For the week of July 15 to 21
Check out what I played last week
No need for a long intro, let’s just get straight into what I tried this week.
July 15 – Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX
My knowledge of Alex Kidd is limited to what I hear people say about the franchise in passing. It was well-liked/loved on Sega. Never having the Mega System or Genesis (although I wanted the latter), I missed out. But Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX was being given away through Prime Gaming, so I claimed the game and tried it out. I get that I’m an older gamer, but this was tough to play.
For starters, this version is a remake of the original game. So, they kept a lot of the same mechanics from the 80s. One is that you can’t go back. On my first try, I thought I could go back because I missed a block, but alas, I couldn’t. Then, I didn’t quite grasp how to hit foes, so I thought you jumped on them like in Super Mario. That’s not the case, so I was dying quite a bit early on.
But after getting used to the controls, I started to get the hang of things. I still found the game harder than I thought, but not to the point that I felt like it was “cheap”. I didn’t bother using the “accessibility” features. These give you infinite lives, but the saving system does allow you to keep your progress. Will I continue playing? I doubt it. But, at least I can say that I finally tried an Alex Kidd game.
July 16 – The Case of the Golden Idol
I enjoy puzzle games and The Case of The Golden Idol has been on my radar for a few years now. With it now on Game Pass, I am enthralled by it. This is a surprise and now I’m even more interested in the game’s follow-up.
I went in not knowing how the puzzles worked. It’s pretty straightforward. You gather clues by examining still scenes. The first puzzle does a good job of getting you accustomed to what is expected. But after that, the rest of them force you to pay attention and to deduct a solution.
I went through the first few puzzles. There seems to be an overarching story, but I’m still too early to see how it progresses. It’s done enough to make me want to keep playing. So, add this to my growing list of games I’ve tried this year that I want to spend more time with.
July 17 – The Division 2
I remember bits and pieces of Tom Clancy’s The Division. It was a game I played with a friend online but didn’t play too much more after that. So, when the sequel came out in 2019, I had no interest in playing it. Fast forward to 2024 and I’ve given the sequel another go. Mostly because its developers are also behind the upcoming Star Wars Outlaws. I could have also tried Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, but The Division 2 is super cheap right now.
So far, the opening hour or so is pretty standard. The first main mission requires you to rescue someone from an abandoned hotel. It’s straightforward and I only struggled at the boss battle. My only gripe is that the enemy AI is pretty dumb. There is one enemy type that serves as a “kamikaze” type foe – they rush towards you but don’t pose a real threat.
The open world doesn’t feel that open. There isn’t much going on, so I’m not sure if that’s intentional or if it improves the more you play. Another thing is that the level system feels odd. The XP you gain from your kills is very small. You’re only leveling up after completing missions. Again, because it’s the start of the game, they don’t want you to over-level too early. In any case, it feels odd.
I want to play some more of The Divison 2. The gun combat is solid, so I’m hopeful that’s the same in Star Wars Outlaws. Yes, the recent IGN First for Star Wars Outlaws was rough and didn’t put the game in a great light. However, I’m still willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
July 18 – Arcade Paradise
With a game titled Arcade Paradise, you’d be right to assume this is an arcade game collection. If not that, it’s a management-type game where you own and run an arcade parlor. But as far as I can tell, that’s not the case with Arcade Paradise. This is a laundromat simulator with a small arcade room in the back.
My time with Arcade Paradise is doing other people’s laundry. I will grab their dirty clothes and throw them in the washer. After a few minutes, they’re done and I’ve got to put them in the dryer. After that, I “fold” them and earn some money for my troubles. Oh, I’m also cleaning up the place, which includes removing gum pieces left all over the place. Then, I need to collect money from the hoppers. At the end of the night, I deposit all that money into my safe and head home for the night.
I did happen to add some arcade cabinets to the room in the room, but that’s pretty much it. If there is more to this game, I haven’t reached it. Maybe I eventually transform the laundromat into an arcade parlor. Worst of all, I don’t have time to play the arcade games I have because I’m swamped with laundry that needs washing/drying.
July 19 – Dungeons of Hinterberg
There are quite a few notable new releases this week. I wanted to include College Football 25 this week but with my name in the credits, I decided against it. So, I decided to try Dungeons of Hinterberg first and give that one a shot. I went in not knowing what to expect. Honestly, I’m a little disappointed. It’s not a bad game so far, it’s only that I’m not impressed with how it starts.
Dungeons of Hinterberg takes place in the actual Austrian town of Hinterberg. In the game, this location is a tourist destination. But, not for skiing, but for its many secret dungeons. Tourists come to explore, fight foes, and discover cool things. It’s a great concept, so I give them a lot of credit.
The problem is that I don’t care for my character. She’s uninteresting. There are few dialog options and most of the time, she comes off as kind of a dick to people. I don’t understand why they went this route. It would have been better to allow us to create a character and have a more open-ended story.
One of the best aspects of dungeon crawlers is the exploration and sense of discovery. I didn’t have that in the first real dungeon (the one after the tutorial). The dungeon is linear. The only puzzle involves getting around on a minecart. It’s easy to solve but not fun. Then, the boss battle wasn’t too challenging. The camera is annoying because you’re in a small room. I doubt I’ll play any more of it.
July 20 – Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn
One of the things I enjoy about doing this project is that I get to play games I may not try otherwise. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is not a game I intended to play. But, thanks to its inclusion on Game Pass, it was an easy choice to try. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s a new release and I want to try as many 2024 games as possible.
To be honest, I started to like this one a bit more the longer I played it. At the start of the game, I was unimpressed with the story or the characters. However, after the first hour, I’m enjoying the combat. On top of that, there is enough mystery in the story that I am curious how it unfolds.
The highlight in the combat is the nice mix of melee and pistol usage. It’s cool that to collect bullets for your pistol, you need to pull off successful attacks with your axe. It’s an interesting mechanic that allows for some cool combat scenarios. The fox-like creature that assists you is also pretty cool. It feels like there are more skills to unlock, which will open up the combat even more.
I plan on playing this a bit more. For me, this is another surprise title of 2024. I don’t find it as difficult as I did other souls-like games. It offers enough of a challenge that it doesn’t feel cheap. Sure, it might be too easy for the more experienced players of the genre. But this could be a good launchpad to get into the more challenging games.
July 21 – Metal Slug: Awakening
The long-running Metal Slug is a series I’m not familiar with. Until now, I am pretty certain I’ve never tried one, including the arcade versions. Metal Slug: Awakening was released in China a few years ago. It’s only now seeing a worldwide release on PC and mobile. I wanted to try it out, focusing on the iPad version. Criticism of the game stems from microtransactions, but I’ve yet to encounter those.
I’ve played through the first three missions, which are well-paced. They are not too short and not too long, either. The game has beneficial auto aim controls but there is the option to play without it. From what I can tell, this feels authentic to the Metal Slug franchise. This is a game featuring a cast of quirky characters in an action-packed story. The combat is fun, with me avoiding death early on.
I don’t have too much more to say about the game. For a free-to-play title, it’s fine. Again, I didn’t encounter any of the microtransactions complaints I’ve read online. From what I read, it seems that some levels are unplayable, and so are most of the other characters. The only way to unlock them is to either buy or grind for them. This isn’t a game I’d play every day. Yet, I could see myself coming back every once in a while and slowly unlocking content.
