Mega Man 11

• Genre: Action Platforming
• Time Played: 5+ Hours
• Too Short/Long: I played it probably somewhere between 5-10 hours, but my save where I actually saved/finished is under 5 hours. It's not that long, but I kinda wish there was more.
• Pleased/Disappointed: Pleased, at first I had a rough time, and put the game off for awhile, but eventually it clicked and I am happy with it, I just wish there was more to it.
• Why I played: All the Mega Man-esque games I've been playing lately and there was still one Mega Man game I haven't finished.
• Recommend to others: As much as I'd recommend any other Mega Man game. I would just make sure to emphasize what I wish was made a point to me. Items are very important in this game. I've gone most Mega Man games without every using Beat and Eddie or spike negation or really anything other than e-tanks and lives. It's not as easy to make it through this game without them.

I kind of just said above one of my reasons for putting this game off so long. When it came out, I tried a few different levels to start and was just getting wrecked. I even tried picking it up a week or so ago in the middle of other Mega Man-like games. It was all I could do to get through one level.

Turns out I had been approaching the game wrong. Items and upgrades just seem absolutely essential to this one. Once I realized that, abused the items as much as possible, the game was cake. Or at least, more like I expected it to be. It was still an appropriate Mega Man level challenge, generally.

There are some aspect that are just frustrating. I hate Bounce Man's level and there are a couple other sequences which just feel annoying. What I do appreciate, is how much many of the different powers in this game actually help you progress through the level, and in more than the fact they just attack different areas. Some robot master powers just feel essential at certain points outside bosses.

While there was a little bit of story, a little bit of fanservice for Mega Man history, I feel like it could have been way more. There could have been more story sequences, they could have fleshed out the robot masters a bit more. Where are Proto Man and Bass? Where is my Rush Armor? It just could have done more to feel like a modernized Mega Man, rather than just a modern graphic Mega Man.

Anyway, once I got the hang of it, abused items, really used the shit out of the gear system, it finally synced and ended up being a pretty good game. Also this was created for the 30th anniversary of Mega Man, and it's the 30th game I finished this year, and I finished it on the 30th day of the month. How about that.

Mighty Gunvolt Burst

• Genre: Action Platforming
• Time Played: 10+ Hours
• Too Short/Long: It's right for what it is, I only wish you didn't have to replay every level in order to collect everything, but I guess when levels only take 5 minutes it's not too bad.
• Pleased/Disappointed: Pleased.
• Why I played: Mega Man styled game, and guess I wanted to squeeze in another Inti Creates game.
• Recommend to others: Sure, if you're looking for a Mega Man styled game. The fanservice is mostly directed at people who like the other Inti Creates games, but it can be enjoyed on it's own, it's pretty quick paced and not too difficult.

Mighty Gunvolt Burst is everything that everyone who is still mad about Mighty Number 9 really wanted. I personally can't get over the fact that 7 years later I still hear people piss and moan about Mighty Number 9. It's not even a bad game, I'd even argue it's pretty good. BUT it made 3 million on it's kickstarter... so... people wanted it to be... better? Bigger? It was never intended to be. I feel like somehow people thought 3 million on Kickstarter meant it's going to be a AAA title. But it did take a few years to come out, hit a couple delays and Inti Creates made some other games to kinda supplement it. 

Honestly, I still do not see why or agree with any reasons I've seen people still in fumes about Mighty Number 9. In my eyes, the people mad about it just wanted... this. A game that hits all the nostalgia points and full of fanservice. Mighty Number 9 was new and too different, took too long, etc etc. And it was the early days of Kickstarter, 10 years ago, so I think they just expected too much. It's honestly a shame though, because while the Azure Striker games are alright - I think Mighty Number 9 would have made a way better series to have seen 5 games from at this point (Not counting this and sans Burst).

Mighty Gunvolt Burst is a cute and more fleshed out follow up to Mighty Gunvolt(both which have alternate titles for playstation under Gal Gunvolt, for some reason). Overall it has simplified mechanics, and a customizable weapon system that can easily make you OP. It's a fun and quick paced romp, since the levels are only like 10 minutes max, it's easy to pick up and play in a short... burst.

I've played a bunch, a little bit as each character at least, the game definitely doesn't take 10 hours to beat, maybe a couple tops, but I finally actually finished it on my Ray playthrough. I love Ray. She's basically mean Zero of Mighty Number 9.

Blaster Master Zero 2

• Genre: Action Platforming
• Time Played: 12 Hours
• Too Short/Long: About right, probably could have cut out the last bit to save an hour or two and felt a bit better. It was one of those games that you think it's over and it's not. Sometimes they put in really cool things after doing that, sometimes not so much. This was somewhere in the middle.
• Pleased/Disappointed: Pleased.
• Why I played: I like most Blaster Master games, and I guess I'm just on a roll with Inti-Creates games right now.
• Recommend to others: I would recommend the first Blaster Master Zero, and if you liked that, I would definitely say pick this one up too.

I don't think I have as much to say about this one. It was pretty good, and it's been far too long since I played the first Blaster Master Zero to really compare them by any means. I wanna say the art is better in this one, especially when compared to the on foot-sections, and the action of the on foot sections is more fun, but I think there may have been more variety in the previous? Either way, the game already offers plenty of variety in having the top-down sections and the side scrolling, and challenges for on-foot in the side-scrolling, and toward the end there is some stuff that mixes it up even more. Though I'm not sure the section played out was the most fun, it was kind of fun to revisit stuff in a different way.

One thing I really hope the next game has is some kind of a run on foot or turbo boost in the vehicle. Sometimes I just wanna go fast and this jumping tank just crawls along... like a tank. It jumps and flies and sticks to walls, it can have a boost button!

Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2

• Genre: Action Platforming
• Time Played: 4 Hours
• Too Short/Long: Too short, I was digging it, I would have been happier with a couple more levels, but I guess it's mostly the standard for the formula so I can't complain much.
• Pleased/Disappointed: Exceptionally pleased.
• Why I played: I wanted more after the previous one.
• Recommend to others: Keeping in line with the last two, it's hard to recommend without any prior interest in the series, but I do think this one is the most recommendable, especially since the story or mechanics barely requires and prior Gunvolt series knowledge.

Luminous Avenger iX 2 is just a better and more fun game than the last. My single gripe when compared to the previous is that I wish it let me do more than one dash into enemies when not in overdrive or anthem mode. Even just a double dash would have greatly improved the flow of gameplay. The combo system in the last game wasn't a bad idea, but it got very repetitive, so they more or less dropped the bullit system all together. I would have enjoyed it being in here as long as it wasn't the main reliance. If they come out with a third. I hope it finds that balance somewhere between the first and second game.

Otherwise it was better than the last in almost every way. Level design was more interesting and varied, as were bosses. Powers were more interesting/unique and did more than just be a strength against some of the main bosses, but sub-bosses, certain enemies, and certain environmental hazards. It didn't go all out, they could have utilized these effects even more, but it was a notable improvement.

Because of all of those improvements, gameplay was just generally more fun moment-to-moment. Story is "got sucked into alternate dimension" so Gunvolty weirdness in story and terms is not really there, and and some of the Gunvolty systems and mechanics are simplified, so it's overall just a more accessible game.

Gunvolt Chronicles Luminous Avenger iX

• Genre: Action Platforming
• Time Played: 5 Hours
• Too Short/Long: Just right.
• Pleased/Disappointed: Pleased the normal amount.
• Why I played: I was left wanting after Azure Striker Gunvolt 3.
• Recommend to others: Maybe, if someone specifically said "I played Gunvolt, is Luminous Avenger iX any good?" I would say, yeah, if you liked Gunvolt, you should play Luminous Avenger iX.

Luminous Avenger iX is a more or less abridged Gunvolt game. There is less story chatter, less character interactions, and more just right into the game stuff. It's a little easier to follow story wise even though there is much less there, but that's also not saying much considering the convoluted basis. I don't know if I would say it's a better game than Gunvolt 3, but it is a game I appreciated more for what it was. The level design was more built around the mechanics. Maybe not as varied as Gunvolt 3, but somehow seemed more fitting.

 
The combat is also less chaotic even though it still kinda flips what you know about Mega Man style games on their head. You're literally supposed to bounce off enemies to lock onto them so you can spam your homing attack and special movies and spend as much of the game hovering and airdashing as possible. I also want to mention that the power ups/upgrades are much better than Gunvolt 3, going for that more traditional special move based off each boss you can cycle through and each boss having a weakness to one of them(also, a resistance), and while these have energy bars, they auto refill pretty quickly so you can pretty much use them as much as you want without worrying about if you'll lose access to it when you need it. Something I don't entirely love about other similar games.

Overall it felt much better while also being more of a challenge and made for a mostly short and sweet romp.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3

• Genre: Action Platforming
• Time Played: 6.5 Hours
• Too Short/Long: Maybe about right? Maybe a bit short, but I feel like I must have left the game on for a bit, because it felt much shorter.
• Pleased/Disappointed: Neutralish.
• Why I played: I have played through the previous two Gunvolt games and a bit of Luminous Avenger.
• Recommend to others: Not particularly. I wouldn't recommend this one first, and even so the Gunvolt series is a bit weird in several aspects.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 is the first in the... specifically mainline series where you don't play as Gunvolt - entirely. You're mainly playing as Kirin, a new character in the distant future of the other Gunvolt games. Gunvolt is there, because story reasons, but he's mostly a dog except sometimes when you need an easy mode to get through obstacles or beat a boss. 

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

• Genre: Action
• Time Played: 38 Hours
• Too Short/Long: Too long, because you have to replay many missions at least 3 times to see everything, but just right... maybe too short if you were just fine with one ending and missing a good deal of content.
• Pleased/Disappointed: I'm super happy with this. I am of course super happy to see From Software making a mech game again, but it's also probably the best Armored Core.
• Why I played: I've always been an Armored Core fan and constantly lament to anyone who brings up Souls games to me that I missed the days when From Software made mech games. When they announced Armored Core 6 was coming after a decade of no mech games(when previously they would sometimes put out multiple a year). I was excited to say the least.
• Recommend to others: I don't think I have to. Due to From Software's newly found popularity as a developer(as in, since they stopped making Armored Core games), I think more people are playing this one than any prior. That said, it's still, at it's core, the same game. I like it a lot, but I don't think it's going to sway anyone who doesn't like mecha games, or didn't like an old Armored Core.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon is possibly the best Armored Core game, but it's still an Armored Core game, and they were never perfect before. The level design was possibly the best it's been in the series, but there is a certain lack of scale that makes sense in any sense of grounded reality. Everything is clearly to scale to the mechs, which means you never really have that "larger than life" feeling you generally want when piloting a mech. Sure, you can see some small details, like staircases, ladders, and cars(only very large military vehicles mind you), but every ladder leads to a platform no smaller than 4 football fields.

Off

• Genre: RPG
• Time Played: I was told it was going to be around 5 hours, there is nothing that tracks time in this game and since it has to be launched from an .exe rather than any launcher, there is nothing that tracked my time, but I would estimate closer to 15 hours.
• Too Short/Long: Definitely too long. 5 hours would have been way better.
• Pleased/Disappointed: I didn't really go in with any expectations, so I'm not disappointed, but I wasn't super into it even by the end.
• Why I played: My wife wanted me to.
• Recommend to others: I personally wouldn't recommend it to anyone, unless they are friends with my wife, so that she can talk to them about it.

Off has everything going against it, for me. I'm already highly critical of RPG maker games and I expected more from a game that my wife loved so much. Don't get me wrong, it had it's moments. Some cute cutaways, and minigames, and sometimes the writing or presentation was fun or interesting. But the battles were mostly looking away from the screen and pressing a as fast as possible. Because of the style of the game, I though more boss battles would have gimmicks, but they always came down to the same thing. Just like in many... many rpgs, status effects mean nothing(to bosses), and since there are no gimmicks, it's literally always just use the most powerful attack all the time. Elemental advantage even rarely came into play, sometimes doing less than a 5% increase in damage on something their profile specifically calls them out for being weak against, but it doesn't matter, because using the elemental advantage attack is still not as good as just using a regular stronger impact attack.

It just always came down to using hardest attack until running out of points to do so, then using regular attacks. Puzzles aren't too much better... for the most part. There were two or three I thought were neat or clever, but the vast majority are just "remember a thing" or "input the number placed in an annoying location".

That said, engaging combat, nor clever puzzles are the reason to play Off. It's the world/setting, which is basically a Nightvale-esque(predating that, I know) setting where things are just weird for the sake of being weird and things don't have a real explanation for being the way they are, you're just supposed to accept it. That's fine, and if you enjoy that, you'll find something to enjoy in Off.

Gravity Circuit

• Genre: Action Platforming
• Time Played: 5 Hours, 25 Minutes
• Too Short/Long: Some levels feel too long and drag, other than that, it's just about right.
• Pleased/Disappointed: A little disappointed only because it looked cooler than it was and I thought it was gonna have a bit more to it.
• Why I played: It looked like a very cool Mega Man-like game.
• Recommend to others: Not as a first pick. If someone has exhausted many other Mega Man-like games and wanted a list of decent ones, I might put it on there.

Gravity Circuit was perfectly serviceable, but nothing really stood out. I pretty sure I play most at least half-way decent Mega Man clones and it's not really the first I'd recommend. It keeps that nice and classic look, it's more or less, pretty polished, maybe even more polished than some games I'd recommend over it, but it just doesn't have that special something to stand out. Everything is just like, pretty good, sure.

One of the main mechanics is a grappling hook which isn't always utilized to it's fullest and doesn't always function as it seems it should. You get some powers that use a fairly limited stock of energy, but honestly for the most part you can kinda just stick with what you get at the beginning as they all perform some kind of "it does damage that is a little better than regular attacks". You also get some upgrades you can buy but you can only equip a few and they're all about the same price and equally available after the first couple levels. So most of the progression and rewards just don't really feel very rewarding and Kai(Gravity Circuit) pretty much feels the same in the last level as he does most the game.

It feels really cool at first, but then it's exactly the same for the rest of the game. That's the main thing preventing it from really standing out.

Void Stranger

• Genre: Puzzle Adventure
• Time Played: 61 hours.
• Too Short/Long: Too long... buuuut also it might be my own fault. If you want to see all the game has to offer it's too long. If you're fine with missing some content, it's probably not.
• Pleased/Disappointed: I was originally disappointed that System Erasure's follow up to ZeroRanger was going to be a puzzle game, I am no longer disappointed.
• Why I played: It might have been a long time til I played this game if not made by the same people who did ZeroRanger, which is one of my most favorite games in recent years. It being a puzzle game, but having cute style pixel art with big character drawings, I would have likely added it to my wish list, maybe bought it on sale and maybe gotten around to it some day. As I do for most game fitting the description.
• Recommend to others: This is a weird one. This is probably one of the games I've liked and played the most, I will recommend the least. While I think it's a great game, I find it very hard to recommend to anyone who wouldn't play it with dedication and determination. Not only are some of the puzzles ridiculously hard, but some of the secrets are extremely secret and it's the type of game you have to dig and dig at just to get a morsel of a reward for your effort.

Void Stranger is a puzzle game where you progress through levels by moving the floor tiles to get to the exit. You're often navigating through an otherwise bottomless pit and often have to avoid or manipulate monsters positions as well. The game does a good job at playing with and introducing layers to those mechanics, but on the surface level it's a pretty straightforward puzzle game. It's everything around the floor-to-floor puzzles that make the game really stand out.