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Well, here we are once again to explore a few more video games that we think you might enjoy. We are in the lull of the year regarding video game releases. So, if you are like me you will be catching up on some of your gaming backlog. However, there is nothing wrong with that as there are so many good games out there; I have missed tons!
So, no fancy intro this month, we are diving straight into the main feature!
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition - Paul Blyth
It’s been a while since I shouted from the rooftops how much I love Mass Effect. This time my excuse to do so comes from our very our Jay Davies, thanks to his brand-new podcast - Bucket List Gamers. Each episode he and his co-host go through games to play before you die. Mass Effect cropped up in episode 5 and was the perfect excuse for me to jump back in and relive this amazing trilogy. There’s not much I can say that I haven’t written already. I praised it since the initial announcement and mentioned it in almost every news article I wrote on the build-up to release. I even reviewed it for crying out loud. Why I haven’t been blocked on the Zatu Videogame Chat is beyond me.
But the game deserves every bit of praise it can get, especially the remaster. Not only does the remaster feature the usual graphical enhancements (which are stunning) and smoother controls. But BioWare went back and updated the combat system in Mass Effect 1 to better match those of its sequels. Making it much more accessible to newcomers. But it also allows veterans of the series to breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Shepard won’t randomly stand up from cover and take a laser to the face.
Some remasters can feel like a quick cash grab, but Mass Effect: Legendary Edition feels like a labour of love. BioWare has gone above and beyond to give fans new and old the absolute and definitive Mass Effect experience in this three-game package. It certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Spiritfarer – Dan Hilton
So, as I said in the intro, I have been using this time to go back and catch up on some games that have been sitting in my backlog for some time. Spiritfarer has always been on my radar, albeit somewhat on the outskirts of it. My partner's boyfriend showed me his game of Spiritfarer, which brought it from the outskirts of my radar to the centre of my attention. And yes you read that last sentence correctly, I am polyamorous, don’t stress over it.
The concept of Spiritfarer is simple in premise. You play as Stella. A loveable, loving, caring and selfless person who takes over from the role of Charon – to ferry the souls of the dead to whatever comes after death. You know Charon: he absolutely beats you into a viscous paste in Hades; summons demons to fight you whilst you ride him down Styx in Dante’s Inferno; kicks you into the depths of Tartarus just for being alive in God of War Chains of Olympus and sells you potions and sends you on fetch quests in Final Fantasy XVI. Pretty sure that last one is a different Charon considering she is an old woman and not the Greek god, but who knows? Why do I know so much about Charon’s appearances in video games? Well, that is a secret.
Anyway, the game sees you taking your ship across the sea to explore the islands in an attempt to find the lost spirits. These spirits are the ones that are ready to begin the final stages of their journey. They take the form of unique anthropomorphic animals on your ship and your task is to ease their souls. You will help them complete any last requests, help them through their regrets, and help them come to terms with leaving their lives behind to move on. Every spirit is completely unique, comes from all walks of life, and of a wide range of ages and you will fall in love with them all in different ways.
Spending time with each of these spirits and getting to know them, their lives, what they love, their regrets, their morals etc is great. Which makes it so hard to say goodbye to these characters. As each and every one of them will eventually come to terms with the fact that it is their time to move on. And it is your job to take them on their last voyage and see them move on. Then you will never, ever see them again, leaving a hollow, empty space on your ship where they used to be. My god this game has had my tears flowing more times than I care to admit.
I 100% recommend giving Spiritfarer a try. Even if it is for the pretty visuals and amazing 2D animations.
The Legend Of Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom – Lauren Skinner
Tears of the Kingdom has had a chokehold on my life ever since it was released in May. As both a sequel to Breath of the Wild and as a standalone game, it’s a triumph.
Its familiar gameplay loop of explore, get stronger, help the populace, defeat bad guys, and explore some more makes you want to discover the entirety of Hyrule all over again. This time, however, there’s more to this magical kingdom filled with shining dragons, sparkling lakes, and swirling shrines than first meets the eye.
Look up, and you’ll see sky islands dotted about the clouds. Below your feet, great chasms have ripped into the landscape, their sinister, smoky red tendrils inviting you to take the plunge. They lead to the pitch-black depths that sprawl underneath the whole map. This level of exploration isn’t for everyone, but I’m loving taking my time seeing everything the world has to offer—including the lore updates this stellar sequel brings. Surely this is why I’m 130 hours into TotK already, only 3 temples down.
Speaking of temples, I’m loving the shift from divine beasts to more old-school Zelda dungeons. Each temple is unique and pleasantly challenge my puzzle-solving capabilities. You are once again accompanied to each one by a dashing Zora prince, a jolly Goron strongman, or another fabulous hero depending on where you are—all characters that are perfect counters to Link’s silent hero schtick.
New abilities make traversing temples and the world itself incredibly fulfilling. I’m not sure I could go back to BotW without the ability to Ascend through solid objects, and the building mechanic blows my mind. Using Ultrasound, you can work towards your virtual Engineering degree by creating weapons of mass destruction, building all-terrain vehicles, and torturing poor Koroks that just want to “find themselves” on their gap yah.
If you like extensive exploration, memorable characters, intricate temples, player creativity, and ignoring Zelda, then TotK is the ideal game. Just try not to get too distracted committing war crimes to save the world.
Tokyo Dark Remembrance – Dan Hilton
My second entry this month is even more of an obscure indie game that I bet even fewer of you have heard of. That is a good thing though – it's kind of the point of this feature at the end of the day. Tokyo Dark Remembrance sees you take the role of an investigator on the path of pursuing her partner’s (in both senses of the word) murderer. The game has a distinctive art style and plays out reminiscent of point-and-click adventure games.
The game quickly takes a dark and mysterious turn however as the girl who murdered your partner is someone who is supposed to be dead. You should know, you are the one who killed her. This causes your superiors to doubt your mental stability and end up putting you on paid leave. But as every ‘detective-with-a-purpose’ storyline plays out, you of course go rogue on a determination fuelled quest to get to the bottom of the mystery yourself.
The interesting thing about this game is the stat management part. The decisions you make and how you interact with people and the world affect your stats and have consequences down the line. The stats aren’t your typical game stats either. You will need to keep your sanity, professionalism, investigation, and neurosis in check. I love this system. If you can’t figure out what to do and end up doing the same thing or talk to the same person a few times after they have told you all they know, your neurosis will take a hit. Deciding to get some bamboo by shooting it will see your professionalism take a hit.
This is an interesting game and it is definitely worth checking out if you are a fan of small indie games.
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And there you are. Not a lot of entries for this month’s feature, but still a small selection of games that are worth having a nosey at. Hope you enjoy whatever game you are sinking your teeth into currently. Happy gaming!