That's how it goes sometimes

Aww I don't really like candy corn but these are adorable and I'd eat them

21. Dark Deity 2

Way better gameplay than the first. Maps have interesting objectives / fog / etc. Ability/ring systems give some cool sense of progression. A better general narrative.

But, trying not to be hyperbolic, one of the worst protags ever. Sucked a huge chunk of my enjoyment out of it

20. Dark Deity

This game was just 'ok'. The story was fine if a little bland, the maps are open without a lot of intricacies. The weapon token system was a bit strange. The bones of a ok game are there, but it feels more like a prototype than anything. Best thing going for it was the character art.

19. Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Not sure what can be said that hasn't already been said widely... Falcom could have easily compromised a Sky FC remake in so many ways, but they didn't, they nailed it. It felt faithful to the original such that it felt like I had already played it, in a good way!

18. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

Filled in a big gap in my play history by completing Oblivion for the first time! Enjoyed my time with it, but I can definitely see the "scaling" criticisms from 20 years ago. Lots of very-samey locations, and I wasn't feeling the expansion area at all.

17. Drova: Forsaken Kin

Tried this on strong word of mouth...it has a lot going for it! Seen it compared to Morrowind/Gothic...only comparison I have is Elex, but I see it. Fun quest design, unforgiving but rewarding world, story hiccups are the only things holding it back from being a no-doubter.

16. The First Berserker: Khazan

I'm proud of this one! I managed to beat it on Expert with no summons. I looked up every guide on the internet and overleveled for the final boss... but still! Excellent bosses, kinda mid everything else. It's a pretty self-confident game, the best kind of "7/10".

15. Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time

I respect this game a lot. It's endlessly surprising and feels like 3 games in one with how much is packed in. However, I ended up bouncing off of it (though I did finish it). It's a bit of a "fill the bars" experience that I didn't gel with at the time.

14. System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster

I'm glad I set aside a small amount of time for this. Easy to see how this game was one that inspired so many others that came after it. Seems highly replayable in a way that similar games today often aren't. I should play more immersive sims..

13. Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon

An ambitious but rough game. I was not expecting to vibe with the alternate-Arthurian mythos at all, but I came around to like it a lot! The UI underwent a major change and a lot of voice acting was added mid-playthrough, which made it feel very early-access.

Ah the online pass era..

Just now saw this article Paul, made me tear up a little too.

Unsurprisingly, E33 has a pretty strong presence in artist alley. And a Metaphor sighting! Also, Hazbin Hotel is everywhere...

RIP

Rpgsite thought pretty highly of it!

Starting***!!