For the week of December 23- 29
Check out what I played last week
Just a quick note. While this is the last full week of 2024, I still have two more games to feature. I’ll have a mini-blog later this week to share what I played on December 30 and 31.
December 23 – Unknown 9: Awakening
On disappointments, Unknown 9: Awakening is at the top of the list in 2024. I was looking forward to trying this game when it was first shown to the public. The idea of controlling spirits and using them to combat foes looked cool. But I should have figured its development studio was trying to do too much with a new property. While researching the game, I found that they also developed a series of other media. There are books, podcasts, and videos all based on the “Unknown 9”.
This game has a lot of problems. It ranges from dumb AI to a boring story, and repetitive and uninspiring combat. For a game that made a big deal around its motion capturing, the graphics look dated. I ended up playing for close to two hours, so I managed to see more than enough to give my brief opinion on the game. This is a game where the developers thought they could do it all and had no producers to reign them in.
For an action-adventure game, the combat sections all feel the same. You enter a scenario and you can immediately see what the level designers want you to do. Enemies usually stand close to exploding gas canisters. There is always at least one foe with a sniper rifle, and every character is walking a predictable path. Because I knew what to expect, I was able to do most with stealth until I had to take out the last remaining enemy. Even when you get the ability to control enemies, it doesn’t add any variety. Now, you get to control another character for a few seconds and do one attack before returning to your body.
December 24 – Wildfrost
Wildfrost came into my purview by chance. While browsing Game Pass, I noticed it in the new releases section. As a deck-focused action game, I thought I would enjoy it. I’ve had some pretty good luck with deck-building games this year. Unfortunately, this isn’t as enjoyable as the other ones.
What’s frustrating for me is that the combat isn’t fun. This does have some interesting rogue-like elements. You begin a run by selecting from one of three random characters. But so far, every run has involved being lucky with the cards you get. I did four runs and in every one of them, I died in the same boss fight. This is a fight where the boss splits into two. By that point, it’s done so much damage that I don’t have any way to heal my main character.
Part of the problem for me is that the game incorporates live service elements. There are daily quests and other rewards that encourage coming back. It’s a free-to-play model that only pushes me away. While I can see some people enjoying it, I’m on the opposite. I rather go back and play more Deathless. Tales of Old Rus instead.
December 25 – Yakuza 5
Since it’s Christmas day, I wanted to play something with a holiday theme. Unfortunately for me, I’ve played many of the more popular games that take place around this time of year. While looking for other games I could try, I read that Yakuza 5 takes place in December. On top of that, some screenshots show holiday-themed battles. Since I haven’t played any of the mid-numbered (3,4 or 5) Yakuza games, I thought I’d check it out.
Unfortunately, the game doesn’t start with any holiday aspects. I can’t even tell if it’s close to December when you start the game in Fukuoka, Japan. I guess that the holiday parts are much later in this 30-hour game.
Because I didn’t play Yakuza 4, I don’t know why we started the game with Kiryu posing as a Taxi Driver in Fukuoka. The Yakuza games are famous for slow starts, so I also didn’t get to the point in the game where the story branches off. The big selling point of this game was that it featured five separate characters. On top of that, each character’s story takes place in different cities. Outside of the familiar regions of Osaka and Tokyo, you also spend time in Fukuoka, Nagoya, and Sapporo.
It’s nice to remind myself of how much the Yakuza series has changed over the years. While I’d love to see how the story unfolds, I have the more recent RGG games that I need to finish. Because I want to finish Yakuza: Like a Dragon, I haven’t gotten around to playing Infinite Wealth. So, I’ll put Yakuza 5 to the side and return to it one day in the future.
December 26 – Slitterhead
Although I’m not big on horror games, I still am curious when something new or different comes out. Like Unknown 9: Awakening, Slitterhead‘s gameplay of controlling people’s bodies looked rather cool. Also, it didn’t hurt that the game was taking place in a fake city meant to resemble Hong Kong. But, as reviews for the game came out, it sounded like this was something I didn’t need to rush to play. The publishers recently dropped a demo for the game, which covers the first section of the game. It’s a nice introduction to the game but I wish it had a bit more content.
The demo focuses on the game’s introduction. You get a taste of the main gameplay hook, body possession. The story centers around a lost soul who isn’t quite sure who it was or what happened to it. All the while, there are a series of murders in the city that involve the removal of brains through a person’s eyes. Some very gruesome stuff.
The demo is short, lasting around 30 minutes. Although very linear, it does a good job of highlighting the way you can move from body to body. It also gives you a chance to sample the combat, which includes some more powerful humans. We get a taste of one boss battle, but it’s a short and scripted fight.
While you can transfer your progress from the demo to the full game, I wish there was a bit more. Again, we get so little of the main story, which is so important here. Yes, I was having fun with what we could do, I wanted a little bit more. If this gets a nice 50% or more discount in the future, I will pick it up.
December 27 – Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip
As we near the end of the year, I’ve been trying to find any other notable game from 2024 that I should try. One game I heard mentioned on podcasts was Tiny Terry’s Turbo Trip. I took a look at the screenshots and its goofy nature looked fun, so I gave it a try. Yes, this game is odd but it’s also kind of fun.
The game focuses on the young lad, Terry. You see, he wants to go to space but needs a spaceship. So, you get a car through a job you have no intention of actually doing. The car needs more power to become a spaceship, so the rest of the game is you trying to secure the necessary power. You need to collect junk, which you use to upgrade the power of your car.
What I’m enjoying so far is the exploration. The town Terry lives in has a lot of interesting characters and things for him to do. I’m not quite sure if you have to do everything in town to get enough upgrades. It does feel like the game is open-ended that you can pick and choose. In the two hours I’ve played, I’ve already upgraded the turbo in my car three times. I’ve also collected a lot of cash, but I don’t have too much to spend it on. There are some high-value items but most of the content so far is hat-related.
Some of the tasks Terry can do are easy but I’ve also encountered some annoying ones. One in particular involves me scoring five goals in their soccer-like game. I am stuck scoring four and it’s annoying. This has been a nice little distraction and I’m glad I got to try it out.
December 28 – Mouthwashing
There’s been quite a bit of buzz around Mouthwashing lately, so I had to give it a try. While they call this a horror game, it’s more on the psychological side of things, which I like. Games that mess with your perspective and rely on unreliable storytelling can be a lot of fun. This is a game that once I started playing, I could not put down. There is justification around the hype and I’m glad I played it when I did.
For a game about three hours long, it’s best to avoid spoilers. The game focuses on the crew of a space freighter. While en route, their ship crashes. From there, we see events before and after the crash. The events that led to the crash explain what caused it. Meanwhile, the events post-crash show the aftermath and the crew’s hopes for a rescue.
What I loved most about the game was the unreliable narrative. This is a game that we play from the perspective of two people. We only have five people on the ship and it’s not a large one either. But as things begin to unravel, the player can’t be quite sure what is real and what’s in the character’s psyche. Again, to try to share too much would only spoil the game.
This is an easy recommendation and I will include it on my favorite games of 2024 list. I’m glad that I played this and it’s an easy recommendation. It might be light on gameplay, but the story is the main attraction and most people should check it out.
December 29 – The Punisher
The Punisher is the only game from the Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection that I never played. While I bought the collection for Marvel vs Capcom 2, I wanted to also try The Punisher. It’s an interesting addition to the collection as the only beat-em-up. This wasn’t anything spectacular, but still fun to play.
This is a standard beat-em-up. Controls are simple with one button for attack and the other to jump. Additionally, there is the option to perform a special move when you press both buttons. If you jump and then press both buttons, then you can toss a grenade. For the majority of the game though, you’re picking up dropped weapons and using them to defeat waves of foes.
The story is far from impressive. It focuses on Frank Castle’s hunt for The Kingpin. The game has you travel to Florida and Arizona before returning to New York to face off against the crime lord. With unlimited continues, I managed to finish the game in about 45 minutes. Most of my continues were in the boss fights, which were quite challenging at times. I didn’t get a chance to try the 2-player option, which lets the second player control Nick Fury.
