I've got six games to review for you from just two months! Yes, they are short games.
Agatha Knife:
Games with libraries filled with silly book titles you can read = fantastic. I'd like to start with that. So that I can put off trying to quickly describe this experience... *ahem* The protagonist is a young girl who love animals & also loves to eat meat. She's the town butcher, & reaches a moral quandary as the animals obviously don't like being killed but she doesn't want to stop killing them. The business is struggling & so is her conscience, when she is presented with an idea to solve all of her problems: start a religion, of course. You can finish the game in a handful of hours, but it is quite a ride full of puzzles, problems, topics from alcoholism to zoos, & quite an interesting sense of humor. The challenge level felt just right to me, sparking my imagination with various ideas to try & making me work for the solutions, without making me scowl & turn to Google for help. The art is adorable, & I always smiled when Agatha was running. There's a lot of reference jokes for all you nerds of various sorts. There is also definitely blood. The achievements are fun, & I really liked the mechanic where you get a little bit of money that basically serves as a free pass for ONE puzzle if you're at your wit's end, sort of a free pass to use at your choice of critical moment. I found the final portion of the game particularly rewarding. I wouldn't call it a must-play, but it's certainly fascinating, & deserves more attention than I feel it has received. Really looking forward to trying out MechaNika, a game featuring Agatha's best friend & assuredly more dark humor.
Crescent Bay:
This "short experimental detective thriller" was super promising & looks great. I had fun opening it up, getting immersed in the story & ideas, poking at the mechanics... & then I got annoyed & watched a Let's Play. There's just enough that's not quite made clear enough. A primary example: much of the game revolves around combining words into groups which should describe what happened as you've observed from the crime scene. I was firmly under the impression that each word grouping would be three words, because you're faced with three blanks. Turns out, sometimes you just use two words together. On top of this, there's no clear indication of when you're made a correct word grouping-- so you can toss out a bunch of trial & error, empty your brain of all possible ideas, & you close out of that menu in frustration, only to THEN see something happen as unlocked by your efforts. You don't even know what you did right. Overall it ends up feeling like a demo for a bigger better game in progress, & since I got this for free & then just watched someone else finish it, it was worth that bit of investment. But probably wouldn't be worth much more than that. Nice style, though.
NORTH:
Mmmmmm. I so wanted to love this. I bought this on Switch during a sale right after I'd played Bury Me, My Love, & was so hyped to have my heart explored by another refugee-centric tale. You can get NORTH for free/donation here, & it is intended to be played in one sitting of about an hour, so I'd certainly say it wouldn't hurt you to try. I immediately was captivated by the visuals (sort of a neon minimalist dystopia vibe), & spent a few sittings happily exploring, but then I ran into the same problem that apparently many people have with the Switch version, which is a total inability to finish what's basically your first big task. I took to the internet enough to discover I wasn't alone in my struggle, then tried it again. I poked around online enough to ensure I knew what/where/why/how I was supposed to complete it, then tried it again. Then I gave up & watched a Let's Play. *sigh* It's a really fascinating game, & I know I would have enjoyed the weird unsettling trials if I could have just managed to pass through that one bit. Give it a try if you like exploring strange environments & attempting to survive on very little direction. (& get it for PC.)
THOR.N:
This made me happy. A very short "job simulator" that plays like a first-person clicker game, it feels kind of like if GLaDOS was in charge of civilization. It's pretty, pleasant, & then over too soon. I want to play it again, & I don't want to want to play it again. It's great.
Sprout:
Free games are rad, if for nothing else than exposing your brain to new things! Sprout is sweet & cute, though very simple. Reaching the end felt more like an inevitability than a goal, & though it doesn't feel like it has much more plot than a screensaver, it's soothing. Would recommend as a balm for anxiety or other emotion gone wild. Free!
Stories Untold:
Do you like to feel hopeless dread flow constantly over your heart? Then this is the game for you! It's a masterful blend of text adventure, point & click, puzzle, horror, & narrative. It gives you That Good Video Game Stress without actually frustrating your progress at any point. One of the most unique games I've played, while also reminding me of many other things (Stranger Things, DDLC, Men in Black, Portal, Oxenfree, there's a lot going on). A beautiful thoughtful few hours well spent. I definitely needed help a couple times. (I suggest you at least have handy a way to keep notes; you're welcome.) You will struggle, despair, & probably love every bit of it. I thought the pacing & chapters very well done! A lot of scattered pieces that come together to be very rewarding. Apparently there's even a demo available, so that's super rad. The third chapter was my favorite.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Friday, August 31, 2018
Reviews for June-August 2018
I've sure been finishing short games while taking my time on longer ones! Let's pretend I've been doing that on purpose instead of just feeling flighty!
Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, & The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist:
Sometimes you play a short game & wish it had been longer. This is one of those. A delightful concept, but this only left me wanting more. It's certainly great for being free, but I'd almost rather have skipped the freebie & gone straight to a much bigger experience in this realm. I'd pay for it. Oh well. Safe to say I'd recommend checking this out-- don't learn any more about it than you absolutely have to to download it though.
Thimbleweed Park:
So good. Soooooo good. If you ever liked ol' point & click adventure games, you gotta check this out. I mean, I myself never considered it a favorite form of game, but I like the retro vibe. The controls take some getting used to, if you don't mostly rely on the touchscreen, but it's not awful (just use the touchscreen 90% of the time like I did). There's a lot of fun stuff going on with this, amazing writing, humor EVERYWHERE, fun puzzles, beautiful art. Not for everyone though-- if you hate, say, "backtracking" or reading a lot of things, well you're gonna have a bad time. You'll be like "why did Valerie recommend this telephone simulator game" & you'll have only yourself to blame because I just warned you. But if I say "there's an entire library of books that you can read the titles of each & every single spine" & that excites you, please, get yourself this game asap.
To the Moon:
I expected a bit more from this, honestly, because I know so many folk who loved it so much. Everyone is supposed to love it & cry, & I just didn't get that level of attachment (or perhaps I simply attached too much to not-the-intended-character?). That said, I'm so glad I played through it. Definitely a great take on a love story, & another topic that is dear to my heart but I don't want to give away. I am SO anti-spoilers in my reviews, you guys, sorry if that makes things super vague sometimes! You trust my judgement though, right? If you like games that are short stories with interesting facets & moral issues, totally check this one out. The music is lovely & you will experience emotions. Great for when you're stressed out & want to escape to some digital problems instead of dwelling on your own. One of those games that isn't exactly "fun", but worthwhile. Play it & then argue with me about feelings.
Bury me, my Love:
Maybe I'm a sucker for games disguised as conversations. You put this game on your phone, & suddenly you're a Syrian dude whose wife departs for Europe & safety. It has a nice compromise between "real time" & all-at-once (though the latter is offered as an option) where it could be a few minutes or a few hours before you get a notification of a "text" from your fleeing loved one, & it doesn't punish you for not getting to it quickly, which is great. In some parts, it feels a bit too edutainment or forced, not really how a husband & wife would interact, but overall it's very engaging. It has to set context for you somehow, & it does pretty well. Sending/receiving photos was my favorite part, & it uses music in a nice usually-subtle way. This game had me scared, worried, stressed out, angry, curious, relieved, & overjoyed. I wouldn't say it's a must-play, but it's a great way to open your heart & mind to the plight of so many.
Emily is Away:
An instant messaging simulator that is TOO REAL. It's perfect in its sights, sounds, & social anxiety. So much fun to be had in picking your profile image, changing your font/background colors at a moment's whim, & thinking of every friend you've ever lost. A wild journey of coming of age, being an inevitably shitty teen, struggling & failing at anything that matters... oh, & it's free! Don't you just want to rush off & try it right now? I'm glad it exists, I really do like it, but also ow my heart. The timing in my own life feels a bit raw, I probably would have enjoyed it more without the context of recent personal events, but it's probably going to make you think & feel things no matter your history with online friendships.
Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, & The Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist:
Sometimes you play a short game & wish it had been longer. This is one of those. A delightful concept, but this only left me wanting more. It's certainly great for being free, but I'd almost rather have skipped the freebie & gone straight to a much bigger experience in this realm. I'd pay for it. Oh well. Safe to say I'd recommend checking this out-- don't learn any more about it than you absolutely have to to download it though.
Thimbleweed Park:
So good. Soooooo good. If you ever liked ol' point & click adventure games, you gotta check this out. I mean, I myself never considered it a favorite form of game, but I like the retro vibe. The controls take some getting used to, if you don't mostly rely on the touchscreen, but it's not awful (just use the touchscreen 90% of the time like I did). There's a lot of fun stuff going on with this, amazing writing, humor EVERYWHERE, fun puzzles, beautiful art. Not for everyone though-- if you hate, say, "backtracking" or reading a lot of things, well you're gonna have a bad time. You'll be like "why did Valerie recommend this telephone simulator game" & you'll have only yourself to blame because I just warned you. But if I say "there's an entire library of books that you can read the titles of each & every single spine" & that excites you, please, get yourself this game asap.
To the Moon:
I expected a bit more from this, honestly, because I know so many folk who loved it so much. Everyone is supposed to love it & cry, & I just didn't get that level of attachment (or perhaps I simply attached too much to not-the-intended-character?). That said, I'm so glad I played through it. Definitely a great take on a love story, & another topic that is dear to my heart but I don't want to give away. I am SO anti-spoilers in my reviews, you guys, sorry if that makes things super vague sometimes! You trust my judgement though, right? If you like games that are short stories with interesting facets & moral issues, totally check this one out. The music is lovely & you will experience emotions. Great for when you're stressed out & want to escape to some digital problems instead of dwelling on your own. One of those games that isn't exactly "fun", but worthwhile. Play it & then argue with me about feelings.
Bury me, my Love:
Maybe I'm a sucker for games disguised as conversations. You put this game on your phone, & suddenly you're a Syrian dude whose wife departs for Europe & safety. It has a nice compromise between "real time" & all-at-once (though the latter is offered as an option) where it could be a few minutes or a few hours before you get a notification of a "text" from your fleeing loved one, & it doesn't punish you for not getting to it quickly, which is great. In some parts, it feels a bit too edutainment or forced, not really how a husband & wife would interact, but overall it's very engaging. It has to set context for you somehow, & it does pretty well. Sending/receiving photos was my favorite part, & it uses music in a nice usually-subtle way. This game had me scared, worried, stressed out, angry, curious, relieved, & overjoyed. I wouldn't say it's a must-play, but it's a great way to open your heart & mind to the plight of so many.
Emily is Away:
An instant messaging simulator that is TOO REAL. It's perfect in its sights, sounds, & social anxiety. So much fun to be had in picking your profile image, changing your font/background colors at a moment's whim, & thinking of every friend you've ever lost. A wild journey of coming of age, being an inevitably shitty teen, struggling & failing at anything that matters... oh, & it's free! Don't you just want to rush off & try it right now? I'm glad it exists, I really do like it, but also ow my heart. The timing in my own life feels a bit raw, I probably would have enjoyed it more without the context of recent personal events, but it's probably going to make you think & feel things no matter your history with online friendships.
Monday, May 21, 2018
Reviews for April-May 2018
Hi friends! Ready for more rambling? I SURE AM. We've got Switch, 3DS, & PC all represented here today. Mostly shorter cheaper games than what may be usually on your radar.
Frederic: Resurrection of Music & Frederic 2: Evil Strikes Back:
I like music games, but what I REALLY like is when they've got you actually pretending to play an instrument instead of just doing whatever at the right timing. Which is why I hadn't pulled the trigger on a rhythm game for the Switch before I spotted these on sale on while I was having a particularly rough day. Plus, instead of being generic tunes or the usual fare of such games, these are certainly distinct. The first game is all Frederic Chopin songs rearranged to mimic various regional music styles around the world. For some reason, the second game decides to mix things up by using all original songs, which sort of have a classical vibe but also parody the styles of various famous musicians-- an interesting choice, & I can't say the songs weren't enjoyable but it does take a bit of the heart out of the experience. Both games are brief, with the second game falling short again here, with less songs in the story mode & no unlockable bonus tracks like the first one boasts. Other than those key (ha, KEY) differences, the games are much the same, which is a good thing! The plot & cut scenes are amusing, the art is charming, & tickling the digital ivory is enjoyable. Instead of dropping you out of a song you're playing poorly, as the Rock Band & Guitar Hero games do, you always get to finish the song even if you fail to play well enough to move on to the next track, & this is a nice touch to help you get a feel for those tough parts with less frustration. There were no songs I hated, & the arrangement of your play against the music was in fact generally better than I've found in other rhythm games. There's only so much you can do to really copy the feel of playing a complex song over into just a few buttons, & I get pretty annoyed when it's done poorly. Speaking of buttons... you can play these games in any Switch set-up, but it does really shine when you use the touchscreen! Particularly if you've sat at a piano much before, it's quite satisfying to work out which keys to hit with which fingers just like with a real piece. (Or just poke with the index finger the whole time. I do either depending on my mood. No previous piano experience is required!) My biggest complaint, for both games, is that the screen gets a bit cluttered sometimes so it's hard to see which notes are coming up. If you're doing well, you get golden combo notes floating around which you can tap for bonus points, you get adjectives giving you praise, & you get special attack prompts sometimes, & I just wish they would be confined to a separate portion of the screen away from the indications of what I'm meant to be playing. Even so, I'd still recommend picking up one or both of these titles; they're still good value for the price. I took lots of screenshots, & certainly anticipate returning to play the harder difficulties or even just chill out with many replays of my favorites of the tunes. I did want a rhythm game for my Switch, & I'm glad I picked these! Frederic as a character is so much fun, & the whimsy woven through all of it makes it stand out. Also, I kind of want to cosplay as Frederic now.
Puzzle Agent 2:
Speaking of fun yet short whimsical games where the sequel is much the same as its predecessor... here we have another case where you really might as well grab them both up if they seem at all appealing! Agent Tethers picks up where he left off, returning to try to unravel more of the mysteries he discovered in the first game, with many of the locations & characters from the first game plus some interesting new bits. A few of the puzzles seem much less of the sort where if you just put enough time & thought into it it'll become clear... some I never would have guessed without a walkthrough's help, & some seemed more about trial & error than actual brainpower. This is hard to avoid when cranking out games of this sort, & was very forgivable as I was more focused on the overall experience than on each individual challenge. So uh, yeah, not a lot to say. A good sequel. I'm glad these games exist. Very approachable, yet rewarding. (If you didn't read my review of the first game... basically it's solid Professor Layton-esque gameplay with a story both amusing & interesting.)
Oxenfree:
*places hands in lap, stares at wall for three minutes* I have to say, I think this is going to go down as one of my favorite video games EVER. It's "just" a narrative experience, y'know, a choose-your-own-adventure almost; I'll warn you straight away about that. You pick conversation options, you walk around, you tune a radio. But wow, what an adventure in storytelling. The visuals, music, sounds, even voice acting are all great. Night in the Woods drew me in by making me think about how I did/didn't relate to everyone in its town, which is cool, but Oxenfree does a better job of just dropping me into the protagonist's shoes. You play as Alex (a GIRL, btw), & your choices influence everyone around you. Admittedly, getting through the game once doesn't take all that long, but you feel it, & then you want to play it over & over again. It is absolutely worth playing multiple times, which I wouldn't promise about just any game. So uh, don't play it if a really cool story sounds boring, but oh my please play it if you want to live a life besides your own for a while. You may notice I've said nearly nothing about what to expect from the plot, & that's on purpose. If you really do just want more info, I'll hide some spoilery stuff below! Details that may help explain why I like it so much, & maybe they'll win you over too. Y'know what, I may even stick to mostly stuff that's pretty much in the trailer. (Don't even go watch the trailer if you trust my judgement.) Just highlight, maybe copy/paste somewhere else, whatever, here you go:
Okay, if you're sure! Oxenfree has some of my favorite storytelling elements: boys & girls as just friends, family relationships (I'm a SUCKER for brother+sister stuff), paranormal activity, FREAKIN' TIME LOOPS YESSSSSSSS, glitches as environmental storytelling, not necessarily a "happy ending", stories within stories, did I mention time loops?? The whole radio element is fantastic, I'm a big fan of how they put that mechanic to work. There's some really creepy bits, but it's like, the kind that makes you think instead of lose sleep. This is a story about grief, regret, perspective, anger, the past, the future, how we all influence each other... it's just beautiful & captivating. I usually get really tired of stories about teenagers, but this one is just BIGGER than most.
Witch & Hero II:
If you've been around me a while, you've probably already had me tell you to at least try the Witch & Hero demo on 3DS. If you haven't, well, consider this your time. The first & second games each have a trailer & great free demo in your 3DS eshop! (I still need to get the third game. But I bet it's just as good.) They're a little hard to describe... but if you like simple yet chaotic retro-styled lighthearted play with rpg elements (in this case I mean you purchase equipment upgrades & get stronger as you gain xp), you're in for a treat. Easy to learn, I've enjoyed passing these games around to people who don't necessarily play many video games. The monster designs are A+. I don't talk out loud to many games, but I do when I play these (exclamations like "shark shark SHARK SHARKSHARKSHARK" or "don't you daaaaaaare touch her" are most common). Easy to jump in & out, perfectly suited to the 3DS, & way too cheap. My go-to recommendations when I hear anyone just got a 3DS. Even if you don't get super into it & feel driven to beat it, it's a good option to keep around on your system.
Frederic: Resurrection of Music & Frederic 2: Evil Strikes Back:
I like music games, but what I REALLY like is when they've got you actually pretending to play an instrument instead of just doing whatever at the right timing. Which is why I hadn't pulled the trigger on a rhythm game for the Switch before I spotted these on sale on while I was having a particularly rough day. Plus, instead of being generic tunes or the usual fare of such games, these are certainly distinct. The first game is all Frederic Chopin songs rearranged to mimic various regional music styles around the world. For some reason, the second game decides to mix things up by using all original songs, which sort of have a classical vibe but also parody the styles of various famous musicians-- an interesting choice, & I can't say the songs weren't enjoyable but it does take a bit of the heart out of the experience. Both games are brief, with the second game falling short again here, with less songs in the story mode & no unlockable bonus tracks like the first one boasts. Other than those key (ha, KEY) differences, the games are much the same, which is a good thing! The plot & cut scenes are amusing, the art is charming, & tickling the digital ivory is enjoyable. Instead of dropping you out of a song you're playing poorly, as the Rock Band & Guitar Hero games do, you always get to finish the song even if you fail to play well enough to move on to the next track, & this is a nice touch to help you get a feel for those tough parts with less frustration. There were no songs I hated, & the arrangement of your play against the music was in fact generally better than I've found in other rhythm games. There's only so much you can do to really copy the feel of playing a complex song over into just a few buttons, & I get pretty annoyed when it's done poorly. Speaking of buttons... you can play these games in any Switch set-up, but it does really shine when you use the touchscreen! Particularly if you've sat at a piano much before, it's quite satisfying to work out which keys to hit with which fingers just like with a real piece. (Or just poke with the index finger the whole time. I do either depending on my mood. No previous piano experience is required!) My biggest complaint, for both games, is that the screen gets a bit cluttered sometimes so it's hard to see which notes are coming up. If you're doing well, you get golden combo notes floating around which you can tap for bonus points, you get adjectives giving you praise, & you get special attack prompts sometimes, & I just wish they would be confined to a separate portion of the screen away from the indications of what I'm meant to be playing. Even so, I'd still recommend picking up one or both of these titles; they're still good value for the price. I took lots of screenshots, & certainly anticipate returning to play the harder difficulties or even just chill out with many replays of my favorites of the tunes. I did want a rhythm game for my Switch, & I'm glad I picked these! Frederic as a character is so much fun, & the whimsy woven through all of it makes it stand out. Also, I kind of want to cosplay as Frederic now.
Puzzle Agent 2:
Speaking of fun yet short whimsical games where the sequel is much the same as its predecessor... here we have another case where you really might as well grab them both up if they seem at all appealing! Agent Tethers picks up where he left off, returning to try to unravel more of the mysteries he discovered in the first game, with many of the locations & characters from the first game plus some interesting new bits. A few of the puzzles seem much less of the sort where if you just put enough time & thought into it it'll become clear... some I never would have guessed without a walkthrough's help, & some seemed more about trial & error than actual brainpower. This is hard to avoid when cranking out games of this sort, & was very forgivable as I was more focused on the overall experience than on each individual challenge. So uh, yeah, not a lot to say. A good sequel. I'm glad these games exist. Very approachable, yet rewarding. (If you didn't read my review of the first game... basically it's solid Professor Layton-esque gameplay with a story both amusing & interesting.)
Oxenfree:
*places hands in lap, stares at wall for three minutes* I have to say, I think this is going to go down as one of my favorite video games EVER. It's "just" a narrative experience, y'know, a choose-your-own-adventure almost; I'll warn you straight away about that. You pick conversation options, you walk around, you tune a radio. But wow, what an adventure in storytelling. The visuals, music, sounds, even voice acting are all great. Night in the Woods drew me in by making me think about how I did/didn't relate to everyone in its town, which is cool, but Oxenfree does a better job of just dropping me into the protagonist's shoes. You play as Alex (a GIRL, btw), & your choices influence everyone around you. Admittedly, getting through the game once doesn't take all that long, but you feel it, & then you want to play it over & over again. It is absolutely worth playing multiple times, which I wouldn't promise about just any game. So uh, don't play it if a really cool story sounds boring, but oh my please play it if you want to live a life besides your own for a while. You may notice I've said nearly nothing about what to expect from the plot, & that's on purpose. If you really do just want more info, I'll hide some spoilery stuff below! Details that may help explain why I like it so much, & maybe they'll win you over too. Y'know what, I may even stick to mostly stuff that's pretty much in the trailer. (Don't even go watch the trailer if you trust my judgement.) Just highlight, maybe copy/paste somewhere else, whatever, here you go:
Okay, if you're sure! Oxenfree has some of my favorite storytelling elements: boys & girls as just friends, family relationships (I'm a SUCKER for brother+sister stuff), paranormal activity, FREAKIN' TIME LOOPS YESSSSSSSS, glitches as environmental storytelling, not necessarily a "happy ending", stories within stories, did I mention time loops?? The whole radio element is fantastic, I'm a big fan of how they put that mechanic to work. There's some really creepy bits, but it's like, the kind that makes you think instead of lose sleep. This is a story about grief, regret, perspective, anger, the past, the future, how we all influence each other... it's just beautiful & captivating. I usually get really tired of stories about teenagers, but this one is just BIGGER than most.
Witch & Hero II:
If you've been around me a while, you've probably already had me tell you to at least try the Witch & Hero demo on 3DS. If you haven't, well, consider this your time. The first & second games each have a trailer & great free demo in your 3DS eshop! (I still need to get the third game. But I bet it's just as good.) They're a little hard to describe... but if you like simple yet chaotic retro-styled lighthearted play with rpg elements (in this case I mean you purchase equipment upgrades & get stronger as you gain xp), you're in for a treat. Easy to learn, I've enjoyed passing these games around to people who don't necessarily play many video games. The monster designs are A+. I don't talk out loud to many games, but I do when I play these (exclamations like "shark shark SHARK SHARKSHARKSHARK" or "don't you daaaaaaare touch her" are most common). Easy to jump in & out, perfectly suited to the 3DS, & way too cheap. My go-to recommendations when I hear anyone just got a 3DS. Even if you don't get super into it & feel driven to beat it, it's a good option to keep around on your system.
Wednesday, March 07, 2018
Reviews for Jan-Mar 2018
It's winter, I hate being cold, the pot holes are everywhere, & I'm working out treatment for my recently-diagnosed mood disorder. It's a great time to pour myself into video games.
Confess My Love:
This is just the thing for when you need a distraction. It's free on Steam, & only takes a couple hours to complete! You play as this clueless guy who has decided it's time to declare his adoration to his beloved. It all takes place in a classroom, & the mechanics are super simple; you move, you choose dialogue options, there's a timer that adds a new dimension of possibilities, there's a few things in the room you can examine & interact with in a few cases. There's not really any "winning" to the game, the fun is in trying all of the different ways things can turn out. A walkthrough detailing all of the achievements is available, & I recommend using it as a tool to make sure you get every bit out of the game (once you've exhausted everything you think to do on your own, if there are achievements left over). Better some spoilers as you go than entirely missing chunks of the experience. The movement is a bit clunky, but the game isn't big enough for that to be too frustrating, & the music is quite charming. Not the thing you're looking for if you want challenge & adventure, but great for when you just want something new to unfold & stick in your brain.
Puzzle Agent:
This game was quite a ride! A short ride, but densely layered with charm. It's very Professor Layton, as far as gameplay, so if you know anything about those games then you know exactly what you're in for: a lot of wandering about, solving puzzles, & talking to people. It's well done, with a lot of personality. I wish I had more to say about it, but it is really short & I don't want to spoil any of it. I just would recommend checking it out, especially if you can grab it on sale. It doesn't offer much replay value, but you can draw the experience out a bit-- it's easy to pick up & put down, & the sort of game you can play while enjoying a nice mug of tea & petting a bird. (I'm pretty into that type of game right now.) Better than expected. I have the sequel & am excited to get around to it at some point...
OneShot:
OH BOY. This one is going to go down as a favorite in my book. One of those games you keep thinking about when you're not playing it & after you've finished it, & you definitely listen to the soundtrack a lot for the rest of forever. OneShot is freakin' gorgeous. I feel like more people should be talking about this game more often. It's all about the story & solving puzzles, with fantastic presentation. Did I mention it's freakin' gorgeous? Easy to navigate, enough challenge to keep you engaged, a nice variety of things to solve, some of the best characters ever, a world nicely fleshed out. It's even got fast travel, which is handy. It has some lovely emotional moments, without taking itself too seriously-- it also has some really great humor, including one of the best puns ever. The pacing is good. I'm trying to think of something bad to say about it, but just keep thinking of things I like. I got frustrated a couple of times, but in that nice "this puzzle is giving me a hard time" way, never so stuck that I wanted to quit or anything. I don't know, maybe plenty of people would get bored, declare it just another game where you wander around & figure out how to wander farther. But. If you like wandering & figuring. I promise. It is worth not even just OneShot but in fact TwoShots.
Night in the Woods:
This game had been pretty hyped up for me. I know multiple people who name it among their favorite games of all time. So I'd had it on my Steam wishlist for a while, then I heard it was coming to Switch, so I decided to make it one of my very first Switch games! I figured even if I didn't love it, it'd be worth knowing what people were talking about. It did not leave me disappointed. The conversations are like real conversations, the people are like real people, the places are like real places. The problems are even like real problems. This game is particularly not going to be everyone's cup of tea, as it is nearly entirely just walking around & talking to people. But it's pretty much the best game of its type, probably. It is absolutely beautiful-- I know I just talked about how great OneShot looks, so uh, I'm nervous you won't take my opinion of Night in the Woods' visuals seriously right now, but I really did just happen to finish two of the world's most good-lookin' games right in a row. I'm really pleased I went with the Switch version, because I took a bazillion screencaps. It has some really great touches that I would love to talk about but don't want to spoil. If you want to live out some really interesting times in a small town, there are friendships & adventures waiting for you in Night in the Woods. You'll have a variety of emotions, you'll crave pizza & tacos, you'll wish the soundtrack was on Spotify. Also, important note: you get to play bass guitar.
Confess My Love:
This is just the thing for when you need a distraction. It's free on Steam, & only takes a couple hours to complete! You play as this clueless guy who has decided it's time to declare his adoration to his beloved. It all takes place in a classroom, & the mechanics are super simple; you move, you choose dialogue options, there's a timer that adds a new dimension of possibilities, there's a few things in the room you can examine & interact with in a few cases. There's not really any "winning" to the game, the fun is in trying all of the different ways things can turn out. A walkthrough detailing all of the achievements is available, & I recommend using it as a tool to make sure you get every bit out of the game (once you've exhausted everything you think to do on your own, if there are achievements left over). Better some spoilers as you go than entirely missing chunks of the experience. The movement is a bit clunky, but the game isn't big enough for that to be too frustrating, & the music is quite charming. Not the thing you're looking for if you want challenge & adventure, but great for when you just want something new to unfold & stick in your brain.
Puzzle Agent:
This game was quite a ride! A short ride, but densely layered with charm. It's very Professor Layton, as far as gameplay, so if you know anything about those games then you know exactly what you're in for: a lot of wandering about, solving puzzles, & talking to people. It's well done, with a lot of personality. I wish I had more to say about it, but it is really short & I don't want to spoil any of it. I just would recommend checking it out, especially if you can grab it on sale. It doesn't offer much replay value, but you can draw the experience out a bit-- it's easy to pick up & put down, & the sort of game you can play while enjoying a nice mug of tea & petting a bird. (I'm pretty into that type of game right now.) Better than expected. I have the sequel & am excited to get around to it at some point...
OneShot:
OH BOY. This one is going to go down as a favorite in my book. One of those games you keep thinking about when you're not playing it & after you've finished it, & you definitely listen to the soundtrack a lot for the rest of forever. OneShot is freakin' gorgeous. I feel like more people should be talking about this game more often. It's all about the story & solving puzzles, with fantastic presentation. Did I mention it's freakin' gorgeous? Easy to navigate, enough challenge to keep you engaged, a nice variety of things to solve, some of the best characters ever, a world nicely fleshed out. It's even got fast travel, which is handy. It has some lovely emotional moments, without taking itself too seriously-- it also has some really great humor, including one of the best puns ever. The pacing is good. I'm trying to think of something bad to say about it, but just keep thinking of things I like. I got frustrated a couple of times, but in that nice "this puzzle is giving me a hard time" way, never so stuck that I wanted to quit or anything. I don't know, maybe plenty of people would get bored, declare it just another game where you wander around & figure out how to wander farther. But. If you like wandering & figuring. I promise. It is worth not even just OneShot but in fact TwoShots.
Night in the Woods:
This game had been pretty hyped up for me. I know multiple people who name it among their favorite games of all time. So I'd had it on my Steam wishlist for a while, then I heard it was coming to Switch, so I decided to make it one of my very first Switch games! I figured even if I didn't love it, it'd be worth knowing what people were talking about. It did not leave me disappointed. The conversations are like real conversations, the people are like real people, the places are like real places. The problems are even like real problems. This game is particularly not going to be everyone's cup of tea, as it is nearly entirely just walking around & talking to people. But it's pretty much the best game of its type, probably. It is absolutely beautiful-- I know I just talked about how great OneShot looks, so uh, I'm nervous you won't take my opinion of Night in the Woods' visuals seriously right now, but I really did just happen to finish two of the world's most good-lookin' games right in a row. I'm really pleased I went with the Switch version, because I took a bazillion screencaps. It has some really great touches that I would love to talk about but don't want to spoil. If you want to live out some really interesting times in a small town, there are friendships & adventures waiting for you in Night in the Woods. You'll have a variety of emotions, you'll crave pizza & tacos, you'll wish the soundtrack was on Spotify. Also, important note: you get to play bass guitar.
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