Alright so this weekend I knocked out 4 games from my backlog. Feels so good.
*Goat Simulator: 0.5/5
I got the original 1000/1000 in Goat Simulator last month when it was GWG. I decided to buy the new $10 DLC to complete the full 2000/2000 (new DLC achievements were added). The Goats/Zombie mode just broke all my spirit/enthusiasm for this game. I could not take anymore of the glitchy, unfun stuff here. I ended up getting 1940/2000 gamerscore, and I'm done now heh - the game is uninstalled for good.
*Rocket League: 4/5
Great game, fantastic polish, but I'm kind of tired of playing this game now. I have 1150/1200 gamerscore. Only achievements I have left are related to certified items, but I can't muster any more enthusiasm to play more Soccer/Soccar. I put in about 30 hours so far, and I think I'm done. I'm very very glad I bought this game and played it but it's not something that I feel like playing for 20 or so more hours for those certified item achievements.
*Teslagrad: 4/5
Great game. Dice (Neogaf member) implied in this thread that Teslagrad may be too linear to be considered a Metroidvania game. I still think it's fair to use the term Metroidvania. This game is really like a Metroidvania title that involves purely puzzle solving to get from room to room. The only time you battle anyone is when you have a boss fight. The game has wonderful art style, animations, and puzzle rooms. And I really loved the level structure, the way you start at the bottom of the tower and slowly work your way up as you solve various puzzles. And certain areas are blocked off until you find particular powersups, just like a Metroidvania game. I just got the special ending (for beating the game with all collectibles) and I was mezmerized - the special ending, along with the beautiful music, really had an impact on me. The only reason I don't give this game a higher score is because the map is really, really weak (there's no tracking on the map, and sometimes it's really hard to tell what room you're in) and the trial-and-error game play against boss fights can be aggravating.
*Inside: 5/5
This is without a doubt my game of the year for 2016 - it knocks off Quantum Break for me. Every single room in this game seems like it was meticulously crafted with a specific purpose in mind. The game's atmosphere, sound design, and tension are top notch. The world building and storytelling, all delivered to the player without any dialogue, is exquisite. Limbo is to Inside like Super Mario World is to Mario 64, like Link to the Past is to Ocarina of Time - not in the sense that Inside is a three-D game, but for me, there truly feels like there is a generational gap in every conceivable category. Level design, puzzle design, sound design, story, atmosphere, world building, character animations, heck even the colour palette in this game grew up significantly. We went from black/white in Limbo to a game that, while still predominantly grey, splashes in yellow, red, blue, etc... in rare, but very impactful doses.
