4) Wildermyth was a game I started in beta what feels like a LONG time ago. This turn-based RPG has the heart and soul of an old school RPG, but with quirky modern sensibilities. It's dynamic "procedural" storytelling really allows for a unique experience as your character progress, grow older, and change. I mostly just dipped in and out of this game in small chunks as there wasn't a single overarching story to hold my interest, but what was there was captivating. Also, the tabletop RPG feel of the game, with its card-like characters and its graphic novel-esque cutscenes were always appealing. If you want to play a game that has elements of a lot of games, but ultimately feels absolutely unique this is it.
3) Unmetal is one of those rare games that is actually funny. It feels like an old NES game (the title named from its inspiration) in its playstyle, but then it just toys with the mechanics and expectations of a gamer, like myself, that grew up with those games. It's humor derives from both making fun of its 1980's popcorn macho-man aesthetic, and surprising gameplay elements, with modern twists. It is irreverent, crass, and pretty low-brow most of the time, but Unmetal doesn't seem to care. You either get on board or it's the highway. I was on board.
2) Solasta: Crown of the Magister was a game I somehow knew, or definitely hoped, would be a favorite, since I decided to back it during its Kickstarter. It did not disappoint me. It is basically an old school style RPG-dungeon crawler, with an almost completely linear story. The story isn't fantastic, overall it's just normal fantasy fare, but it does its job fine. Where Solasta shines is the gameplay. It has a nice overworld map to explore, with varying locations and lots of enemies to engage in its crunchy turn-based combat. The combat really shines in this game with classes having distinct spells and abilities that are not crazy or overpowered, just incremently better as the game progresses. There are some difficultly spikes early on and at the end which take down the experience a little and the awkward animations don't help either, but if you can look past its flaws, there is a true gem here. A good foundation that could be build upon in future sequels (NOTE: There is indeed a sequel, aptly named Solasta 2 (see the link above) with a demo I played during the last Next Fest - it was AWESOME! Definitely my most anticipated TBG)...
1) My favorite game of 2021 will probably show up on a lot of popular lists, but there is a reason for that. Double Fine's Psychonauts 2 finally arrived and it was worth the wait. I had recently replayed the original on PC after playing it on the OG Xbox and found its mix of platforming, wacky story-telling and quirky characters a nice mix. It's one of those games that begs you to explore every nook and cranny for collectibles and just to get lost in its world. The sequel does this in spades. It's not an overly long or complicated game, but just wears its heart on its sleeve. Again, it is one of those rare games that I get so lost in I don't want it to end after the credits roll. I just hope we'll get to see some DLC or a sequel before I'm too old to enjoy it (please not another 16 years!).
Comments
Post a Comment