What are you all playing?

Starcraft II run since I now have a CPU to play the new "Legacy of the Void."

Going strong with NG2 Mentor! Chapters 7 and 8 were a breeze. Meanwhile...

Lara Croft Go (PC): I'm still going on with my Tomb Raider marathon. This one was very short (already finished) but pretty nice: I played the pc version, but I can see how this would be a very pleasing game to have on a phone/tablet. It's very similar to Monument Valley, one of the best mobile games around. It's a puzzle, turn-based game that strips TR to its most basic elements while doing an excellent work at that. Lara pulls levers, steps on pressure plates, runs from boulders, kills all the wildlife just to piss PETA off... It's all there. Albeit in a completely different genre and gameplay style, this game feels more closely related to the Core Design classics than any of the modern ones. Except for the unlockable extra chapter (which is just mean), none of the puzzles are too demanding and I don't think I ever got stuck in any of them, which is a great feat, as I suck at puzzles.

Momodora: Reverie under the moonlight (PC): I just love this series. This 4th entry is impressively well made and there's a huge jump in quality since the last one. It has very well done pixel graphics (think of something on a level between 16-32-bit) and a great combat system. Highly recommended.

Mega Man ZX (NDS): While Mega Man Zero tried to introduce a few Metroid-like elements to Mega Man, this is the game that fully realized that. I do like it, but it has a lot of strange design choices. The map makes absolutely no sense and doesn't help you at all, which is terrible in this genre. Also, while the entire map is connected, the game still has a structure based on levels (the missions you choose), and those two things just to not work well together. You can be exploring an area, just to later discover you have to go through it again because now you're doing a mission - so your first exploration just feel like lost time. I would have much preferred if there was an open hub to explore while the missions sent you to new areas - proper levels. Or something like Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, which has separated areas that are still somewhat open for exploration. But it's still Mega Man, so the shooting and platforming is still top-notch. I think the Sequel, ZX Advent, might have solved some of these problems, but I haven't tried it yet.

Hey, I finally finished Ninja Gaiden 2 on Mentor!

My impressions are largely the same as before: this game is not nearly as good as NG Black... But it's still a NG game, so it's well above other character action games out there - I do think it's only real competitors in the last generation are Bayonetta, Metal Gear Rising and NG Razor's Edge. The first noticeable problem with NG 2 is technical: the framerate drops in a lot of places to the point that you'll miss the necessary timing to do your moves; also, it's one of the few 360 games I have that crashes somewhat often (and it's installed on the HD, which is supposed to alleviate that). The level design is filled with invisible walls, which is just annoying, and is generally a step down from the more open levels present in Black. Also, it was a terrible decision to give ranged attacks to every single enemy in the game: it's just distracting when you're trying to hit someone while all the other enemies are throwing shit that explodes in your direction.

Some levels alleviate most of these problems and were a blast to play - in particular, levels 5-6-7. Level 7 was the very best in the game, both for having a nice design (it's the flying fortress), mostly melee-based enemies and no framerate problems (as there are no exploding projectiles to bring the game performance down). Then level 8 brings back the incendiary-shuriken ninjas and introduces those guys that shoot a bunch of missiles in your direction, which sucks.

All things considered, I still had a great time playing it. By the last levels, I got really good at it, so beating some of the later fights on the first try gives a seriously great feeling.

I also finished Momodora: Reverie under the moonlight, and just wow. This is a seriously good 2d game. It's rare to see a Metroid-style game with so much focus on combat and good platforming, but this one has it. Also, the story is just so well told: every character leaves a long lasting impression. The atmosphere itself is very bleak, which goes very well along with the gothic style of the game (is certainly much more bleak than most Castlevanias, being more akin to Castlevania 2 or, as much as I hate using it as an example, the Souls series). There's also a lot of incentive for replaying the game, with harder dificulties, an achievement for playing it mostly as a pacifist (only beating bosses) and various items that you'll only get by beating bosses without being hit - something that is only fun to try on a second playthrough.

It seems the game will get a PS4 release soon. I can't recommend this game enough. I'll just post a trailer for anyone not convinced yet:

fsfsxii - Yep, even if I personally haven't liked DMC4 a lot, it's certainly one of the most respectable action games from the last generation, so it definitely counts.

I think I'll only try Master Ninja in NG 2 after going through MN in NG Black, as I far prefer that game. But I seriously doubt I'll have the will to do this in 2017, I still remember NG Black's very hard mode bringing me close to tears!

Oh mate, don't be mean, tell us about that frame exploit!

I would have all of them for MGS4, but I completed all the stuff, including Big Boss Extreme, years ago before they had trophies. I have no desire to do all of that again.  (not meant as a humble brag, but going through Big Boss Extreme again is not something I would enjoy).

scipioafricanus I totally understand. Although legacy wise it seems worth it if you have the skills to do it. Not many people can do those for Guns Of The Patriots.

Cervantes I wonder how similar the achievements are to the tropgies, my guess is that they are fairly similar. About S ranks, I feel that's what makes the plat for Devil May Cry 4 so precious as not many can do that.

Sucks for Scalebound that got cancelled. It looks like it was going to be a good game.