Contact

The ending? Pretty bizarre. But that falls perfectly into line with the rest of the story. It also leaves a ton of doors open for the sequel.

Nothing about my previous complaint (far-off level-up abilities) has changed, except my opinion about it. Finishing the game without them is perfectly feasible and fun, and having ultra-lofty goals for character advancement is a great replay mechanic. Leveling up your bevy of cool abilities is a fantastic way to breathe life into the game well after the ending (not to mention all the sidequests). I don't have the space in my schedule for it now, but I definitely plan on coming back to do more in the post-game when I get the chance.

I have a hard time quantifying it, but there's an immense sense of nostalgia when I play Contact. It probably has more than a little to do with the SNES-esque graphical style prevalent in the Professor's lab, but there is definitely something very "old school" about Contact's gameplay mechanics. A huge amount of credit should go to this game's developers for a job very well done.

Progress: 6 Power Cells