Menty’s Breakdown (of Games)

CaptainWacky said:

I always wanted to play that, AND I'M NOT JUST SAYING THAT, but realistically life is short.

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I've been continuously thinking about the story for 27 years. I completed it in 1999 and it's been with me since. Masterpiece of a game but yes, too many things, too little time.

Meanwhile... Lots of complaints around 2k26 this year related to disgusting monetization for unlocks but it seems the core game is still very good. I won't be picking it up at full price though. I'll wait for a sale.

We do get entrance swaps every year now though which are kind of fun.

REST IN YEET


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One of the most fun things about No Mercy/Wrestlemania 2000 was editing everyone's appearance in the CAW so they look weird in the intro cutscenes.



Like imagine that, but everyone's wearing funny things. DAYS OF FUN.

ICONIC

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I’ve just finished Judgment (The Yakuza spin-offs) after about 45 hours, doing pretty much everything except the usual mahjong and shogi rabbit holes, plus all side cases and the Amon fight. And yeah… this is a really, really good game.

I was a bit hesitant going in. Coming straight off Yakuza 0, Kiwami 1, Kiwami 2, it’s hard to let go of Kiryu and Majima. New protagonist, new cast, it could have felt like a downgrade. It doesn’t. Yagami is immediately likeable and carries the game effortlessly. Same goes for the whole supporting cast. The detective agency crew, the wider circle, everyone feels properly fleshed out. I was invested very quickly, which surprised me a bit if I’m honest.

The story is the standout, no question. It’s basically a 45-hour detective crime drama that you play through, and it’s gripping pretty much the entire way. It’s got that classic Yakuza pulp energy, twists, turns, things getting increasingly messy, but it’s also more grounded and mature than I expected. The whole Alzheimer’s drug angle, the political mess surrounding it, the serial killer thread tying it all together… it’s handled really well. I was guessing right up to the end, and the payoff actually lands. It all comes together in a way that feels coherent, which is not always a guarantee with this series.

That said, it’s not flawless. The detective mechanics are easily the weakest part of the game. Tailing missions in particular are just mediocre. Some of the investigation stuff is very basic as well, more “click the obvious clue” than actual detective work. It never really evolves. It doesn’t come close to ruining the game, but it definitely feels like the part they couldn’t quite crack.

Outside of that, though, it’s still a Yakuza game at heart. Combat’s fun, Kamurocho is as enjoyable as ever, and there’s plenty of side content and general madness to get stuck into. It might be a bit less unhinged than Yakuza 0 in places, but it still has those moments where it just goes completely off the rails in the best way.

Overall, the story absolutely carries it. One of the best narratives I’ve seen in this series so far, easily and it actually sticks the landing.

I've heard that some of the less interesting game mechanics have been totally revamped for the sequel Lost Judgement so I'm really looking forward to playing that in the near future although I usually take a short breather from the series in-between games. I have a lot of other games to mop up at the moment. Expedition 33 and Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader are both in their third acts so I'll invest back into them for the time being.

Still not buying it until it's on sale but the new ragdoll physics and Booker on commentary got me interested in this years edition can't lie

AWWWWWWW, SHUCKY DUCKY QUACK QUAAAAAAAAAACK!

lol if he had said 'the opposite sex' today he'd be canceled lol

Considering we're all waiting for the loooong awaited new DLC announcement this has to win the April Fools attempt for me

It's uncanny

Some new shots from the upcoming Fable.

Every village has that neighbour... The one who won't stop banging on about their massive turnip. In Silverbrook, that neighbour is Dave. Your choices determine how his story ends.

Peter Molyneux on the new Fable: "I thought the casting of Richard [Ayoade]...was perfect, making him obsessed about vegetables was very Fable.""My hopes are high."

#Fable #FableTheGame

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@Mentalist didn't you use to play League?

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Seph said:

@Mentalist didn't you use to play League?

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I tried it and it wasn't for me.

I have just wrapped up a little point and click pallete cleanser I've been playing between larger titles I'm working through.

The Drifter








Really good title. Excellent story, atmosphere, and voice acting. Doesn't overstay its welcome and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Did the 100% achievement run as well.

Highly recommended!

Expelled!



Another indie masterpiece from Inkle, who I’ve been a very big fan of since their breakout hit 80 Days.

Expelled! is basically the companion piece to Overboard!, Inkle’s earlier “whodunnit where you’re the one whodunnit.” In Overboard!, you play as a wicked socialite who murders her husband on an ocean liner in 1935, then has to get away with it by manipulating everyone on board in your favour. I’m still working through the final achievement list on that one, despite having rolled credits, so I’m posting out of sequence here because I’ve just wrapped the 100% on Expelled!

This one takes place in 1922, at a girls’ boarding school, and the fact I didn’t catch what links Expelled! and Overboard! for far too long is shame on me, to be honest. I was genuinely shocked for a moment when it finally clicked.

ANYWAY, this game is bloody good.

You play as Verity Amersham, or at least you play through Verity’s account of events, and she is very much not what you’d call a reliable narrator. Possibly criminally insane. Possibly demonic. As Verity, you have to manipulate the situation in your favour, and it is quite the situation: a girl has gone through the library’s stained-glass window, and you are the prime suspect.

The real trick is that even though you are playing as Verity, you can’t entirely trust Verity. So you do run after run, trying different routes, different lies, different alliances, different bits of blackmail, and slowly the true shape of the story starts to coalesce. It's very well done.

There’s also a brilliant little morality system where becoming more evil actually opens up more options as you get deeper into the game.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this one, and I’ll definitely be going back to Overboard! to finish up the 100% there too. I’m just sad there hasn’t been a third game announced yet. Expelled! only came out in March 2025, though, so maybe we’ll get lucky and this becomes a proper little trilogy.

Big recommendation. Top notch.









Managed to get the perfect day achievement in under 30 attempts. Pretty good I'd say.