Project NoBa24
Backlog complete! I ended up not completing a lot of games, and I've come to accept that I'm not going to finish them all. At the very least, it was a rewarding, stretching experience, to try something new and decide for myself if I like it. I read The Count of Monte Cristo and it turned out to be a classic I liked; I read The Scarlet Letter and hated it.
But what do I do with this information? Well, tier lists, of course! In brief I'm going to relay my thoughts on the games; the tiers are based on a combination of enjoyment and quality, so if I didn't finish a game and you think it's ranked too low, I'm wrong. Sue me.
#18: Psychonauts 2 (D-tier)
I found this one very annoying to play and listen to. Unsurprisingly, it dropped into the bottom of the list.
#17: DREDGE (D-tier)
It's a fishing game and I lost patience. I also learned my lesson about horror from Mouthwashing.
#16: In Stars and Time (C-tier)
Got frustrated with the core mechanic, couldn't engage with it. I was charmed by it, however, and I would recommend it.
#15: Ghost of a Tale (C-tier)
Not my kind of stealth game, but I did love the world and the characters I met, even if there were kinda one-note.
14: YEAH! YOU WANT "THOSE GAMES," RIGHT? SO HERE YOU GO! NOW, LET'S SEE YOU CLEAR THEM! (C-tier)
Committed to the bit of replicating shitty games and became shitty to play in turn. I was impressed with their dedication and repulsed by the result.
13: Hi-Fi RUSH (C-tier)
An awkward, charming game that tried its hardest to get me on-board with the gameplay, but I, alas, suck at rhythm-action games and couldn't keep going.
#12: Pizza Tower (B-tier)
A frenetic action game with an absolutely insane vibe, I respect the craft with which it was made but was absolutely infuriated actually playing it. But I understand why it became so popular almost overnight.
#11: Void Stranger (B-tier)
Incredibly frustrating and abstruse, which I recognize was the point and I understand why every part of the game was designed as it was. But I didn't like playing it at all; that it is so high is a testament to its design.
#10: Outer Wilds (B-tier)
Relaxed, unrushed, committed to giving you the tools to see yourself to the end of the game and nonchalant enough to ignore your pleas for something easier. The game I had the hardest time recognizing I didn't enjoy playing it.
#9: En Garde! (A-tier)
Like a dashing stranger, come to kiss you and then vanish into the night, this is a game that understood the assignment and didn't overstay its welcome. I debated B- or A-tier on this one, but I think bottom of A-tier fits for my enjoyment; it might have been S if it didn't get so monstrously hard at the end, which I'm still a little sore about.
#8: Mouthwashing (A-tier)
Hauntingly-committed to the terrible story it set out to tell, it scared me half to death to beat it, but I really came to appreciate it in the months recovering from it. Even if I didn't particularly like the rush it gave me.
#7: Slay the Princess (A-tier)
A gorgeous game that worms into your brain and won't let go. As beautiful as this game is, and as good as the acting is, and as fun as the writing is, I would consider it more a cognitohazard, where thinking about it is dangerous and upsetting. It's also wholly unique, never quite seen anything like it, and that's worth something.
#6: Viewfinder (A-tier)
A game I thoroughly enjoyed, weighed down by a story that was trite and unnecessary. I might revisit it when I'm in a mind-bendy mood.
#5: Spark the Electric Jester 3 (S-tier)
The best 3D Sonic game, bar none. I loved it so much that I bought it at full-price for my older brother to try, which he ended up loving as well. The hype is real, this game is good.
#4: Children of the Sun (S-tier)
Cloaked in anger and a punk-rock aesthetic, playing this game feels visceral and fun. I'm not the kind to perfect my scores, but just beating the game was oh-so-satisfying. Edge with a point.
#3: Aero GPX (S-tier)
Technically cheating, since it's in early-access, but if the final game turns out as good as this demo has been, then it's going to be great.
#2: Balatro (S-tier)
Speaking of games that worm into your brain: I watched so many episodes of Columbo to give me something to do while I played this game. It's so much fun, but I want to add a wrinkle to my previous review.
You can definitely burn out from playing this game. Beating the early levels is a fun little challenge, but the RNG of the endgame can be such a killjoy that I haven't picked up the game in a month. Yes I have 134 hours in the game and I only expect that to climb in the future, but I think this game should be played with some moderation, lest you stop enjoying it like me.
But for as fun as that game was, there was one game that ultimately came out on top...
#1: Citizen Sleeper (S-tier)
The game that wouldn't let me go. Compelling, emotional, deeply, deeply human from beginning to end, painting a bleak yet hopeful view of the future, it's a wonderful portrait of what it means to be and become human.
So that's it. Games beaten, backlog cleared. What games will I play in the future?
Well, about that.
I ended up buying three more games from my wishlist in December. It was Christmas, what else could I do? If big games are allowed to have a little DLC, why can't I?
So get ready for three more titles before I call this quits. It's time for Project DeBa24.
