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Gamer’s Log: My Top 10 Games of 2018

by Chappie in

 

Last year was a solid year for gaming filled with an abundance of games for every kind of gamer. With all of those games, there were a few that stood out to me as the best. Here is my Top 10 Games of 2018 derived from all of the games I played throughout the year.

 

10. Detroit Become Human

 

Detroit Become Human set the bar for interactive games with spot-on storytelling and a wide variety of player choices that shape its outcome. Over the course of the game, you’ll find yourself in control of 3 different characters whose fate is determined by the choices that you make. The game takes place in Detroit (if you couldn’t tell) and focuses on the tension between humans and androids following an outbreak of deviant (self-aware) androids. All of this coupled with a great supporting cast makes Detroit Become Human a game worth playing.

 

9. We Happy Few

 

We Happy Few is set in a world based on an alternate history of World War II where Germany managed to invade England. In order to end Germany’s occupation, England ends up making a deal with them. This deal gets Germany to pull their forces from England at a cost so bad no one speaks of it. Eventually, the government is forced to make a new drug called Joy that forces anyone who takes it to be happy with the side effect of also causing them to forget their past. The game follows 3 different characters on their journey to fulfill their own goals and to escape the city known as Wellington Wells. The charm in this game is how appearances can be misleading. When hopped up on Joy, the city is full of color and everyone seems happy and pleasant. When its effects wear off, the city’s true nature is exposed as it is run down, dull and not a happy place at all. Couple that with side quests so interesting that they will make you push off the main story and you get a charming survival game with an open world atmosphere.

 

8. Super Smash Bros Ultimate

 

Even though it hasn’t been out a month yet, I put enough time (around 100 hours) into Smash Bros before the new year that I felt it deserved a spot on this list. After my time with it, I have determined that this is the smash game we wanted and the smash game we deserved. It comes with the largest roster in a smash game to date with 74 fighters and over 100 stages to duke it out with your friends on. Of those 74 characters, only the starting characters from the original smash are unlocked, which I thought was a nice touch as I quite enjoy unlocking characters. Smash Ultimate also saw the introduction of over 1000 Spirits themed from various games that can be equipped to your fighters to give them different abilities or starting items in battle. On top of all the fighters, stages and spirits, Smash Ultimate also came with what I consider the bread and butter of the game, the World of Light story mode. In it, Kirby must free his captive comrades to battle the evil masters of light and dark to save the world from destruction in an adventure that took me well over 30 hours to complete on normal mode. While playing World of Light, you can unlock all of the fighters as well as a good chunk of the spirits in one playthrough. Adding the cherry to the top, Joker from Person 5 will be the first DLC character for the season pass (and my new main). With all of this content, Super Smash Bros Ultimate is a must have for every Switch owner.

 

7. Ni No Kuni II Revenant Kingdom

 

Compared against the original, Ni No Kuni II Revenant Kingdom took the charm of Ni No Kuni Wrath of the White Witch and crafted a beautiful Studio Ghibli inspired world with a solid story and fluid gameplay. It follows Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum on his quest to form a new kingdom following the uprising of the Mousekin (rat-people) who overthrew him from the throne of his previous kingdom of Ding Dong Dell. Over the course of the game, Evan meets a wide variety of interesting characters that help him on his journey as he discovers a darker plot around the game’s major events. Outside of the main story, there are plenty of other things to do like building up the new kingdom or collecting elemental spirits know as Higgledies that support Evan and friends during combat. The only thing I really didn’t care for in this game was those pesky skirmish matches. Skirmish is a game mode where you control a chibi Evan and fight enemies using squads of troops at your disposal. This particular game mode can get old really quick and is quite the grind if you are trying for the platinum trophy. Overall, Ni No Kuni II was one of my favorite games released last year.

 

6. Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee

 

I want to start this section off by mentioning that I am a huge Pokemon fan. Pokemon was the game that really got me into gaming all those years ago when Red and Blue originally launched. So when another game was set in Kanto, I tried to be optimistic about it and boy was I impressed. While Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee wasn’t the new core game we were hoping for, changing up how catching and leveling Pokemon worked in these games made for an exciting unique way to exploring the original games while also being a good entry game for gamers new to the series. I found myself broke more often in these games than any other game because I spent so much time catching Pokemon that I was using all of my money on Pokeballs. You may not openly admit it, but every past and preset Pokemon fan has imagined at one point or another what it would be like to catch a Pokemon and this game does well at providing that experience (when the joy cons are working correctly that is). This game is another one that would make a good addition to any Switch owner’s library.

 

5. Kingdom Come Deliverance

 

If you are into open world RPGs and have not heard of or know anything about Kingdom Come Deliverance, then you need to step up your game. Now, I will be the first to admit that this game isn’t for everyone. There are not powerful creatures to battle or magical powers you possess. You aren’t even the chosen one who has to save everyone from some world ending threat. No, you play as a peasant named Henry who happens to be the son of a blacksmith set in the Kingdom of Bohemia during 1403. Henry finds himself on a quest for revenge as everything he’s ever known is taken from him. This journey won’t be easy as Henry is a peasant who doesn’t have any skills giving the player a blank slate to shape him how they see fit. The game itself has a pretty decent story with many side quests and places to explore that I found myself sinking over 100 hours into the game. One thing to note is when the game originally released in early 2018, there were a lot of quest and game-breaking bugs that have been mostly patched. Playing the game compared to then is like a brand new experience.

 

4. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

 

Have you ever wonder what it would be like to play as a Spartan warrior wreaking havoc in ancient Greece with your own crew of battle-hardened seamen (or sealadies)? Well so did Ubisoft and the resulting product is called Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. A game where you play not only as a Spartan, but more specifically as a grandchild of King Leonidas wielding his legendary spear on a quest for vengeance. Along the way you will face many enemies, complete a large number of side quests (like the one where you go fetch some viagra plants for a blacksmith), pillage and plunder enemy ships and even battle some of the deadliest creatures from Greek Mythology. Add in one of the best stories to be in Assassin’s Creed and you have a game that easily ranks in my top 10 games of 2018.

 

3. Marvel’s Spider-Man

 

Spider-Man has been my favorite superhero dating back to 1995 watching the cartoon as a kid, so you can believe me when I say that I was beyond ecstatic when they announced a game for PlayStation being developed by Insomniac and man did they kill it. Focusing on an older Peter Parker, Marvel’s Spider-Man tells a story unique to the game while giving gamers an authentic Spider-Man experience. From fighting criminals to making gadgets and web-slinging around the city, everything was so well put together and that made the game really enjoyable for me. I spent at least an hour at the beginning of the game just web-slinging around because it was easy to do and so natural. In fact, it was so enjoyable to me that for the rest of the game I really didn’t do any fast traveling. I even went as far as collecting all of the collectibles as soon as I could just so I could keep swinging around. Getting away from the web-slinging, the game also contains some really fun boss fights, a wide variety of gadgets just waiting to be used, and a whole lot of awesome spider suits to keep you going for quite a while. Along with that, the story was just as good as the rest of the game making it hard for me sometimes to pull myself away from it to take on some of the side content. This game easily earned a spot in the top 3 games on this list.

 

2. Dragon Quest XI Echoes of an Elusive Age

 

Dragon Quest XI was my first Dragon Quest game and it really blew me away. It follows a teenage boy who also happens to be the Luminary, the chosen champion of the world tree who is destined to defeat an evil threat and bring light back to that world. On this journey, he is joined by a colorful entourage of party members that each have their own unique skills and are so evenly balanced that I found myself switching the party around pretty constantly. Some other things I really enjoyed included the good old fashioned turn-based combat, the multitude of side quests and the level grinding up to level 99 (it’s not a real RPG if there’s no grinding involved). The whole game took me 120 hours to beat and really stood out as one of the best RPGs of 2018.

 

1. God of War

 

The only thing I can really say about God of War is BOY! Seriously, though. We got to play as Kratos again in an action-adventure game focused on Norse Mythology and he’s a dad. There are also giant monsters, memorable side characters and let’s not forget the brief and purposeful stories. What more could we want?  How about a fantastic story where we get to see not only the boy, but Kratos grow as characters and form a deep bond by the end that all started after the passing of Kratos’ wife. Her last request was for both Kratos and Atreus to cremate her and scatter her ashes from the tallest peak in the Nine Realms. I really don’t want to go into much more in case there are some people that haven’t played it yet, just know that this game was hands down my number 1 game of 2018.

 

We Happy Few
Game Guides

We Happy Few Guides

by Chappie in

 

Below are guides and walkthroughs for We Happy Few.

 

Side Quests

Barrow Holm

Eel Pie Holm

Ravensholm

 

Maidenholm

 

Lud’s Holm

 

St. George’s Holm

 

The Parade

 

 

Blog

Gamer’s Log 005

by Chappie in

 

BLOG

Hey everyone! Chappie here with another gamer’s log. I want to start this off by talking about some changes I will be making to the blog. First, I am going to stop writing reviews in the traditional sense for the foreseeable future. In lieu of that, I will be talking about the games I’m playing and my opinions of them in my gamer’s logs going forward. This will allow me to focus more on what I am really passionate about, making guides. Another change that resulted from this decision is that I will be posting Gamer’s Logs once a week on Mondays starting today and yes, I know today is Wednesday . As always, guides will be posted as new games come out and I will be working on adding more content to the blog in the future. I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who’s been reading my guides and that your feedback has been appreciated. With the business out of the way, let’s jump into the games!

 

GAMES

I’ve played quite a few games since the last gamer’s log and man has it been a journey. I was able beat Shining Resonance and We Happy Few, both of which are pretty decent games. I also put a good 40 hours into Octopath Traveler and also started playing Cosmic Star Heroine on the side because why not!?!

 

Dragon Quest XI launched the other day and we still have Spider-Man launching at the end of the week. I went ahead and started Dragon Quest XI and will be playing that up to Thursday. On Friday, I will be switching gears to Spider-Man. I have been waiting for a long time to get my hands on this game, so it will be taking priority. When that is finished, we’ll switch back to finish up Dragon Quest XI.

 

Below are the games I’ve been playing broken out into sections. Under each section, I talk about how much progress I made and my feelings toward each game. This week is the first time following this format and it’s been awhile since my last Gamer’s Log so there will be quite a lot to talk about. Without further ado, let’s get started!

 

Shining Resonance Refrain – Played on SWITCH

After 65 hours of gametime, I finally found myself at the end of Shining Resonance Refrain (SRR). By the time I was done, I had completed what seemed like an infinite amount of side quests, spent some quality time grinding up character levels (it’s not a real RPG if there is no grinding involved), and defeated the final boss. Not to mention put some serious thought into who Yuma’s (the main character) waifu/husbando should be (the answer is obviously Kirika). Putting all of this together with combat similar to the Tales series, you get kind of what I was expecting…a low-key RPG with a decent story following the classic light versus darkness theme.

 

As mentioned above, combat in SRR is reminiscent of the Tales series in that enemies appear on the world map and you run into them to initiate combat. Combat also involves controlling one of four party members engaging enemies in real time using skills and items to defeat them. I bring this up because one of my favorite mechanics in the game is Yuma’s ability to utilize the power of the Shining Dragon to transform himself into a dragon. Doing this dramatically increases his attack and defense, giving you an edge in combat. As what is normally the case when wielding a strong power, there is a negative effect as well. Once Yuma’s MP decreases low enough, he goes berserk, damaging enemies and allies alike. This can be disastrous depending on the circumstance. Luckily there is another mechanic the game has called B.A.N.D. Sessions. When initiated, the Dragoneers (your party members) use their armonics (weapons that also happen to be musical instruments) to play a musical piece. The result is a buff for the whole party and it also has the side effect of calming a berserking Yuma dragon to his human form which comes in handy pretty early on when first introduced.

 

Outside of the previously mentioned combat mechanics, there really isn’t a whole lot to distinguish SRR from other RPGs. The main thing that bummed me out was that all of the side quests fell into two categories: fetch quests or extermination quests. This causes a lot of different quests to require the same items and some side quests were even repeatable. It didn’t take long for me to get burned out on side quests and start pushing through the story since there wasn’t much else to do. Taking all these factors into consideration, I feel that Shining Resonance Refrain is best suited for people new to RPGs/JRPGs who are looking for a good game to get introduced to the genre. I enjoyed it as a veteran of RPGs, but still found the game wanting.

 

Octopath Traveler – Played on SWITCH

‘My blade is unbending!’ has become my new catch phrase as of late. But playing Octopath Traveler for over 40 hours and hearing it all the time will do that to you. If you haven’t guessed already, I chose to start out with Olberic. At that much time played, I have completed chapters 1 and 2 for all eight party members and am happily grinding some more before tackling chapter 3. Thanks to some quick googling,  I found a lovely grinding spot just outside of Grandport where I have defeated over hundreds of Greater Kingfishers who award a whopping 500 EXP per battle. My plan going forward is to finish leveling up the whole party to level 45, then to set out and start chapter 3. The reason I want to get to level 45 is because that’s the recommended level for each character in chapter 4. This means I would be set to the end of the game.

 

For those who haven’t heard of Octopath Traveler (there may be some of you out there), it’s a traditional turn based RPG following eight adventurers who travel together. What makes it unique is that each character has their own story you play though over the course of the game and for each story, that character is the main focus. All of the stories and cutscenes play out with just the involved character. Your other party members do make an appearance in combat and there is some small banter between them, but that’s really all the interaction there is. At first, I didn’t know how I felt about the game devs going in that direction with the game, but after spending some time with it, I’m really enjoying myself. I feel invested in each character’s story and that keeps pushing me forward to see how each individual’s journey plays out in the end. I will talk about this more as I progress further in the game.

 

We Happy Few – Played on PS4

I would summarize my relationship with We Happy Few to be one full of love and hate. Over the course of 40 hours, I managed to complete every side quest I came across, fully explore the game world, and complete all three acts that make up the game’s story. We Happy Few is a survival based RPG set in an alternate history where Germany managed to invade England during the war. After sometime of occupation, England was given an out to end said occupation. The out was so bad, that a new hallucinogenic drug called Joy was developed to keep everyone happy and help them forget all of the bad things that happened. You get to play as Arthur, Sally, and Ollie over three acts as they each set out to escape this community that is on the brink of collapse.

 

One of the things I really loved about this game are the side quests. Most of them were well done and had a great side story that made them worth completing. Side quests are found by exploring the world which is procedural generated at the beginning of each playthrough. That basically means that each person will have a unique experience to them where monuments and locations spawn in different areas compared to someone else’s game. Side quests also trigger randomly so it’s likely that you won’t get to experience them all on one playthrough alone. The other thing about We Happy Few I enjoyed was just the world itself. Walking around on Joy makes everything colorful and full of life. When not on Joy, the illusion is gone leaving you to face reality. This can also also lead to being called a downer and getting chased by an angry mob of townsfolk wielding shovels, rolling pins, and cricket bats.

 

Some of the things that really put a damper on my experience were the frequent bugs, frame rate drops, and long loading times. The bugs I encountered ranged from preventing me from completing certain side quests to spending an eternity sitting on a bench. After waiting for time to progress, the option to get off the bench disappeared leaving me to watch the doped up citizens of Maidenholm wonder about. When I wasn’t experiencing bugs, the game would freeze for a couple of minutes as the framerate tanked. Most of the time it fixed itself, but occasionally the game would just crash. Then when loading the game up again, I would be waiting there for 120 seconds waiting for the game to load. If this was just a one time thing, no problem. The issue for me was that it took this long also when switching areas. Then while exploring, the game would randomly decide it was time to load again. When all is said and done, I’d still recommend giving We Happy Few a shot. The side content and world was more than enough to keep me coming back and I can’t wait for the future DLC content to release.

 

Cosmic Star Heroine – Played on PS4

I first came across Cosmic Star Heroine last year when it released in April and added it to my games to watch. Recently it was in a PSN sale so I figured I would bite the bullet and give it a shot. I was looking for a game where the story really grabbed me, but also where I could put it down and pick it up as needed and this seemed to really fit the bill. Set in a futuristic dystopian world, this turn based RPG follows the protagonist Alyssa L’Salle. She is an agent of the API (Agency of Peace and Intelligence), who discovers a couple of mysterious devices while on a secret mission. The devices have the ability to hack into a person’s brain and take it over via mind control. Fearing what the API may use the device for, Alyssa decides to steal back the devices and find a way to counteract them. This of course results in her being labeled a traitor and listed as a rogue agent.

 

I’m about 5 hours in putting me in chapter 5 and am really enjoying myself so far. The story is pretty linear with a couple side quests thrown in here and there. So far I managed to escape the API with the device, meet a kick ass rock singer, and battle a giant robot in the middle of a city. Being an indie game, it’s estimated to be a total of 15 hours long, so I will talk about the combat in a future Gamer’s Log.

 

Dragon Quest XI Echoes of an Elusive Age – Played on PS4

I’d like to start this section of by stating that this is the first Dragon Quest game that I have played. It’s a turn based JRPG following a silent protagonist who is the chosen one meant to defeat the darkness. I know, it’s the same thing for 80% of every RPG out there, but this one does have some charm to it. The world is colorful and vibrant, which makes it really easy to get lost exploring every nook and cranny. I feel as though I have become a barrell bandit…no barrell is safe from my quest to obtain loot! I have put around 5 hours into the game and am making some headway in the main story. My only complaint is that the first couple of hours started out really slow and took awhile to speed up. I will go more in depth with this one later on down the road.

 

This brings the fifth Gamer’s Log to a close. Go forth and game like you’ve never gamed before! MUUUHAHAHA (diabolical laugh) Chappie signing off!

 

Guides

We Happy Few – The Salty Dog (Sally)

by Chappie in

 

Acquired: This quest is triggered automatically while exploring St. George’s Holm near the pub.

 

Objective(s):

  • Talk to Cap’n Strawbeard
  • Go to the Plough Boys’ Alley
  • Take Back the Salty Dog
  • Give Back the Salty Dog to Cap’n Strawbeard

 

Talk to Cap’n Strawbeard

Take the side entrance of the Pub (same building as the A Stitch In Time) and follow the stairs up to the second floor. Enter the apartment there to find Cap’n Strawbeard and talk to him.

 

Go to the Plough Boys’ Alley

Follow the objective to arrive at the Plough Boys’ Alley.

 

Take Back the Salty Dog

Defeat the three plough bBoys in the alley, then pick the lock of the Salty Dog’s cage to collect him.

 

Give Back the Salty Dog to Cap’n Strawbeard

Return to Cap’n Strawbeard at his apartment and talk to him to complete the quest.

 

Guides

We Happy Few – The Framers (Sally)

by Chappie in

 

Acquired: This quest is triggered automatically while exploring St. George’s Holm.

 

Objective(s):

  • Talk to Eddie in the Pub
  • Sneak Into Julia Chaney’s House
  • Remove the Planted Evidence
  • Hello, I Must Be Going

 

Talk to Eddie in the Pub

Head to the pub in St. George’s Holm and talk to Eddie who is sitting to the right of the counter.

 

Sneak Into Julia Chaney’s House

Follow the objective to Julia Chaney’s house and enter the nearby alleyway. Head to the back of the house and enter through the window.

 

Remove the Planted Evidence

From the window, head up the nearby stairs to the second floor. Take out the doctor at the top of the stairs and pick up the first of the planted evidence sitting on top of a chemistry station in a room across from the stairs. Locate another set of stairs leading to the third floor and follow them up. The second of the planted evidence can be found on a stack of books/papers just before a door leading into a bedroom. After collecting the second piece of evidence, use a lockpick to open the bedroom door and take out the pair of doctors in here. You will find the third and final piece of planted evidence on the chemistry station next to the bed.

 

Hello, I Must Be Going

Head back down to the first floor to witness a cutscene. When it’s over, climb out the window to complete the quest.

 

Guides

We Happy Few – House To Let (Ollie)

by Chappie in

 

Acquired: This quest can be found while exploring Lud’s Holm.

 

Objective(s):

  • Get Inside the House
  • Investigate the House

 

Get Inside the House

Follow the objective to the mystery house and enter through the front door.

 

Investigate the House

From the front door, crouch under the boards and head into the hallway filled with debris. Pass through the kitchen and into the dining room, taking a left into another hallway. Pass the library and take the first door on the left leading to the basement. Use the bee gun to suck up the bees or equip the padded suit if you have them, otherwise run down the stairs and through the door at the bottom of the stairs. Examine the photo on the piano to complete the quest.

 

Guides

We Happy Few – Quality of Mercy (Ollie)

by Chappie in

 

Acquired: This quest can be found while searching Lud’s Holm.

 

Objective(s):

  • Judge Charles Peter
    • Knock Him Out
    • Kill Him

 

Judge Charles Peter

Head up to the platform that Charles Peter is standing on and either knock him out or kill him to complete the quest.

*NOTE: I tried to use sneak up and takedown Charles Peter, but the quest bugged and he was killed instead of knocked out.

 

Guides

We Happy Few – Cache As Cache Can (Ollie)

by Chappie in

 

Acquired: This quest can be found in Lud’s Holm while exploring.

 

Objective(s):

  • Search the House

 

Search the House

Follow the objective to arrive at the house. To enter the house, either lockpick the front door or remove the planks from the back and enter the building. You will want to equip a padded suit if you have one as the inside of this house is home to some unhappy bees. Look for the stairs and take them up to the second floor. Follow that path until you reach the end where the floor has caved in. Jump across the hole and land on the other side. Loot the toolbox on the dresser to complete the quest.

 

Guides

We Happy Few – Ghosts (Ollie)

by Chappie in

 

Acquired: This quest is found while exploring Lud’s Holm.

 

Objective(s):

  • Climb Wednesday’s Hill

 

Climb Wednesday’s Hill

Follow the objective up the hill and sit on the chair atop the trash pile to trigger a cutscene and complete the quest.

 

We Happy Few
Guides

We Happy Few – Wooden Legs (Ollie)

by Chappie in

 

Acquired: This quest is triggered by heading into the pub in St. George’s Holm and walking to Ed MacMillan.

 

Objective(s):

  • Make Eddie Some Crutches
  • Give the Crutches to Eddie

 

Make Eddie Some Crutches

To craft some crutches you will need 4 duct tapes, 4 cloth scraps, and to craft 4 pointy sticks using a branch and rock for each one.

 

Give the Crutches to Eddie

Talk to Eddie to hand over the crutches and complete the quest.

 

Note(s)

  • This quest might only show up after you complete the quest Plough Boy’s Lunch as Arthur.
  • The Make Eddie Some Crutches objective did not update for me after I made the crutches, but I was still able to give them to Eddie and complete the quest.