As another year comes to a close, it’s time to reflect upon all the games I managed to finish! It was mostly made up of retro and indie games, but I also worked in a couple of game mods that are sized well enough to be their own games, a DLC for a game I already finished, and even ONE Tripla-A titled game! If you’re looking for ideas on what to play, or want to reminisce in some of the classics, it’s a good list!
Trine
Trine is a side-scrolling physics game with graphics that have aged like a fine wine. From my Steam Deck to the big screen it is glorious to play! You control three characters (A Wizard, Knight and Thief) who have their own unique abilities. I got it as a freebie a long time ago, and I liked the game so much that I bought all the other ones. Thanks to cloud saving I was finally able to finish! Now I’m already past the intro to Trine 2! We’ll see how long it takes me to finish the sequel! 😛
AMID EVIL (Black Labyrinth DLC)
Didn’t I finish AMID EVIL last year? Yes, but then they HAAAAAD to release the Black Labyrinth DLC, which made me re-download it again. Black Labyrinth was an excellent addition to the main game, giving new levels too explore and weapons to use. This was another one that I enjoyed on Steam Deck and Desktop. I found all the secrets, platinum’d it once more, and have uninstalled it once again. Maybe I’ll revisit it someday, but in the meantime there are plenty other games to play, achievements and trophies to hunt, etc.
Aragami
Aragami was yet another one I played between Steam Deck and all of my other systems. It did an excellent job of scratching that stealth itch, plus the music and visuals were incredible. The controls feel right on Controller, and on a keyboard and mouse. The journey was a long one, and the ending was quite the twist. I still have this one installed – for playing on those nights where I want to grind for the rest of the achievements. After all I still need to get the passive and aggressive achievos.
Portal Reloaded
I know, this is a mod… BUT HEAR ME OUT!!! Portal Reloaded IS big enough to be its own spin-off game. If you’re needing to scratch that puzzle itch, and WANT to set your brains ablaze trying to figure out how to solve chambers with three portals between the past and present then you need not look any further. You can even download it directly from Steam, and all you need to be able to play it is Portal 2. I will note though, that if you have a Windows PC it will not transfer your save to the Steam Deck if you’re playing the native linux version, which the Steam Deck defaults to.
Toren
I lost track of the many, many times I tried to play this game. But once again, thanks to the Steam Deck and cloud saving I finally managed to finish it. The game has beautiful graphics, though it is rather clunky in design. This was another one that I platinum’d. It falls under the category of “Now that I’ve completed it I’ll never have to play it again”. If you’re interested, pick it up during a sale.
Shantae and the Seven Sirens
This one I almost exclusively played on Steam Deck. It was the perfect game to play in the shade on those hot summer days! I’d say this one is their best one to date! Which is hard because every Shantae game I’ve played is a masterpiece. I still need to finish Pirate’s Curse and Risky’s Revenge. Maybe next year? 😛
Bastion
Technically, Bastion is my first roguelike that I have ever played. Apart from the excellent art and music, it all comes together with the narrator’s soothing voice. This was another game that I had an on and off relationship with, but I ended up returning to it after playing around in Hades and thinking to myself that I should go back to where it all began. I’ve only gotten one of the endings (there are two total), and I’m poised to get the second one when I decide to return to it to get the things I missed the first time.
Portal Revolution
Another incredible Portal 2 mod that you can download through Steam! It doesn’t burn your head quite as much as Portal Reloaded does, but it still makes you think just as much as Portal 2 did. This was another mod that felt more like a game of its own, or rather a continuation of what goes on in the Aperture universe. You meet a couple of new characters along the way, and there are even achievements!
Dust: An Elysian Tail
This was one of those games that I started a long time ago, and never got around to finishing. This year I can finally say that I finished it! I exclusively played this on Linux and Steam Deck, as getting the controller to work under Windows was always a pain. This, like many metroidvanias, felt perfect on Steam Deck. It had a story that was just as incredible as its art and music. After finishing it I had to add it to the list of games that made me tear up a little at the end. If you like to play metroidvanias this one is worth checking out!
American McGee’s Alice
This was a title I missed out on as a kid. It was never in the local shops, and as it was I was already enthralled with Quake III Arena, a game that shares the same game engine but also has its own advancements. It’s strange to see NPC’s and characters with full facial animation, but they did a good job pulling it off! It has some of that 90’s/00’s clunk with its control scheme, but if you can work through that you’ll find this is an amazing game to play.
Castlevania
This is from the Castlevania Anniversary Collection. I’m thankful the emulator allows save states. As fun as this was to play I’m sure a younger version of me probably would have thrown the NES Cartridge out the window in anger after dying so many times… especially during the Dracula battle. Playing this made me think about how much things have changed and evolved since the 80’s. Games had to be hard back then, or you’d be through the game within a day. We’ve definitely cone a long way since then.
Quake
This would be the year that I finish Quake, and with a friend! We played the remastered version on Steam, which isn’t as moddable as vkQuake or other source ports. But as far as co-op goes its a quick and easy way to get some friendos together for an old school frag hunt. We completed the base game and the older expansion packs, and now all that remains are the newer DLC installments that were included with the remastered version. But for now, at least I can say the base game has been completed… in multiplayer. Still need to get the single player achievements.
Copycat
This game took me on an emotional coaster ride where you play as a cat that was adopted by a woman who lost a cat that looks strangely a lot like you, or rather the cat you play. I haven’t left a Steam review for it yet because I can’t decide if I want to give it a positive or a negative review. Copycat tries hard to convey a message about pet neglect, and situations that happen far too often where pets are often treated like living furniture. Between the ending, and the chapter where you’re abandoned instead of being taken back to the adoption clinic, it made me finish the game with mixed feelings.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Hands down one of the best games I have ever played. It felt like the Rise/Shadow of the Tomb Raider games, but with its own original story and feel to it. Aloy is an intelligent, strong enduring character. There is so much to explore, so much to learn and experience. I honestly haven’t had this much fun since Skyrim. It was a treasure to play this on the big screen for the full cinematic experience. I’m glad Sony decided to share their universe with the PC Master Realm.
Overall, I’d say out of the hundreds of games needing to be played in my collection this turned out to be an incredible list! It was a good mix of the old and the new, representing how far we’ve come in graphics, where they came from, and where we are now. I’m going to have fun trying to top this list for next year’s climbing of Mt. Backlog!