Games I played in January:

Yakuza: Like A Dragon - PS5
SpoilerI had a fantastic time with this game throughout 2024, and finished it at the beginning of January. It's the first Yakuza game I have completed, and it's made me want to go back and play the earlier games. I obviously I gotta try out Infinite Wealth

Metaphor: ReFantazio - PS5
SpoilerI played a few hours of this and it didn't really grab me. I completed the prologue, but haven't been back to it since. I knew nothing about it beyond the fact that it was essentially fantasy Persona and that some people regard it as one of the best rpgs of recent years. But I couldn't gel with the medieval setting and I swear if I hear thou or thy one more time, I am going to rip my ears off. Maybe it's because I live in the UK, but knights and castles aren't fantastical enough for me, because I can walk into any museum and see them. I want my fantasy to actually be fantastical. Anyway, I will come back to it eventually, but not anytime soon

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered - PS4
SpoilerI'm not entirely sure what inspired me to play this, but I had fun revisiting my first ever Final Fantasy. It's hilariously easy now that I'm not a kid, but I still love the characters and setting. There are so many memorable set pieces in this game, and I look forward to them all. I've taken a break for now but I will pick it back up again

There Is No Game - Android
SpoilerAn entertaining narrator-driven game that I enjoyed my time playing. It was pretty humorous and although simple, it kept my attention for the evening it took to finish it. I don't often play mobile games, but I am glad I found this one

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe - PS5
SpoilerAfter playing 'There Is No Game' I wanted another narrator-driven experience and as luck would have it, The Stanley Parable was recently added to PSPlus. I have played the original before and had a fun time with it. This version isn't massively different, but the new additions made me chuckle. Who knew there was so much fun to be had with a bucket. I played it for the majority of a day and got as many endings as I could. A fun experience that definitely scratched an itch

Astro's Playroom - PS5
SpoilerWith all the hype surrounding Astro Bot, I decided that I should finally get around to playing Astro's Playroom. I had dabbled in it when I first got my PS5, but never put any real time into it. I had a lot of fun with this and played through till I got the Platinum, which didn't take long. It's a fun nostalgia trip that has a lot of charm. I'll definitely play Astro Bot at some point when it drops in price.

Tales of Arise - PS5
[spoiler]After becoming frustrated by Metaphor ReFantazio I decided to try another jrpg series. I have dabbled in the 'Tales of' series in the past, with 'Graces F' and 'Abyss' but have never really stuck with them despite really enjoying 'Graces F'. Well this entry grabbed me right away and I have played about 8 hours or so. The combat is fun, and the art style appeals to my sensibilities. So far the two leads seem well acted, and I'm eagerly looking forward to playing more

Assassin's Creed Valhalla - PS5
SpoilerI have Assassin's Creed Shadows on pre-order, and I was feeling bad about not having finished the previous titles, so I decided to give Valhalla another chance. I previously put 20+ hours into the game, but was frustrated by the stamina system and pointless bird mechanic. I am playing from the beginning on super baby difficulty, which makes the combat feel a lot more like the PS3 titles. That is A-okay with me, as I hated the combat the first time I played the game. I've only just reached the title screen (typically about 5 hours into an Assassin's Creed game), but I am in no real rush, as Shadows isn't out for a while.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - PS5
SpoilerI got jealous of all the PC fans posting their screenshots and experiences of the game online and decided to replay this fantastic game. It was easily my favourite game of last year, and truthfully it has become my favourite game of all time. I am about 12 hours or so into it and having just as much fun as the first time round. Having an open world adventure where I never even have to look at the map or quest markers is such a breath of fresh air. I love wandering the environment, and being organically led to quests by the level design and visual cues. Rebirth to me is two games in one. You have the main story-focused nostalgia trip, and you also have an entirely optional open-world adventure game added on for free. I love both these elements and will realistically play this game through to completion again

I'm about 4 hours into Metaphor: ReFantazio and so far, so Persona. It's basically indistinguishable. Which isn't a bad thing. I'm not generally a fan of traditional fantasy settings, but I'll see how I get on.

Finally finished this game after many a hiatus. Playtime was around 70 hours. I had so much fun with this game and it has easily made it into my list of favourite rpgs. Kasuga is such a likeable character, and the endless silliness is punctuated by some really engaging melodrama. I've only ever played a few hours of Yakuza 1, and 3, so I think it is high time I explored this series properly. I'm going to start with Yakuza: Kiwami and see how I get on from there. A fantastic game.

Creature Commandos, while enjoyable, falls a bit flat at times. I had fun with the series, and the characters are great. Phosphorus and Bride are my favourites. Like most DC projects, it all falls apart at the end. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and see if the plot threads are picked up in any future projects. But if this is a one-and-done storyline, then it's actually one of James Gunn's weaker works. Overall I would rank it a 7.5/10

Individual episodes from best to worst:

#1 - Episode 4: "Chasing Squirrels"
#2 - Episode 6: "Priyatel Skelet"
#3 - Episode 3: "Cheers to the Tin Man"
#4 - Episode 2: "The Tourmaline Necklace"
#5 - Episode 1: "The Collywobbles"
#6 - Episode 7: "A Very Funny Monster"
#7 - Episode 5: "The Iron Pot"

I'm 8 years late to the party, but bringing in Arthur Darvill to essentially play a Doctor Who caricature is inspired casting. As a fan of the Tennant/Smith era Doctors, I got pretty giddy when Rip Hunter appeared on screen. Seeing Rory Williams swanning around in a duster coat being a "Time Master" caused me to almost leap out my seat in glee.