I picked up Lil’ Guardsman and Infinity Nikki to try out.

8. Caravan SandWitch (PS5)

An open world exploration game in Caravan SandWitch you drive around on a run-down planet where a big corporation has exploited all its resources. You go around exploring the different areas, helping out the various residents of the community, and trying to solve the mystery of your missing sister. It's a very chill open world game with similar vibes to Lake (but you can move faster, LOL). It's got some nice lore and I really enjoyed seeing the plot to its end. It has a little bit of jank to it but for a small team it has a ton of charm and this is probably the game on my list I've seen the least people talk about.

7. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (PS5)

A spiritual successor to the Suikoden series developed by the creator of the original series who unfortunately passed away shortly before this game was released. I only ever played the first Suikoden game but I loved it and this game definitely brought back those memories. Eiyuden Chronicle is a turn based RPG with over 100 recruitable party members, really fun base building, and engaging side content. Obviously when you are working with a cast that big not everyone is going be a homerun but they did a great job making the majority of them interesting and fun to learn about and interact with. I also enjoyed how they regularly have you split between different teams of characters which forced you to take in to battle characters you normally wouldn't have chosen. It's definitely a time commitment but if you are looking for a classic JRPG experience this was one of the best one's I played in awhile.

This seems right up my gaming alley these days.

I'm out of state for a couple days so I'll get the rest posted when I get back.

Same. I liked Lake so I was price-checking Caravan yesterday ($20 on PS, not on Xbox).

$18.74 on Steam.

Wow, I've added 5 to my wishlist so far (Tales of Kenzara: Zau, Epic Mickey, Caravan, Neva, & Still Wakes the Deep) and have two others in the unplayed pile (Zelda & Prince of Persia).

If anyone else is interested an any of these like me:

Tales of Kenzara: Zau : is on sale on PS5, Xbox & Switch for $10 (50% off) until 1/7
Disney's Epic Mickey Rebrushed : $30 (50% off) on Switch, full price on PSN & Xbox
Caravan Sandwitch : $20 (20% off) on Switch & PSN, not available on Xbox
Neva : $16 (20% off) on Switch & Xbox, full price on PSN
Still Wakes the Deep : full price on PSN, $23 on Xbox (free on GP), not available on Switch

Still Wakes the Deep is excellent. My only complaint was the motion blur, but it was fine after I turned that off.

From his mention, I ended up downloading and beating Gris today. Fun little game.

Yeah I usually turn that off and head bob off when given the option.

6. Dave the Diver (came out on PC & Switch in 2023 but not PS4/5 until 2024 which is when I played it)

I feel like this game got talked about enough last year so I won't spend too much time but the core gameplay split of spending half your day underwater exploring and catching fish and then at night running your restaurant was really addictive. I really like the visual style and characters had a ton of personality. I would have had this way higher most likely but it starts to drag at about the half way point in the plot and goes on for way too long in my opinion. 25-30 hours was my final playtime and that was with some side quests completed but the repetitiveness of the diving sections started to wear on me and I really just stuck around for the restaurant management part by the end of it. Because of that I didn't check out any of the DLC but with enough distance I'll probably play the new one they announced for 2025.

5. Silent Hill 2 (PS5)

For some reason I assumed I had played the original Silent Hill 2 but after playing this remake I am sure I never did and I only ever played the original SH1 and then some of the Xbox 360 sequels. I wasn't sure what to expect out of this remake since the developers previous work has been hit or miss but the fantastic early reviews had me more excited and it blew away my expectations. I've really enjoyed all of the Resident Evil remakes they've done but this update is far superior to those and never would have expected to say that. This is a genuinely creepy game with some really disgusting creatures/bosses in it. The voice acting is top notch and really helps you get invested in the storyline even with all its weird twists and turns. There are not a lot of supporting characters but the few you do encounter are all really fleshed out. The core combat and movement feel really good and the puzzles are just the right amount of challenging. Hopefully with the success of this we get some more remakes in this franchise or even a new game.

i love that i have many of these games already. never could say that about past years. of course, i buy anything in sight and don't play so it was bound to happen. anyway keep 'em coming Quest!

My daughter has been playing Silent Hill 2 as she recovers from her broken leg (I bought it for her the day after her accident) and just finished it last night. She loved it. I plan to play it once she (finally) leaves and I get my PS5 back.

4. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (PS5)

I'm pretty sure I mentioned back when I talked about volume 1 of this trilogy of FFVII remakes that I never made it more than half way probably of the original FFVII back on the PlayStation and most of what happens in this game I didn't remember. Because of that I don't have the nostalgia that some have for the original. So going into this pretty much fresh I had a great time with and found it to be quite a big upgrade from the first volume. Rebirth takes the series in a far more open world direction with a boatload of side quests but thankfully it is really well done and I couldn't get enough of the game. The graphics, voice acting and score are both some of the best of the year with a lot of surprisingly funny and goofy moments. These characters are really well known in the Final Fantasy universe and for good reason with a varied group who all feel like distinct individuals and some of the best party dynamics in a JRPG. My only real negatives is the final chapter or two were definitely my least favorite in the game including the final boss battle but not enough to drag down my enjoyment of the game. Looking forward to getting to play the final part of the trilogy hopefully before 2030!

3. Astro Bot (PS5)

We've definitely talked enough about Astro Bot in the game thread but this is an incredibly polished 3D platformer and one of the best of the modern era in that genre (Super Mario Odyssey still my #1). This game is insanely fun to play, looks incredible, and has amazing sound design. My only real negative is seeing them celebrate all these classic Sony franchises and characters knowing that Sony hasn't done anything with most of them in 15+ years and even with the success of Astro Bot they probably still won't. The Ape Escape section made me really want a new game with modern hardware.

2. Crypt Custodian (PS5)

One of the more underrated indies of the year in Crypt Custodian you play as a cat who has died and who is sent to the underworld to be its janitor. Another game made by one person this metroidvania is very cute and heartwarming. It's top down/isometric presentation along with unique art style makes it stand out from the traditional side scrolling that usually is part of the genre but it also mixes in bullet hell sensibilities for the combat. The level design is very creative and fun to explore with interesting characters and sometimes heartbreaking backstories from the friends and enemies you meet along the way. The plot is tightly paced and it's shorter runtime keeps you engaged the whole way through. Can't recommend this enough!

Crypt Custodian looks like it has some Death’s Door vibes, a game I adore, so no complaints here. I’ll definitely be checking that one out.

…and bought. That makes 3 new gems via Quest.

1. Metaphor: ReFantazio (PS5)

There was no question this was going to be my runaway favorite game of the year like 20 hours into it. Which is crazy for a game by a developer I had never played games for before (the Persona series) and a title I had zero interest in until release and I saw some reviews about the plot that piqued my interest. Probably my favorite storyline and message of any JRPG I've ever played. Every character in this game is a delight and all the side quests/bonding you do with them are some of the highlights of the game. The UI and menus are stylistically wonderful to look at and a vast change from your standard JRPG. There is a calendar element (which is what put me off trying the Persona series) but it is very lenient and I ended up with way more than enough time to do everything before the endgame. The music is another highlight with some wacky melodies along with more serious numbers. I enjoyed pretty much every minute of the 80 or so hours I spent in this world and highly recommend this to any JRPG fans. Time marches on, and the age of a new king draws nearer...

Cool. I bought Metaphor for my son for Christmas. He loved Persona 5, played it several times and only wanted this. I'll check it out once he goes back to college.

You keep his games when he goes to college

I bought Metaphor. I've been wanting to play a RPG and it's on sale for $49.99. You've gotta play Persona 5 if you like Metaphor. Persona 5 is an amazing game and the calendar with the Royal version it's a lot more lenient than the standard version.

He doesn't have a PS5 in his dorm.room.