For the week of October 28 – November 3
Check out what I played last week
October 28 – Siren
At first, I thought this Siren was a PlayStation 3 game. When the PlayStation 2 start-up screen appeared I thought I downloaded the wrong game. It was only after doing some research that I learned the difference. Chances are, I will eventually play the PS3 Siren (it is available to stream through PS+). For now, I’ll settle for this PS2 version. For a game that’s 20+ years old, it’s not that bad.
There are a few interesting aspects to this game. For starters, the eerieness of the first few missions I’ve tried is nice. I’m still not entirely sure what’s going on. Yet, the mystery has been eager to explore more. This game needs subtitles though. There is zero accessibility, so I’ve found it hard to hear what’s being said unless I play the game at high volume. It wouldn’t be too bad if the voice acting wasn’t awful. British-sounding voice actors voice all the characters and it’s not good. At the same time, you can tell they tried to superimpose real photos of people onto the characters. Because of that, it gives the game a B-movie feel.
The controls are also a tad frustrating at times. It’s not quite tank controls but it still reminds me why I could never have fun with the early Resident Evil games. The person behind Silent Hill helped make Siren and it shows. I can only assume that the more you play, the more the game tries to play with your mind.
October 29 – Future Racer 2000
Based on its title alone, you would assume that Future Racer 2000 is a racing game. Sure, there is racing, but only a small fraction of this 30-minute “horror experience”. Like a few other games I’ve tried this year, this isn’t a traditional video game. And like those, I enjoyed the experience.
You wake up in a one-room apartment and answer a strange census phone call. The phone call leads to you receiving a video game console. Installed on it is the game, Future Racer 2000. Although you do play the game, the core of this game is the events unfolding in your apartment complex.
The game doesn’t explain your background. It seems like you’re under quarantine. Either an alien invasion or a fungal infestation has forced everyone indoors. At the same time, playing Future Racer 2000 seems to trigger something strange. This leads to some odd occurrences and discoveries for our character.
For a game that took me 30 minutes, I can see some people finishing it even quicker. Some genuine strange moments caught me off guard. Nothing that will scare you out of your seat, but you will go “WTF?!’. As one of the last games I’ll try in October, this satisfied my cravings.
October 30 – Vampyr
Earlier this year, I tried Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. The studio behind that game, Don’t Nod, is no stranger to the supernatural. One of their earlier games was 2018’s Vampyr. I didn’t give it much thought back then, but for a horror-inspired title, I thought was worth trying.
For me, Vampyr is that mid-range game. It doesn’t do anything special. That’s not to say it’s a bad game, but describing it to someone based on the first hour of the game is tough. They start you off with a lot of mystery behind your character. You have to play to learn more, so it needs a strong story and gameplay hook to do that.
Yes, I’m curious about how our protagonist became a vampire. The idea that the number of people you bite factors into the difficulty is creative. Unfortunately, you have to invest the time to see that play out. Early on, the combat is standard. There isn’t anything that I would say stands out. If you’ve played any character action game from the 2010s, this one blends in with the rest.
October 31 – P.T.
It’s been 10 years since P.T. surprised everyone. I’ve been holding onto it since it was first available. It’s only now that I’m trying it. Part of the reason for the holdout was that I already knew about the reveal at the end. Since I knew the payoff, I didn’t need to try it out. It made sense to finally try it now.
This surprised me in a few ways. For starters, I was expecting a bit more from this. Yes, it’s more or less a proof-of-concept demo. From what I remembered, I thought a lot more happened. My biggest challenge was finishing the game to see the actual Silent Hills teaser at the end. There are many ways to get the ending. It took me trying a few methods before one finally worked.
But, there are some surreal moments here. The “baby” is gruesome. I was caught off guard by the appearance of the ghost. It also helps that I played with headphones on because it adds to the atmosphere. My only gripe was how the radio announcer pronounced 9-1-1 as 9-11. I have never heard it referred to as such. Even if you’re not from North America, this is a famous number everyone should know how to say. If that was on purpose, then I don’t get the reference.
November 1 – Pokemon Trading Card Game Pocket
I got into the Pokemon TCG very late in life. It was only after enjoying the Game Boy Color game that I began collecting the cards. I could never really get into the previous Pokemon TCG game on mobile. But now that they released this streamlined version, I wanted to see how it performs.
I have a lot of problems, but two in particular: the onboarding and the UI. It takes you a while to start playing the game. The game starts by focusing on card collecting instead of how to play the game. I wish they started how to play, and then expanded on the importance of deck building and card collecting.
Meanwhile, the UI is bad because the menus are not streamlined. I love that in Marvel Snap the play button is right on the home screen. One click and you start a match. Here, the home screen focuses too much on packs. You have to click the Battle button, then choose if you want to play Versus or Solo. It’s too many screens before you start a match.
My biggest gripe is the limitations. Chances are, most people will start with solo games to help grow their collection. Each match has objectives to complete. Unfortunately, unless you have the necessary cards, you won’t complete them. I am trying to complete a match where I need to use a Darkness-type card. Currently, I have no usable cards. Meaning, I can’t complete this until I get a card I can use in a booster pack.
November 2 – Yoku’s Island Express
How did I never hear about Yoku’s Island Express before this year? After trying Pinball Spire a few weeks ago, this game was being mentioned in a similar light. A pinball-inspired action game. For the hour I’ve spent so far, I am having a lot of fun.
Like Pinball Spire, you’re using paddles in the world to help move your character. This one has a bit more freedom. There are clear objectives, often tasks given to you by those who live on the Island. Yes, sometimes it’s not clear how to get what you need. But, it’s that sense of discovery that I’m enjoying.
I’m playing this on the Steamdeck is perfect for that device. After the hour I’ve spent with this game, I’ve unlocked about 12% of the map. This leads me to believe that this is a very sizable game. There are secrets to find and unlock and I suspect even more cool areas to visit. I can’t wait to play more when I have the time.
November 3 – Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles
So, Ubisoft released their Web3 game to the world recently and it dropped with zero hype. They announced the game last year and even had a couple of Betas. Even separating this from its NFT mechanics, Grimoria Chronicles is a boring game.
My biggest gripe is how long “matches” take. The opening tutorial and first training/quest matches were long and drawn out. For a free-to-play game, I’ve grown to expect quick games, meant to keep you engaged. F2P games want your time, so they will make the game easy to grasp. It’s only after you’ve gotten a hang of the basics will they try to entice you by “paying” for more.
Here, the first fight took 6 rounds, and what felt like 10 minutes to complete. Yes, the gameplay is easy to grasp, but the fights felt drawn out on purpose. For someone like myself who’s used to the strategy involved in RPGs, there is nothing here that stands out.
There is nothing here that engages me. I’m not interested in the story, the characters are generic, and the combat isn’t exciting. I stopped playing after my second battle, which I won but it still took six rounds of turns to do. I didn’t get to experience the NFT aspects, and I doubt many will stick around to get to that point.
