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.
