cant get any of them to light up even after pulling up a walkthrough.
Thanks for the tips!