Single Player Games

[Lupich]

This is a thread to suggest and discuss single player games or campaigns you've recently enjoyed. About 2 months ago I decided to get to work on some of my Steam library backlog and decided to re-visit date AAA titles that I hadn't played, or played very long ago and see how they were with ultra graphics and 4K resolution.

A bunch of them really held up, and I'm glad to have played them. To start this post off I'll just write a blurb about the single player games I completed and add games as I go. Maybe this could be a "book club" style of thread if people are interested in playing along or just look for recommendations.

In no particular order:

Black Mesa

With a finally completed "1.0" version of the game I decided to sit down and give this one a play through and I was impressed. Impressed enough to say it really captures the feel of the original Half-Life game so well that there is no real reason to go back and play the original (or its awful "source" version) if you already own this one.

The visuals were really amazing with all the settings turned up, but the game still truly felt like one of the series. I love games that have a complementary set of achievements to go along with them - Nothing too tedious or difficult, but not a whole lot that gives itself up without a tiny bit of effort. I like achievements in single player games to help me track my progress in them or help me know which games I've finished before.

The Xen maps in this game were actually very fun and well made, probably better than the originals.

Deadlight

Nowadays this game probably gets zero recognition, and that is probably okay. For some reason I remember the marketing on this one as "Bringing back action sidescrollers with parkour and stuff." as the main selling point. Microsoft really liked this project of theirs at the time. This game went on sale years ago and I grabbed it for a few bucks and it sat in my library collecting e-dust until recently.

It's quite entertaining for what it is, it delivers what it promises and it's about 6-7 hours long for a single play through. I enjoyed it. I also started to take some screenshots around this time for fun.

Half-Life 2: Episode One

If you know about this website, you know about this game. I'm glad to report it's just as fun as you remember it and it holds up amazingly well in gameplay as well as graphics. Like all timeless game engines, you can turn this one up to 4K with no issues or extra patching and reap all the benefits.

Play through it again for nostalgia's sake and you won't regret it! Again, some screenshots.

Half-Life 2: Episode Two

Basically the exact same as the mini-review above, but with a different set of screenshots.

Half-Life 2: Episode Three

Lol, you fools.

Portal

Haven't played this in so long and I figured since I played through the other Valve series, I'd throw this one into the mix as well. Holds up very well, just as you remember it. Screens.

Art of Rally

This game is an absolute delight.

It's a tough game to get the hang of, but once you have it and you pair it with it's absolutely amazing soundtrack you can play for hours without noticing how much time has passed. The visuals, game engine, and overall aesthetic of the game is minimalist.

If you're into actual rally cars and racing there are many not-so-subtle nods to the sport and Easter eggs to unlock.

I'm not a controller guy, but this game does play better with a controller due to variable throttle control.

That's it for now! I'm just about done another game that I'll post up here once I actually finish it but I encourage some of you gamer nerds to share what you've been playing lately!

[Upbeatdown]

Furi

I've never really played a game quite like it. It's a singleplayer boss-rush with shoot-em-up/ bullet hell elements. You play was a mysterious figure known as "The Stranger". You've been locked up in a futuristic and elaborately designed prison whose sole purpose is to keep your character locked inside. The only way to escape imprisonment to kill each of the twelve jailers who reside in different layers of the prison to stop The Stranger from escaping.

The game's difficulty is designed to be unforgiving, demanding that you slowly master the games mechanics in the form of striking, dodging, parrying, and shooting in tandem with memorizing boss patterns and abilities. Overcoming the difficult challenges the game presents is very rewarding and cathartic, and really elevates the struggle The Stranger must go through with the odds so greatly stacked against him. Each of the jailers have distinct designs, personalities, abilities, and fight dynamics. As you progress through the layers of prison the player is fed little hints and details of the world and the event surrounding The Stranger's mysterious imprisonment.

This game is a true testament to the hidden power of the Unity engine. The world and characters are so beautifully designed. Fights are over the top displays of fluid and satisfying animations mingling with tense and tight weaving between waves of incoming bullets and beams. Moments between fights are spent taking in interesting environments showcases artfully by an incredibly well designed in-game camera.

It's currently on sale on Steam as of me creating this post for a very fair price. Please go check it out.

[Lupich]

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun

Glad to announce I have finally finished my first play through of this (le) gem, clocking in around 34 hours.

This game was quite a project actually. It's been a long time since a game has challenged me mentally in this way, there is a ton to keep track of at any given time. It's clear that the developers put a lot of time into each and every mission, the placement of every guard, stone, and patrol. There are dozens if not hundreds of ways to clear each level. Many you'd never think of until you stumble across accidentally and say "Oh crap, I could do that?!"

The game engine is a little dated but well suited for this style of game. The voice acting is hilariously bad with English voiceover, I would suggest playing it in original Japanese with subtitles enabled - Not a weaboo thing, the English voiceover is very cringy at times.

The storyline of the game actually kept me hooked throughout, even though I'd walk away from my computer in frustration at times I'd soon enough be back at it with a fresh perspective which counts for a lot in this game.

You can get this game for around $5-10 on sales. Steam store page: