I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, but the older I get, the less interested I am in multiplayer games. The very idea of sharing my time with a bunch of abusive teenagers screaming slurs at me through bad headset microphones doesn't seem like much of a good time. Since the introduction of voice chat in multiplayer games, you couldn't even pay me to take part in the absolute shit show that is contemporary online multiplayer gaming.
Viewing entries tagged
survival
As recently as about a year ago, if anyone had asked me whether I liked zombie games or not, I would have replied with an emphatic "hell no" and left it at that. I've never been big on horror in any form of media, but especially in games, as I find the interactive nature of the experience a little too visceral. That and I never understood how anyone can find it entertaining to be scared and stressed when they could be doing literally anything else.
It's not often that I get excited on release day for a game, but after playing the excellent FAR: Lone Sails back in 2018, the news of its sequel immediately filled me with anticipation. The first game was a beautifully explorative and ambient puzzle adventure that gripped me from start to finish, and even from early trailers I could tell that this second instalment would be more of the same.
I'm always in two minds about whether or not I should write about Early Access games, especially before they are finished. Part of me feels like it's a bit unfair to assess something that's in the process of being made, but a much bigger part of me says that if you're selling a promise, you're open for business. Besides, it's not as if I'm going to be playing anymore Flotsam anyway - just be warned that this game may change a lot by the time it eventually gets released.
Expectations are an interesting thing when it comes to entertainment media. In many ways, we're thrilled to have our preconceptions subverted and we love twists and turns. On the other hand, our monkey brains love the consistency that allows us to keep track of what's happening and follow a story from start to finish. Perhaps this is why so many of us feel short-changed when our expectations are completely thrown out the window.
If you've ever read any of my posts before, you've probably heard me talk about "narrative" games and how much I like them. Although, there really isn't any definition of what makes something a "narrative" game per se, and I feel like I often use it as a short-hand to say "this has a good story, but maybe not much gameplay". In fact, I prefer the term over the more divisive "walking simulator", so perhaps I'm trying to be nice when I refer to narratives over simplistic gameplay.
These days it seems like there's another game being re-released or remastered every second. It seems like publishers have decided that cashing in on old classics is a much better idea than making something new and interesting. Unsurprisingly, I'm often sceptical when I see an acclaimed title getting the re-release treatment, and Shadow Of The Colossus (2018) was no different.
Enter the obligatory line about how the hottest city builder / management game right now is one about survival during a near-future ice age. Although, there's no denying that Frostpunk is one hell of a well put together game from the makers of other well put together titles like This War Of Mine.