I just noticed that a lot of the games I've played so far on Game Pass PC are published by Devolver Digital. Well, time to keep the trend going. BACKGROUND:
This is another one of those games I saw a lot of trailers for. I really liked the concept, and wanted to get it for Switch, but since it's on Game Pass, I decided to play it then and there. I streamed my full playthrough of this game to some friends on Discord. They seemed into it, or at least intrigued by the gameplay. PLOT: You play as this grotesque-looking red blob of tentacles, eyes, and teeth, which breaks out of a research facility. This ugly motherfucker fights its way through the facility, killing everyone in its path. As you go along, you discover the backstory of this creature, as well as the circumstances behind its awakening. It's pretty standard sci-fi stuff: humans find weird thing and take it with them, weird thing is actually bad, humans die horribly. Carrion sold itself as a "reverse horror" game where you, the player, are the monster, and they execute the idea really well. People run and scream at the sight of you, and there are plenty of instances where you bust through doors Kool-Aid Man-style and make everyone in the room shit their pants. Having just played a few survival horror games where I had to run away from monsters to progress, it certainly feels cathartic to be the one wrecking shit and causing fear. PRESENTATION: Carrion goes for the sprite-based pixel art style of old, but it is significantly more polished than any 8-bit or 16-bit games. The animations are incredibly fluid and there's an impressive amount of detail. The former point is quite evident in the monster itself; that freak has a lot of moving parts and seeing it animate so fluidly adds to its terrifying presence. The facility itself doesn't have a ton of variety in terms of locations, and more than a few areas bleed together in terms of aesthetic, but there are some interesting places to explore. It would have been cool to explore a more diverse environment, but that's more a personal want than a straight criticism. In terms of eerie atmosphere, however, the aesthetic of the facility succeeds. The music leans into the horror aspect of the game and takes on a more ambient, haunting tone. There are a few more intense tracks that play during fight sequences. Oh, and it should probably go without saying, but this game gets pretty bloody. If the monster's freakish design didn't already tip you off, this might not be a fun time for the squeamish. GAMEPLAY: Carrion is structured like a Metroidvania. As the disgusting blob thing, you will explore the interconnected research facility in order to find a way out, murdering anyone in your path along the way. There will be a bunch of backtracking, acquiring upgrades to unlock new areas, and even some secrets to find. The map itself isn't that large compared to other Metroidvanias, however. Movement is simultaneously easy and awkward as the creature. You pretty much have full range of motion (meaning you can scale walls and ceilings with ease) and can squeeze through almost every gap, but there are some instances where you don't exactly go in the direction you want. Other than that, it's pretty satisfying to be able to move around freely while all the stupid humans have little room to run. At the start, your only ability is to grab things and move them around. You're able to aim your grabbing tentacle 360 degrees, allowing you to yank things from any angle at a reasonable range. It's a bit awkward to control (at least on a controller), but it's fun (especially since you can flail the tentacle about like a maniac while holding something). Its primary use is to grab unsuspecting humans to eat them (which restores health if you do so), rip open certain barriers, and interact with switches. Yes, this monster somehow has the capability to solve basic puzzles. Though the map is structured like a Metroidvania, and is fully connected with a number of branching paths, the game takes you through the areas in a mostly linear fashion. For every area, the objective is the same: find all the save areas of a given section; doing so will unlock the door to leave that section and allow you to move on. My only real gripe with how level design is handled is the noticeable lack of a map; I only really got lost once, but being unable to figure out where you are in relation to everything else was a bit frustrating. I suppose you can rationalize it by saying "how would this abomination even hold a map," but come on, this is a video game. Lack of map aside, exploration feels nice, especially when you start finding jars of biomass. These jars give the creature a brand new ability which can be used to open up obstacles. These range from a web shot (which can pull faraway switches), invisibility (which allows the creature to bypass motion sensors), a rushing tackle (which breaks apart certain barriers), the ability to become worms underwater (which allows you to go through tiny gaps underwater), and even the ability to possess a human (allowing you to interact with switches from a distance). All these abilities are pretty fun, and the best part is most of them have applications in combat. The way they handle abilities in this game is super interesting, as the abilities you have access to at a given time depends on the current size of the monster. For example, only the smallest size monster has access to invisibility, while the biggest size has access to damage resistance. There are numerous ways to manipulate the monster's size, and many of the puzzles involve doing exactly that to get through specific obstacles. I found this to be a really novel approach. On the subject of combat, you'll encounter all manner of security personnel in the facility, from dudes with pistols, armed soldiers with shields and flamethrowers, attack drones, and even mechs. Although you're a menacing presence amongst the humans, you are not invincible, and if you aren't careful, a group of armed humans will put you down easily. As such, going in guns blazing doesn't work out often, and instead, being methodical in your murders will be more beneficial. Plus, taking a certain amount of damage reduces your size, which may be terrible if you need certain abilities to progress (though this can be remedied by snacking on people to regain health or by restoring oneself on save points). The only optional collectibles in the game are the nine special containment units located in hidden spots throughout the facility. When collected, they give you special buffs, like fire resistance or increased max energy for certain abilities. Every entrance to a section of the facility also tracks what percentage of things you've completed, so it's easy to figure out which areas still have collectibles to get. You can also encounter playable flashback sequences where you control a human and explore the areas before the events of the game. There's nothing really special about these sections gameplay-wise, but it's cool that you get to play out the backstory of the monster. VERDICT: Carrion executes its reverse horror gimmick quite well by allowing you to let loose as a terrifying blob monster and giving you all sorts of abilities to murder people with. Along with that, it delivers a solid Metroidvania experience, with a good amount to explore, a few secrets to find, and some neat puzzles to solve in order to progress. I'd say that the only things that really go against it are the conspicuous lack of a map and the dreadfully short campaign. Other than that, I enjoyed this game, and I recommend it to anybody who wants a quick Metroidvania experience, or is curious about the novelty of being the monster. Check out the game on Steam: CARRION on Steam (steampowered.com) - end -
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I'm taking a bit of a break from the Game Pass PC playthroughs to check out some of the free shit I've been getting on the Epic Games Store. I've only recently started taking advantage of their giveaways, and this is the first of many games from the platform that I'll be talking about. BACKGROUND:
I don't know shit about this game. I just saw the words "solitaire" and "rogue-like" in the same sentence on the store page and went "yes, I want this." PLOT: The basic idea is you're an unnamed hero looking to defeat the Emperor of Stuck with the power of solitaire (because that's a thing that makes sense). Other than that, there really isn't anything to the story. PRESENTATION: The visuals have a cartoony look to them, but in terms of actual style, it's nothing remarkable. Don't get me wrong, everything looks decent; it just isn't the kind of art style that sticks out in your memory. What I found rather jarring is that there's virtually no music. There's the odd track here and there, but during gameplay, it's all sound effects. It was so unnerving to me that I would put on a Spotify playlist whenever I'd play this game. Annoyingly enough, setting the game to a higher resolution makes it virtually unplayable, since everything is weirdly misaligned. When I was configuring the game, I would have to click one space to the right to get the interaction I wanted. If you happen to play this game, save yourself some grief and immediately set it to windowed mode. GAMEPLAY: Solitairica's gameplay is a slight variation on golf solitaire, where you try to clear the board by playing cards that are either one rank higher or lower. If you've never heard of it before, here's a browser-based version you can play. The only difference between that and Solitairica is that the back cards are face down instead of face up. Each run of Solitairica has 19 rounds of the card game, each representing an enemy you have to beat. To win, you have to clear the board. Seems easy enough, except every time you draw, the enemy takes their turn and can perform a move that will either damage you or make the board harder to clear. A lot of the enemy effects (which range from regenerating cards, poison damage, and all sorts of bullshit) are a pain in the ass to deal with, and if you get unlucky on your draws (which will happen a lot since this is a card game), you're fucked. To even the odds, you have access to spells that can be cast if you have enough of the right type of energy. Instead of the traditional playing card suits, the cards in this game correspond to one of four energy types: attack, defense, agility, and willpower. Drawing or clearing a card of a particular type adds one of that type of energy to your meter, and once you have enough, you can cast spells. The spells can do all sorts of things, like clear out cards on the board, randomize the values of face-up cards, heal your HP, give you armor, and more. I found this mechanic really interesting, but it doesn't seem like there's much variety in the spells you can get. Between rounds, you can go to the shop to buy new spells and items with the coins you earn on each clear. This is pretty straightforward stuff, but a cool thing you can do is pay to "hold" an item so that it remains in the selection when you visit the shop in the next round. In addition, you can also swap out what you have equipped between rounds, so even if your item and spell slots are full, they can still find some use if you swap them out. Whether you fail or succeed in a run, you earn Wildstones, which can be used to unlock new decks or upgrade existing ones. Each deck has a specific energy focus (e.g. the Warrior deck only has attack and defense cards), a set of default spells, and even passive traits for certain types. You can upgrade all of them such that drawing certain cards (like a King) gives you special buffs, as well as expand your maximum item slots. I mentioned that this was also a rogue-like, but the only things that are really random are the enemy abilities and the shop items. If you're looking for serious variety, this is not the game for you. VERDICT: Though Solitairica's story and presentation leave something to be desired, its card-based RPG gameplay is pretty solid. Some big criticisms can be leveled towards the gameplay, however: the nature of card games being completely up to chance doesn't make the experience the most balanced in the world, and the variety just isn't there when it comes to the spells and items you can use. That said, I still like the game, and find it to be an effective time killer. If you like solitaire-type card games and want an RPG spin on a classic version of solitaire, you'll enjoy Solitairica. Choose your preferred platform: - end - Once again, Game Pass PC has allowed me to play one of my most anticipated games of 2020. I'm quite excited to talk about this one. BACKGROUND:
I played the Switch version of Ori and the Blind Forest last year (more on that here) and absolutely loved it. It's probably no surprise that I was fucking hyped for the sequel. My plan was to get it on the Switch, but since I can play it for free right now, I might as well take advantage. PLOT: The game is set well after the events of the first game, and sees Ori, Naru, Gumo, and Ku be a happy family together. Most of the early cutscenes focus on Ku growing up and her journey to learn to fly (which she can't quite do due to a damaged wing). Through the help of her family, Ku eventually does achieve flight, and she and Ori fly out of Nibel and into another forest called Niwen. Disaster strikes, however, as a storm hits and separares the two, and the game begins in earnest as Ori journeys to reunite with Ku. Along the way, Ori discovers that Niwen is being overrun by Decay, and is under threat of being destroyed (much like Nibel was in the previous game). Much like the first game, Will of the Wisps starts out with a happy, wholesome vibe and then does the emotional equivalent of kicking you in the dick by having something incredibly sad happen. There's also an antagonist with a tragic backstory (incredibly similar to how Kuro was in Blind Forest). Despite some clear similarities, this game does enough to stand out on its own: for one, the "collect the magic shit to save the forest" mission is actually in line with Ori's personal goals (in the first game, that responsibility was more or less just thrust upon Ori), and for another, the ending is incredibly bittersweet (a contrast to the first game's straightforward happy ending). And despite the similarities on how both games present their antagonists, the way the antagonist of Will of the Wisps handles the endgame events is pretty much opposite to how Kuro responded to the events at the end of Blind Forest. Naturally, I can't go into too much detail, as a lot of things are spoiler-heavy, but I can say that this game has significantly more NPCs to talk to who all have brief backstories. It's another big difference from the first game, which didn't have too many other folks to interact with. PRESENTATION: I don't know how they were able to surpass Blind Forest visually, but they did. This game somehow looks more beautiful and breathtaking than the previous, with the environments taking on a whole new dimension (literally). From what I've read, they went from 2D art to full 3D models for this game, and goddamn does everything look amazing. Big moments in the story get extra love, with all sorts of impressive set pieces throughout the game. Though Niwen is a forest like Nibel from the last game, its world still features wildly unique locations, like a bug-infested cavern, windswept deserts, and what I can only describe as a coral reef, but on land. Niwen isn't as desolate as Nibel was, so you do get to enjoy some gorgeous scenery, but there are still ugly-ass monsters roaming about that you have to watch out for. And just like before, the fully orchestrated soundtrack is fucking incredible. You have music for those big emotional moments, thrilling tracks for gameplay sequences, and serene ambient sounds for when you're just traversing through the levels. The soundtrack definitely goes hand in hand with the graphics to deliver a feast for the senses. GAMEPLAY: Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a Metroidvania like its predecessor, so you'll be doing plenty of exploring, backtracking, and finding collectibles. The map feels larger than the last game, and there's a bit more freedom in terms of tackling quests (though most of that freedom only comes at the latter portion of the game). Though the core gameplay is largely the same as before, there are some notable changes. The most significant change is in the combat. Unlike the first game, where combat wasn't really the main hook, you do a lot more fighting in this game. Enemies are now put in places where you pretty much have no choice but to fight them, there are rooms where you can't progress until you've killed everything, and there are straight up boss fights now (and they're no pushover either). Along with that, Ori's offensive capabilities have been changed completely; they now have access to a quick melee strike (which is much easier to use than the projectile thing from Blind Forest). The way abilities work has been changed as well. You can now map abilities to three buttons, allowing you to mix and match loadouts depending on the situation. For example, you can equip a projectile move and a heavy melee strike along with the basic attack. In short, there's a bit more depth and player choice to how you want to approach combat. Abilities themselves come in an assortment of varieties; some of them expend Energy, which can be replenished and upgraded like your health. You still have your platforming-based abilities; some of them are back from the first game (double jump, dash, the Bash that lets you bounce off of projectiles), while others are brand new (like the swim dash and burrow). You get to use these skills in plenty of technically demanding sections, and like before, a few of them have applications in combat, too. Speaking of platforming, I feel like it's a bit tougher than the last game. There are noticeably more sections that demanded some precision, and there were areas that had you solve a puzzle while dealing with a tricky platforming section. Plus, the epic chase sequences are back, and they're tougher than ever (especially since they happen around the time of a boss fight). Notably missing from your arsenal of abilities is the Soul Link mechanic, which allowed you to save pretty much anywhere in Blind Forest. It's now been replaced with a somewhat lenient autosave. There are still save points throughout the map in case that's a concern. I found this omission odd (given it was one of the defining mechanics of the first game), but it being missing here doesn't really take away from the game. The skill tree from before has been replaced with Spirit Shards, which works a lot like Hollow Knight's Charm system. You can equip a minimum of three shards at a time, and these shards grant all sorts of helpful buffs (or not-so-helpful debuffs that make things more challenging). The only caveat is that you have to find most of these yourself, but many of them are worth the trouble. You can also find additional Spirit Shard slots elsewhere, and that will allow you to equip more buffs. Since the skill tree is gone, the main use of the Spirit Points now is as money in transactions with NPCs. You can buy stuff like maps, Spirit Shards, new abilities, as well as upgrades for certain items. There isn't really a whole lot to buy, but many of the items do cost a good amount of money. Thankfully, there are more reliable ways to earn points other than just killing enemies. Of course, no Metroidvania is complete without a fuckton of collectibles. Most of these are useful, like new abilities, health and energy upgrades, and Spirit Shards, so they're generally worth going out of the way for. You can also find challenge rooms that either test your combat or your platforming skill, and those give out Spirit Points if you complete them. Also new to this game are sidequests. Since there are plenty of NPCs to talk to here, it makes sense that some of them need help with things. The game keeps track of all of these quests on your map, so don't worry about losing track of anything. Though most of these sidequests are purely just for story, some of them do have useful rewards (mostly in the form of Spirit Points). There's also a town-building aspect to the game where you can spend Gorlek Ores and mysterious seeds (both of which are collectibles strewn about the world) to beautify a certain area. Doing so gives you some neat rewards, but it's mostly for the good feeling of making the place look nice. VERDICT: Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a good example of a sequel: it takes everything that made the first game special and introduces new elements and changes to deliver an improved experience. The platforming is as smooth as ever, the combat is leagues better than before, the sights and sounds are still phenomenal, and the story tugs at the heartstrings like nobody's business. I had an amazing time playing through this game, and if you loved the first one like I did, you're bound to enjoy this one as well. Here's the game on Steam: Ori and the Will of the Wisps on Steam (steampowered.com) Listen to the OST on Spotify: Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Original Soundtrack Recording) - Album by Gareth Coker | Spotify - end - I'm gonna have a difficult time explaining this game. Hahaha. BACKGROUND: I caught a bit of this game on a stream once and thought it was hilarious. I felt like trying it since it was on Game Pass PC anyway. PLOT: You're a masked man who's woken up in a butcher shop. You are urged by Pedro, your "friend" (and a sentient banana for some reason), to kill the shop owner (as he is an arms dealer). What happens next is an incredibly strange journey to take out the biggest criminals in the city. As evidenced by the fact that your main companion is a floating banana that talks, this plot is all kinds of absurd. I lost count at the times I went "this makes no fucking sense" at something that happens. But it's all in good fun (well, mostly), and there are plenty of funny moments and dialogue throughout the short story. PRESENTATION: My Friend Pedro's visuals have a slightly realistic look to them, but it's not at all trying to be real. There's still an evident cartoony feel to everything despite the real-ish aesthetic. The music has that action movie feel to it, which is quite appropriate given the gameplay. In a way, it also doesn't fit, because the soundtrack's badass vibe clashes with the complete ridiculous bullshit that happens in the game. I found that dissonance quite amusing. GAMEPLAY: My Friend Pedro is a 2D platformer, but its action is more of a shooter. You go through the side-scrolling levels while blasting enemies in the face with your gun (which has 360 aiming). There are only a handful of levels, and the entire game can be beaten in around 3-4 hours, but the nonsense you can get away with in the levels makes it an entertaining 3-4 hours. In terms of movement, you can roll through tiny gaps, wall jump, and swing/climb across ropes. There's not a lot of depth here, and strict platforming sections are mostly rare, but that's fine given most of the focus is on the combat. While you can get by simply walking across the levels and shooting whoever you come across, the game encourages you to get super stylish with it. For example, you can shoot people while doing mad flips in midair, pick 'em off while wall jumping, or even gun down an entire room of thugs while zipping down a zipline. The game gives you plenty of room to be as flashy as possible, and the score system further encourages it by giving point bonuses for cool kills. In addition, you also have the ability to dodge bullets, slow down time (allowing you to plan out what you're doing in the moment, as well as makes you feel like you're in the goddamn Matrix), and kick motherfuckers in the dick (which is your only melee option). All these elements do a lot to make the action absolutely fucking bonkers, and I found myself using them even if I didn't have to just because it felt satisfying. The level elements also help make the action extra ridiculous. You can smash through windows for a dramatic entrance, drop barrels on unsuspecting bastards, blow up explosive gas canisters, kick basketballs into people's faces, ricochet your bullets against specific areas... hell, you can even ride a skateboard. Every time one of these mechanics would show up, I would go out of my way to use them to kill enemies, and every success would put a stupid grin on my face. There are also level mechanics that make the platforming challenging, like various hazards, switches, breakable boxes, homing mines, and more. On their own, they won't be too troublesome, but it does get tricky when there are enemies everywhere. You have access to a small assortment of weapons, from a pistol, an SMG, a shotgun, an assault rifle (that also has a grenade launcher), and a sniper rifle. Everything apart from the pistol has limited ammo, which can be refilled by getting ammo drops from enemies. For some of the weapons, there are dual wield options, and those will allow you to split your aim and shoot two targets at once. It certainly feels awesome to use this mechanic and simultaneously pick off two enemies. Enemies have access to pretty much the same arsenal as you, so the challenge isn't so much in learning patterns as it is managing their numbers well. If you get surrounded, you're pretty much screwed. The game is somewhat lenient in this respect, as there's health regen (to a certain point), occasional health drops, and generous checkpoints should you die. There are certain sections (usually during boss fights) when the game switches things up and puts together elaborate set pieces you have to fight through. There's one where you're on a motorcycle shooting down pursuers, and another where you're falling from a skyscraper and shooting everyone around you. Every time these sequences would come up, I'd just be rendered speechless by the complete absurdity of it. These sections aren't the most challenging, but holy shit are they entertaining. Every level has a letter grade ranking system, starting from C to S. Things like your score, time, and other bonuses determine your grade. There's no point in grinding for the highest rank unless you want the achievements or want to be at the top of the leaderboards. The game also has a fun option where you can save a highlight of your gameplay as a GIF and post it to social media. I'll share some examples below. You can also explore the levels to find game modifiers, which allow you to mess with the game's rules (like making the time slowing mechanic unlimited, or altering things like the speed of your bullets), and difficulty settings for the levels if you wish to tackle the game on harder difficulties. Other than that, however, there isn't really a lot to do after beating the campaign. VERDICT: My Friend Pedro may be a short game, but it makes those couple of hours a hilarious blast by providing super stylish gunplay and a nonsensical (in a fun way) plot. Pulling off all sorts of ludicrous trick shots is incredibly satisfying, and the stupid story made me laugh more than a few times. I enjoyed this game a lot, in the same way I enjoy stuff like pro wrestling: yeah, it's fucking stupid, but I love it. If you're looking for a silly time, this is a game worth getting. I should note that I also streamed my playthrough of this to some friends on Discord. They also found it hilarious, which is probably a good sign. Buy the game on Steam: My Friend Pedro on Steam (steampowered.com) POSTSCRIPT: As promised, here are some GIFs of my gameplay. - end -
I know I have three whole months to play all the Game Pass PC games that I want, but I feel compelled to clear as many as possible within the shortest span of time. BACKGROUND:
I've seen some promotional material of this game, but I really don't know much about it. Might as well see what it's about. PLOT: The story isn't really presented in a conventional manner, and is more the kind of plot you have to interpret based on the relatively abstract way the game presents it. From what I can tell, it's about a girl named Gris who loses her ability to sing, and her entire journey is about reclaiming her voice. I think it's some sort of metaphor for overcoming emotional turmoil. If you're not a fan of less conventional storytelling, you may find the game's plot pretentious or just not understand it at all. But if you're willing to look past that, there is plenty of emotional depth to the story. Personally, I like the story a lot; the themes it tackles are ones that resonate with me, for very personal reasons. PRESENTATION: This is easily the department Gris most excels in. Everything about the presentation is absolutely beautiful, and the choices they made in terms of the art and music make the game a rather emotional experience. The art style is gorgeous, having this hand-drawn feel along with a watercolor-esque vibe to the colors. All the visual effects are dazzling, and they go all out on the animation, taking full advantage of elements such as changing the camera perspective to depict scale, or playing around with the palette. This is definitely one of those games where I just can't help but stare (and subsequently forget that I'm playing a game). The music is just as amazing, with a melodious soundtrack that goes all in on the piano and the violin. In addition to that, some of the tracks feature incredible vocals. Along with the mesmerizing art, I found myself stopping just to take in the music. To make things better, each track fits well with whatever emotion the narrative is trying to get across. GAMEPLAY: Gris is a puzzle platformer, and like most other games in the genre, the basic idea is to figure out puzzles to move forward. At first, the game doesn't feel that intuitive. The beautiful art is a bit of a detriment in terms of the gameplay, as it's sometimes difficult to tell which is just background/foreground, or if something is an actual platform/barrier. The objective isn't all that clear, either, but the gist is that you have to collect a bunch of tiny light orbs (I think they're supposed to be stars). These orbs are the key to many puzzles; not only do they open up paths once you've collected enough of them, but they also grant you special abilities. While it didn't take me that long to figure out what's going on, I could easily see some players being confused for much longer. In terms of abilities, there aren't all that many. You gain the ability to turn into a heavy cube (which can be used as a ground pound or in weight-based puzzles), a double jump (which comes with the ability to launch yourself upward in designated spots), an underwater dash, and (eventually) the ability to sing again (which activates objects in the environment). None of the puzzles are particularly hard, and none of the platforming sequences demand that much precision, but they came up with a bunch of cool ideas and gimmicks for the levels. My personal favorite is the one that involves ice, but there are mechanics involving gravity, shifting platforms, and (oddly enough) apple trees. Thankfully, the game is much better at teaching these gimmicks, though a few may still take a bit to figure out. The game is pretty linear overall, so despite the somewhat large areas, you won't really get lost. The only thing that's optional is a certain collectible that takes a bit of exploration or skill to acquire. Getting them all unlocks something story-related, but you don't really lose anything if you don't find them all. Additionally, beating the game allows you to revisit the levels to find these collectibles if you so desire. VERDICT: Gris isn't a game for everyone. Its plot may be too esoteric or "artsy" for some, and the gameplay, while solid, isn't particularly innovative, challenging, and can be confusing at times. But if you're willing to set those gripes aside, Gris is an unforgettable experience, putting together gorgeous visuals with amazing music to deliver an emotional tale. I adore this game, and if games of this style are your cup of tea, you might feel the same way. I will say that it's only around three hours long, so you might want to wait for a sale if you don't want to spend the base price for a game that doesn't take too long to beat. Check out Gris on Steam: GRIS on Steam (steampowered.com) The game is also on mobile, apparently. Choose your destiny: And here's the soundtrack on Spotify: Gris (Original Game Soundtrack) - Album by Berlinist | Spotify - end - This is probably up there as one of the weirdest games I've ever played. BACKGROUND:
I watched a bunch of Let's Plays of this game and thought it was hilarious. I saw it was on Game Pass PC and figured "why not?" PLOT: There is no story, but I would love to see some Hollywood screenwriter figure out a plot to this game. PRESENTATION: Clustertruck looks decent overall, but other than that, there's not much I can say. The models look nice and have a smoothness to them, and there are various level aesthetics that are pleasant to look at. The music is pretty upbeat, and fits the chaotic nature of the game quite well. GAMEPLAY: Clustertruck is a 3D platformer with a first person perspective. The best way to describe it is the most absurd incarnation of "the floor is lava" ever conceived. Your goal is to jump your way to the end of the levels, but the catch is that you can only stand on trucks that are driving along the paths. In terms of controls, the platforming doesn't feel as comfortable as it could be. Movement is a tad floaty, and the way the game handles momentum can be odd at some points. Jumping onto the sides of trucks is frustratingly inconsistent, as it's a crapshoot whether you get that pull-up jump or if you just fall to your death. The game lives up to its pun by being incredibly chaotic. Although the trucks you have to stand on drive a set path at the start, shit is immediately thrown into disarray not long after. The level layouts will cause the trucks to swerve, crash, and fly in all sorts of directions, making getting to the end easier said than done. There is still definitely an element of skill to the game since you have to constantly move from truck to truck, but in many instances, whether or not you make it to the end feels like complete luck. In some levels, I wouldn't have any difficulty at all jumping across trucks, but in others, complete random horseshit would cause the trucks I need to either pile up and get stuck or careen into a ditch. There are nine worlds, each with ten levels. Each world has a theme to them, and that dictates the sort of mechanics you'll encounter within its levels. For instance, the steampunk world has a lot of pipes you have to avoid and an assortment of moving contraptions, whereas the laser world has, well, lasers. These gimmicks can range from entertaining (like having to jump across trucks flying in midair) to infuriating random bullshit (like hazards that instantly kill you but are annoyingly difficult to avoid). While many of the levels are manageable (and pretty short), a few don't allow for a large margin of error, requiring either precise timing or getting ahead quickly to make a cycle. The only level I really had a problem with was the final one, as it was way too long. Beating a level rewards you with style points, which you can spend to unlock abilities. These abilities either give you new movement options (like a double jump or a dash) or interesting powers (like the ability to slow down time). Unlocking these abilities is worthwhile, because not only do they make the platforming more fun, they definitely help in some of the tougher levels. Earning style points doesn't seem to be too troublesome, as far as I can tell. Other than that, there's not much to the game. There is a leaderboard aspect where you can try to get the best time for every level, but that's about it. VERDICT: Clustertruck follows through on its pun by delivering a frenetic platforming experience atop a fleet of trucks. I was quite entertained by the concept, but I certainly had my moments of frustration due to the controls and the overall random nature of some of the levels. It's worth checking out based on the novelty of its gameplay alone, but considering it only has a couple hours' worth of content, it may be best to wait for a sale. Also, if you are easily frustrated by platformers that have a lot of random shit and/or don't control 100% consistently, there's a good chance you will find this game irritating to play through. This is the Clustertruck Steam page: Clustertruck on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - It's Christmas Eve as I write this, and here I am spending it playing and writing random horseshit. BACKGROUND:
Being a Marvel fan, Marvel vs. Capcom is a game I'm quite familiar with. I have limited experience when it comes to actually playing (apart from the few times I emulated the first one), but I've watched more than my fair share of competitive matches. I also follow Maximilian Dood, one of my favorite content creators, and he plays a ton of MvC. This game being announced was a huge deal, but from what I understand, it was not that well received by fans. It didn't seem that bad from the stuff that I've watched, but now I can formulate a proper opinion on the game. PLOT: Marvel Infinite has a full story mode, which is a first for the series. It's set in a universe where the Marvel Universe and the worlds of Capcom have merged into a single dimension. This came about due to Ultron Sigma (an amalgam of Marvel villain Ultron and Sigma, the big bad of the Mega Man X series), who is hell-bent on exterminating organic life. The heroes of both universes have banded together to fight against the robot bastard, but Ultron Sigma has two of the six Infinity Gems. If the heroes hope to stand a chance, they need to find the other gems, but in order to do that, they need help from the most unlikely of allies. On paper, the premise sounds cool. I like the idea of the two worlds merging, and they take full advantage of that by mashing two ideas/locations from each universe together (e.g. AIM and Umbrella corporation are fused together, and there's a location in the game that fuses Monster Hunter with Wakanda). But something about how the story is told just doesn't come together. The dialogue is off in a lot of places (there's a lot of characters saying the names of other characters, for instance), the plot jumps around way too much (especially in terms of the timeline of events), and the characters are just kinda there for the most part. It's a shame because they did some cool things in here (like combining Resident Evil bioweapons with the Venom symbiote), but the parts just don't form a cohesive whole. PRESENTATION: Marvel Infinite's art style takes on a more realistic look compared to the previous games. The visuals look fine for the most part, but coming off of the super comic book-style aesthetic of Marvel 3, this feels like a real step down. Sure, everything looks all AAA and shiny, but it seems that came at the cost of some personality. The character designs are pretty hit or miss. Some look pretty good (Doctor Strange rocking the classic comic look is awesome), while others look kinda bland (Iron Man's suit in this game isn't really much to write home about, for example). It gets a bit rough when you start looking at some of the character faces; some have an uncanny valley look to them. Similarly, the voice acting varies in quality. Some of the characters were cast well (Iron Man sounds quite close to RDJ), and others were just weird (why is Morrigan sort of Scottish now?). Can't really say much about the music, which may be a damning observation in itself. I could say the same about the stages; none of them stood out to me as particularly memorable. GAMEPLAY: Marvel Infinite goes back to the series roots and is a two-on-two tag fighter, scaling down from Marvel 3's chaotic three-on-three bouts. Assists are also no longer a thing, and the most you can do now is tag in your partner in the middle of a combo. That said, there's still good potential for massive combos. I found this more manageable to learn than something like Dragon Ball FighterZ (which is also 3v3), but for more seasoned fighting game players, this may be too toned down for their tastes. As the name might imply, the Infinity Gems are a huge mechanic in fights, which hearkens back to the days of Marvel Super Heroes (an old fighting game from the '90s, and one of the first video games I ever played). During character select, you can pick one of the six gems, and they each give you an additional attack that you can use at any time (essentially serving as your assist). The gem also has a meter tied to it, and when it's full, you can activate Infinity Storm, which is an extra super move that differs depending on what gem you have equipped. I like this mechanic a lot, and depending on which one you use, you can pull off some impressive combos by using them. The roster feels like a step down from Marvel 3, only having a fraction of the quantity the previous game had. Most of them are returning characters, and while the new ones are pretty interesting (like Captain Marvel and X), I felt like I was seeing pretty much the same shit as before. A more glaring issue is the obvious lack of certain characters: there are zero Fantastic Four and X-Men characters to be found, and the void is rather noticeable. Even more baffling is Capcom's decision to lock out certain characters as DLC; Black Panther and Monster Hunter are in the story mode, but you have to buy them to play as them? That's highly questionable. In terms of accessibility, Marvel Infinite takes plenty of steps to make things easier for less experienced players. The game has a four-button layout (as opposed to the usual six), you can set shortcuts for certain inputs (e.g. light punch + heavy punch can be mapped to a trigger), there's a quick input for Lv. 1 supers, and there's an easy auto-combo you can perform just by mashing light punch. It does make certain things easier (I can combo into a Lv. 1 super pretty consistently thanks to this), but there's still plenty of room to create your own combo paths. More complex stuff, like special cancelling and tagging in your partner to extend combos/apply offensive pressure, are still very much a thing, so there's still a decently high skill ceiling. Of course, you have your usual fighting game modes. Story Mode is where you experience the story, and in terms of actual gameplay, it's pretty boring (since a lot of the fights are against jobbers with very little health as opposed to proper 2v2 fights). You also have a standard arcade mode, Mission Mode (which has tutorials and character-specific challenges), and a couple of local VS options (like playing against a CPU opponent or a second player). Naturally, there's also online VS, which I did not touch on the account that I am pretty terrible at Marvel vs. Capcom. VERDICT: Marvel Infinite is a decent game in its own right; its gameplay is still solid despite being toned down, the Infinity Gem mechanic is pretty interesting, and the story had some interesting ideas. But I can't help but compare it to Marvel 3, which had a more memorable art style, a more varied roster, and wasn't bogged down by an inconsistent plot. I enjoyed the game for its combat (which still feels quite flashy), but everything else just didn't feel right. If you're a fighting game veteran, I think you can still find some enjoyment in Marvel Infinite's mechanics, but I understand if you'd rather skip this in favor of the older games. If you're more of a casual player, this game is relatively easier to learn (but definitely still hard to master), though I would recommend playing the older ones instead since they have a more interesting roster. Here's Marvel Infinite on Steam: Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - I'm doing my best to beat as many Game Pass games as I can while I still have some free time. Here's a quick one. BACKGROUND:
I've seen some promotional material for this game but never really knew what it was about. I saw it was on Game Pass, and thought "why not?" PLOT: There really isn't a story apart from whatever you can glean from the game itself. It's usually just some variation of "captive gorilla attempts to escape human-run area." PRESENTATION: The visuals are as minimalist as it gets, with zero outlines, flat colors, and very little detail to most elements. Despite this, there's still a sense of depth to the levels, objects have unique textures, and there are a bunch of neat effects. It's in the music where this game truly shines. The soundtrack is exclusively jazz-style percussion, with the music dynamically changing according to what's happening in the gameplay. Every time something happens, stuff like the tempo changes, new instruments are introduced, or the volume adjusts. This dynamic element adds a lot to the game's action, and the music itself sounds great. GAMEPLAY: Ape Out is a beat-'em-up with a top-down perspective. You control the eponymous ape, and the goal is to get to the end of each maze-like level. You will be met by human resistance, and while it is not a requirement to beat the shit out of them, it does help a lot. There are four worlds, each with eight levels (except for the fourth, which only has seven). Although the general structure of a level seems to be the same, the actual layout of the maze is procedurally generated, which means every reset creates a slightly different level. Each stage has a distinct theme; for instance, one of the stages has you escape from the top of a building, while another sees you break out of a ship. As the ape, you have two main moves: a shoving attack (which can easily kill any human if they slam into something), and a grab. Grabbing is pretty useful, as not only can you throw a motherfucker at another motherfucker, you can use a human as a meat shield. Overall, the offense is pretty simple, but it's certainly satisfying to lay waste to a bunch of people. If you're looking for depth in terms of combat, this game ain't it. Most of the humans you'll encounter are carrying guns, so while you can dispatch them easily if you get close, they can just as easily kill you from afar. Different enemy types carry different weapons (from a basic rifle, to a shotgun, and even flamethrowers), as well as have unique properties (some have armor, others explode on impact, some run away if you approach). The game gets challenging when you're surrounded, and sometimes, it's better to just make a beeline for the exit as opposed to going around killing everyone. Though most levels are more or less straightforward, a few have some gimmicks, like a mode where the people can't see (and you can easily use stealth to win), areas where you can chuck people off high places (like the windows of a building or overboard a ship), and spots where you yank doors open with your gorilla strength. Once you beat all the levels of the stage, you can replay it in Arcade Mode and attempt to go as far as you can without dying. There's also a toggle to make the game's levels harder if you wish to do that. Plus, beating all four stages unlocks Break In, a special bonus level where you pretty much have to beat what's easily the toughest level of the game twice (once to break in, then again to get out). VERDICT: Ape Out is a strikingly simple beat-'em-up with a strong visual identity, brilliant sound design, and straightforward yet challenging gameplay. It's a pretty short game (it took me around two to three hours to beat all the main stages), and there's not much to it in terms of extra content apart from Arcade Mode and a difficulty toggle, but I still had a blast going full unga bunga on a bunch of gun-toting humans. Perhaps its base price may be a bit much for those who want to get the most out of every purchase, but if you're willing to shell out, it's a decent diversion. Here's Ape Out on Steam: APE OUT on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - More Game Pass PC action, and this time, it's a game I have been wanting to play for most of the year. BACKGROUND:
Doom Eternal was one of my most anticipated games of this year. I got Doom 2016 for the Switch two years ago and was blown away by its frenetic rip-and-tear gameplay, so it's probably no surprise that I was incredibly excited to see the sequel. Unfortunately, the Switch version ended up getting delayed, so I didn't get to play it on release. It did come out eventually earlier this December (nearly nine months after its initial release everywhere else), but a day one purchase was not in the cards. Then I noticed that this was on Game Pass PC. What an unbelievable stroke of luck! PLOT: After the events of Doom 2016, Earth has been invaded by the forces of Hell, leaving a significant portion of the population dead. The Doom Slayer, after being whisked away at the end of the previous game, has returned, and he's on a one-man crusade to rip and tear these motherfuckers and save the world. Unlike Doom 2016, which has a (more or less) straightforward plot, Doom Eternal goes all in on the world-building, expanding upon how the Doom Slayer came to be, further establishes the connection between the reboot and the original series of Doom games, introduces 700 new concepts and characters (like the Makyrs and the Sentinels), and expands upon things that were established in Doom 2016 (Argent energy being the key example here). I thought all this new lore was interesting, but I can totally see this being way too much for some people to follow. Thankfully, you can skip the cutscenes and ignore the codex entries if you just want to focus on beating the shit out of demons. PRESENTATION: This is easily the best Doom has ever looked. The overall visual fidelity is remarkable: super detailed models, plenty of flashy visual effects, excellent lighting, and even nice rendering for water. Seeing classic Doom monsters fully realized in 3D never gets old, and neither does seeing chunks of their flesh explode out of them. In terms of design, a lot of the demons are back from Doom 2016, but the game introduces a handful of new demons. Some of them, like the Archvile, the Arachnotron, and the Pain Elemental, are from the original Doom II, and seeing how they've been reimagined in the modern era is awesome. Many other designs are completely new, like the Makyr Drones, the Sentinel Knights, the Doom Hunters, and the Marauders, and they all look pretty cool. Doom Eternal leans even more heavily into the blend of occult and cybernetic in terms of design, and it's evident in the designs of the new monsters. Whereas Doom 2016 was restricted to Mars and Hell in terms of locations, this game takes you through more places in the campaign. You still stop by Hell and Mars, but now you get to explore an Earth completely devastated by demon attacks, UAC space stations, and even entirely new planets like Urdak and Sentinel Prime. Seeing the variety of locales is pretty cool, and a step up from the previous game. The music is still incredible, with Mick Gordon returning from the previous game to compose a score of face-melting heavy metal tracks to complement the game's mile-a-minute action. Combat in this game is already thrilling, but the music helps elevate the experience to another plane. GAMEPLAY: Doom Eternal is a first person shooter, which means you're gonna be blowing the heads off of a lot of demons in this game. If you've played an FPS before, this won't feel any different, but this game has a lot of elements and mechanics that set it apart from its contemporaries. One of the main things that makes Doom special is how incredibly fast-paced the action is. The Doom Slayer moves pretty fast, you don't stop to reload, you have all sorts of mobility options (more on that later), and shit is coming at you in every direction pretty much all the time. If you hold still, you're probably good as dead. Another thing that adds to the nonstop action of Doom is the way you replenish resources. Need health? Perform a Glory Kill (a brutal finisher attack you can perform on weakened foes, and one of the highlights of Doom 2016). Need ammo? Chop someone up with a chainsaw (which has now been improved to replenish one fuel tank over time). Want armor? Use the brand new Flame Belch flamethrower. Basically, if you need something, you have to fight for it, and while you will encounter some of these things simply sitting about in the levels, they will rarely be enough to see you through to the end. The gameplay loop is essentially "kill so you can kill some more," and it's a damn satisfying loop. The Slayer's arsenal is pretty much the same as it was in Doom 2016. You have the shotgun, the Super Shotgun, the Ballista (which is functionally similar to the Gauss Cannon from the previous game), the Plasma Rifle, the Heavy Cannon (AKA the assault rifle), the Chaingun, and the BFG (of course). You also have access to the chainsaw, as well as the Crucible (a badass sword). Like before, each weapon has a specific ammo type tied to it, and you'll need to manage it well if you want to stay alive. Similarly, you can equip mods to every weapon (except the Super Shotgun and the BFG), giving you alternate options in combat. Some of these mods are back from the previous game (like the scope on the heavy cannon), while others are brand new (like the beam attack for the Plasma Rifle). You can only equip one of these at a time, but once you unlock both, you can swap them out at will. The most radical change in terms of weapons (apart from the new mods and the Ballista) comes in the form of the Super Shotgun's new ability. The Super Shotgun has what's called the Meat Hook, which you can use to pull yourself towards enemies. It's one of the most fun mechanics in this game; it's basically Link's Hookshot, except it can blast your head off. In addition to the Flame Belch, you also have Ice Bombs now, which does what you expect and freezes opponents. It's a fun alternative to the regular grenade (which is still in the game). You can upgrade each weapon mod by spending weapon points to unlock passive buffs. Unlocking all the buffs unlocks a weapon mastery challenge for that particular mod. Completing the weapon mastery challenge unlocks yet another passive buff that significantly improves the current weapon mod. The weapon mastery challenges are pretty tough (but not impossible), but you can find Mastery Tokens that just let you bypass it entirely if you want. Speaking of upgrades, you can collect Praetor Suit Tokens (which upgrade your suit's abilities), Sentinel Crystals (which can give you more health, ammo, and armor, plus grant unique buffs), and Runes (again, more unique buffs). Apart from a few alterations, this is mostly similar to how upgrades worked in the previous game. Many of these are worth the trouble of getting, as they do a lot to make the Slayer stronger. The enemies are all plenty tough (especially when you have to fight a million of them at once), but it's the new enemies you have to watch out for. The Marauder is a thrill to fight because of how you have to bait it to hurt it, the Doom Hunter takes a lot of hits, and the Archvile is your worst nightmare because it summons buffed enemies. Things get tougher when you encounter buff totems (which you have to destroy unless you want to get your ass kicked), or run into Empowered Demons, which are tougher enemies that managed to kill other players in their campaigns. New to this game is the fact that some demons have a specific weak point (other than the usual headshot). For example, destroying the cannons of the Revenant significantly weakens it by rendering most of its offense useless. It's usually challenging to take out these weak points (especially when you have to worry about dozens of other enemies), but it's quite satisfying to pull off. There are a few boss fights in the game, and they're all no joke. The Marauder and the Doom Hunter actually start out as boss encounters before becoming late game enemies. The final boss is none other the Icon of Sin, who was the boss in the original Doom II, and that fight looks like something straight out of a kaiju movie. All the levels are decently large, and like before, there are plenty of secrets to find. These range from various upgrade items, challenge rooms (which require you to kill all the enemies within a time limit), and a plethora of collectibles (including cheat codes you can toggle when playing). You can also find Slayer Gates, which take you to super hard combat encounters, that, when completed, gives you one of six keys to unlock a secret super weapon. The game keeps track of what you have, and you can easily replay levels to get what you missed via Mission Select. Each level has challenges and progress trackers, and completing each nets you rewards like Weapon Points or Praetor Suit Tokens. Once again, you gotta fight if you want to get stronger, but in many cases, you get some of these rewards just by playing; only some of the challenges require some effort (either through skill in combat or by successfully finding secrets). Many levels also have platforming sections. In addition to the double jump, you now have the ability to scale specific walls, swing across monkey bars, and dash. I like the platforming challenges, though most other people may feel differently. The dash in particular is a fun new ability, as it gives you helpful mobility in fights. There are also brief swimming sections where you need the RAD suit (a returning power-up from classic Doom) to survive the toxic water. In terms of level hazards, there are spikes, electrified floors, sticky goop that keeps you from jumping (very annoying), and Mario-esque rotating fire bars. On the subject of power-ups, a couple of them make a return, but they seem rarer in general. The most prominent one is the 1UP, which brings you back if you die (as opposed to sending you back to your last checkpoint). New to this game is the Fortress of Doom, which serves as the Slayer's base of operations. In between most missions, you stop by here. In the fortress, you can practice killing demons, view your collectibles, and unlock items using a collectible known as Sentinel Batteries (which are either found hidden in the levels or unlocked as mission rewards by completing challenges). It's pretty awesome that the Slayer has his own HQ, but apart from what I've mentioned, there's not much you can do on it. As always, Doom has the traditional difficulties from "I'm Too Young to Die" to Ultra Nightmare. I played on "Hurt Me Plenty" (which is the "normal" of Doom), and it's no pushover. This game has a multiplayer mode where players face off against each other. One player is the Slayer, while two others fight against them by controlling demons. I like the idea of playing as the demons, but this mode didn't really hold my interest. There are also a plethora of cosmetics, like weapon skins, different costumes for the Slayer, different demon skins, and icons. You earn most of these by completing Milestones (AKA achievements), while some seem to be tied to limited-time events (which have this Battle Pass thing going on where you earn XP and unlock rewards as a result). It's neat, but it doesn't really seem to be a big deal unless you care about showing off in multiplayer. VERDICT: Doom Eternal takes what I loved about Doom 2016 and improves upon it well. The action has been polished to be as fast-paced as ever, progression is satisfying, the weapons are still a ton of fun, there are plenty of new demons to kill, and the levels have plenty of secrets to them. I also liked the new platforming stuff, I loved the phenomenal soundtrack, and found the plot interesting (which may put me in the minority). Apart from some minor gripes and a multiplayer mode that didn't really do anything for me, I can say that this has been one of my favorite games of this entire year. Go play it if you love Doom or just want to feel the thrill of being the most unga bunga demon killer of all time. Here's Doom Eternal on Steam: DOOM Eternal on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - Can you believe the year is over? I can't. Let's forget how shitty it's been for a moment and enjoy some comics. THE THEME: I picked out five titles that are explicitly holiday-themed. Straightforward, right? THE COMICS: ![]() DC HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2009 Publisher: DC Comics Writers: various Artists: various - A collection of ten short stories featuring vastly different art styles, all set in the holidays. You have stories featuring more famous characters (like Superman making a kid's Christmas special), a few featuring more obscure characters (like Ragman retelling the origins of Hanukkah), and even non-DC stories set in the World War era (showing soldiers from both sides calling a ceasefire on Christmas Day) - FREE on Comixology ![]() GWENPOOL HOLIDAY SPECIAL: MERRY MIX-UP Publisher: Marvel Writers: various Artists: various - This is another compilation of short stories, except all the holidays being featured are completely twisted. Galactus is Santa now, there's something called Pantsgiving, "Hail HYDRA" is a holiday greeting.... shit is weird. Quite humorous overall, if a bit on the irreverent side. - Comixology link ![]() MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECIAL (2011) Publisher: Marvel Writers: various Artists: various - More short stories featuring Marvel characters celebrating the holidays. You have Spidey spreading holiday cheer to a villain, Wolverine teaching kids at Xavier's hockey (because Canadian), a Nick Fury Christmas story styled like the old Agent of SHIELD comics, and the Thing celebrating the holidays with fellow Jewish heroes. - Comixology link ![]() MARVEL HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR (2009) Publisher: Marvel Writers: various Artists: various - Even more holiday short stories! You've got all sorts of fun ones, like Santa wielding the Infinity Gauntlet, or more sentimental stories, like Storm returning to celebrate the holidays with the X-Men. There's also a ton of variety in terms of art style. There's also a feature piece on Santa Claus (yes, the Marvel Universe has an actual Santa), and holiday issues from much older comics. - Comixology link ![]() THE MERRY X-MEN HOLIDAY SPECIAL (2018) Publisher: Marvel Writers: various Artists: various - It's yet another compilation of holiday short stories, except this time, the focus is on X-Men characters. There are 25 stories in total, one for each day of December until Christmas. Highlights include Magneto celebrating Hanukkah, Rogue and Gambit's Christmas together as a couple, Domino carrying out a hit during the holidays, and Jubilee's adventure through the mall (?). - Comixology link I'm not going to lie: this year has been one of the worst I've lived through. In some ways, it's surpassed the emotional distress I've dealt with during years when I had to deal with the grief of losing someone I cared about. And that's not even taking into account the millions of things that have gone horribly wrong around the world. It fucking sucks and I hate it. I don't know if the holidays in real life will be better or worse for me, but these comics did help me feel less terrible, if only for a moment. Hopefully your holidays are less dreary, even with the current circumstances. PANEL(s) OF THE WEEK: - end -
I'm taking full advantage of this Game Pass PC sub for as long as I have it, and that means taking a couple AAA games out for a spin. BACKGROUND:
RE7 was a pretty big deal a couple of years back. Its initial reveal caught a lot of players by surprise, and many were intrigued by the bold new direction the series was going. I remember watching a few Let's Plays of the game, but it's been long enough that I've forgotten most of what I've seen. I've mentioned before that most of my experience with Resident Evil was as an observer (that was in the RE: Revelations post), so I'm always excited to be at the steering wheel for once. PLOT: Right off the bat, RE7 sets itself apart from the rest of the games by having a mostly standalone story. It follows Ethan Winters, who has been searching for his missing wife Mia for the past three years. He eventually discovers a lead that takes him to a derelict house in Louisiana, but what he finds there is more horrific than he could have ever imagined. As you go through the game, you'll uncover the nightmares that have transpired in the house, which was once the home of the Baker family. You'll find out what happened to them, what caused all the horror, and how Mia is involved. Though it eventually loops back into the usual Resident Evil territory ("oh, it's a bioweapon, because of course it is"), it really doesn't start out that way. It almost feels like an entirely different horror series in the opening stretch, and it's almost disappointing when the plots shifts back to standard RE fare. There are also occasional flashbacks and events viewed from the perspective of other characters that help build on the story and explain some things. Part of why the story feels unique from the other RE games is its characters. The protagonist Ethan, unlike past protagonists like Leon and Jill, is just a regular guy. He's not a cop, he's not part of STARS, and he's not some sort of military dude. He's just looking for his wife and gets caught up in all this crazy horseshit. The antagonists are also pretty different, because they're not just mindless brutes like Nemesis, or conniving assholes from Umbrella. I don't want to give too much away, but they're definitely nothing I've seen before from a Resident Evil game, and I appreciate that about them. If you're worried that this is completely separate from the Resident Evil timeline, fret not, because it's definitely still canon. You only really see the connections towards the end, and even after the credits roll, there are still a bunch of unanswered questions (mostly along the lines of "where did this shit even come from?"). Again, without giving too much away, RE7 introduces the Molded, which is a completely different type of "zombie" bioweapon from the past games (they look more like discount Venom symbiotes than zombies, really). You'll learn a little bit about what they are and where they come from, but there are still plenty of gaps and loose ends. Perhaps those are questions that will be answered in RE8. Interestingly, the game has two endings, determined by a pivotal decision near the end of the game. They're different in a number of respects, so it's worth checking out if you care about that sort of thing. Gameplay-wise, the endgame is almost identical. PRESENTATION: RE7 has what I like to call "AAA graphics": it has impressive visual fidelity, and a style that leans significantly towards realism. This was probably the best Resident Evil has ever looked until the remakes of RE2 and RE3 came along. I found the visuals remarkable in the sense that they looked quite polished, but games that are more realistic in style tend to not do anything for me (barring a few exceptions). The realism does do a lot in making the gory aspects of the visuals look extra disgusting. This game takes a page out of Half-Life and has majority of its scripted scenes happen within the game itself. You really feel like you're part of the action when these scenes come up, to the point that sometimes you can't tell the difference between "this is supposed to happen" and "oh god, I'm actually taking damage." Like other RE games, the music is more on the ambient side, but the few tracks there are (including the game's de facto theme song) sound great. And as with the visuals, the sound design is excellent, with all sorts of eerie sound effects that add to the creepy atmosphere of the game. I've lost count at all the inexplicable noises I heard while wandering the areas. On that note, RE7 does a lot right to make everything feel scary. There's great lighting (or lack of lighting), atmospheric sounds, and lots of creepy, unexplained phenomena (like things teleporting around, or noises that defy explanation). There are a few jump scares in the game; some are predictable (especially if you've played a lot of games like this before), while others are really out of nowhere (to the point that even I got startled). This is probably the most frightening Resident Evil has felt in a while, ever since the series went more in the action route. Although the setting is nowhere near as grandiose as RE1's mansion or as varied as Raccoon City, the Baker house has its own unsettling vibe to it. The house has gone to complete shit, and to add to the creep factor, it's in the middle of the woods in some small town in the southern United States. Doesn't get any more isolated than that. And despite being a pretty normal-looking residence on the surface (well, aside from the whole zombie goop thing), you do get to explore some interesting areas (some of which absolutely fall in line with the Resident Evil tradition of "why the fuck is something like this here?") The monster designs are pretty distinct compared to the other games. Like I mentioned, the Molded kinda look like Venom symbiotes, which is quite different from your stereotypical rotting corpse zombie. They're covered in this black goop that has this fungal vibe to it (which I suppose tracks with the whole "Molded" name), so they're disgusting in their own special way. And as you expect, the game's bosses look absolutely horrific in that they're total abominations. GAMEPLAY: RE7 marks a massive departure from the other games in that it has a first person perspective. This isn't your over-the-shoulder third person shooter view, or the fixed camera angles of the old games; it feels like any old FPS. Despite this perspective change, this is still a survival horror game through and through. The objective remains the same: explore scary place, collect and manage limited resources, solve absurd puzzles to unlock new areas and kill/run away from monsters. Even with the first person view, RE7 doesn't feel as action oriented as some of the more recent Resident Evil titles (at least, not to me); there's definitely still a lot of shooting, but you're not really mowing down hordes of zombies at every step. The enemy placement is indicative of this, as Molded pop up in places specifically intended to force you into a corner or to block your forward path. On the subject of enemies, there isn't really a lot of variety. Apart from the few Molded variations in the game, there are very few other enemy types. They all have straightforward patterns, and you can deal with a lot of those attacks thanks to the ability to block. The fact that a lot of them take considerable effort to deal with compensates for the lesser variety somewhat. The few bosses there are have some interesting elements to the fights, but for the most part, they're pretty straightforward. I would have loved more enemy types, but that's more of a personal wish than a direct criticism. Fighting is far from your only option in this game, as in some situations, completely avoiding enemies is the best strategy. In a game where ammo and health is limited, it's important to weigh when to engage and when to be a coward. Killing a Molded right now may be good in the short term, but what if you run into something that takes more hits later on? On the flip side, killing a basic enemy now might seem like a waste, but it will make backtracking to a particular area less of a hassle. Speaking of resources, RE7 has a rudimentary crafting mechanic to it where you can make stuff like ammo or healing items with raw materials you find around the house. There isn't really a lot you can make with this mechanic, but the few things you can craft are plenty useful anyway. This mechanic meshes well with the fact that you have limited inventory space; you'll want to craft stuff often to make sure you have space for other items. In terms of weapons, you have a pretty standard RE arsenal: pistol, shotgun, knife, grenade launcher. You also get access to things like a flamethrower, a submachine gun, the magnum, and remote bombs. All the weapons are straightforward in functionality, though some of them have the option to switch between multiple ammo types. You can also acquire better variants of some weapon types (like a stronger shotgun) if you know where to look. Since this is a Resident Evil game, the experience isn't complete without a bunch of puzzles that make no goddamn sense in the real world. Secret passages that open when you figure out a shadow puzzle? Doors that don't use keys but instead open via ornate relief statues? This game has 'em all. None of the puzzles are particularly difficult, however, and one in particular (the one that's vaguely reminiscent of a Saw movie) is rather entertaining. In terms of exploration, the house is pretty big, with a lot of connecting paths and hidden secrets. The game does well to lead you along the critical path, but there's plenty of room to explore and find items if you want. You also have to backtrack a bunch, but it doesn't feel tedious since you have the opportunity to open up previously inaccessible areas when you do. There are a good amount of secrets to find, like special items, collectibles, and Antique Coins, which can be cashed in to unlock amazing rewards. Occasionally, you'll come across VHS tapes than, when put inside a VHS player, takes you to a flashback sequence that you actually play. I thought this was a cool idea, not only because you actually experience the flashback firsthand, but because doing so helps you back in the real game. Some of the flashbacks reveal the way to unlock secret passages, tip you off on the location of important items, and even give you the solution to a puzzle. It's a neat way to mix in story and gameplay. The game has three difficulties: Easy, Normal, and Madhouse (unlocked after beating the game once). I played on Normal, which was no pushover, and I assume the other difficulties adjust things like enemy health and resource scarcity. If you're worried about getting your ass kicked on Normal, there is a somewhat lenient autosave, which is helpful if you happen to progress without having stopped by a save room. I saw that the game has a bunch of DLC content, but I didn't really take a look at what was offered. If you happen to like this game and multiple playthroughs don't satiate your appetite, they may be worth checking out. VERDICT: I really enjoyed Resident Evil 7. It feels like no other RE game before with its story and first person view, but its core gameplay is still what I expect and love from classic Resident Evil. In some ways, it feels like a return to form for the series, feeling more horror than the past few RE games that came before it. I do have a few minor gripes (like how the limited inventory often prevents you from getting key items), but overall, I had a good time. Although I would still suggest starting with the first three RE games, new players can get into this entry without having to worry about not knowing what's going on. I think survival horror enthusiasts will enjoy this game a lot. Check out the Steam version of RE7: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - My Game Pass journey is just getting started. Next up is a game I've wanted to play for a long time. BACKGROUND:
As a big Tetris fan, hearing about Tetris Effect immediately piqued my interest. I watched someone stream the game and went "yes, this is a game that I want." Unfortunately, the game was a PS4 exclusive at the time, so the most I could do was live vicariously through the Let's Plays of other people. Imagine my surprise when I found out that a) they released a PC version, and b) it's on Game Pass PC. PLOT: Yeah... no. PRESENTATION: This is arguably the defining aspect of Tetris Effect. Everything from the backgrounds, block designs, music, and overall sound design has an incredible amount of polish, and all these elements come together to deliver a Tetris experience like no other. Let's start with the visuals. In Tetris Effect, there are a couple dozen stages, each with their own distinct theme. For example, you have stages that are space-themed, or stages set underwater. Each stage has a fully animated background with gorgeous visuals, flashy particle effects, and borderline distracting transitions/animations. If I weren't so busy actually playing the game, I'd be able to fully appreciate how stunning everything looks. The backgrounds constantly shift in appearance, as they respond to what you're doing in the game itself (e.g. all sorts of dazzling lights flash if you clear lines). The Tetriminos even feature designs that fit with the overall theme of the stage, and in some stages, the pieces themselves have cool effects like changing colors. The music in this game is absolutely phenomenal. Each stage has a corresponding music track, and while many of the tracks lean more towards the EDM sound, there are a more than a few musical styles featured throughout. Some of the songs even have full vocals, and those are among the most beautiful tracks in the entire game. And to make things even more immersive, your gameplay adds to the music. If you clear enough lines, the music changes in tempo to mark a transition, and even the act of clearing itself makes sounds that go along with the music. Hell, even the simple act of rotating your piece adds to the music. I enjoy sound design that ties in your actions in the game to the music, and Tetris Effect is probably one of the best examples of that. From what I've read, the goal (or at least the inspiration) of the developers when they put together the visuals and music was to emulate and induce the real-life Tetris effect, which is that psychological phenomenon when you play too much Tetris and start seeing falling blocks in real life. Given how it felt like I was in a trance every time I played a round in this game, and how persistent the images and sounds are in my memory, I would say they accomplished their goal. Overall, this game looks and sounds absolutely amazing. I highly doubt I did it justice just by talking about it. GAMEPLAY: Well, it's Tetris. If you're reading this, you probably already know what Tetris is and how it plays. And if you somehow don't (which is unlikely), here's a link to the official browser-based version of the game. Go drop some blocks and clear some lines. Tetris Effect has a campaign called Journey Mode, which takes you through every single stage the game has to offer. Your goal is to clear a set number of lines to progress to the next stage. It's pretty straightforward, but there is a caveat: unlike normal Tetris, where the speed gradually increases, the levels in Journey Mode have set speed settings, and they will change in accordance to the music. It's a little jarring, but it works really well in conjunction with the music. Unique to Journey Mode is a mechanic called Zone. When you clear lines, you fill up the Zone meter, and when it's full, you can activate Zone. What this does is it makes it so any lines you clear during the duration of the effect don't disappear, but instead shift to the bottom of the matrix. Zone allows you to clear a significant amount of lines in a single combo, even allowing you to reach absurd numbers like 18 line clears in one move. Of course, this mechanic has a time limit, so you better be quick about clearing lines. It's a cool mechanic that feels like you're stopping time (but you really aren't), but the only real use for it is to rack up points. Journey Mode has three difficulties: Beginner, Normal, and Expert. Each difficulty adjusts the game speed and the line clear requirement to progress accordingly. I played on Normal, which caps out at a speed level of 13, and that's already somewhat challenging to react to. I recommend picking whatever you're comfortable with so you get to actually enjoy the music and visuals without freaking out about getting a game over. Once you're done with Journey Mode, you can check out Effect Modes, where you can play Tetris with different rules. You have your more classic modes (score attack, time attack, endless), modes designed to be chill (i.e. no game overs), challenge modes (like a mode where you attempt to get as many all clears as possible), and modes with weird random effects (like Mystery mode, which has all sorts of horseshit power-ups). This is where a lot of the game's replay value is, and the best part is that for some of these modes, you can use the stage themes from Journey Mode. All the stages from both Journey Mode and Effect Mode have letter grade rankings, determined by your score and clear time. It doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme, but if you want to get the achievements or are a leaderboard chaser, you may feel compelled to grind out those S rankings. New to the Connected edition of Tetris Effect is multiplayer. Here, there are a variety of both cooperative and competitive modes, as well as options to play locally or online. I've played enough Tetris 99 to know that I will get my ass kicked online, so I didn't play much of these modes. VERDICT: Tetris Effect is probably up there as one of my all-time favorite iterations of Tetris. It has the classic gameplay I know and love, except with truly amazing visuals and music. Playing Tetris is already something I find therapeutic, but this game's presentation makes it an otherworldly experience. If you have the means to play it, plus a good screen and headphones, this is a version of Tetris you simply must experience. Even if you're not that good at Tetris, you can still enjoy this game's Journey Mode thanks to the lower difficulty settings. And if you like Tetris a lot, there's plenty of modes to sink your teeth into after Journey Mode, plus the option to play some multiplayer. Oh, and did I mention that this game is available in VR? The PC version of Tetris Effect: Connected is only available on the Microsoft Store at the moment: Buy Tetris® Effect: Connected - Microsoft Store Here's the absolutely phenomenal soundtrack on Spotify: Tetris Effect (Original Soundtrack) - Album by Hydelic | Spotify - end - Through an amazing stroke of luck, I was able to acquire three free months of Xbox Game Pass on PC. I'm going to take full advantage of this opportunity by playing as many games as I can in that time frame, and talk about my experiences here. Expect more blog entries like this in the near future! BACKGROUND:
I caught some of this game on a stream and thought it looked interesting. I did have plans to buy it on Switch at some point, but now that I can play it here, I probably don't have to do that. PLOT: You play as Kiki, a cat who has unwittingly caused her owner Gary's ship to crash land on an alien planet. With Gary trapped in the ship, it's up to Kiki to explore the planet and find a way to get them out. On this planet is an abandoned research facility, and as Kiki explores, the true nature of the experiments that were once conducted in its labs are revealed. My summary makes the story more serious than it actually is. The game is light-hearted as they come, with plenty of silly jokes and a lot of meowing. The plot itself is pretty goofy when you actually see what the big twist is. PRESENTATION: The graphics are as retro as retro gets, with super simple 1-bit graphics. You get two colors, and you get the simplest of sprites. That's it. Despite a lack of complexity, the game looks polished and has a certain charm to it. As you play, you'll be able to change the game's palette by collecting certain items. There aren't all that many options, and you have to actually exert effort to unlock the palettes, but it's neat that you can do that. The music and sounds also have a retro feel to them, with techno-sounding chiptune that's reminiscent of classic video game soundtracks like the original Metroid. GAMEPLAY: Gato Roboto is a Metroidvania, which means big map, exploration, backtracking, and upgrades. Unlike other games in its genre, Gato Roboto is significantly scaled down; my 100% playthrough only took around 3 hours. Despite its relative shortness, the game still has plenty to offer. Initially, you only control Kiki herself. She's got a decent jump and can run up walls, but any contact with hazards or enemies will kill her instantly. Since she's small, she can also crawl through small spaces, and can swim (ironically). Shortly after starting, you'll encounter the mech suit (which you equip at the game's many save points), which gives Kiki some offense (in the form of a quick blaster shot) and more health. As you explore and find upgrades, the suit gains new abilities or grows stronger in general. You can find health upgrades, modifiers to your attack, missiles, and traversal upgrades (like a dash and a double jump). Compared to other Metroidvanias, that doesn't seem like a lot, but the upgrades are more than enough to make this game interesting. You can also exit the suit at any time, which you will have to do at many points because there are places the suit can't access. I really like how they built the areas around this; it feels satisfying to get through an area as the cat and finding a save point that lets you put on the suit. There are only a small variety of enemies, but their placement in certain areas does make things a bit tricky. The few bosses in the game are also deceptively challenging; though their patterns are pretty simple, it does take some skill to take them down. Overall, though, none of them feel particularly difficult. In terms of platforming challenges, there are very few sections that demand any quick reflexes or precise execution (if at all). There will be areas that demand a bit of timing or careful movement, but don't expect Super Meat Boy levels of hard. Like I said before, this game isn't as big as other Metroidvanias, but there's still a decent amount to explore, and a good amount of secrets to find. A lot of the optional collectibles are in decently well-hidden areas, and there are a few secret rooms that the map won't display. There's also a good amount of backtracking, but since the map isn't that huge, it doesn't feel too tedious. The game is also fairly linear for a Metroidvania, but as much as I prefer more options for exploration, the linear structure feels fine considering the short length of the game. As you explore, you'll encounter a few neat gimmicks, like taking control of things other than the mech (like a submarine and a turret), mechanics such as platforms operated by treadmills, hazards like lava, and even challenge rooms that don't unlock until you've killed every enemy. There's even an area that forces you to be in the mech the entire time, and an equivalent area where you have to be the cat throughout. Again, not that in-depth, but I enjoyed what they did have to offer. Remember when I said you can change the game's color palette? Well, to do that, you need to collect cartridges, which are the game's special collectible. Though they seem pointless from a gameplay perspective (since all they do is alter the game's visuals), there's actually a decent reward for getting them all. VERDICT: Gato Roboto is a short but sweet platforming experience with simple yet charming visuals, a silly story, and all the core elements of a Metroidvania done well (albeit scaled down). I enjoyed my brief time with the game, and I recommend it for people who are looking for a quick and easy (but still fun) game to beat. It's also a good entry point into Metroidvanias if you've not experienced the genre, since it's significantly less overwhelming for casual players in terms of its content. Check the game out on Steam: Gato Roboto on Steam (steampowered.com) - end - I'm finally at the end of my Steam backlog, and I saved the biggest game for last. BACKGROUND:
I've been a big Star Wars fan since I was a kid, but in terms of Star Wars games, I've only played a few titles (mostly Lego Star Wars and the original Battlefront II). KOTOR was probably one of my few deliberate Steam sale purchases; I had heard many Star Wars fans sing its praises, so I felt like I had to play it. I recall putting in a few hours into the game and enjoying the experience, but I didn't get far at all. Once again, this is in the time period when I'd just stop playing through games for whatever reason. Regardless, I'm here to rectify that. PLOT: Before I begin, it's imperative that I point out that this game is not canon. It might have been before, but it certainly isn't now considering it's considered one of the Star Wars Legends. I don't know if it's been retconned in any way, but as far as I recall, it's still not canon. As you may have guessed via the title, this game is set further back in the Star Wars timeline. KOTOR's events occur long before the Clone Wars, and a whopping four millennia before the rise of the Galactic Empire. You get to see the Republic before its decline in the prequel trilogy, and you get to see the Sith be a tangible presence in the galaxy as opposed to an enemy in the shadows. In this era, the Mandalorian Wars have just ended, thanks to two rogue Jedi Knights tipping the scales in favor of the Republic. These two former Jedi, Revan and Malak, became Sith Lords, with Revan as the master and Malak the apprentice. Over time, the Sith amassed an armada from out of nowhere, and have launched a full-scale war against the Republic. A Republic attack seemingly kills Darth Revan, allowing Malak to rise to power and continue the Sith assault across the galaxy. The events of the game begin on the Endar Spire, a Republic vessel that's been attacked by the Sith. You, a seemingly random recruit, wake up aboard the ship, and fight your way through to the escape pods along with Republic war hero Carth Onasi. The two of you land on the planet of Taris. Once there, you and Carth go on a mission to find and rescue Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, who was also aboard the Endar Spire and is a key figure in the fight against the Sith. Along the way, you meet a whole bunch of other colorful characters (ranging from Jedi, Sith, Wookiees, droids, and more), some of whom even join your party. Once the story gets really going, you'll be traveling to a bunch of other planets (some unique to this game, others you recognize from other media), where you will slowly uncover the true nature of Darth Malak's plot. You will also discover the backstory of your player character, and without giving anything away, the nature of who you really are is probably up there as one of my favorite twists ever. Overall, this game has a story and setting that I absolutely enjoyed throughout, and it's probably up there as one of my favorite Star Wars stories. The main plot, while far from innovative, has elements that make it really stand out (including the aforementioned twist), most of the main cast have interesting backstories worth exploring, and there is ample opportunity for world-building on a level that even the movies and TV shows can't match. You get to explore how normal citizens feel about the Jedi and Sith, encounter corporate greed in the form of the Czerka Corporation, dive into the organized crime scene of Taris, and more. Star Wars is such a lore-rich world, and the fact that I can explore the many facets of the Old Republic Era in this game is pretty awesome. While some characters obviously get more screen time than others in the main plot, you're able to explore most of their backstories just by playing the game. Having specific characters in your party not only triggers unique dialogue during cutscenes, but you occasionally get a chance to talk to them and ask them about themselves. If you bring them along in certain areas, you can even encounter missions that specifically build on their character. It's a neat and organic way to learn more about your party, and I enjoyed mixing and matching my party just for the sake of character development. You as the player character get a degree of freedom when it comes to interacting with NPCs. Most interactions give you multiple dialogue options, and a lot of the choices can have a significant impact both in terms of the overall game and how other characters treat you. The game goes as far to have a Light Side/Dark Side point system that awards you points depending if your actions were altruistic or fucking evil. The fact that it operates on such a rigid dichotomy doesn't allow for as much freedom as I would like (though that's a failing of the thematic elements of Star Wars itself as opposed to a shortcoming of the game), you do get a fair amount of wiggle room to interact with people the way you want to. On the subject of impact, your dialogue choices can affect something as simple as an NPC's response, to something that actually alters the game in some way. For example, if you are extra mean to a merchant, they may end up not selling you shit anymore. The actual significance of such choices varies greatly, but very few actually permanently alter the course of the story. In fact, I think there's really only one choice that actually influences the ending you get. Still, it's fun to role-play and build a character that's uniquely you. Speaking of endings, yes, there are multiple. And as you may have guessed, it's either Light Side or Dark Side (because nuance doesn't exist in Star Wars). The big choice actually happens towards the end of the game, so it actually won't take much effort to explore both endings if you just have a save file handy. Though I didn't do a full second playthrough, it seems like you encounter unique dialogue depending on the gender you select for your player character at the start. It doesn't seem to add anything to the game, though (in fact, I feel like it could be considered inappropriate). PRESENTATION: This game came out in 2003, so don't expect the world from the quality of the textures and 3D models. I don't think they look that bad now, but the age is certainly showing. KOTOR has both in-game and pre-rendered cutscenes throughout the story. The in-game cutscenes (which feature the game's many characters) look fine, but some of the animations can come off as a bit awkward to look at. The pre-rendered cutscenes (which are almost exclusively shots of spaceships) look impressive even at their lower resolution; I feel like if you scale them up, they could pass as shots from an actual Star Wars movie. Your player character doesn't have a lot of options in terms of customization, but for them (and most of the other characters in your party), their appearance changes depending on what items you equip to them. Your character could rock a sick Sith robe or full-on Mandalorian armor if you wanted. In terms of overall design, the Old Republic doesn't really stand out. Sure, droid and ship designs are nothing like that of the Clone War Era or the Galactic Empire Era, but nothing in particular really grabbed me as iconic. I will say that Darth Revan's design is fucking cool, though. The music really sounds like it could be a score for an actual Star Wars movie, but from what I can tell, the compositions are completely original (and not by John Williams). Of course, a few tracks like the main theme and the credits theme are fully intact, but everything else seems to be unique to this game. There is a hefty amount of voice acting in the game, and the cast does a solid job all around. What I found particularly impressive is that they went out of the way to record lines in alien languages (i.e. not English). If you talk to a Wookiee, for example, you hear that iconic growl, or if you encounter a Tusken Raider, you hear their angry gibberish. GAMEPLAY: KOTOR is an RPG with a third person perspective in 3D. To get things done, you'll have to move your character around the various areas, engaging in both dialogue and combat in order to progress the story. The first thing you do when you start the game is create your character. First, you choose your character's class. In this game, the classes are Scoundrel, Soldier, and Scout. Force-sensitive characters have their own classes: Jedi Sentinel, Jedi Guardian, and Jedi Consular. There are even a few unique classes like droids and Wookiees, which have their own thing going on. Each class has their own stat spreads and starting abilities; the game doesn't really elaborate on this, so it might help to look up some reference when picking here. In the next step, you'll immediately see that the game runs on Dungeons & Dragons rules. Every character has six stats (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma), each of which are used in various interactions in and out of battle. At the beginning of character creation and every time you level up, you can manually pick where to add any additional stat points you earn. If this is too much for you, you can opt to let the game handle it and take its recommended stat spread. You'll also be managing points for your Skills, which are like stats but for specific actions (like Repair, Stealth, or Demolition). Similarly, you can assign points manually or let the game handle it. Next, you'll select Feats, which grant you various passive buffs and abilities you can use in combat (AKA this game's version of spells). Depending on your class, you'll have different starting feats, but it's possible to unlock almost all of the feats if you level up enough. Like the stats, you can manually choose which Feats you want to unlock first, or let the game choose. Some Feats have upgraded versions, so keep your eyes peeled for those. Every character has Feats, so you'll want to check what the others have unlocked when you recruit them to your party. None of the Feats feel that particularly exciting gameplay-wise, so just pick the most optimal ones. If the character is adept in the Force, you'll also be able to unlock Force Powers. These work a lot like Feats, except they're all skills exclusive to the Jedi classes, and they use a separate resource (Force Power) to cast. The Light Side/Dark Side point system I mentioned earlier comes into play here, as the powers you have access to depend on your alignment. Some powers can be unlocked regardless of alignment, but certain abilities are restricted to either Light Side or Dark Side. For example, the healing abilities are locked to Light Side, while stuff like Force Lightning is exclusive to Dark Side characters. I love when your actions within the story have a direct impact in the gameplay, and this system is a fantastic example of that. The Force abilities are a bit more fun, but I would have loved more variety. In addition to all that, each character has a bunch of equip slots for armor and weapons. Armor is pretty straightforward, but some pieces have restrictions (either based on class or depending on Feat prerequisites). Weapons come in a bunch of varieties, but are either ranged or melee. For ranged, you have blaster pistols, blaster rifles, and heavy weapons. Melee is basically 31 different flavors of sword/lightsaber/whacking stick. There are also distinctions between one-handed and two-handed weapons; you can dual wield two one-handed weapons (provided both are of the same type; no mixing and matching guns and swords) or go all in with a single two-handed weapons. Seems like a lot, right? Thankfully, battles are a little less involved, as encounters play out automatically. Combat plays out in rounds; each round, both combatants carry out their actions simultaneously (giving the illusion of real-time combat), with the game rolling for all the values (hit, damage, crit, etc.) during every round based on all available information (character stats, equip bonuses, etc.). Generally, the character you're currently controlling will attack on their own, along with the rest of your party. Using skills/items or switching targets requires manual input, however, so you still have to have your hand on the steering wheel for most fights. With most of the battle pretty much decided by dice rolls (this is basically DnD but Star Wars, after all), combat feels mostly out of your control. Sure, you can cast your "spells" and use items, but most of the time, the game does the calculations for you. You can view a breakdown of combat through a menu, but if you're not that well-versed in DnD, it'll just look like a bunch of seemingly random equations and numbers. I enjoyed the combat just fine, but I don't imagine this being appealing to everybody (especially not to more casual folks who are overwhelmed by numbers on a screen). Speaking of your party, you'll have a maximum of three characters out at a time (the player character + 2 friends). You can switch control to any of the three at anytime, which is beneficial in combat situations. If you leave them be in combat, they'll use skills and such on their own and target whoever they feel like. You can tweak their AI behavior in the Scripts menu, but the options are limited. On the subject of combat items, you also have the option to use healing items, equip energy shields (which reduces damage from certain types of attacks), throw grenades (of which there are many times), or plant mines (also come in many varieties). These items can turn the tide of particularly rough battles, so stocking up on them is always a good idea. Enemies come in many varieties, from warriors of all manner of race, various monsters and creatures, and even droids. They all have their own set of abilities, stats, and quirks, but the game doesn't really tell you what those are. That aside, it's fun to go toe-to-toe against Dark Jedi, Rancors, assault droids, and bounty hunters. There are lots of other things to keep track of in battle, like types of damage, status effects, and more, but we'll be here all day if I start talking about every single thing. Your stats and skills are also used in actions outside of combat. For example, there are items or doors with a lock symbol, and you'll be able to unlock them if your Security skill is high enough. Hacking into computers is also something affected by stats and skills. Most importantly, your Charisma determines how effective you are at persuading NPCs with your dialogue. If your Charisma is high enough, you can easily talk a lot of people into doing things like giving you discounts or believing your lies. Persuasion checks lead to some of the most entertaining moments in DnD, and I'm glad that that's present here in some form. Throughout the game, you'll be able to explore a handful of planets. Though the areas seem huge, they don't take all that long to explore, and most of them are kind of just empty spaces (looking at you, Tatooine). There are a few areas that have interesting layouts, though, and there are a good amount of optional areas for people who like exploring. The map is also adequately helpful, so getting lost won't be too much of an issue. I'd say the only thing that's a bit of a pain is a lack of proper fast travel (you can only warp back to base in this game), but not being able to do so didn't really make the experience cumbersome for me. Most areas have some sort of merchant that sells you all sorts of helpful items, but you can acquire items from other places, like the many containers strewn about the world, or on the dead bodies of enemies. I got by just scavenging, but there are plenty of ways to get money so you can buy shit. It's not an RPG without some sidequests, and this game has those in spades. There's a good variety to them, ranging from "kill these assholes" to "bring me this item", and they all offer interesting interactions with various NPCs. Some of the rewards are worth getting, and a few quests present fascinating plot threads for the main characters. The game also offers a few minigames. One is a shooter where you take over a ship's gun turrets and blast Sith starfighters. This minigame is a sort of random encounter, as there's a small chance you're dropped into it whenever you're traveling between planets. It's pretty basic, and it doesn't quite fill the void of actual Star Wars dogfights, but it's an amusing diversion whenever it comes up. You can also participate in swoop races, where you control a swoop bike and try and beat the best time. It's a pretty standard time trial racing game, but the speed feels satisfying. This isn't podracing, but I enjoyed it for what it is. Lastly, you can play a card game called Pazaak, which is pretty much just a spin on blackjack with the twist that you can play additional cards to alter your score. It's super fun. Both this and swoop racing are a fun way to earn some extra cash. VERDICT: I now see why Knights of the Old Republic is such a beloved game. It's got a great story set in a mostly-unexplored era of the (non-canon) Star Wars timeline, has a ton of enjoyable characters, and puts together a very detailed picture of the galaxy in that era. Though the graphics are showing their age, and the gameplay isn't the most beginner-friendly, it's still a solid experience, with tons to do in terms of quests, a good number of planets to explore, and a fun alignment system that lets you be as good or evil as you want. I highly recommend this game for any Star Wars fan, but if RPGs with a lot of micromanaging aren't your thing, you should probably think twice. The Steam version has a number of issues, likely stemming from the fact that this is really old software trying its best to run on modern machines. Some issues seem to be simply shortcomings within the game's programming (like your party members being unable to follow you around), but a lot appear to be because this wasn't meant to be run on Windows 10. I encountered my fair share of the game crashing due to seemingly arbitrary events, weird graphical glitches, and the game freaking out when it tries to play the pre-rendered cutscenes. I strongly hope you consider these issues before purchasing. In case you need them, there are guides online that give you tips on how to configure the game, as well as a rundown of common bugs, but if you can't be arsed to give a shit about all that, I would think twice before buying this. KOTOR is currently available on the following platforms. Pick your poison. - end - Though there have been more than a few broadcasts from Nintendo throughout this shit fiesta of a year, we never got a full-on Direct. These few Indie World Showcases will have to suffice.
Sizzle reel!
Last but definitely not the least, the multiplayer game sensation of 2020 Among Us is coming to Switch. I could not believe my eyes. It's actually coming to a console. And it comes out TODAY. That's amazing. Hollow Knight: Silksong is still nowhere to be found, but this was still a pretty good presentation in my eyes. Lots of heavy hitters were showcased, stuff I wanted made an appearance, and I saw a bunch of things that I've never heard of that caught my eye. And fucking Among Us. Goddamn.
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