Featured

Players’ Journal Games of the Year – 2025

Image created by splicing together my own screenshots.

Welcome to my top games of 2025 list. This selection is not exclusive to games released in 2025, rather it encompasses the games I played this past year that I want to recognize.

We start off with the Honorable Accolades, where my honorable mentions are awarded fun accolades. Clever mashup of words, I know. Each accolade has a short description, are quite silly, and I really enjoy creating them. A few friends and I do our own annual game awards “show”, so we tend to ham it up for laughs.

We end with my top five of the year, each with a short summary of why it deserves to be there.

Honorable Accolades

“Promise Ring” – DOUBLE WINNER: Metaphor: Refantazio // Avowed

Metaphor: Refantazio. Source: Author
Avowed. Source: Author

I swear I’ll commit to finishing these games someday in the future. I’ve put roughly 30-40 hours into each and genuinely love both of them, yet kept getting distracted by other amazing games. It’s not you, it’s me. Truly. You’re amazing. I’m just like, really busy. I swear. Wait for me, I beg of you.

“Ventriloquist” – Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Source: Author

I have a theory that anyone who has seen a Star Wars or Indiana Jones movie has tried to do a Harrison Ford impression at least once. And failed miserably at it. How can anyone channel that suave gruff nonchalance that Harrison Ford effortlessly radiates?

Through witchcraft. Or by being an extremely talented voice actor like Troy Baker. It’s impossible to relay how genuinely impressive his performance is. Just… Holy crap. Without his voice, this game wouldn’t have felt as true-to-form. The game itself is great, but hearing an Indy voice that good makes you the player feel like you’re really playing as Indy. Immersion, baby!

If I could do the same quality of impression, there’s a high chance I wouldn’t be able to stop talking like that. My wife would either love it or roll a boulder at me.

“It was just a hookup” – Dragon’s Dogma II

This past Spring, my wife went on a trip for a few days. I bought Dragon’s Dogma II while my wife was away for those few days. I crushed Dragon’s Dogma II nonstop for those few days. I haven’t played Dragon’s Dogma II since those few days.

My uninhibited desire to become a Magick Archer took over. Time and space didn’t exist. Only Dragon’s Dogma II. I unlocked the class, rocked a ton of foes with my sweet new abilities, and walked away.

“How was your weekend?” my wife asked when she returned home.

“Awesome, I did nothing but play Dragon’s Dogma II.”

“That sounds cool.”

It was. But that supreme display of sloth left me feeling kind of dirty. I introduced cardio workouts to my routine after that weekend.

“It feels so good to be bad” – Baldur’s Gate III

For my second playthrough of BG3, I made a Drow Dark Urge oathbreaker paladin lady who absolutely fucks shit up, both physically and socially. I wanted to go full-on evil on this run, and MAN is it a blast…..Aside from the few moments where you truly feel like a colossus of sentient dung.

Occasional self-loathing aside, this journey showed me a side of the game that I couldn’t experience previously. It was like having a favorite coin and only admiring one side of it, then discovering that its other side is just as worthy of admiration. I had so much fun that I wrote a whole article about it.

“This enjoyment is brought to you by Sony PlayStation” – Astro Bot

I’ve barely scratched the surface of this game, or else it might be higher on this list. From what I’ve played, it’s just straight up fun. It feels like the devs’ main goal was just “game-feel”. Everything feels good. Everything looks good. Sounds good. It adds up to more than good. It’s great. Now I want cereal. Where was I?

Oh yeah — It’s excellent, once you filter out the ham-fisted Sony state-sponsored branding and subliminal messaging.

“The DLOA award” (AKA the “Dickload of Appetizers award”) – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Source: Author

I understand that the crass phrase “dickload of appetizers” isn’t in everyone’s lexicon, so allow me to explain. Over a decade ago, my friends and I would consistently order a bunch of appetizers whenever we ordered takeout, the phrase was said once and it stuck. Now how does this relate to FF7 Rebirth?

Well, appetizers are great! They’re small and tasty and get you all primed up for the entrée! But what if instead, you had like 60 appetizers before your entrée? No? You wouldn’t want that? You’d get too full and tired to enjoy the main dish?!

NUH-UH. YOU’RE WRONG. YOU WOULDN’T GET FULL. KEEP EATING AND RACE THESE CHOCOBOS FOR TWELVE HOURS!! Oh you’re done eating? RING RING, IT’S CHADLEY!!!

In all seriousness I loved this game. Final Fantasy 7 is my all-time favorite FF entry and was a formative experience for me. There was just a bit too much fluff in Rebirth for my taste. Others may argue there’s not enough. That’s totally fair. Experience is subjective.

Rebirth more or less emulates disc two of the original three-disc game, and to be fair it is during this disc that the world really opens up and has a ton of off-the-rails content. So it makes sense that this iteration would take that theme of openness and crank it up to 11. Overall I do believe Rebirth did an excellent job translating an old PS1 game into modern AAA beauty.

Maybe it’s the purist in me, or that I have less time to game than I did as a kid… but there was just too much extra. And too much Chadley. For the love of the Lifestream, Chadley, please stop calling me.

“ANOTHER!” – TRIPLE WINNER: Ghost of Yotei // Spider-Man 2 (2023) // Oblivion Remastered

Ghost of Yotei. Source: Author
Spider-Man 2 (2023). Source: Author
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

These three games receive the “ANOTHER!” award since after completing their predecessors I wanted to yell this line like Thor, throwing down an empty mug of coffee in demand of another tasty brew. After a few years, I got another! And another! And another! I loved them all, and they taste very similar to their predecessors.

I don’t give this accolade as a diss, nor to detract from the quality of these three. Ghost and Spider-Man 2 certainly vary in storyline and available abilities from their ancestors, and deserve extremely high praise for their narrative design, cinematic and art direction, acting, and gameplay. And I was consumed by Oblivion Remastered for an entire month.

I spent many hours playing each of these games’ predecessors. Hell, I got the platinum trophy in both Ghost of Tsushima and Spider-Man. How happy I was to have more!

These sequels are certainly some of the best games I’ve played this year. But when December rolled around and I was contemplating my Top 5… I also kind of forgot that I played them this year. How could that be possible with such great games?

I realized it was because they didn’t provide as much of a unique or memorable experience that stuck in my head. Maybe that’s not the most fair judgement criteria, but it’s what I got.

Now I forget a lot of things. All the time. Every day. It’s only human to not remember every single game played in a year. But with the many insanely strong releases and experiences I had this year, it was enough to knock these off my Top 5.

If I was making a “Top 8” list, these three would be on it.

Top 5

#5: Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II. Source: Author

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II gave me the same feeling that Halo 2 gave me back in the day. You’re the one dude who has the skill and grit to pull your brothers-in-arms together to overcome preposterous odds and determine the fate of billions. And you just happen to be a super-space-soldier in the military.

My slumbering inner teenager circa 2005 awoke, expecting Mountain Dew Game Fuel and Cool Ranch Doritos.

Space Marine II excels in illustrating the sheer scale of the ongoing conflict. The skyboxes are EPIC and are hard at work. Thousands of creatures soar through the skies and space above, lasers rain from orbit, nearby armies battle the endless waves of enemies cresting over the distant hills. The side-ops team relays urgent status updates to you on their mission, as your success hinges on theirs.

Mechanically the game is great as well. I loved the gunplay and combat. Movement is appropriately weighty and smooth. The Dualsense PS5 controller makes it even more satisfying; each gun feeling distinct in your hand, each heavy step reverberating through you.

I’ve still yet to scratch the surface on the Operation missions, which run parallel to the main campaign. Yet even playing only the main campaign left a strong enough impression on me to land in my top 5.

#4: Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. Source: Author

I’m a lifelong Final Fantasy fan. FF7 was my introduction to the series, and I ate ‘em up from there like a starving Malboro. The original Tactics meant a lot to me as a young gamer. Still does as an adult. This new version exists somewhere between a remake and remaster, and only improves upon the original.

FFT:TIC doesn’t take new creative liberties with the original story. Game mechanics aren’t changed. Instead, previous menus and systems are polished and tweaked for better quality of life. Plus you can fast-forward battles finally!

And I cannot say this enough or stress how important this is; the newly-added voice acting is phenomenal. This one new creative channel floods the game with new life, giving emotion and depth to every single character from no-name thieves to main party members. The performances delivered by all of the voice actors are impeccable.

For more of my thoughts on this game, check out SUPERJUMP’s 2025 Games of the Year.

#3: Lords of the Fallen (2023)

Lords of the Fallen (2023). Source: Author

There are a few constants when I create a Top 5 list for any given year. For example, I must include a Souls-like game on my list. Because I friggin’ love Dark Souls and games that achieve that particular flavor.

And boyyyy does this game have all the right Dark Souls flavor.

Hexworks immensely improved upon the original 2014 LOTF’s PAINFULLY slow combat. I was stoked to try the OG in 2014, and quit after an hour.

But now — Oooohoohoo it’s quick. Smooth. Impactful. Fun. There’s good variety in builds. Cool weapons and armor.

Like many successful Souls-likes, the environment is the real star of the game. Especially since there’s a mechanic where you can switch anytime between the current realm and the “Umbral” realm that looks you applied a filter to the land titled “Lovecraftian winter”. It’s gorgeous and terrifying.

Plus the multiplayer was still pretty active, where I had a fun time repeatedly schooling invaders on what happens when you go up against a longtime Souls vet. And occasionally I got severely humbled.

I’m aware there’s a decent amount of hate out there for this game, to which I wonder, why? Too derivative? Doesn’t meet personal expectations? Level design is a bit confusing? I’ll give you that last one. I didn’t play it upon release, so maybe it was in rough shape outta the gates and in dire need of patches.

All I know is that in its current state, the devs baked a damn tasty cake. It’s up to you whether you want to eat it. If you don’t want it, then don’t eat it and don’t insult the baker for trying. Meanwhile I’ll be eagerly awaiting seconds.

// Interlude //

It was too damn hard choosing a 1^st and 2^nd spot this year. Both of these games deserve 1^st place.

But PJ, it’s your own list. What’s stopping you from giving two 1^st place spots as your own editorial rebellion against societal convention? Some laws must be broken when they no longer serve the public at large – or just you – since you’re the one writing this list.

The laws are made by the powerful, and I am the almighty of my own little blog. I can do it, but then what would stop me from giving three top spots? Would doing so detract from the significance of such a placement?

This is a small snippet of what’s gone through my brain as I debated these placements and procrastinated with ultimately meaningless hypothetical debates.

// Interlude ends //

#2: Hades II

Here we are. I’m giving Hades II my #2 spot. Supergiant Games of course cranks out another banger, and it consumed a majority of my gaming hours. They did a great job of building upon its predecessor – continuing the story, developing characters even further, creating a straight-up fire soundtrack that is destined to top my annual Spotify Wrapped AGAIN, offering you new weapons / abilities / customizations / companions, the list goes ON and all of it is excellent.

Hades II gives you much more of what made Hades great, and it is a continuously satisfying experience. I rolled credits, but haven’t reached the “end end” of the game just yet. At least I don’t think I have…? I don’t like spoilers, so I’ll find out eventually.

On a seemingly irrelevant side note, it makes me excited to play Elden Ring again because I’m going to make Melinoё in it just as I did with Zagreus. In my Zagreus-ER run I only used weapon types that were available to Zagreus (sword, bow, spear, fist, etc.), and plan to do the same with Melinoё.

Oh and it’s absolutely essential that you go into your game settings and lower the ER music volume to zero, and then load up Spotify and play Darren Korb’s Hades OST. It’s frankly incredible how well Hades’ music can sync up well with the gameplay of Elden Ring. Sooo yeah, expect Elden Ring (and likely Hades II again) somewhere on my 2026 list. Okay tangent over.

Also I interviewed Darren Korb recently, and he’s an awesome person.

#1: Hollow Knight: Silksong

I’m not sure where to begin anymore in describing how much I love this game.

I wrote about it for a “Now Playing” piece on SUPERJUMP during my playthrough. I wrote about how it made me feel for SUPERJUMP’s annual Games of the Year article.

Allow me to join in on the chorus of other games writers singing about their love of this incredible game, in the couple ways I haven’t done before.

Let’s carol about its world and level design. Beautiful artwork and sound design distinguishes each biome that cleverly connects and conceals alternate pathways to reach your goal. The thrill of finding a fake wall leading to a hidden area or new pathway never got old over the course of my 70+ hours. Want more on that aspect? Check out Game Maker’s Toolkit’s Boss Keys video.

Next verse we’ll chant about the overt religious themes that compose Silksong’s narrative. Silken threads bind and blind, the gears of the holy Citadel winding, grinding the masses over bells chiming. Faith fuels many, some view the fueled as fools — tools to respool the holy loom.

It caught me off guard how deeply religious Silksong’s themes are. It propels you to consider that the concept of faith being tested not only applies to religion, but also to faith in yourself and your purpose. In leadership and in a population. Faith doesn’t need to be tethered to religion or the divine. It’s something we can instill in each other, and cultivate in ourselves. It’s truly touching.

And if you want a truly awesome analysis of Silksong’s religious themes, check out Jacob Geller’s wonderfully named video “Silksong and the Biblical Apocalypse”.

I can go on, but I’ve reached the end of my journey here. I’ve summited the high-minded peaks of faith and plunged into the emotional abyss. It’s time to rest.

End Note:

“WHERE IS CLAIR OBSCUR: EXPEDITION 33?!” you may be telepathically shouting at me from wherever you are in the world.

I hear you. It would’ve been on here had I played it in 2025.

I got it for Christmas from my lovely wife, and I became a machine that turned my free time into time playing E33. I did chores and thought of E33. I coached swimming and thought of E33. I hummed its music as I washed dishes. Glimpses of act 1’s final cutscene flashed in my mind as I tried to fall asleep. I finished it a couple weeks ago and it’s still all I can think about.

It’s safe to say E33 will assume the role of Goliath on my 2026 list. I don’t think there’s going to be a metaphorical David to knock it down from the top spot.

Let Me Reset/NG+ My Trophies

Trophies have no real bearing on a game. They’re a figurative pat on the back for spending my free time happily gaming and jumping through digital hoops. Colorfully useless check marks. And I love them.

They feed my inner child.

Thank you game, for awarding a trophy that required me to lasso an NPC and throw them on train tracks like a Looney Tunes villain. Thank you game, for acknowledging the effort it took to finally link the First Flame and continue the age of fire.

Thank you game, for letting me pet the super chill cat sitting on a table.

Do I need this metaphorical “good job!”? Nah. I’ve happily sunk hundreds of hours into my Switch with none of that. But I love ’em anyways, and do wish that Switch had them.

Trophies add an extra layer of delight to a game, as well as an extra incentive for playing in a way that you perhaps wouldn’t normally. Picking up on this feeling, some game designers lace their trophies’ titles with jokes or program a trophy’s trigger point at a particularly satisfying moment. Obtaining the trophy itself can become that epic moment — I’m looking at the players that have platinumed any of the Soulsborne games. I’m in awe of you all.

They’re cool little marbles to collect over the course of a digital journey. Pretty to look at, and essentially useless. But they don’t have to be.

There comes a point in a gamer’s life where they’ve experienced a game so thoroughly that it becomes hard to go back. With all achievements achieved, every collectable collected, the lustrous allure to play the game you still love so deeply may slowly transform into a faded sepia-toned memory of the joy you once felt.

I think resetting or NG+’ing trophies can help restore that shine.

Allow me to reset my trophies on whatever game I choose, so that jumping back into a game I love feels fresher. Or even better, let me New Game Plus my trophies — call it NT+ / New Trophies Plus. Put me back to 0% with a little indicator letting me know that I’ve gotten the platinum before.

So the question comes to mind, Why the heck isn’t it possible?

There’s no official reason why. Forums around the web don’t have verified reasons for it, just theories and speculation. For example, there’s the theory that the data is baked into the infrastructure of a player’s profile/gamertag/account, which makes it difficult and expensive to alter. There’s a handful of other theories, but that one seems the most plausible to me – as a layman with little knowledge of data architecture.

There could be a SUPER good reason why it’s not possible. But no one seems to know. I’ve reached out to Sony for an explanation, though haven’t received any response. Considering I’m a small-time blogger and not Jason Schreier, I doubt I’ll hear back.

But I can’t stop thinking about how it would benefit everyone, and can be built upon beyond just NT+.

If players were allowed to reset trophies for whatever game they want, that game instantly becomes more replayable.

Let me give you an example. I absolutely adore Remedy’s Control and all of its immaculately weird vibes. Control is the only game I’ve platinumed on PS4, and then again on PS5 with all its DLC. I want to go back and play it again, but knowing I’ve done literally everything the game has to offer, including the super obscure secret stuff… I’m less inclined to go back for another round.

With NT+, the gamer wins and so do the studios.

For games that have extra content available for sale, it’s an instant win for gaming studios to have players more engaged with their games. If the game has a digital marketplace, there’s a higher chance players will wind up eventually buying something to spice things up.

Now I’m not gung-ho for microtransactions, but they’re an established part of the gaming ecosystem and if we’re going to have them flood our vision anyways I’d like at least some more functionality in return that makes it more worthwhile.

That functionality can come in the form of a Trophies reward system. Just like any game where you complete a quest and receive a reward, players should be able to redeem trophies for something. Take the “Playstation Stars” program for example, where you obtain Points for completing tasks or buying games. You can redeem these points for digital collectables or better yet – GAMES. Assign each trophy a Stars point value, and allow players to rack up that digital currency through trophies. Game more, get more games.

Allow the trophy to shine with the value its namesake demands.

There are a few considerations I won’t explore here, such as how NT+ would affect Trophy level / Gamerscore – in the end I believe it should be up to the player whether they want to mess with it. And I haven’t touched upon Trophy Hunters, though I’m genuinely curious what they’d think about the NT+ function. Leave your thoughts in the comments, I’d like to hear what others think! Thank you for reading fellow players.

Inspired by Books to Game: Iconoclasts / Darkest Dungeon

“Carelessness will find no clemency in this place.”

The voice of Darkest Dungeon‘s Ancestor relentlessly worms its way through my brain as I read Mike Shel’s Iconoclasts series – a dark/high/epic fantasy series focused on a league of adventurers whose purpose is to explore and plunder the ancient ruins of a long-lost demonic gods-worshipping civilization. The Syraeic League pursues knowledge above all, though a fair bit of wealth comes with the job.

Our protagonist is Auric Manteo, a retired League swordsman of some renown who must pick up his sword once again in order to put to rest a curse that plagues the Citadel, as well as his only daughter. Now stop. This story isn’t your clichéd “We need you to come out of retirement boss, you were the best once, you can be again and only you can save us all!” kind of deal. Auric didn’t retire due to accumulating enough wealth and success to call it quits. He wasn’t the best. Auric’s last expedition ended with him being rescued from the haunted Barrowlands, covered in blood, madness in his eyes and conversing with the severed head of his closest friend and Syraeic sister. The sole survivor of his party.

Now Auric must return to the Barrowlands to return an accursed artifact that poisons the Citadel and his last remaining family. The Syraeic League’s numbers have already been devastated, and there are few able adventurers left whom haven’t succumbed to the supernatural blight.

“Reeling, gasping, taken over the edge, into Madness!“

Plots progress. An adventuring party forms with each member fulfilling a specialized role intended to increase their chances of success. Provisions are prepared. Accounts of past expeditions are retold and relived. Auric fears his insanity will reemerge upon reaching their destination, his mind actively plagued by the threat of stress overwhelming him.

As Iconoclasts sunk its claws deeper into me, an urge I hadn’t felt in years tore through me. I really friggin’ wanted to play Darkest Dungeon. It had been years. ~150 hours poured into it once upon a time, but never completing the game. I redownloaded it on my Switch with renewed vigor, and named my hamlet “The Syraeic League”.

The flavor of Iconoclasts mixes beautifully with the brutally dark dungeon crawling that comprises Darkest Dungeon. Stress, doubt, fear of madness. The scars of past expeditions. Constructing a party of adventurers, each their own type of specialist. The very real threat of death due to the smallest misstep. A league of adventurers dedicated to dungeon crawling, learning of what is buried, and retrieving riches from devious depths.

These two worlds feel almost intertwined, as if Darkest Dungeon‘s hamlet exists as a Syraeic outpost in some far off corner of the world Mike Shel created.

“This expedition, at least, promises success.”

After finishing Brian McClellan’s In the Shadow of Lightning, I was hungry for more stories taking place in a wonderfully realized fantasy world. Thanks to a friend’s recommendation, I wound up picking up Iconoclasts. Figuratively at least – I have the audiobooks.

I knew nothing of Mike Shel going into Aching God. Though as I near the conclusion of Iconoclasts, it’s obvious he’s got the chops for writing engaging fantasy. There’s an epilogue in the audiobook of Iconoclasts book two Sin Eater, where Shel talks a bit about his writing journey. He’s grounded and humble, and wholly relatable to one such as myself – a fellow D&D nerd with aspirations of becoming a fantasy writer.

“Aching God was itself a small miracle”, Shel says, “I had dreamt of writing fantasy novels since I was a teenager, but had never managed to overcome my pathological compulsion to edit what little I had written until it was squeezed dry of every ounce of joy and inspiration. I lost count of the sad, aborted attempts at crafting my own stories and more or less surrendered to the improbability of ever realizing that dream.”

Until 2009 when Shel discovered that a D&D adventure he wrote in the 90’s was very well received, even after being republished in 2007. He offered to write Pathfinder modules and more for Paizo Publishing, and was welcomed aboard. One campaign he pitched, “In the Belly of the Aching God“, was repeatedly turned down for not aligning with Paizo’s direction, yet went on to transform into the first novel of Iconoclasts.

“Beacons in the darkness, stars in the emptiness of the void.”

Learning of Shel’s story – to see his journey as a fantasy author – inspires me. There are so SO many excellent books out there, many of which don’t receive the attention they rightfully deserve. They float in the aether, lost amongst the noise of content that floods our senses every moment of the day. I don’t know the extent of success that Iconoclasts has had, yet I wanted to seize the fire it lit within me and shine some extra light on this awesomely dark fantasy series – and the similarly excellent Darkest Dungeon.

With my Iconoclasts journey drawing to a close, I’ll soon be on the hunt for a new fantasy epic to sink my teeth into. Until then..

“A moment of respite, a chance to steel oneself against upcoming horrors.”

Also, a big shout out to Simon Vance, the narrator/voice actor for the Iconoclasts audiobooks, whose voice acting is simply brilliant.

Thank you for reading fellow players / readers! Check out Mike Shel’s website for more info on Iconoclasts as well as his other work. Darkest Dungeon can be found on pretty much every digital game store, and is well worth the time.

Mortal Shell Has No Photo Mode Boundary – for Fun’s Sake Don’t Abuse It

Developed by Cold Symmetry, Mortal Shell is a brilliant love letter to the Soulsborne series and free on PS Plus this month. In my recent journey through this bleak yet charming world, I found that the photo mode has no boundary – which could lead to exploring ahead with no risk at all.

Extremely minor spoilers ahead, in the form of screenshots of settings

I hadn’t noticed this function until I was roughly 3/4 through the game, while exploring one of the game’s “temples”. The setting was so jarring yet beautiful, truly making you feel like an insignificant trespasser in an alien land. I wanted to capture that scope, that gravity, so I opened up photo mode and started zooming out. And I kept going. and going. and going. AND GOING. I started chuckling, thinking I had glitched the game somehow.

I’m the barely visible silhouette in the center. This isn’t near as far as you can go.

I snapped my shot and moved on. Soon after, an enemy hiding around a corner ambushed me – as it happens often in Mortal Shell – and again a minute later. Then a devilish thought struck me.

“Let’s see if I can look around the next corner in photo mode”

So I did, and found my next encounter hiding as expected. I kept floating forward, feeling like a spirit exploring a world frozen in time. Then I moved straight up into the sky and got the birds-eye view, taking in the lay of the land. This function was no bug. I could fly around this frozen world all over. The lack of boundary was definitely intentional, and I was NOT using it as I imagine the developers intended it to be used.

I imagine the devs wanted it to be used to capture the serenity of jamming out with bandits, busting out absurdly tasty riffs.

Feeling like I just accidentally became an omnipotent god, I couldn’t help but revel in my newfangled ability for the next hour or so of gameplay. I foiled many an ambush, and plotted my routes rather than relying on pure reaction and whim. After that hour, a feeling washed over me. Or rather, a feeling ebbed away from me. I was having way less fun.

The surprise, mystery, adrenaline, were quickly dissolving at the hands of my newfound power. Every triumph now felt hollow. Each victory now a shadow of its former glory.

Just as this landscape is a shadow of it’s former… wait… where the hell am I?

I stopped abusing the photo mode for nefarious purposes, cold turkey. My skeletal avatar trudged forward as the game intends – slowly and steadily conquering the bleak and otherworldly obstacles ahead. And as I journeyed on again, satisfaction and fun returned in spades. Play how you will, but this was the experience I found most rewarding.

Thanks for reading my fellow players!

I highly recommend giving Mortal Shell a shot, and will release a full review in the coming days. After recently beating the main game, i’m sorely tempted to purchase the full version to experience all that the DLCs have to offer.

The Next Final Fantasy Remake is… (An Almost Groundless Theory)

Final Fantasy 2. Why FF2? What hidden nugget of knowledge did I find amongst the internet’s sea of information that points to this old entry receiving the AAA makeover? It’s not a nugget I found online, but a detail I noticed while replaying Final Fantasy 7 Remake on hard mode.

Minor FF7R Spoilers ahead:

In the mission where you accompany Jessie to her parent’s house in order to steal her father’s Shinra ID card, there’s quite a lot of detail in this tastefully decorated room; pictures of Jessie from her acting days, a slew of medical devices, knick-knacks, mementos. One area that’s a bit sparse are the books – except for one small set of books on a dresser.

The books appear identical except for the titles on their bindings, implying that they are part of a series. Their titles are roman numerals one through seven, with number two missing, as if someone has pulled it out to review.

A little spark lit within my heart. Could this be a sneaky tease from Square Enix?! Pretty cool if so, and quite suave of them to hide it within their first major remake! I continued my replaythrough, and found the exact same set of books within Aerith’s house.

Sorry for the dark photo, can’t sneak out of Aerith’s place with a flashlight after all.

Yeah yeah it’s likely just an asset being reused throughout different portions of the game. Or maybe Square Enix pulled FF2 off the shelf for a look.

I consider myself a major Final Fantasy fan, having played all of the main entries except for FF2 funnily enough. And I don’t think I’m alone in that. One thing I’ve noticed is that you generally don’t hear FF2 come up as anyone’s favorite in the series. I’ve never heard much about the plot, its characters, its systems, hell anything really. To all of you FF2 diehards (if such a thing exists), no offense but it’s just observation.

If Square Enix decides to remake FF2 next, they would have a freedom that was impossible with FF7R. FF7 is often considered the fan-favorite of the series, having hit PS1 in ’97 and holding a firm place in our hearts since. When remaking a beloved classic like that, one with its own universe of spin-offs, the stakes are about as high as can be. You succeed, you make that sub-franchise shine even brighter. You fail, you tarnish the once-pristine reputation of a universally loved game and immediately afflict your fanbase with berserk. Square Enix succeeded, and they’ll have to face the equally high stakes when FF7R-2 emerges from development.

The stakes for FF2R would be nonexistent in comparison. They can experiment with new systems, plot points, graphical styles, whatever. It would only be beneficial to FF2 – I mean what’s the worst that can happen, FF2 fades even further into obscurity? Doubtful.

This theory is of course wild speculation based upon a single detail I noticed. But damn wouldn’t that be cool if it wound up being true. Game developers do have a way with hiding hints and easter eggs within their works, maybe this is one in the making.

After exploring the idea a bit, it kind of makes sense. A FF2 remake would refresh a main entry that has otherwise remained unloved and unseen, while giving Square Enix the chance to try something new with something old.

Thanks for reading!

Almost Dying in D&D is SO Damn Fun

Like anything in life, a Dungeons & Dragons session ebbs and flows with energy. And what really gets that energy pumping is when you almost die. In-game of course. I highly recommend it! You can trust my word – after all, I almost bit the dust in my last session! Hell, we ALL almost bit the dust! It was awesome, and made it one of our best sessions to date. I’ll regale you with the tale in a few moments, as it embodies all the good that can come from it. In my humble opinion, it simply makes a session better.

“Why would near-death experiences benefit a session?” you may ask. You pour hours and days breathing life into this character that started out as chicken scratch on a piece of paper, why in the hell would the threat of losing that bond be a good thing?

High stakes baby! Imminent death focuses the party and brings them together. When someone is rolling death saves, the true spirit of teamwork shines through. A buddy is down, time to band together like true heroes (or villains, no judgement) and save your bud.

Less time for metagaming. Now this factor depends on your DM. My DM isn’t one to let you mull a decision over in combat for however long you like. Time is of the essence. Your turn is technically 6 seconds of combat, so you can’t spend a half-hour fully exploring every possibility. What would your character do right now based upon what they’ve seen and know?

Leads to some truly wild and epic moments. Sometimes you don’t have the luxury of a controlled and tactical approach to get to your dying companion. Sometimes you gotta pull out all the stops and and fuckin’ GO. The alternative is to lose your companion forever, and you don’t want to look back thinking you could’ve done more.

Makes the victim contemplates their actions. As you roll your death saves, you’re forced to consider if you could’ve avoided arriving at this moment. Maybe I really should’ve used that final Luck point.. or retreated to a safe distance instead of facing a giant monster head on.

Okay okay enough listing off reasons why it’s dope, and here’s it all put into action:

The story of how my level 14 Fighter almost bit the dust

We’re about two years into our homebrew campaign, and are entering the final stages of its plot. Our party of adventurers are:

Rolen Rana – Gunslinger / War Priest – Wood Elf (This is me. Fighter 12 // Cleric 2)
Alduin – Path of the Storm Herald Barbarian – Dragonborn
Jenna Cyde – Shadow Magic Sorceress – High Elf
Fallon Steelfist AKA Dopey – Oathbreaker Paladin – Dwarf
Harold – Drunken Master Monk – Wood Elf

It began with a fetch quest – as these things do – and a damn cool one. Our patron for this quest is Coletta Delthane, the Highlore Master of Lagas and newly crowned ruler of our home city. We were to travel to the Abyssal Maw – a land ravaged by a centuries-old cataclysm – to obtain and protect the “Planecaller’s Key”. This ancient artifact has the ability to open gateways between planes of existence, and was thought to be lost to the ages. Chaotic energy bursts and minor dimensional rifts erupt from the Maw once again, and Delathane thinks the Key may have been uncovered, causing these events. She contracts us to get that Key in order to prevent what may be the beginning of a new cataclysm.

I’ll skip all the travels and get to the good stuff.

We’re deep underground inside the Abyssal Maw, and find ourselves at an enormous stone bridge. Roughly 100ft long, it’s the only path over the inky darkness below. Harold dashes across the bridge, narrow avoiding glossy webs hanging down over parts of the bridge (mmhmm, I wonder what’s coming). Jenna swiftly navigates across the bridge, followed by Rolen. Dopey and Alduin begin to cross, yet unfortunately Alduin’s Danger Sense isn’t enough to prevent him from getting webbed up.

OF COURSE a giant fuckin’ spider crashes down upon Alduin.

On the landing across the bridge, an enormous rock crashes down beside Harold and Jenna. Oh shit.. that’s no rock, it’s a motherflippin’ Stone Giant.

Sweet tasty CHAOS!! Initiate battle music! We all begin duking it out. Alduin, Dopey and Rolen focus on the Spider while Jenna and Harold take on the Stone Giant.

Landing Stunning Strike after Stunning Strike, Harold bashes the everliving shit out of the Stone Giant’s ankles, followed up by Jenna flinging spells at that bastard’s face.

Meanwhile the battle on the bridge is going almost just as well. We’re messing this spider up right good! Mr. Daddy Long Legs is getting wrecked by the collective might of a Barbarian, Paladin, and Fighter. Until…. our DM smiles wickedly (oh no).

The Spider, realizing it’s in a bad spot and isn’t gonna be able to easily eat some tasty morsels right here, decides that one of the great forces of nature can do the job better than it. And that force is gravity.

The spider charges forward, swiping its powerful legs to sweep the bridge clear – left, right, left, right.

Imagine the coffee table’s wood is really just pitch black and unfathomably deep.

Alduin gets swiped, then Dopey, and then Rolen (me).

“Okay here’s how this is gonna work,” our DM says. “You’re gonna roll a Strength save to try and stay on the bridge. If you fail, you’re knocked off and you’ll have to roll a Dexterity save to see if you can grab a hold of something at least.”

Alduin fails the STR save, but makes the DEX save. Dopey does the same, but a little worse. Alduin falls roughly 10ft, Dopey about 20ft, both of them able to catch hold of the cliffside and dangle above the darkness.

Alright, my turn. I roll, and fail my STR save. C’monnn DEX save! I roll a whopping three. Shit. Not great, not at all. A part of my mind lashes against the three. I have one last Luck point left, should I use it!? Mmm nah it’s probably not thatttt high of a drop and I’ve still got a decent amount of Hit Points. I’ll save it.

DM sees I’ve made my decision, and says, “Roll a d6 for me please.”
“What’s this for?” I ask as I juggle the die in my hand.
“Whatever number you roll will be how many hundred feet you fall.”

A brief silence overtakes our group.

“Hahaha” I laugh nervously, “well here goes nothing!”

The die lands firmly. I’m transfixed upon the number for several silent seconds, unable to shift my gaze. A big. Fat. Six. A six-hundred foot drop. The group immediately breaks out into a chorus of “Oh fuck”, “Shitttttt”, “Whaaaaat”. I alternate between laughing and saying “Fuckkkk” a lot.

The party sees Rolen’s body plunge into darkness, unknowing of whether he’ll survive the fall.

The DM gleefully pulls out a hefty sack of d6’s, excited to roll more dice in a single motion than he’s ever done before.

“It’s possible you may straight up die right here!” He pauses, “Though fall damage maxes out at 20d6, so on second thought you won’t DIE from this.” He says. “But there’s a very high chance you’ll be knocked the fuck out from splatting on the ground!”

I have 70hp left at this point, with my max being 105hp. I’d have to take 175 dmg to instantly die, which is impossible here thankfully. Rolen says a quick prayer to his god Tempus before hitting the ground with a sickening thud, taking 95 damage and falling unconscious very, very far away from the party.

Phew, okay. Scary stuff, but I’m not dead! Crisis averted. Good times!

The battle rages on above as Dopey and Alduin climb back upwards. As they ascend, the Spider skitters down over the edge, passing them and descending vertically along the cliffside. Oh.

“There IS a delicious meal waiting for him down there after all!” the DM exclaims.

SHIT. Crisis NOT averted! HELP.

A metaphorical fire ignites under everyone’s asses at that instant. I am on a silver platter, an apple in my mouth.

Jenna decides that this Stone Giant needs to go away NOW, and Twinspell Disintegrates that big boy into a cloud of dust. Dope as hell.

Harold, now free from the fight, dashes towards the cliff’s edge and without missing a step runs vertically down the cliff after the Spider. Monks are effing cool man. With his insane movement speed, he makes it to the Spider, jumps on its back and Stunning Strikes it. The Spider, unable to stay tethered to the cliffside, begins to fall with Harold riding the spider down like some insane adrenaline junkie.

Alduin makes it back onto the bridge, baffled at seeing one friend ragdoll into the depths, and another friend surfing a paralyzed spider into the abyss. Jenna runs up to him.

“Do you trust me?!” She asks hastily.

“Yes…?” Alduin replies in his Russian accent.

“Good, now hold on.” says Jenna while grabbing a hold of Alduin and pulling him into the Dimension Door she casts. They vanish from the bridge, and emerge into thin air 500 feet below their position, plunging the last 100ft with Alduin yelling all the way down in surprise.

Dopey, having just clambered back onto the bridge, is at a loss for a moment. He saw Rolen fall, that seemed really fuckin’ bad. Rolen could be friggin’ dead! He saw Harold riding a spider through the air, which was totally sick as hell. But he could be in trouble too! Then Jenna and Alduin just teleported way down below, based upon Alduin’s screams. Rolen may not have much time left, and there’s only one way Dopey can get down there in time to help.
Dopey jumps.

Harold releases his grip of the Spider in mid-air. He’s got that sweet slow fall ability and doesn’t need to fall at that high speed anymore. Style points achieved, time to enjoy the ride. The spider crashes into the ground near Rolen’s body, spraying ichor and taking severe damage. Jenna and Alduin land in a heap nearby seconds later, followed by the thunderous boom of Dopey hitting the ground in his hefty plate mail. Harold lands lightly on his feet, barely making a sound.

Alduin brushes himself off while cursing in Russian, strides over to the Spider’s writhing body and slams his axe into its face. *Cue Final Fantasy victory theme*

Dopey, still standing since he’s an absolute beast, runs over and Lay on Hands some HP to Rolen, reviving me.

We survived and made extremely solid progress on our descent! Everyone was a little frazzled from the excitement, and raved over how much of a blast that just was. Even though I was close to dying most of the time, man was it fun enjoying that adrenaline kick and watching the party come together and make some truly epic moves.

That’s my near-death tale and how much fun it was as a group to go through… Oh and that’s right, all of us almost died soon after when it turns out we were double-crossed by our quest patron and the Planecaller’s Key was used to open a rift that a motherfucking BEHOLDER emerged from so we sheltered in a small cave as it guarded the exit and repeatedly blasted laser beams at us to try and force us out of hiding and Dopey and Jenna tried to escape on a pegasus but the Beholder almost fried them so they came back to the cave and the only option for escape we could think of was for Jenna to use her only 7th level spell – Plane Shift – using the only item we had that was attuned to another plane… an Infernal weapon of Dopey’s.

So yeah, we ended last session by escaping a sure death via Beholder and landing in the sixth circle of Hell.

“WELL,” the DM exclaimed, chuckling, “We’ll have to stop there for the night since I was NOT expecting you all to wind up in HELL and I have nothing prepared for that.”

Gotta love throwing your DM for a loop! Until next time fellow players!

Must-play PS4 Games That Must Still Be Played.

PS5 is here, though somehow it’s still more elusive than my commitment to work out consistently. Your trusty ol’ PS4 may soon find its spot in your entertainment center taken over by its futuristic descendant (if not already). Before or after that eventual console coronation passes, take some time to embark on these essential PS4 gaming experiences. Yeah yeah PS5 has backwards compatibility – and these games aren’t going anywhere – though as time rolls onward a new generation of games will blossom into the market and demand our attention. Before that time comes, dedicate some of your sweet sweet gaming sessions to these games and you’ll be damn glad you did.

Take the following journey in no particular order, it’s all excellent. Many of these are in the PS Plus Collection thankfully, and some have free PS5 upgrades if you own the PS4 version.

NO spoilers ahead – just quick innocent details.

God of War

The intro will suck you in with its beauty and depth. So few words spoken, yet every scene is steeped in meaning. Each setting is immaculately detailed. Challenging combat leads to amazing progression. Level design encourages exploration. Engaging characters spout entertaining dialogue. Beautiful storytelling synced with touching character development. Play it, love it, then do NG+ on “Give Me God of War” difficulty to truly become a god in your own right.

Plot in a pinch: After settling into a peaceful life on Nordic lands for many years, the Greek god of war Kratos must embark on a journey with his son to fulfill the last wish of a passed loved one while eluding the native deities.

Control

A paranormal mystery-thriller packaged into a brilliant third-person-shooter with sharp impactful gameplay, Control swiftly became my favorite game of 2020 AND 2021. The suspenseful eerie tone lures you into a setting you can’t walk away from. Every bit of lore pulls you deeper and reveals disturbing details, sometimes making you laugh and sometimes making you say “What the absolute fuck?!“. Control’s story and gameplay are top-notch, eventually making you feel like a badass Jedi gunslinger which will absolutely leave you wanting more. Luckily there are two DLCs to scratch that itch. This game consumed me until I finished it. I could not play anything else. It had assumed control.

Plot in a pinch: Jesse Faden ran from the law most of her life, but now walks through the front doors of the Federal Bureau of Control. These people were responsible for the disappearance of her brother, and they somehow know of the otherworldly presence that guides her. Enough running, enough mystery. Jesse decides to take control.

Dark Souls 1 – 3

Modern classics that invented its own sub-genre. If you haven’t played them because you’re scared of them being too hard, kindly get over it and play these action-adventure-RPGs. The sense of accomplishment FromSoftware games give you is unlike anything else. It may sound odd, but playing Dark Souls very much feels like coming out of a dark spot in life – and many players have lauded its ability to combat depression. You will fail over and over, but as long as you get up and keep trying you’ll find that you’ve had the strength all along to reach a better place. And ohhhh man that sweet taste of victory after trying and trying and trying – Pure happiness and pride. Conquer the creatures of dark, forge your own path, and praise the sun!

Plot in a pinch: The Age of Fire nears its end. Will you, a lowly dreg barely holding onto its own sanity, conquer the challenges ahead and reignite the First Flame to extend the reign of Fire — or let the fire fade, and usher in an age of darkness?

Bloodborne

A PS4 instant classic, and heralded as one of the best PS4 games ever released. Yep it’s a FromSoftware title in the vein of Dark Souls, but more brutal!!!
So get immersed in this beautifully horrific Lovecraftian world by throwing on your victorian-era cloak and pouring yourself a glass of blood (what?), because Bloodborne’s environment will leave you drenched in awe. It has everything Dark Souls has – top-shelf level design, tight combat, incredible lore, abso-fucking-lutely brutal difficulty – yet managed to bore its way into its own cozy niche. Cease your hunt for the next epic game and dive into this dream of a journey.

Plot in a Pinch: A blood-borne disease plagues the city of Yharnam, where your journey begins. You – a seemingly immortal hunter – are spiritually bound to the Hunter’s Dream, the city itself, and the task of finding the source of the plague. A frenzied hunt for the infected seizes the population, ushering townsfolk and hunters alike into the madness that consumes the city. Unable to truly die, your hard-fought footholds and discoveries may lead to peaceful enlightenment, or uncontrollable insanity.

Persona 5 / Personal 5 Royal

If you enjoy JRPGs or turn-based RPGs in general, take a leap of faith and buy this game. I did solely because GameInformer’s January 2018 article “The Top 100 RPGs Of All Time” ranked it at #19, right behind the original Final Fantasy 7 (my all-time fave). Now P5 was released worldwide in April 2017, so claiming a spot that high on the list in such a short time demanded respect. And holy shit, it deserves every ounce of that respect. P5 overflows with style, immense narrative depth, and is unfalteringly captivating. The art direction makes every action a visual joy, and the soundtrack — THE SOUNDTRACK DUDE — is so good that you’ll be listening to it for weeks after you finish the 100+ hour campaign. Well-rounded characters and heartfelt storylines make it impossible not to get pulled into this world.

Plot in a Pinch: Some adults think they can get away with anything. Abuse power, abuse people, take anything, charge you with assault even though they committed it themselves, it goes on. There’s gotta be a way to make them realize their flaws and reflect… to change them from the inside out. It’s up to you — a high-schooler on probation in Tokyo — to band together with a few fellow rebels and face the dark hearts of the city’s elite, changing society for the better one heist at a time.

Honorable Mention:

Final Fantasy VII Remake: Even if and especially if you never played the original FF7, this game deserves to be played. I kept it down here since otherwise the entire article would be about this game. Gorgeous, fun as hell, it doesn’t miss a beat from the OG game.

Ghost of Tsushima: The Director’s Cut version just came out – and while I haven’t played that part yet – the main game is simply phenomenal. Holy shit I’ve never taken so many screenshots in a game. Breathtaking beauty combined with satisfyingly smooth gameplay.

One of the gazillion screenshots I had to take in this stupidly beautiful game.

There are so many others that could be included here, so list ’em off in the comments if you want! Thanks for reading!

The Time For a GOOD Avatar: The Last Airbender Video Game Is Upon Us

By PJ Walery

“Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Long ago, four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the fire nation attacked.”

That introduction stokes the fires of nostalgia in the hearts of fans around the world. Nostalgia that fueled content across every medium and continues to do so. September 2018 reignited those flames hotter than they’ve been in years thanks to Netflix’s live-action adaptation announcement. Then July 2019 gave us The Rise of Kyoshi – the first of two canon novels about Avatar Kyoshi’s life. It’s finally happening – Avatar: The Last Airbender content is surging back, and as more of it emerges, one thought continues to gnaw at my mind – there needs to be an Avatar video game that truly embodies the brilliance of the series, and there’s no better time to make one than now.

The first Kyoshi book is basking in glowing reviews. Avatar graphic novels and comics continue releasing to positive fan response. Fans maintain a healthy blend of optimism and fear in regards the live-action series – for good reason – though the original showrunners at the helm inspire hope. It’s only a matter of time before another video game is attempted, and damn it, it needs to be done right this time.

Five console-based Avatar games have come out since 2006, the most recent attempt in 2014 with The Legend of Korra for consoles and PC. Critics universally roasted every single release, with users a smidge more lenient than their professional counterparts. Korra was the most divisive of the bunch, scoring the highest Metacritic score in the game series with 64/100, while many major outlets like IGN and GameSpot scorched it with abysmal reviews. Regardless of scores, all reviews revealed two common threads – the story was poorly executed, and a deep well of potential unfortunately remained untapped.

Avatar’s video game counterpart should be a distillation of its greatest qualities

The Avatar television series has some of the most consistently excellent writing of any show out there. Characters are dynamic, nuanced, and wholly relatable. The world is magical and immersive, yet realistic and complicated. Childlike and wondrous, yet steeped with emotion and humanity. Not utilizing its best qualities is like making a Mortal Kombat game with shitty fighting – what the hell is the point, and who would waste time playing that, let alone making it? The Batman and Spider-Man games sold well because they made you feel like an integral part of that world (on top of a dozen other great qualities). A well-made Avatar game should invoke that same feeling. What comes to light here is that neither THQ nor PlatinumGames have delivered a quality Avatar game, and the reins should be passed on to another studio.

A solid Avatar game isn’t impossible, it just requires some proper building blocks:

A studio unrestricted by a hard deadline
Original show writers like Tim Hedrick jumping back in, or writers who are truly passionate about the source content
A satisfying combat system true to the bending and martial art forms
A world ripe with the lore and narrative that the television series delivered in spades

Draw upon the beauty and depth of The Witcher 3’s world-building and narrative. Harness Skyrim’s encouragement of exploration and channel it into every kingdom. Really focus on a combat system that feels good, impactful, and true to form.

Personally, I’d love to see a RPG-style game where the player can forge their own story in the world.

Imagine starting as a fisherman from the Southern Water Tribe. An Earthbender from Ba Sing Se, or a hunter from a village in its kingdom. A vassal in service of a Fire Nation lord, or a blacksmith within its capital. An Airbender of the Air Nomad Tribe, or a resident of Republic City having just discovered their powers. Maybe you’re none of them, and simply a fledgling martial artist focusing on Chi-blocking to counteract benders. You could be the Avatar, or you can opt not to be at the game’s start, knowing they’re out there somewhere and you may need to help – or fight – them one day.

The animated series is so full of heart; it charms viewers young and old. Avatar’s video game counterpart should be a reflection of its greatest qualities – a pure distillation of its spirit that any fan can enjoy. Instead, all we’ve seen up to this point are half-hearted husks with an Avatar paint job. This incredible series and its loyal fanbase deserve better than that.

What sort of game do you think would work best for the Avatar universe? What studios would you like to see give it a shot?

Thanks for reading!

Image Credit: Google Images — If you know the artist, please reach out and I’ll add attribution.

Welcome to Players’ Journal

Hey everyone, I’m PJ — a 30 something year-old video game aficionado with a love for writing.

Take a short rest and enjoy some articles on video games, tabletop gaming, books, TV and so on. But mostly video games – what makes them as awesome as they are, how they can be improved, what would make them MORE awesome, you get it.

Why am I doing this?

Video games friggin’ rock, and I’ve been gaming for as long as I can remember. One of my first memories is playing Super Mario Bros 3 on SNES on my 4th birthday.
I studied Journalism in college, and don’t really get to flex those muscles so much now that I’ve been fully integrated into the 9-5 corporate life for the past eight years.
Because it’s incredibly fun.
Video games are an art form unlike any other. It is art that you actively experience. You explore impossible worlds, while embarking on adventures beyond your wildest dreams. These journeys can be fraught with danger, love, humor, and horror. You’ll make choices that bring you immense glee, or cold dread. It’s modern day magic. I want to express my love for the genre here.
You gotta start somewhere. I want to get involved in video game writing, and this is my camp at the base of that mountain.

I’ll be updating this blog when I can with new content. Feel free to reach out to me at pjwalery@gmail.com.