For the Week of May 20 – 26
Click here to see the games I played last week
This is my first full week in Hong Kong. To be exact, it’s my first full week in Asia. Midway through the week, my wife and I decided to leave Hong Kong and travel to Japan. We spent two nights and three days in Osaka. This was my first time in the region but her second. While there, I learned something incredible about Nintendo Switch games (which I’ll reference later).
For this week’s blog, most of the games I played were mobile titles. I did get to play a few Switch titles, including this week’s major release.
May 20 – Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
As I mentioned in last week’s post, I wanted to start my vacation in Hong Kong with Danganronpa. Unfortunately, jet lag made it hard for me to start the game. But on day two, managed to put some time in. I wish I could say I played Danganronpa, but I’m still going through the introductory section.
I know this is a visual novel, but a lot is going on in the first hour of the game. When I stopped, I was still learning about the school’s rules. Before that, I spent the last 15-20 minutes learning about my other classmates. There are around 15 students to meet, and I wouldn’t be able to differentiate them if I had to.
As this appears to be a very lengthy game, I suspect I have another hour or so before I’m doing meaningful. The only exploration thus far was straightforward and only meant for you to learn the basics. It has zero impact on the story. I’d like to put in a bit more time because I want to see why this series is so popular.
May 21 – Dragon’s Crown
When I wrote about Unicorn Overlord, I said that I wanted to try a few more of Vanillaware’s games. After that post, I went out and picked up the PlayStation Vita version of Dragon’s Crown. The few missions I’ve played were a lot of fun but the story isn’t that interesting.
I decided to play as the Warrior. He’s massive and easy to grasp. They recommend him as the first character to play and it shows. I haven’t encountered any real challenges so far. The combat is easy but a lot of fun as I’m attempting to unlock more skills for my character to use in action.
As for the story, I’m not sure what’s going on. I’ve been tasked to complete some challenges set forth by the guild. I’ve recovered some bones and helped bring people back from the dead, but I’m not entirely sure why. I suspect I have to play a lot more to learn the truth behind everything.
For a game that’s over 10 years old, it still looks incredible. As mentioned, I’m playing this on the Vita, but I wish I could play it on something more modern. I know they released a PS4 version back in 2018, but this feels so well-suited for other handhelds. This on the Switch or Steamdeck would be a lot of fun to play. Unfortunately, I doubt they’d port it a second time.
May 22 – Gundam – UC Engage
As mentioned in the intro, the wife and I decided to jump on a flight and visit Japan. We’re there for the next three days. Originally, I had planned to bring my 3DS to play with, but I forgot to bring a charger. That, plus the fact that I also left the unit in standby mode the night before, meant that I didn’t have enough juice to play anything. So, because of that, the next few days are mobile titles. The first one is fitting for Japan, I played the latest Mobile Suit Gundam game.
My experience with Gundam video games isn’t deep. I’ve only ever played Gundam Versus on the PlayStation 4 and Gundam Evolution on PC/Series X|S. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with Gundam – UC Engage. It’s nothing like either of those two games. This is a tactical game that pays homage to the long-running anime series.
This is a squad builder, where you’re taking Gundam units that you collect and then using them in battles. The missions so far are all related to events that have happened in the Anime. While you’re not exactly playing the missions 1:1, you still have the same objectives. If you have five units available, you can use them in battle.
The difference here is that you don’t control the fights. Before going into battle, you decide the units to use, and place them in strategic spots on a grid. Once you’re good to go, you let the battle commence and see how things unfold. Every unit type is strong against one other unit type, but then weak against another. It appears that there are only three types of Gundam, so this plays a huge role in your success. I like this type of mechanic as it allows for some creativity and replayability.
May 23 – Arknights
The second mobile game I decided to try was Arknights. After playing Ex Astris earlier this year, I wanted to try Hypergrph’s other game. I didn’t do too much research into this, so I had no idea that this was a tower-defense game. To be honest, I couldn’t get into this.
It’s not a bad game, but the story is forgettable. I couldn’t explain the introduction to someone else if I had to. It appears that I’m a character that serves some importance. But, to learn just how important I am, I’ll need to play more.
The tower defense is pretty easy so far. The first few minutes don’t challenge you, which is also why I’m not engaged yet. I’m not sure when they’ll start to throw in more difficult missions, but the first few are forgettable. I have no intention of playing any more of this. On the flip side, I’d like to go back to Ex Astris as I was enjoying that much more.
May 24 – Wuthering Waves
I was seeing a lot about Wuthering Waves on the Google Play store leading to its launch this week. This was odd for me, since I’m not big on the games this is being compared to. I haven’t played Genshin Impact in years, and I ended up playing more Honkai: Third Rail on PS5 than on mobile.
For what I played of Wuthering Waves, I don’t quite mind it. Like yesterday’s Arknights, the story isn’t remarkable. It also uses the trope of a lead character who might be the savior of the universe/planet. The more you play the more you’ll eventually uncover. Although the story is forgettable, I’m enjoying the combat.
Games that incorporate timing systems for combat is always something I enjoy. I love when I can pull off a perfect parry that then turns into a massive combo of damage. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t remember anything about this game.
I’m playing Wuthering Waves on mobile but I’d like to try the PC version when I get back to Canada next week. It looks incredible on my Google Pixel, so I can only imagine how much better it looks on a larger screen. Maybe, I’ll enjoy it more there.
May 25 – Detective Pikachu Returns
During my time in Osaka, I managed to buy a few games. While doing so, I learned something incredible about Nintendo Switch games. Nearly all first-party games have multi-language support. So a Japanese Switch game can be played in English on a North American Switch. When you put the cartridge in the unit, it automatically appears with the English title. Switch games in Japan are cheaper than they are in Canada. Then, when you combine that with the fact that the Canadian Dollar is stronger than the Yen, I had to buy a few games.
I ended up buying two games. The first was Detective Pikachu Returns. This wasn’t a game I was eager to play, but it was on sale for only 1800 Yen (15.66 Cdn). At that price, my wife and I bought three copies; two of which she will gift to a couple of her students). From the hour or so I spent with the game so far, I think her students will enjoy the game. But for me, it’s maybe a bit too easy/predictable.
There is a lot of hand-holding to start. You don’t get to explore and the game’s first main mystery feels predictable. Although I haven’t finished it, I think I have a pretty clear idea of the culprit. Of course, I could be wrong. But after talking to one person in particular, it seems pretty clear they are behind it all. I just need to prove why.
May 26 – Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
The other game I bought while in Osaka was the release of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. This was a game I’ve been looking forward to since its announcement. The Paper Mario franchise is one I don’t have too much experience with. I put in about 10 hours into Origami King but fell off it. The only other game in the series I tried was Sticker Star. I enjoyed the time I put into it but also didn’t play it all the way through.
So far, I didn’t get very far into this one. I have yet to reach the titular door, but I’m approaching it. What little I’ve played has been enjoyable and I want to put more time into this. Considering how much fun I had with Super Mario RPG last year, I’m hopeful this can do the same.