Initially, I wrote off Two Point Hospital as just another cheap-o hospital management/simulation game - I think it was something about how the character renders looked. But after a friend recommended it to me and I gave it a try, I was hooked; it's actually a pretty entertaining game, and the way Two Point Studios managed to take on the rather serious topic of managing a hospital and make it goofy and funny is excellent.
So I was delighted when Two Point Campus, a collegiate-themed sequel, was announced during E3 2021, and I'm excited to try it when it releases in 2022. It looks like it'll be a great follow-up to the first game!
It took me a long time to try out Plague Tale: Innocence, even though it was on my radar, and in my game library, for a while. I remember looking at screenshots and thinking they looked pretty neat, and I even bought the game once it went on sale, but kept it on the back-burner as I worked on other games. When it hit Game Pass, a friend of mine played through it and recommended it to me, and I finally played it - and instantly regretted putting it off for so long.
I've grown a bit wary of games with grim settings, and so that was one thing keeping me from trying the game. I don't mind that stuff, but it just feels tiring to enter one bleak virtual world after another, each one befallen by a different catastrophe, but with the same dirty, dull end-point. APT:R is full of color, however, and the levels are varied enough that you never feel like you're covering the same ground again.
I think, also, I just wasn't sure what type of game APT:R would be. It turned out to be mostly a stealth game, with some puzzle elements, quicktime sequences, and boss fights thrown in. The skill level for the game was tuned just right, in my opinion, and I breezed through it, enjoying just about every moment. I'm glad the focus wasn't on combat, most of the time, because it would have betrayed the powerlessness the child protagonists were meant to feel.
That Asobo used a custom game engine for the game is remarkable - I assumed it was an Unreal 4 game until I found out otherwise. They put real-world scanned assets to great use, making the game world lush and believable (while simultaneously alleviating their artists from a lot of grunt work). The swarms of rats that act as the game's ever-present menace are also a technical feat.
Anyway, that's a lot of words for the short message I mean to convey here: I'm looking forward to A Plague Tale: Requiem, the sequel to Innocence!
So Psychonauts 2 is coming later this year, and it looks a lot like the first game, with eccentric characters, zany levels, and a number of twists and turns in how each zone plays out. The original game came out 16 years ago, and it's a testament to the game's creativity that anyone still remembers it.
Part of my memory of the original game is complete frustration; the final sequence, in particular, had a number of tricky jumps and it took me many tries to complete it.
Most everything else I remember of Psychonauts is pleasant, so I'm hopeful that this sequel smooths over those difficult moments somewhat, as Double Fine creates such amazing experiences, it feels extra bad when you can't muster the skill to see all of it.
There wasn't much to show for The Outer Worlds 2 at 2021's E3, but that didn't stop Microsoft/Bethesda from dropping a bombastic trailer for it. I watched this directly after Redfall's trailer, so it almost felt like a dig at the rest of the show - but that's very much in line with the humor of The Outer Worlds franchise.
Is it a franchise yet? I guess it might be, after a successful second game, anyway. Obsidian created such a fun world to explore with the first game, I can't wait to see what's next.
It seems like the world is awash with multiplayer looter-shooters these days, so I was surprised that Redfall grabbed me the way it did. I like that the setting/enemies are a bit different from the norm, and that the game doesn't seem to take itself too seriously, which is nice for a multiplayer experience.
Granted, we haven't seen any actual gameplay yet, but if things are anything like this slick trailer, I'm in.
I'm still slowly churning through all the E3 2021 announcements I'm excited about here, bear with me please!
I played the new Microsoft Flight Simulator very briefly on my computer last year, and it was impressive. Flying around Sacramento was really neat, and the ability to change the flight conditions and see things look just about how they do in person was incredible.
Still, it ran a bit poorly, and after an update or two, the game wouldn't load and needed to be re-downloaded to get fixed. Not wanting to pull down another 100GB, I figured I'd try the game again once it was released on console - which I assumed would be a more stable, if less graphically intense, experience.
Judging from the video of the game shown during Xbox's E3 event this year (above), this might be the best of both worlds. The game looks beautiful, and is being heavily optimized for the upcoming console release. I can't wait to take to the skies again!
After you've played one or two Forza Horizon games, the experiences all sort of just meld together. They all follow the same general formula, so you know what expect - but they're fun games with lots to do, so I'm still looking forward to the fifth game in the series, which was announced at E3 this year. It looks incredible!
Taking up the wheel in Mexico is going to be a blast!
I started playing this game, Octopath Traveler, in earnest after it got added to Xbox Game Pass. Lately I've been hesitant to get into RPGs, because I know they'll require time that I might not be able to afford.
I'm really enjoying this game though, and I'm glad I finally played it. I almost picked it up on Switch, where it launched initially - but I just don't spend enough time with that system to buy many games for it (plus, I have a crippling addiction to Xbox achievements).
It's good fun, and maybe thanks to it releasing on Switch first, sessions with it are very reasonable in length - save points abound, boss fights don't take an hour, and the overworld is easy to traverse. I'm happy for that, because it means I can take small bites out of it when I can, or extend my play sessions when I have more time.
The stories introduced with each new character are also very well done and help establish why each joins the party. I like how varied they are.
Anyway, I recommend it. It doesn't seem like it's going to be a short game (I'm about 25 hours in and still on "chapter 1", whatever that means), but it can fit into just about any schedule. And if you like role-playing games of old, it certainly scratches that itch.
Update: So, uh, some of the boss fights do take a second to finish. Luckily, the game plays well with Xbox's ability to suspend/resume games. I imagine the experience is similar on Switch. Anyway, something to note.
I picked up one of the new Xbox wireless headsets that just came out after a friend ended up with an extra pair. After almost a week of use, I'm happy to report that they're awesome.
Previously, I'd been using a wired pair of headphones - an open-air Audio Technica set - and was mostly happy. The sound quality was excellent, and my only complaints were the cord getting tangled up all the time and the drain on the controller's battery.
The Xbox wireless headset alleviates those issues, with one caveat: the sound quality is a little lower. After a week of usage though, I don't really mind the minor step down. The new headset lets me hear my game audio without being tethered to my Xbox controller, and doesn't draw power from it, so it lasts longer. And I can charge both via USB-C, so it's easy to keep each ready for play. I'm really happy with this thing!
