Battling the Backlog 2024 - August
Games Mentioned
- Resident Evil 6
- Tomb Raider III Remastered
- Deus Ex Mankind Divided
- Bramble the Mountain King
- Maid of Sker
- Mad Max
- Tomb Raider III Remastered - The Lost Artifact
- Dead Rising 3: Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Plus Alpha
Completed on August 2nd
Played on PS5 via PS4 Backwards Compatibility
The next game on my list is essentially a PlayStation 3 game on a PlayStation 4 disc that I played through my PlayStation 5 system without having to use a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 console .... which was nice (a Fast Show reference).
Which Was Nice
When Resident Evil 6 was first released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 generation of platforms I stayed well away from the game after the negative reviews that the title received. It seemed by RE 6 the survival horror element of the series was well and truly gone. Ever since RE 4 the series has ventured more and more into the action side rather than the tradition survival horror. I enjoyed RE 4 but always wished it was still the fixed camera survival horror of previous entries before the fourth entry. RE 5 I enjoyed less so as it felt the horror element had completely gone. So when RE 6 came around and it looked even more like an action third person shooter I was not interested in the game at all.
I remember playing a demo of RE6 on the PlayStation 3 which featured a small portion from Chris's campaign and that really put me off from buying the game. It felt more like just a military shooter rather than an RE title.
It was while watching an Avalanche retrospective on RE 6 that convinced me to at least give it a chance. The game is split into 4 different campaigns and supposedly Leon's campaign is the closest RE 6 comes to traditional RE games, so at the very least I thought I would try Leon's story.
Little did I know the next RE game (RE 7: Biohazard) would be a return to RE's horror roots (albeit with change in perspective to first person) which allowed me to rekindle my relationship with RE.
Avalanche Reviews RE 6 Retrospective
Leon's Campaign
Leon is the first character I chose to play. Leon's first RE appearance was in the 1998 sequel to the first game: RE 2.
Leon's playthrough does have horror elements to the campaign, but it still feels very action orientated and lacks any traditional puzzle solving that has been a trademark of the series since the very beginning. Its seems that the game just wants you to run from A to B to trigger the next action cut scene.
It is kind of fun that there are more melee encounters (I have never seen so many wrestling moves in an RE game before), but at the same time it feels out of place for an RE experience.
Around the chapter two area the game did slow down a bit when exploring a Cathedral level and that Resident Evil feel started to set in, but it did not last long as the pace picked up again and most of the later campaign felt very action heavy.
Overall I did enjoy my time with Leon's campaign but it never quite reached the heights of previous RE titles for me.
Leon's campaign took me around two days to complete.
7.5/10
Chris's Campaign
Chris is the second character I chose to playthrough. Chris's first appearance in RE was in the very first game released in 1996.
This is the campaign that the demo for the PlayStation 3 was based on and why I never initially bought the game. I have to say that Chris's playthrough is not actually that bad - don't get me wrong its not great, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.
The Chris section is disappointing because it is not really RE and feels more like an Uncharted game, but without the polish (as in shiny). There are still creatures but the fact that many of them shoot rifle fire at Chris makes it feel more like a generic third person action title rather than even the more action orientated RE games (e.g. RE 4 and RE 5).
One of the aspects I love about the RE games is the puzzle solving and there does not seem to be any of that in Chris's section. Sadly, there is no finding five Crest pieces to open a locked door or moving statues to prevent a room from filling with gas. Even Leon's section had a little bit of puzzle solving in the cathedral section of chapter two that seemed somewhat interesting.
Chris's campaign took me 2 sessions for a couple of hours each.
6.5/10
Jake's Campaign
RE 6 is Jakes first appearance in an RE game. Jake is the third campaign I played. I enjoyed it slightly more than Chris's story but it never felt quite as good as Leon's playthrough.
Jake is accompanied by Sherry Birkin a character that previously made an appearance in the second RE game where, like Ada, she was playable for a short section in the 1998 release. For the first time in a mainline RE game she is a playable character for a full campaign (if you choose her instead of Jake).
Where in Chris's story the melee combat was limited, Jake actually had an option for kung-fu like combat that is even more focussed on by the chapter 3.
Jake's playthrough had an unstoppable enemy chasing the characters throughout the campaign in a similar way to RE 3 Nemesis. During Jake campaign I did get the feeling like it was a mixture of Leon's and Chris's playthroughs. There is even some stealth sections in Jake and Sherry's playthroughs. I have to admit it was rather fun using the German Suplex on enemies. I had more fun using Jake's Kung-fu abilities than I did firing any guns as it felt so different and interesting.
I was surprised how much fun I had with Jake's campaign - I thought it was an enjoyable as Leon's campaign albeit for different reasons. Leon's campaign felt a little more RE-ish whereas Jake's campaign felt like a fun and dumb action martial arts experience.
To sum up Jake's campaign I would say it is a fun turn your brain off action adventure, but at the same time a disappointing RE experience. What I mean by my previous statement is that when I play a RE game I like to use my brain to solve puzzles, manage inventory with limited resources etc.
7.5/10
Ada's Campaign
Apparently Ada's campaign had to be unlocked by completing the other three campaigns first when the game was initially released and it acts as the conclusion to the whole RE 6 story as it fills in the gaps left out in the three other campaign - for this reason I chose to leave Ada's mission until last.
Ada's first appearance in an RE game was RE 2 where she was only playable in a small section during Leon's scenario. She was also mentioned (by name only) in the very first RE game as her name was one of the computer passwords in the underground Umbrella laboratories.
I quite enjoyed Ada's scenario. All five of her chapters take place parallel to certain events that overlap each of the campaigns so Ada plays apart in Leon, Chris and Jake's campaigns. Some light puzzle solving is involved early on some very light stealth is also involved. I enjoyed Ada's playthrough as much as Leon and Jake's stories which came as a surprise to me.
7.5/10
Overall
It seems like the designers behind RE 6 wanted to please everyone and the game as a whole suffers because it is not focussed enough on what it wants to be. It is trying to please the traditional RE fans (pre RE4 games), the fans of the more action heavy REs (RE 4 and 5) whilst also attempting to attract players that are more fans of action multiplayer games such as Call of Duty etc. It seems to be a 'Jack of all trades, Master of None' type of videogame.
It does seem like the developers were trying to attempt a greatest hits of RE. There are four campaigns (with three that offer two different playable characters) that overlap in story to create one whole narrative remiss-ant of the A and B scenarios of RE 2. Leon's campaign tries to feel like a more traditional RE game with classic Zombie enemies and resembles an outbreak in a city like the first RE game he starred in. Jake's campaign has a Nemesis enemy pursuing the characters just like RE 3. In three of the four campaigns two playable characters can be chosen at the same time and be played with a friend similar to RE5. Ada's campaign seems to be a mixture of all three other campaigns with a little bit of stealth added.
In summary I know think that RE 6 may have an unfair reputation. Many years ago the demo of Chris's campaign disappointed me and for many years I was uninterested in playing RE 6, but now having played it I don't think it is a bad game at all. Do not get me wrong I don't think it is great and I am glad that they returned to more horror elements with RE 7, but there is some fun to be had from RE 6.
In many ways RE 6 feels like four different genres of game with one game that is sort of RE but with more emphases on action rather than puzzle solving (Leon's campaign). And the three other games want to be something other than RE, but at the same time they story can be very fan servicey. RE 6 is a strange game to describe, a mis mash of ideas with some good and some not so good. It is not a terrible game and it is not amazing either.
I am surprised how much I did enjoy RE 6 - as I thought that it would turn out to be my least favourite of the RE mainline games. I would actually say I would put RE 6 ahead of RE 5.
7.5/10
My mainline RE enjoyment list would go like this:
Note: This does not include RE 8 as I have not even played it yet (apart from the demo)
- RE 2
- RE 1 Remake
- RE Code Veronica X
- RE 1
- RE 3 Nemesis
- RE Zero
- RE 7
- RE 2 Remake
- RE 4 Remake
- RE 6
- RE 3 Remake
- RE 5
My RE remake list would be:
- RE 1 Remake
- RE 2 Remake
- RE 4 Remake
- RE 3 Remake
Well, that was a little more than the small paragraph I intended to write!
Completed on 10th August
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft - Tomb Raider III
Played on PS5
Tomb Raider III is my second least favourite of the original five Tomb Raider games (with number five being my least favourite) that were released on the original PlayStation console. I still think the third game is really fun but TR 1, 2 and 4 are favourite releases of the O.G PlayStation machine.
The original version of Tomb Raider III is probably (along with Tomb Raider Five: Chronicles) my least replayed of the original five classic Tomb Raider games, so a lot of the levels in Tomb Raider III remastered were not exactly fresh in my memory compared to the first and second games.
Playing the remastered version of III pretty much confirms why it is my fourth favourite of the original five Tomb Raiders. There are some really memorable moments in TR III yet some more frustrating moments compared to I and II.
I like that the third game went back to more exploration than shooting too many human enemies although it does not solely go back to the first game in that regard - if anything it seems more of a hybrid between I and II when it comes to the amount of human enemy combatants.
India, South Pacific and Antarctica are my favourite sections of the game with London being my least favourite section (although, the Newcastle accents are not something you hear everyday in gaming media). London is not quite as frustrating as I remember except for the final section of the Aldwych level. I enjoyed the starting level of the Nevada section, but when I reached Area 51, I felt it was not as fun as the previous level - if anything crawling under laser beams and exploring a modern complex never felt very 'Tomb Raider' to me. I will say in the remasters, maybe it was the enhanced graphics, but I felt I was enjoying Area 51 more than when I played it all those years ago.
During the level in the South Pacific where you ride a Kayak I was dreading reaching the level because I was remembered how difficult and frustrating it was to control. Whilst the controlling the Kayak in the remastered I was surprised to find I never found it frustrating and I rather quite enjoyed controlling the vehicle (and I do not think the developers tweaked the moment of the Kayak - modern controls are offered, but I never even tried those, which reminds me I should see if the modern controls even work).
Another vehicle that many complained about in the original was the carts in the RX tech mines level in the Antarctica section. I was surprised when I learned that a number of people did not like using the mine carts in the original TR III as I have found memories of riding the mines in the RX Tech level. I feel no different about the mine carts in the remaster - they have still are still fun to ride.
Maybe I found the more frustrating parts less frustrating this time because I knew what to expect and was ready having played the original, or probably the real reason is that the remaster allows a near infinite number of savings at any time you want. The original TR III allowed you to save anywhere you wanted, but it was limited as you had to collect Save Crystals throughout the adventure. Tomb Raider's III saving system was a hybrid of the first and second games saving systems. The first Tomb Raider had a limited number of saves that could only be found at fixed locations on consoles (the PC had save anywhere implanted) and Tomb Raider II let you save anywhere you wanted via the passport icon in the menu.
You can tell that these Tomb Raider Remasters have been a labour of love (after-all people in the Tomb Raider modding community have been working on these) and another great factor of the remaster of the third game is that boss music has been included whereas in the original release there was no music. As far as I am aware the original release did not have final boss music simply due to time.
Apparently Peter Connolly (the music composer of Tomb Raider 4, 5, 6 and responsible for providing additional sound effects on TR 3 alongside TR 1 - 3 composer Nathan McCree) wrote some concept music for the final boss, but I think it may have been too late in development for it to be included.
Well, the good news is that concept music has been included in the Remastered version and those familiar would recognise that a more finalised version of the track would be used in Tomb Raider 4 The Last Revelation when Peter Connolly would take over duties from Nathan McCree as the Tomb Raider music Composer.
Tomb Raider III Remastered does still have the Save Crystals as collectables, but they cannot be used to save the game. Upon completion of the game New Game Plus will be unlocked and in this mode, like the original console versions, the only way of saving the game is by using the crystals that can be collected throughout the adventure.
As with the new game plus modes for TR1 and TR 2 Remastered medipacks have been removed and health can only be restored at save crystals, enemies have increased health and ammo is limited. I look forward to attempting new game plus mode in the future for all the Tomb Raider Remastered titles in the collection, although I think TR III maybe the most difficult of them all - a fun challenge!
Highlighted Track: Main Theme
Overall Tomb Raider III was a blast to play, but just like when I played the non remastered games for the first time, Tomb Raider I and II (in that order) are more enjoyable to me than Tomb Raider III.
8.5/10
So my order of enjoyment of the mainline Tomb Raider games in the remaster collection are:
- Tomb Raider I
- Tomb Raider II
- Tomb Raider III
Completed on August 13th
Played on PS5 via PS4 Backwards Compatibility
I played the previous entry in the Deus Ex franchise entitled Human Revolution around the time it was originally released, which was around 2011/2012 (oh, how time flies!) but I never did play its direct sequel when it was released in 2016.
I remember really enjoying Human Revolution but when Mankind Divided was released I decided not to buy it as I had heard that it was released as an incomplete game and only half of the story was included. Recently, I saw this game in the store for £1.99 and remembering how much I enjoyed the previous game and for that low a price I thought I would give the game a go and see for myself if it is as unfinished as others claim. Luckily there was a twelve minute video recapping the story of the last game because I completely forgot what happen (well, it has been over a decade since I last played Deus Ex Human Revolution) (!).
I very nearly retired this Deus Ex game as I kept going but I felt that there was just something keeping me from venturing any further into the adventure. Then all of a sudden something just 'clicked' in my mind and I soon found that I was slowly exploring the environments in between missions and I was completing side missions quite happily (normally when it comes to open world type games I tend not too do many side missions as they just feel like a waste of time).
But ... then I tried it the next day and the few missions I played just felt rather tedious to me.
But again after a slight hiccup in my enjoyment I played more missions and more side missions and once again I found my enjoyment of the game return. I think it may be because the mission I was trying to sneak around took place in a rather confined environment and I seem to find that wider open type warehouses are more fun for me to sneak around e.g. can find more ventilation shafts to sneak around.
Highlighted Track: TF29
Overall, I spent more time on the game than I thought I would. Originally I had planned just to go through the main missions, but I spent a lot of time on many of the side missions. I never bought it when it came out as the reviewers were stating that game abruptly ends and does not really have a resolution - I have to somewhat disagree with this sentiment as it did feel like the game had some closure but it definitely was setting up a sequel and possibly a conclusion.
Completing Deus Ex Mankind Divided has left me wanting more, but unfortunately the planned sequel may never happen as back in January of 2024 Embracer Group decided to lay off staff and development of the sequel was cancelled, which is a real shame.
8/10
Completed on August 16th
Played on PC
Bramble is a game where I briefly played a demo on my PlayStation 5 console. Recently, I signed up to a free trial of Amazon Prime and Bramble was listed as a game offered as a free download via the Epic games store on PC. As it seems to be quite a short game and looks to have some interesting elements I thought I would at least try it and fast track it to the top of my backlog list.
Bramble's first half hour of the game starts off in a very happy whimsical manner, but it takes a turn into more of a dark side a little further into the adventure. I was surprised that the game felt like a mix between horror platformer games Little Nightmares and Inside, although whereas those games where 2.5D, Bramble is more of a 3D adventure. Essentially, Bramble plays like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons with some horror elements of games such as Little Nightmares and Inside implemented.
Above: Taking a ride on Hedgehog along the river is one of the few lighter parts of Bramble
The Hedgehog ride in the video above does not occur until a few chapters into the game and this portion of the game is featured in the free demo people can download. I remember playing the hedgehog section crossing the river as one of the first things you do in the demo and at the time I was not that impressed. It seemed a bit odd that they would showcase this in the demo and not the start of the game that introduces the player to the mechanics of the game.
Well, having played the hedgehog section after playing the game up until that point I can say the hedgehog section hits totally different compared to just playing the demo - after the horrors the character has been through this hedgehog section is much needed relief, although it does not last long before the character is cast back into the dark (both literary and figuratively).
Bramble is not a difficult game (even though one hit is all it takes for your character to be defeated). It does feel more like an artistic platformer than a challenging game which is probably why the checkpoints are very generous. Bramble is the type of game if you are in the mood for an experience that is not too challenging and rewards you with a captivating interactive dark fairy-tale.
Bramble seems to be based and inspired on Nordic folklore and legends which I do not know much about but it is pretty interesting to see European developers create an interactive experience based on their own cultures, myths and ancient stories. You can find some story books throughout the game that tell the background stories of some monstrous creatures you will face - expect to read some dark Nordic faery tales.
Above: An interesting video above that details the bosses in the game and their connection to Norse mythology (SPOILERS!!!)
I will say that most of the boss fights are visually creative, but at the same time I am glad for the checkpointing as it the boss fights would probably end up feeling more like a chore. I only really had a problem with two of the boss fights (which both had three phases which were checkpointed at the beginning of each phase) as they felt more traditional 'gamey' and ended up being rather frustrating in the third phase as your character fails with just one hit.
Overall, I was surprised how much I ended up enjoying the game considering with the way it began I almost thought that the game would not be too my tastes as it felt like it would be too child like - which in hindsight I think the developers intended the game to start on a very cutesy tone to lure the player into a false sense of security before the real darkness of the experience kicked in. Playtime took me just under 7 hours.
7.5/10
Completed on 18th August
Played on PC
Maid of Sker is another title that was in my physical wishlist which I ended up claiming as part of Amazon Prime when I had a free trial. Similar to Bramble, I was able to claim Maid of Sker and add it to my Epic Games account rather than the Prime Gaming App.
Whereas the previous game mentioned, Bramble: The Mountain King is inspired by Nordic folklore Maid of Sker uses Welsh folklore as inspiration for this first person horror.
For a lot of the time the game felt very much like a title in the Walking Simulator genre but still with chances that the player could be defeated by the enemies. Most of the game you need to stealth around the enemies and you there is really not much combat in the game.
There is only one weapon in the main game that can be picked up but the ammo is very scarce and can only be used to stun enemies for a short period of time and the weapon should only be used when absolutely necessary.
Overall, it was an enjoyable enough experience - sometimes, for me, it is more fun to try and avoid combat and sneak around enemies. I completed the game in around five hours.
7/10
Retired on 20th August
Played on PS5 via PS4 Backwards Compatibility
I have watched the first three Mad Max films and own the first two on DVD, but I cannot say I am a massive fan of the franchise.
When this game first came out I was not interested at all in the game and reviews did not seem to be positively glowing (not that I really trust big game sites any more as a reliable source as to whether to buy a game or not) and I am not the biggest open world fan. I will play a few open world games now and again, but I feel that they waste too much time and the pacing of both story and gameplay is sacrificed for an open world where you can do a lot of pointless things.
In the last few months I have seen various videos talking about how they believe the game is rather underrated and maybe the game is unfairly treated by the games media. I looked into some more gameplay footage and it looked interesting enough so I though I might as well put this on my gaming wishlist.
I visited The Game Collection website and saw it listed at around £9.95 and there was only one copy left in stock. I had a few rewards points left so I decided to use those to buy Mad Max and in total I only spent around £1.12 - not bad for a new physical copy.
I gave the game a chance and it seemed to start of interesting enough, but after some time it just felt like a slog to play. I play some open world games but I am not the biggest fan of the genre and the problems I have with some other open world titles seem to be in Mad Max.
I thought the hand to hand combat seemed fun enough, but everything else just felt like it was interrupting my enjoyment. I wish Mad Max was more a liner type of game where it would focus mostly on the hand to hand combat maybe mixed with some platforming and puzzle solving and there could also be individual levels focussed on car combat.
The problem I have with many open world games is that they feel like a lot of time is wasted doing side missions and running towards towards the next way point to start the next mission - as I said previously I would prefer that the game had seen more of a liner design.
I am sure many an open world fan will love playing Mad Max, but it did just not 'click' with me and thus I decided to retire another game.
Well, at least the £1.12 I spent on Mad Max turned into a £6.00 C.E.X voucher that I have added onto my total C.E.X voucher amount.
Completed on 24th August
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft - The Lost Artefact
Played on PS5
Tomb Raider The Lost Artefact (or Artifact as it is now spelt) is an expansion for Tomb Raider III and is the last Tomb Raider game I have yet to completed in the Tomb Raider I - III Remastered compilation that was released in February 2024.
I have only played the original once and, similar to the expansions for Tomb Raider 1 and 2, I played this a number of years after I played the base (Tomb Raider III) game because I did not even know the (then only) PC only expansions even existed when they originally released.
It is always fun attempting to find secrets for each of the classic Tomb Raider games on each level, but in the expansion for Tomb Raider III (The Lost Artifact) secrets are a little different compared to the previous adventures.
In The Lost Artifact the secrets feel more like side quests and it is a nice feature that seems to be unique in the series compared to the main line classic Tomb Raider titles. If you do not look for the secrets you really are missing out on some really interesting content.
I finally finished every game and the expansions that were included in Tomb Raider I - III Remastered collection.
However, it is not quite over - I plan to play New Game Plus for each title, trophy hunting and I also purchased the game on PC to have some fun playing around with various mods that fans have been creating. This could take weeks, months or even years as I will doing all I previously mentioned occasionally taking a day here or there and it will not count it towards my backlog.
Oh, and also when I bought the digital PlayStation 5 version it came with the digital PlayStation 4 version as well - which means that there is another set of trophies to earn! I don't really usually care that much about trophies, but they are a nice addition to one of my all time classic games series.
8/10
Retired on 31st August
Played on Xbox One
Ever since it released I wanted to play this DLC for Dead Rising 3. At the time of release I never owned an Xbox One or the DLC and Dead Rising was exclusive to Xbox One. I have never really played a Dead Rising game before (I briefly played a timed demo of the first game on the Xbox 360) despite being interested in the premise, the fact that the game was on a timer and there was only one save slot put off from attempting the game. However, the DLC for Dead Rising 3 was compelling enough to finally attempt the DLC.
Dead Rising 3 was listed at C.E.X for £4.00 and I have a £60-ish voucher so the game was essentially free and I paid for the DLC on my Xbox One. I briefly tried the main game and I did not enjoy it that much, but my main reason for purchasing Dead Rising 3 was for the completely bonkers DLC and I definitely enjoyed my time much more than my brief time with the main game.
It was fun to play each level and unlock costumes from other historic Capcom games, but I eventually found myself tiring with the game (as I found the rounds to become rather repetitive) and decided to retire the game. I wish Dead Rising was more like the DLC as I think it captures the less serious nature of the first two Dead Rising games from my little knowledge of the franchise before the 3rd game.
I have heard that the DLC is more fun to play through on multiplayer, but I played it on single player as I am just not really a fan of playing online Co-op games. I may go back to the DLC on occasion to see if I can unlock more content as it feels that the DLC may be best experienced occasionally rather than play through for a good chuck of time.
I also bought the first two Dead Rising games on the Xbox 360 and plan to attempt them at a later date, despite my concerns with the time limit. The upcoming Dead Rising Remaster remined me about Dead Rising 1 and 2 and I thought I would finally give the games a chance.
The censorship included on the Dead Rising Remaster and the fact that they replaced the original voices makes me feel like the remaster is more like a reimaging of the first Dead Rising than an actual remaster and I would prefer to experience the game the way the development team originally intended, thus my newly found interest in the original. By changing so much in the remaster it really does feel disrespectful to the original creators and the fans of the Dead Rising series.
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