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Fantastic OP as usual although Veeg beating Genichiro phase 3 first time while getting every lightning reversal perfect should be in the section for whatever month that was
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Dec 12, 2021 22:24
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Speaking as a non-FFXIV player separating the expansions doesn’t really seem to me to make any sense at all?
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Dec 18, 2021 13:06
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The few of you posting your lists in ascending order are freaks haven’t you ever heard of SUSPENSE
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Dec 19, 2021 06:11
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Forgotten City is so good and will definitely be in my top 10
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Dec 22, 2021 18:51
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drat that’s a loving good list. Really glad you loved Cyberpunk even if you hated Panam like an IDIOT I might be mistaking you for another goon, apologies if so
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Dec 23, 2021 01:12
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I wanna try and do Echoes of the Eye before I make my list except I think I might be working every day of the year after I get back home so we’ll see
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Dec 24, 2021 12:10
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I’m a big fan of those NFTs
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Dec 25, 2021 00:05
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I got my rota and there’s definitely no way I’ll be able to give Echoes of the Eye the time it deserves after Christmas AND write this list so here goes. I’m gonna rank every game I played this year because 1. I didn’t play many and 2. to beat Veeg to it muahahahaha etc!!!!! EotE wasn’t the only thing I missed or didn’t manage to complete this year, such as Disco Elysium, an incredible game that I make into homework with my completionist tendencies, or Blasphemous, which is unbelievably rad. That being said, I did manage to get through a lot of really great stuff this year, many recommended to me by the gang in the PS5 thread who are the best! but also suck! I love them! the shitheads. Not the list: 19. Assassins Creed Valhalla (2020) Big step down from Odyssey, gorgeous but ultra boring, chasing those loving flying bits of paper is horrible 18. Maquette (2021) Super cool concept but the puzzles get old fast and the writing is godawful 17. Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania (2021) Did they gently caress with the physics engine or am I just old and broken-handed now? Either way I enjoyed playing as Kiryu for a bit and then put it down. 16. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (2020) I’ve talked enough poo poo about this game over the past year so I’ll just say it is essentially the dictionary definition of Not For Me, and I’m a little disappointed I let goon hype trick me into buying something I was quite sure I wouldn’t enjoy. That Yakisoba Pan guy fuckin ruled though ——— THIS IS WHERE THIS CROSSES OVER INTO “STUFF I LIKED” ——— 15. KID A MNESIA EXHIBITION (2021) This was a really cool way to spend a couple hours. So much beautiful weird poo poo. Unfortunately I’m not much of a Radiohead fan so the bit where it made me listen to three of their songs in a row put me off a bit and I’m always gonna rank actual games over ‘interactive experiences’ and poo poo 14. Doki Doki Literature Club! (2017) Why would I buy ANOTHER visual novel after bouncing off 13 Sentinels so hard? Am I a loving idiot? Luckily this one was way better and a great subversion of the genre. Very creepy and fun. 13. Ratchet & Clank (2016) This was my first R&C and I didn’t realise just how little platforming it would actually have. It was still good overall, but there was definitely massive room for improvement, ANYWAY TO BE CONTINUED 12. Final Fantasy VII (1997) This was a very mixed experience. I truly detested every second of actually playing this game. Even with all the cheats the ports have, I found it to be a miserable slog. I hate turn-based combat, which obviously doesn’t help, and so many other mechanics are so dated that basically every part about handling the controller made me….I mean, saying it made me miserable is hyperbolic, but not as much as you might think. HOWEVER. The story and the characters are so loving phenomenal that I still had a great time because it was so interesting and enjoyable to follow. It’s very easy to see why this was a classic pretty much as soon as it dropped, and I cannot wait to see how future instalments of the remake deal with so many fantastic scenes and locations. 11. Deathloop (2021) twist!!!!!!!!! I really didn’t expect this to miss out on the top 10. There’s so much to love about it, from the amazing characters and voice acting to the dense and interesting locations, while the central gimmick and multiplayer elements were so so so fun. Unfortunately, as you’ve already read from others, it ends up quite underwhelming. It’s a killer game, but I feel like there’s not enough of it, and the ending was real bad. But I’ll definitely be going back and checking out Arkane’s previous games when I have the chance. THE LIST: 10. Metro Exodus (2019) The last game I completed in 2021, after over two years on my to-play list, did not disappoint. An extremely emotional and engaging story and a great variety of interesting locations to explore. The two highlights of this game are: 1. exploring the open world areas, which all have their own fascinating stories and areas and 2. spending time with my best friends the train gang!!!!!!!! Although there are some elements of the game I have some pretty major issues with (guys, if you want to make a stealth game, just make one. don’t hide any kind of good ending behind being stealthy and then not hint towards it at all.), the overall experience was really absorbing and I loved all of these characters by the end. 09. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021) Well, here’s that improvement I was talking about. Rift Apart improves on its predecessor in every way - it has more fun platforming, the levels are better, the weapons are better, the story is far more interesting, and those graphics!!!!! Some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, literally a playable AAA animated feature at times. I was enjoying using and upgrading all the weapons so much that I actually played this twice in a row. The only other time I’ve ever done that is with The Last of Us Part II. Talk about good company! 08. NieR Replicant ver.1.numbersnumbersnumbers (2021) I almost feel like I’m betraying this game by not putting it higher!! Automata is in my top 10 games of all time and in many ways this is its equal, and in one way in particular - the characters - it surpasses it. The characters in this game are so loving insanely good and they broke my heart. The story is also just as bizarre and emotional, and with the addition of Ending E comes very close to equaling Automata. Unfortunately I can’t bring myself to place this higher because of how lacking the gameplay can be, and how much more tiresome it is to replay long sections than it is in the sequel. I’m sorry Yoko Taro I still love you!!!!! 07. Bowser’s Fury (2021) This is an extremely short game, but it packs so much love and joy into every single second. I adored this open world style, and if this was proof of concept for a future Mario game I really hope they go in that direction. Classic all-timer Nintendo design means getting every single shine, or whatever they were, was super fun, and the kaiju fight sections were a blast too even if they did tank the framerate. Not a lot more to say here; it’s fuckin Mario, y’know? 06. Metroid Dread (2021) I’ve played a significant amount of other Metroids but this is the first one where I’ve gotten all the way to the end. MercurySteam absolutely knocked it out of the park with gorgeous fluid gameplay, excellent level design, and the perfect level of challenge. Full 360-degree aiming is a game-changer that ensures I could never go back to the ones without it. Not a lot new here, but a refinement and near-perfection of classic Metroidvania gameplay. No idea what was happening in the story, but does anyone? 05. The Forgotten City (2021) The best hidden gem of the year and an absolutely fascinating treatise on morality. A timeloop mystery kinda-RPG kinda-walking sim with a phenomenal set of characters that is the perfect length and provides so many great twists along the way. I feel like this game, more than the others on the list, is a little harder to describe without getting into spoilers, but basically: if you enjoy games about talking to people and learning their stories, if you have detailed thoughts about human morality, or if you really want to touch an Ancient Roman rear end-wiping stick, this is the game for you. 04. Hades (2020) This time last year, I thought I didn’t like any roguelike/lite or any game with an isometric viewpoint. What a dumbass I was! I put over 110 hours into this game in January and it felt like almost no time had passed. The gameplay is fun and frantic and it’s a blast when you find a build that breaks the game apart, and the art is lovely, but the thing that had me doing run after run after run for days on end was all the substories. There’s a lot of games in this list with excellent supporting casts, but the characters in this game top all of them - I was so into every single story and I was so happy to spend a couple hours doing more runs just to see the smallest thing change for one character. Not only is there so much of it - even after all that time, I was still finding new lines of dialogue - but for the most part it’s all impeccably-voiced, and backed by one of the best game soundtracks ever. This absolutely deserved the win last year, it’s fuckin fantastic. I know it’s only my first roguelike, but seriously, how could anything beat that????? 03. Returnal (2021) …….ah. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3V9KoNDhpk Where Hades is a colourful romp where you hang out with your friends and family in basically your garden, Returnal is a bleak journey through a dangerous alien world where your only non-murderous company is your past self’s deranged ranting. Both are utterly impeccable versions of their specific kind of story, and both are all-timers in their genre. What makes Returnal a cut above Hades for me is in the second-to-second gameplay, which is some of the smoothest and most fluid I’ve ever, ever seen in a third-person game. The game LOOKS like it should have that Rockstar or Witcher weight but instead you zip around like in an arcade shooter and it feels so good, especially mixed with the best use of the DualSense’s haptics and triggers to date. The graphics are unbelievably gorgeous, truly one of the most next-gen games to date, while the sound….oh my GOD I could write an essay on the incredible sound work in this game, which I truly think has raised the bar for the whole industry. And while Housemarque were busy accomplishing all this with literally their first ever AAA game they also included an incredibly atmospheric and surreal narrative, which, although it falls apart at the very end (and even then, that depends on your interpretation), kept me hooked for tens of hours before that. This is the best game of 2021 and the best PS5 game so far, without a doubt. If things were fair, this would be known as a system-seller. But I guess that depends on there being consoles to sell, am I right? HYUK HYUK 02. Hollow Knight (2017) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHuVZqpPdak As many of you know, last year I got into Fromsoft games and basically finally stopped being poo poo at video games and started being able to do hard things. So I thought, hey, why not get back into another game I had trouble with in the past? I could not be happier I did because this is easily one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve ever had with a game, as well as my first Metroidvania, a genre I had always loved in theory but never been able to get into in execution because difficulty - turned out my theories were right and I loving love them. The exploration in this game is top-notch, the art is appealing, the movement and attacks are great, the design is GOAT-level, the music is insane, the lore is fascinating, the difficulty is tuned juuuuuuust right so that even an idiot like me can muddle through eventually (see the video above for proof that while I may have improved as a gamer, I’m still not…..well……it’s not the best video) without stopping it from being hard as hell. It’s just a fantastic complete package without a single flaw. I’m generally nowhere near as much of a fan of 2D games as I am 3D. There is a very strong possibility that Hollow Knight is my favourite 2D/side-scrolling game of all time. What the gently caress I played this year could possibly beat that kind of praise? What could it be????????????? wait, no, that’s not right…… 01. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUgaPXDwzLo Despite the very relaxed rules of this thread, I told myself when I first started voting in it that I would never repeat a game, or count a game I hadn’t played that year for the first time. Yet with this, not only have I broken both of those rules, but the game in question has jumped from #9 in my 2020 list to #1 now. So what happened? Well, the short answer is easy: it’s loving Sekiro. But let’s go further. I did the Bloodbornes and the Dark Soulses last year and then went onto Sekiro and had a much tougher time. I managed to get almost all the way to the end, with only the hardest three bosses in the game left to beat, but I still felt like I had muddled through, and not truly mastered it. In the end, I wasn’t able to beat any of those final three bosses before my PS5 came and I had shiny new things to focus on instead. Then, when a certain mod started streaming, I decided to start again from the beginning and see how things panned out. This is where three important elements came into play to create magic. The first was the power of the PS5 allowing the game to run at 60fps, creating a much more fluid experience. The second was I saw some tips that allowed me to get a better handle on the mechanics, especially parrying. And the third was that oh-so-satisfying favourite tool of gamers, muscle memory. It was as if my subconscious had spent the whole six months in between stopping and restarting the game practicing incessantly, and as soon as I picked up that controller again I felt prepared in a way I never had before, and proceeded to crush every enemy in my path, culminating in two and a half days (on and off, of course) of me going up against the final boss and finally, ecstatically, beating him in what is easily the hardest and most satisfying thing I’ve done in a game. But this isn’t a fuckin Esco blog thread it’s a games poll. Sekiro is my #1 because I think it has the best combat of any game ever. It is so perfectly fine-tuned, so harsh yet so fair (grab hitboxes aside), and so, SO satisfying. There is a story, which is pretty good, and various locations, which are nice, but I could take or leave any of that as long as the sound of metal on metal, the beauty of a successful deathblow, and the feeling of mastering a boss and being able to parry every attack as their posture grows and grows, all remain. Fromsoft have always been known for their bosses and this is maybe their best collection yet, from the swift brutality of the Guardian Ape to Genichiro forcing you to master every single thing you’ve learned to the majesty of the final fights. I still think Bloodborne is the better complete package - I prefer the tone, the world, level design, and story of BB to Sekiro. But on gameplay alone - the basic feeling of playing a game, and doing the things the game wants you to - this is not only Fromsoft’s best, but on the shortlist for the best the medium has ever seen. Hot drat. Another reason I love Sekiro so much was because it provided the best moment in one of my favourite things to do this year. Our esteemed mod, VideoGames, has been streaming three days a week for almost the entire year, and they are just the most fun things. Him and his wife are amazing and them, along with the other viewers in the chat box, have brought so much happiness and laughter to a year which wasn't always easy at times. Thank you so much to all of you. As for what he did in Sekiro? You’ll have to wait for his post  Easy list for Rarity: 10. Metro Exodus 09. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart 08. NieR Replicant v.1.22 07. Bowser’s Fury 06. Metroid Dread 05. The Forgotten City 04. Hades 03. Returnal 02. Hollow Knight 01. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
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Dec 25, 2021 01:23
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Dec 25, 2021 01:45
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Escobarbarian posted:The few of you posting your lists in ascending order are freaks haven’t you ever heard of SUSPENSE emptyquote!!!!!!!
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Dec 26, 2021 16:47
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Incredible list, Veeg. It’s been amazing following your insane year of gaming. I’m happy that I got so many predictions right gonna post them below for everyone’s perusal. congrats to the winner who I don’t know if they even know they won yet so I don’t want to spoil it! 01. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - ACTUALLY 2 02. The Last of Us Part II - ACTUALLY 4 03. Final Fantasy VII Remake + Intergrade - ACTUALLY 1 04. Outer Wilds - ACTUALLY 5 05. The Last Guardian - ACTUALLY 11 06. The Witness - GOT CORRECT 07. Dark Souls III - ACTUALLY 9 08. Night in the Woods - ACTUALLY 14 09. It Takes Two - ACTUALLY 16 10. Demon’s Souls (2020) - ACTUALLY 7
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Dec 27, 2021 02:47
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punk rebel ecks posted:I was worried that my post would have complaints over it being too long and having too many big gifs. heck you just added to The Gigantic Page of Ten Billion Words, it was very appropriate
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Dec 27, 2021 08:49
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You still won tho! Congratulations!
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Dec 27, 2021 10:08
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I believe you got 18 points. morally and I got 14 and someone else got 16. Super impressive prediction skills BP!!
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Dec 27, 2021 10:30
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Returnal!!!!!
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Dec 27, 2021 14:49
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I love this thread and reading all your lists!!
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Dec 30, 2021 18:20
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Rarity posted:Interesting that the rush of votes for Bloodborne in 2020 coincided with a certain mod's playthrough of the game #AskQuestions I did it two months earlier and I’m pretty sure was one of the people who was his initial inspiration so there
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Jan 1, 2022 10:07
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Bust Rodd posted:its rude to have Vikar Jerome on ignore like that, he posts the best secret gaming lore Harsh but fair. And actually, not even that harsh.
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Jan 8, 2022 14:50
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Fingers crossed for Forgotten City in the top 10! I have no idea how likely this is!
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Jan 8, 2022 15:34
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Veeg and Rarity you are both great and wonderful for doing all this work for the community. Thank you so much!!!!!
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Jan 8, 2022 15:44
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FUCKIN LATE
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Jan 8, 2022 16:00
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I’m boycotting this thread because of lateness. I will never post in this thread again. See you guys in a couple minutes.
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Jan 8, 2022 16:03
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VideoGames posted:And you all said last night that Rarity never trolled... You’re literally playing Final Fantasy 8, she’s the biggest and most successful troll I’ve ever seen
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Jan 8, 2022 16:04
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My guess is it’s late because Rarity is adding all the swear words back in after Veeg took them out
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Jan 8, 2022 16:09
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You’re laughing. The thread is in full meltdown mode and you’re laughing
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Jan 8, 2022 16:12
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Rarity how dare you interrupt us complaining about the list being late by starting the list!!!
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Jan 8, 2022 16:19
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Axel Serenity posted:Kena not even breaking Top 75 is heresy : I haven’t played it yet but it feels like it deserves to be higher on visuals alone. So beautiful!
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Jan 8, 2022 16:21
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Wow! I definitely expected this to be higher. Looking forward to playing it sometime this year.
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Jan 8, 2022 16:32
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Rarity how long do you plan on this taking? Do you have a plan for like how long between each entry or do you just kinda wing it?
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Jan 8, 2022 16:36
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Rarity posted:We're gonna be here a while, don't you worry about that Haha I’m free until 9pm when I actually have something resembling plans with people. There’s no way it’ll take that long…….right?? 
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Jan 8, 2022 16:38
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FF9 charted, Rarity sharted
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Jan 8, 2022 16:46
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This game looks really cute. Another one I can’t wait to play.
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Jan 8, 2022 16:51
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Sounds….sensual.
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Jan 8, 2022 16:55
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Nice.
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Jan 8, 2022 17:00
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This game’s sick. I really need to finish it
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Jan 8, 2022 17:20
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BLOODBOOOOOORNE
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Jan 8, 2022 17:46
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I’m watching a goon stream Bloodborne right now
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Jan 8, 2022 17:47
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Aidan_702 posted:Who da goon, I wanna see It’s Cowman! https://www.twitch.tv/cowmanii
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Jan 8, 2022 17:52
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Jerusalem posted:Wow after all that big talk, Final Fantasy 14 only managed 56th place, and that's it for it for this year! drat…..game must really suck
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Jan 8, 2022 18:08
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| # ¿ May 11, 2024 17:19 |
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Nothing like a 90 minute break right as everyone’s really getting into it
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Jan 8, 2022 18:32
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