JDubYes

You saying about the neckbreaker, I only worked out how to suplex in the last two hours of the campaign! I’d known there were “combos”, but I spent all game kicking people mainly, because I normally aim for the head, so the first time Leon grabbed someone and made like Zangief I was almost startled…

I might dabble in Mercs for a bit then, then start Separate Ways and see how I get on. Can’t imagine it’s too long, so it’d be nice to see it all before I move on to something else.

I restarted, as I twigged how to get one of the trophies slightly too late during my first playthrough, and had a lot of fun blasting through the village with my tuned-up weapons.

Also, getting all the bottle caps nearly drove me insane.

Part of me wants to move on, but I will give Mercenaries a go, I think, and might try Separate Ways too, undecided so far.

I wasn’t going to replay the tank control games, but I’m getting tempted now. I’ve already taken one unplanned detour…

Picross S+
Holedown
Luck Be a Landlord
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
Azure Striker Gunvolt
Ball x Pit
Resident Evil

Resident Evil 4

After I’d finished REmake, I stuck MHWilds on, as I’d thought I was done with it (until the expansion), but the final Title Update brought with it a new Greatsword, and seeing as I’d made all the others, it felt churlish not to go back and make the newest and prettiest one. Weirdly though, I found I tried to control my Hunter like a Resident Evil character, and that gave me an idea..

For context, I’d tried to play RE4 twice before, and I’m not sure I’d ever made it to the castle. Not because I was stuck, I just… stopped playing. The first time was on the PS2, and I liked it, it just didn’t quite click. The second time was years later, and I couldn’t get on with it after years of getting used to how third person game controls had evolved in its wake.

So yes, basically I finally played anf finished one of the most beloved and critically-lauded games of all-time because of muscle memory.

I get it now, too. It’s dated in several noticeable but inconsequential ways, and is so, so brown at times. It’s also brilliant. Just excellent. As much as it’s a shame it’s taken me so long to get it, I’m also sort of happy that I really got to do the ‘playing it again for the first time’ that people always talk about.

If I had to criticise it… it’s maybe a tiny bit too long? I’d nearly had enough by the end, and then the final hour or so was so much fun again that I stopped minding. I took my time, and my time was just over 20 hours, which isn’t really that long for most games, but is for a Resident Evil game. Replays can and will fly by though, I’m sure.

So then. One of my favourite games ever made. Finally.

I did consider going XBOX again earlier this gen, but I still can’t get access to my old account, irritatingly. It is now (horrifyingly) almost two decades since I had an XBOX, so I don’t expect to be able to resolve that anytime soon either.

I’ve now happily settled into the Sony and Nintendo ecosystems, and adore both my PS5 and Switch 2, so I’m happy enough without. Also, while I appreciate that none of these companies are exactly saintly, I’m unwilling to give Microsoft any money at all at the moment, given their role in current events, so for the time being I remain unmoved.

Picross S+
Holedown
Luck Be a Landlord
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
Azure Striker Gunvolt
Ball x Pit

Bonus on Ball x Pit, as I did carry on my PS5 save, and ended getting the Platinum. Great little game, and I was both pleased and scared to hear it’s getting an iOS port this month too.

Resident Evil

Yes, the first one. Or its remake, at least.

I love this series, but there are probably more games I haven’t played than have. I also haven’t played most of the more recent games, or the remakes, because I said I would do them in order, and kept not playing (or getting into) REmake, which sort of prevented that.

I’ve been a font of Resi knowledge for years, but what became apparent during my playthrough with Jill was… I’d never finished this before. Any version of it. At some point I just stopped remembering and started discovering. I played RE2 - my favourite game ever, at the time - to death, and went through RE3 (I think), so I thought I’d done all of the PS1 games. Nope.

So yes, that took 30 (or 24) years. Worth it though. Absolutely fantastic game. Dated, but still wonderful. I’m not sure I have the patience for RE0 or Code Veronica, but otherwise I can now finally move on with the series. Unlike last time I tried, this isn’t even a REplay anymore, as I’ll mainly be doing remakes and/or games I’ve never played before, at least for a few games, unless I take one little detour first…