Jaded


Monthly Update #15: July 2020

A few completions this month!

This month I started pretty strong, finishing a fair few games in the first week. Then did barely anything for the next two. Finished the month with The Walking Dead.

I did play a bit more Beat Saber, after not playing much the last month or two. I'd kind of changed to doing weights every couple of days instead, as WFH at my computer, moving to my headset, then back to my computer didn't sound great to me haha.

But hey, achievement for me non-gaming related this month is I've managed to do a couple of sets of 4 reps of deadlifts at 90kg!! So there is that haha :) I started at around 40kg the other month and have been working my way up. Kind of at the point where I think I need to work on my grip to be able to hold the bar..

Stats

End of July
10% (90/858)
3% (26/858)
13% (112/858)
73% (625/858)
1% (5/858)

Half-Life 2

The Walking Dead

12.7 hours
48 of 48 achievements

I wasn't actually expecting this to be as awesome as it was. Definitely the surprise stand out this month. I decided to play it as it was around 10 hours, for Mayanaise's Gaming Challenge on SteamGifts!

It did have all the cliche's of Zombie movies/shows, but it made you care about the characters. I was anxious about making decisions, and I cried at times. It was also hilarious - I laughed out loud at multiple points throughout the game, and while some plot lines were predictable fairly early on in the episode (the farmhouse for people who have played..), it was executed so well I didn't even care.

If you haven't played it already, I suggest you do :)

Half-Life 2

Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice

9.9 hours
14 of 14 achievements

I really enjoyed Hellblade - originally I played an hour about a year ago and quit due to the combat. Tried it again this month and realised there isn't too much combat haha.

My favourite part would definitely be the audio. The voice acting, sound effects, music all worked well together.
Collectibles were fun to collect, as you heard stories from Norse mythology with each one you collected! I did miss only one and near the end had to load someone's save to get the achievement as I'd have to replay pretty much the whole game for it :(

The game doesn't have chapter select, which is a bit of a bummer. I feel like it could be interesting to replay sections with Chapter select, especially for the end battle and wanting to feel like a badass in combat :P

Hellblade has a Photo mode, which is always a plus for me in games, I took a fair few screenshots, most I didn't publish. The movement in Photo mode was a bit limited, but the effects provided are really cool.

The only negative for me other than no chapter select would be the combat - the movement was a bit janky, and you had to use dodge constantly to be able to move around which could be frustrating. I also had problems where a dodge/block wouldn't register to my increasing frustration!
I did like however the focus mode, and for minions essentially you could block their attack at the last second and then instant kill them in retaliation. This really shined in the last battle.

I really recommend the game if you enjoy a combination of a story that doesn't overstay it's welcome, Norse mythology, puzzles and great audio. (It's recommended that you use a headset - do it! I tried both to see, headset is definitely worth it)

Half-Life 2

Hidden Folks

6.6 hours
8 of 8 achievements
Half-Life 2

Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons

3.4 hours
12 of 12 achievements

Ok, I actually really enjoyed this game. The puzzles were pretty easy, but entertaining.
Simple plot and definitely some strange things the brothers come across in their journey.

Worth a play through!

Half-Life 2

Devolverland Expo

1.5 hours
22 of 22 achievements
Half-Life 2

aMAZE Classic

2.0 hours
200 of 200 achievements

Half-Life 2

Shadow Warrior

17.0 hours
40 of 92 achievements
Half-Life 2

Helltaker

1.5 hours
7 of 8 achievements

Ok I really suck at reaction based games. So no 100% for meeee.
Surprisingly a good freebie, even if the story is about building a demon harem lol.
Music is also pretty addictive.


I also played a couple of games of the Fall Guys beta this month. Was fun, not really sure it's worth full price on release however. Especially with the issues actually getting a game in Australia. (You need 60 people to start a game!)

Avoided Steam sales! But HB...


I was all prepared to buy a few games this steam sale but decided.. I have so many games at the moment, I should either try trade for them, play my already large backlog and wait and see if they get bundled or go on a lower sale. Instead I ended up buying the Telltale bundle on Humble Bundle, as I had none of them and have been interested in trying them. After playing The Walking Dead this month, and having just started The Wolf Among Us, it was definitely worth it.
I was also going to pause Humble Choice again this month, but I got offered $4USD when I went to pause. So hey, I'll try a couple of the games and leave the rest to giveaways.

I also managed to get some pretty good trades this month!


    Humble Bundle

  • The Wolf Among Us
  • Heaven's Vault
  • The Walking Dead
  • The Walking Dead: Season Two
  • The Walking Dead: A New Frontier
  • The Walking Dead: The Final Season
  • The Walking Dead: Michonne
  • Batman - The Telltale Series
  • Batman: The Enemy Within - The Telltale Series
  • Yuppie Psycho
  • EARTHLOCK

  • Trades

  • Summer in Mara
  • Subnautica
    Subnautica
  • ABZU
    ABZU
  • Yooka-Laylee
    Yooka-Laylee
  • Rinlo
  • Papo & Yo
  • Yakuza Kiwami

  • SteamGift Wins

  • The Stanley Parable

  • Freebies

  • Devolverland Expo

aonrao

I know you told me about your progress in Discord but I still am kind of surprised that you completed/beat so many games this month! haha
I think you should play more of A Hat in Time after you’re done with your current game, it’s really fun.
Out of all that you acquired this month, I’m only interested in Summer in Mara but you have interesting-looking games :D

Jaded

Haha yeah the first week this month really got my the completions. When I had a completion a day for the first few days :P
Hmm I’ve been playing A Hat in Time when in discord with friends - it’s good because I don’t really need to concentrate on every word said, like the Telltale games, especially when voice chat sometimes gets chaotic haha.

I’m hoping Summer in Mara is good. It feels fairly average from the hour I’ve played, but it is still the tutorial…

EvilBlackSheep

Nice progress and really good additions to the backlog, congrats! Also, beautiful screenshots. Is that first screenshot from the walking dead? (It looks very familiar but it’s been so long that I’m not sure anymore).

Jaded

Thanks! Yes, good spotting! It’s actually from the 400 Days DLC for The Walking Dead, so that’s why it might not be immediately recognizable :)