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Barren doesn’t begin to describe the past two months of Game Pass. Whilst there’s been a trickle of games, none have interested me. The release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – a day one release on Game Pass – may be enough for some, but it’s not good enough for me.
Thankfully, for my sanity, one game has risen from the beleaguered pool of hogwash to make up for how little content has been pushed through Game Pass recently.
Instead of covering a handful of games that I’ve been impressed with – the structure this article would usually take – I’ve been forced to delay for one month, and was going to hold off until next month when some big guns drop. Instead, I will commit to a lengthier appraisal of the one game that has been ruling them all.
So, what am I playing?
The game is called Inscryption.
Though the word is misspelled, for seemingly no reason at all – perhaps marketing – I will refrain from further criticism because the game is so good.
In the beginning was the word, and the word was Inscryption.
Cleverly, the title has meaning here, meaning that is reinforced as you progress through the game. This, I will return to later.
Inscryption appears to be a deckbuilding rogue-lite. However, I would add another lite on the end and include puzzler. The reason being is that another game is being played outside the card game.
The game begins with a simple lesson from a creepy fellow sitting opposite you on the other side of a worn table. This isn’t a straightforward battle between two competitors. Beyond the table is nothing but darkness and two glowing eyes; this is the strange being that teaches you how to play.
Without regurgitating the entire rules, you play squirrel cards to pay for other cards in your arsenal. Cards cost varying amounts of blood, they usually indicate power and toughness, and some cards have special abilities (the likelihood of these increases as you play).
You play cards to destroy your opponents cards and/or deal direct damage to the mysterious individual across the table from you. The damage is calculated with an unsettling scale on the left of the table; weighing life and death as the balance tips.
After the introduction, you find yourself – represented as a wooden carving – on a rough forested map that you travel along, interacting with stops on your journey along branching paths, much like Slay the Spire.
Now, if this is all that happened, the game would be nothing more than a reskin, lovingly crafted and artfully displayed. Once all of your candles have been blown out (you have two), your life is over.
When you die, you find yourself blinded by light. Slowly, the room fills out and in the darkness beyond the open door is the fellow you’ve been playing cards with, only this time he wants to take a picture of you. He uses the portrait to create a unique card for you, one which you help design to your benefit. The card is inscribed before your eyes, and the theme of inscribing is apparent throughout: another mechanic inscribes your cards with benefits, and another forces you to sacrifice a card to earn that inscription for a separate card.
Where’s this going?
On your second run, you are introduced to the space outside the game board. You can now explore your surrounds, the cabin you find yourself in. Throughout the room there is a series of puzzles that you must solve and that contribute towards your understanding of what the hell is going on.
I haven’t made it past the second boss yet, so I can’t elaborate on the nature of the puzzle. It is clear there is an overarching puzzle to be solved and that, I believe, will be the solution to the game. Or so I’m guessing. Defeating the final boss probably won’t be the only outcome; there are too many questions that need answering.
In traditional roguelites, I have always been uncomfortable with the repetition, especially when the upgrades you’re given at the beginning of each run don’t feel powerful enough. This leads to me feeling burnt out, treading jelly before I even make it out of first gear.
Inscryption is different. As ridiculous as it sounds, I found myself quite content with dying. Yes, I tried my best with the cards and choices I’d made, but death never feels unsatisfactory. For example, in Hades (another tremendous game), I was never content with consecutive runs; I was forever struggling against the game and the upgrades at the end of each run barely improved my effectiveness.
Inscryption then, might be a pseudo-rogue-lite on easy mode, but it’s not worse off for that. The ambiance alone will be enough to keep most players hooked, and when you add an intriguing story, coupled with uncertainty, and unique gameplay that blends genres, the result is universal appeal at the indie level.
Inscryption is available on Game Pass now and I highly recommend you give it a whirl. If you do, tell us what you think and whether you agree with my reflections.
What am I looking forward to?
This is the part where I’d usually tell you what I’ve been playing… Due to a stingy Game Pass, I’ve been pigeonholed into playing one brilliant game. It could be much worse, I know.
In the coming days and weeks three games will hit Game Pass, all of which I’ve been looking forward to.
The first is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. I was surprised another was releasing so soon after the first, and when you consider how stunning the game is, it makes me wonder whether another was needed. We can expect improved graphics, increased flight accuracy and a level of world detail that is unsurpassed. The most exciting feature, for me, is the ability to install selected portions of the game. If you want to fly solely in the UK, you can install that specific region, freeing precious storage space.
The second is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Coming from a gamer who never played the previous instalments, I was nonetheless intrigued by the footage I’ve seen and am excited to play. It’s an independent sequel so it can be experienced without playing the prior games, and promises to be a greater role playing experience, more akin to what we would expect from a traditional RPG that takes place on a 24 sq. mile handcrafted map.
And thirdly, the game I’m most looking forward to: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I’ve already mentioned this a few times, and I’ve stayed away from previews and footage to, hopefully, have a purer run on day one. Aside from the uninspiring title, I’m ready and waiting.
Let us know what you’ve been playing over on our socials! Salutations to you fellow life traveller.