For the week of August 26 to September 1
Check out what I played last week
I Still haven’t had the chance to try Black Myth Wukong but I did get around to playing some other notable games from 2024. My list of great games from 2024 that I want to play more of continues to grow.
August 26 – Rise of the Ronin
I picked up the PlayStation Portal and was looking for something new to try on it. One of the first games I played was Rise of the Ronin. I was excited for this one when I first heard about it. I wanted to pick it up at launch but the early reviews made it seem like a game I could wait for. There is a timed demo available for people to try and that is the route I went. I struggled a bit at first, but it’s winning me over.
The demo has quite a bit of content. You get a feel of the combat and some of the characters. But, it leaves a lot of unanswered questions that you’ll have to keep playing to learn about. My only “frustration” with the game was the combat.
It’s not difficult, but the latency of the PlayStation Portal played a role in my anger. Counters are key to fights and you need to time your actions to maximize the counter. When I wasn’t playing on the Portal, it felt better but I still found it difficult. Because of that, I lowered the difficulty and started to enjoy myself more.
I’d like to play more of Rise of the Ronin. The trial ends just as things look to be getting serious, so I’m curious how things progress. While I don’t see myself paying full price, the moment it gets a nice discount on PSN, I’m jumping back in.
August 27 – Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand
Let me get straight to the point, Atlas Fallen didn’t leave much of an impression on me. To be clear, it’s not a bad game. The problem is that there is nothing about it that feels memorable. This is another action RPG and feels like you’ve played aspects of this game elsewhere.
I went into this game not expecting much. It’s playable through Xbox Game Pass and they are touting a lot of new content with the Reign of Sand update. I suspect I need to play more to see most of the added stuff, but I have no plans to do so.
I’m struggling to say more about this game. I put in just over two hours hoping that something would click. But the story is forgettable. The characters I’ve interacted with are dull, including your companion. The combat is fine, but it’s not impressive. The game revolves around a magical “gauntlet” but I have yet to be “wowed” by it.
August 28 – Core Keeper
I picked up Core Keeper a while ago but was waiting for the right time to try it out. Since the game went off of Early Access and is available on many platforms, this was a great place to start. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what this game was about. But the Early Access buzz was more than enough to get me to check it out.
This has grown on me. At first, I was a bit thrown off and uninterested in the sandbox nature. But, as I began to explore more, I got hooked. On top of that, I’m getting into the crafting aspects. I haven’t built a fort or anything like that. However, I have started expanding my tools, weapons, and armor.
I played both the Steam and Xbox versions of the game. This works well on both. I can see myself playing the handheld version more because of the ease of entry. I’m glad I stuck through this and can’t wait to explore further.
August 29 – Wild Card Football
With the start of the NFL season in a couple of days, it’s smart to release a football game for free. One of this week’s free games from the Epic Game Store is Wild Card Football. We don’t see too many arcade-focused football games on the market, so this is a nice change of pace. But, even with its ease of entry, I wasn’t really having too much fun.
This is seven vs seven football action. If you’ve played NFL Blitz or NFL Street, getting into this won’t take long. The key difference here is the inclusion of cards. You can play modifier cards on offense and defense that alter the current play or drive. On offense, you can use a speed boost card which makes your players move faster. On defense, you might be able to drop tar pits on the field that slow your opposition. There are many more and using them at the right time is the key to victory.
But, my gripe is that this game is already a few months old, launching last October. So, for a game that revolves around online play, it means one of two things. Either you’re getting matched against teams already much stronger than you. Or, you’re struggling to get into a match. For my first online match, I played against someone with a 96-rated squad, while I was only at 56. Then, in the bronze league, I was unable to find a team to play against. So, I had to stick to the offline mode, which has limited appeal.
August 30 – Tactical Breach Wizards
I don’t play turn-based tactical games too often, but when I do they can consume me. When I worked at The Coalition, I played and loved Gears Tactics. I played 2012’s XCOM so much even if I could never finish it. There are countless more that I’ve played. The latest one I tried is Tactical Breach Wizards. After completing the first main level, I see myself getting hooked on its fun and varied combat.
What stands out for me so far is its story. The first chapter doesn’t reveal a lot but there is a ton of general information for you to learn. Even with the simple-to-grasp combat, I suspect it will get more complex. Because this is a mix of magic and firearms, I’m curious how much further it goes into the outlandish.
There is still a lot more for me to discover and play. The first true mission in the police station wasn’t too difficult or long, so I’m hopeful the rest of the game is like that. doubt I’d replay missions to unlock extra content. This feels perfect for short sessions where you can still progress through the story. In any case, this is a game I will be putting more time into when I can.
August 31 – Ultros
Ultros came onto my radar earlier in the year when a few sites were praising it. I knew a bit about the game, but not too much. I assumed this was another exploration-action game. But it has one key aspect that helps it stand out. I’ve only played for about 45 minutes, but I want to play more.
The difference here is that the core gameplay is a loop. You’re trying to reestablish this world. But to do so, you have to repeat your actions. So far, I have gone through a first cycle and have started a second one. While you are doing the same things over again, I am noticing some differences in the world map. I wonder what else has changed and how many more things will adjust in later cycles.
Considering the many “Metroidvania” games I’ve played in 2024, this is one of the few that I feel I could continue playing. The combat is fun, the art design is incredibly detailed and creative, and the gameplay loop is fresh. When I can find the time, this will be one of the first games I plan on coming back to play more of.
September 1 – Farewell North
As a dog owner, when I first saw that Farewell North was a game where you play as a dog I knew I had to try it out. This is a puzzle game that reminds me of Flower and Journey. Both those games are incredible, so this has a lot to live up to. Other than one minor gripe so far, I’m enjoying exploring the Scottish shoreline of this game.
Playing as Ches the dog is a lot of fun, even if it’s linear. Farewell North’s focus is on putting back color into a series of islands. Each area is monochromatic and you’re assisting your owner in completing tasks. The dog’s perspective is different from its owner’s. Because of that, most of your puzzles focus on helping them reach new areas or locate specific items.
The only annoying thing is the canoe. Although you primarily play as the dog, you control the human while on the canoe. You use the canoe to travel between locations in the loch. Unfortunately, controlling the canoe is frustrating. It’s clunky and navigating in narrow areas is a chore. It’s so bad that the game even suggests changing its controls to a more simplified one to avoid the trouble.
The first hour of the game is linear with little area to explore. The main puzzle in the first chapter was very easy and didn’t offer any sort of challenge. Even the first available sidequest was simple. This might be a little too easy, but I think that might be the point. This is more about exploring the world and embracing the discoveries. It doesn’t feel like it’s meant to challenge or frustrate.
