calebabel
2021
I had a great time with this because I hadn't played a Madden game since Madden 2001. Compared to that this is amazing, but if I'm being honest it is ASTOUNDING to me that they make as much money on these games as they do every single year and all they've REALLY done is improve the graphics, add a super half-assed career mode that MOSTLY works, and a couple options that speed up Franchise Mode such as only playing the offensive snaps or big moments from an otherwise simulated game.
The story mode looks TERRIBLE. The Franchise mode is broken as fuck. If I had paid specifically for this instead of just catching it on Game Pass, I would've been pretty pissed. I couldn't believe how many features are still broken when they had already released Madden 23 by the time I finally played this one.
So. To be clear, this is a 3.5 game compared to Madden 2001. There is no way I would ever give this game series money on an annual basis though.
Finished Date is based on winning the Super Bowl with the goddamn Jets because that's who drafted me in the create-a-player story mode and winning the Super Bowl with the Ravens in a single season of franchise mode.
The story mode looks TERRIBLE. The Franchise mode is broken as fuck. If I had paid specifically for this instead of just catching it on Game Pass, I would've been pretty pissed. I couldn't believe how many features are still broken when they had already released Madden 23 by the time I finally played this one.
So. To be clear, this is a 3.5 game compared to Madden 2001. There is no way I would ever give this game series money on an annual basis though.
Finished Date is based on winning the Super Bowl with the goddamn Jets because that's who drafted me in the create-a-player story mode and winning the Super Bowl with the Ravens in a single season of franchise mode.
2018
I made the idiotic mistake of waiting until 3 days before this left Game Pass to try it. Even in the few days that I had it I can say with certainty it is one of the most fun games I've ever played and if there weren't at least 20 other games still left on Game Pass that are on my must-play list, I would have no problem paying $20 for this.
The story mode is HIDEOUS but the individual fights and character designs are fun enough. I mostly use it to grab the occasional easy achievement for Microsoft Rewards since winning a single Vs CPU match will get you an achievement for every single character individually.
Great game to play with the kids. There are times where the controls and environment responsiveness are definitely a little lacking, but overall I was very impressed by how fun this was even for me as adult.
2022
I adore the style, the setting, and the story.
But I play a lot of fighting games the blocking system and combo system both just seemed subpar.
I don't regret my time but a LOT of the times I was getting annoyed certainly felt more related to the controls being unresponsive than anything else.
I finished the story with the Path of Love. I will not likely bother trying to replay it to get all endings.
But I play a lot of fighting games the blocking system and combo system both just seemed subpar.
I don't regret my time but a LOT of the times I was getting annoyed certainly felt more related to the controls being unresponsive than anything else.
I finished the story with the Path of Love. I will not likely bother trying to replay it to get all endings.
2015
I only played this for Microsoft Reward Game Pass task, but I enjoyed it so much I kept playing until the main worlds were all conquered.
There seem to be a lot of layers to this game that I don't care enough to try out, but I enjoyed the 6 worlds I completed immensely.
The threshholds for Level Awards either became unattainable or I am just actually pretty bad at the game. Even if it's the latter I had a great time until it became clear I had maxed out my ability to get achievements.
There seem to be a lot of layers to this game that I don't care enough to try out, but I enjoyed the 6 worlds I completed immensely.
The threshholds for Level Awards either became unattainable or I am just actually pretty bad at the game. Even if it's the latter I had a great time until it became clear I had maxed out my ability to get achievements.
2017
I took my sweet time with this, only unlocking one or two worlds per month for the first 3 months of owning it, then blasting through the rest in 3 days.
Mario is perhaps one of my oldest loves and this did not disappoint. The ending will easily be remembered as an All Time Top 5 gaming moments for me. Few things have made me smile bigger.
"Finished" date is based on finishing the main story. I suspect I will be slowly unlocking moons every now and then for a very very long time, but I don't have any plans to 100% the game.
Mario is perhaps one of my oldest loves and this did not disappoint. The ending will easily be remembered as an All Time Top 5 gaming moments for me. Few things have made me smile bigger.
"Finished" date is based on finishing the main story. I suspect I will be slowly unlocking moons every now and then for a very very long time, but I don't have any plans to 100% the game.
2019
I played through this myself mostly so I could help my daughter with her game if she got stuck, but ended up catching every Pokemon available in this version. I'm just sucker for collecting so I'll probably end up getting the expansion eventually just because of that.
Overall in the grand scheme of the Pokemon series though this was simply very okay.
Overall in the grand scheme of the Pokemon series though this was simply very okay.
This has now set completely unrealistic expectations for anytime I hear a childhood favorite is going to be re-vamped for a modern release.
Genuinely could not have asked for more. Masterpiece of blending nostalgia with the modern.
Beat story mode with my daughter. Played occasionally with both kids simultaneously.
Genuinely could not have asked for more. Masterpiece of blending nostalgia with the modern.
Beat story mode with my daughter. Played occasionally with both kids simultaneously.
2017
NetherRealm really knocks it out of the park with their story. I didn't realize until this and MK11 how much fighting game story modes had improved during my ten year hiatus, but it turns out that's mostly a NetherRealm thing.
The format of playing most of the characters one at a time in little 3 or 4 fight increments as it progresses through different parts of the story really is something every fighting game series needs to steal.
I'm hoping for an arcade stick for Christmas and if that comes to pass, odds are good I'll pick up the Legendary Edition of this on sale just for the DLC characters even though the standard version is still included with GamePass.
The format of playing most of the characters one at a time in little 3 or 4 fight increments as it progresses through different parts of the story really is something every fighting game series needs to steal.
I'm hoping for an arcade stick for Christmas and if that comes to pass, odds are good I'll pick up the Legendary Edition of this on sale just for the DLC characters even though the standard version is still included with GamePass.
2010
I was hoping to save this for October, but Game Pass removed it in June so I went ahead and popped it out before I lost the opportunity. I love playing these types of games, but I don't love paying full price for something that's only take 5 or 6 hours.
This was a 5-star game for the first 75% but the last 25% introduces some reeeeeeally wonky physics engine and the challenge was never figuring out what you were supposed to do but how to get the game to count that you did it.
This was a 5-star game for the first 75% but the last 25% introduces some reeeeeeally wonky physics engine and the challenge was never figuring out what you were supposed to do but how to get the game to count that you did it.
2018
My family and I got into this super late, but it still led to night after night of murder and laughter for several weeks.
Played on iOS, Android, Xbox, and Switch.
Played on iOS, Android, Xbox, and Switch.
2021
If Game Pass is teaching me anything, it's that I have a HUGE soft spot for simple smaller games as long I don't have to pay $20 for them.
I beat this with my daughter, mostly just helping her figure out what to do. Between the creature collection and the lack of danger instead putting all the focus on the puzzles and the story, it was really perfect for her. We both loved the world and the journey Omno took us on.
I beat this with my daughter, mostly just helping her figure out what to do. Between the creature collection and the lack of danger instead putting all the focus on the puzzles and the story, it was really perfect for her. We both loved the world and the journey Omno took us on.
2019
This was delightfully weird. I played through the whole story mode with my daughter twice, mostly just helping her with the bosses and understanding where she needed to go as needed.
We also beat all the co-op levels together which had a few glitches but were generally a blast.
She still loads it up frequently enough when friends are over just because the co-op levels are a pretty guaranteed good time full of laughs.
We also beat all the co-op levels together which had a few glitches but were generally a blast.
She still loads it up frequently enough when friends are over just because the co-op levels are a pretty guaranteed good time full of laughs.
2020
This was my first AAA title to try out on Game Pass, and, man, what a disappointment.
Give me a REGULAR MENU over a giant helicarrier I have to wander around to do any little thing, whether it's powering up or continuing to the next mission.
The introduction mission was rad af and I was even feeling the Miss Marvel story for a while, but navigating the story and upgrades by having to make my character physically traverse between different parts of the ship in real time was such a tedious nightmare that I gave up.
Just give me a regular upgrade menu inbetween a linear storyline for god sake. It's not this was open world. It was the most boring gameflow I've ever experienced which is a shame because if the whole game was like that introductory level this would've been amazing.
Give me a REGULAR MENU over a giant helicarrier I have to wander around to do any little thing, whether it's powering up or continuing to the next mission.
The introduction mission was rad af and I was even feeling the Miss Marvel story for a while, but navigating the story and upgrades by having to make my character physically traverse between different parts of the ship in real time was such a tedious nightmare that I gave up.
Just give me a regular upgrade menu inbetween a linear storyline for god sake. It's not this was open world. It was the most boring gameflow I've ever experienced which is a shame because if the whole game was like that introductory level this would've been amazing.