Hob
I loved Torchlight and Torchlight II, so when Runic Games released Hob I bought it to support them, even though I was slightly disappointed that it was a different type of game. I figured that they would probably get around to making Torchlight III later on, after making a few other things as a palette cleanser. Then towards the end of 2017, they closed down. For a while, I kind of resented Hob and blamed it for their demise, but after watching the Giant Bomb Quick Look for the game, I decided it looked pretty cool and that I should stop being silly and appreciate it for what it was: the last offering from a talented bunch of people that I respect and admire. Of course then there were tons of other games coming out and the game got a bit lost in the melee, until now. According to How Long To Beat, Hob weighs in at around 10 or so hours, so it's the ideal candidate for one of my short game picks.
Cosmic Star Heroine
Another game that takes around 10 or so hours to finish, Cosmic Star Heroine is the latest offering from Zeboyd Games, who previously brought us Breath of Death VIII, Cthulhu Save the World, and parts 3 and 4 of the Penny Arcade RPG games. Their games are always packed full of humour and entertaining writing, and the gameplay is a satisfying mix of classic turned based JRPG style combat combined with some new elements. I picked this one up in a sale earlier in the year and like most of the rest of the games on this list, kind of forgot about it until now. So here it is!
Night in the Woods
I've listened to so many people go on and on about how amazing Night in the Woods is ever since it was first released, and it's been on my gaming "to do" list ever since, but for whatever reason I keep putting it off. Well no more! Night in the Woods tells the tale of an anthropomorphic cat creature called Mae as she returns to her childhood home after being away for an extended period of time, as she hits that stage in her life where she is supposed to start being a responsible adult. The trouble is she hasn't figured out exactly where she fits into the grand scheme of things, so this charming adventure game is mainly about her figuring that out. Night in the Woods should take roughly 8 hours to finish, so it's easily doable, and this will probably be one of the first games I cross off this year.
Oxenfree
This is another adventure style game that I've heard many people discussing over the months since it's release. Unlike most of the other games featured here, I didn't actually buy it for myself. I either got it via Games with Gold, or it was in Xbox Game Pass - I forget which. Anyway, it looked interesting so I downloaded it, and then it just sat there on my Xbox One's external drive with the other 200 or so games. So let's get it done! Oxenfree is estimated to take just 4 hours to finish!
Battle Chasers: Nightwar
Now we start to get into a few of the longer games on my list. Battle Chasers is here because it's the next game from the mind of Joe Madureira, the comic book artist who helped create the Darksiders series with Vigil Games and was responsible for the look of those games. This is an adaptaton / sequel to his own comic book series that was apparently left with a cliffhanger ending for years, before this game was successfully funded on Kickstarter and released on most major platforms. I sampled the first few hours of the game back when I bought it, and it's a mixture of Joe Mad's fantstic art with classic turn based battles, combined with new gameplay ideas that help make it feel fresh. Battle Chasers: Nightwar takes between 26 and 43 hours to polish off, so this will be a more long term challenge.
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir
I've been wanting to play the PS2 version of Odin Sphere for ages now but eventually it got to the point where I wasn't willing to pay out a significant amount of money for an old game. When Atlus remastered the game in HD, tweaked the mechanics to make the whole thing more accessible and put it out on the PS4, picking it up was a no brainer. Unfortunately, actually getting around to playing it proved rather more challenging, so I would like to try and put some time into it this summer. Doing everything will take 30 hours plus.
Pyre
Jumping back to the shorter games for a second, Pyre is on this list due to a combination of factors, most of which will probably sound familiar. Firstly, it's the latest product from Supergiant Games, the developers of the excellent Bastion and Transistor. Secondly, it is very highly regarded by people whose opinions I value a lot. Thirdly, it has very interesting game mechanics, being described as fantasy NBA Jam with RPG elements! Finally, it should only take about 10 hours to finish, so it's another ideal candidate for a weekend binge.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
I have just recently completed the original Mass Effect trilogy again, but I never finished Andromeda. Unlike the rest of the games on this list, I have already spent a significant amount of time with this game on the PS4. However, I have started again from the beginning on the Xbox One with a different version of Ryder, the main character. A lot of people didn't have very kind things to say about Andromeda, to the point where EA decided not to release any DLC and to delay any notion of a sequel for a significant amount of time. This is a shame, because the game is nowhere near as bad as the whingers were making it out to be, especially now the ropey animation and unfortunate bugs have been patched. While none of the characters hold the same appeal as the likes of Garrus or Liara, there is still plenty to enjoy here. This will be the first of the lengthier games in this list that I will focus on, and is expected to take anywhere between 18 and 60 hours!
Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time
This PSP entry in the classic Growlanser series has been in my collection for quite a long time, and I did spend a chunk of time with it on the handheld back when I first bought it - enough to know that it is a fantastic game with a great story, brilliant writing and gripping mechanics. It's also a significant time investment, taking around 50 hours to get to the end. I recently dusted off my Vita TV, which I picked up on the cheap a couple of years ago but never actually used all that much. The thing is, it's great for enjoying PSP RPG's from the comfort of your sofa, on your big TV! This probably has the weakest graphics of all the game on this list, being a PS1 style game created for a very low resolution handheld system, but that doesn't mean it's not worthy of being here!
Journey
Journey has been on my list of shame forever! You know how sometimes, when literally everyone is banging on about how wonderful something is to the point where it actually becomes annoying and you actively avoid that thing as a result? Undertale was one of those, and so was Journey for me. I figured it was probably about time that I find out what all the fuss was about though, especially as it will only take 2 hours to finish!
So that's my list - after deciding on the final 10 I suddenly remembered another game that I originally wanted to be part of it: Firewatch! Oh well, too late now. Maybe if I get through the first 10 I will play Firewatch as well as a bonus. That's a bit of a tall order though.
The plan is that as I finish each game on the list, I will capture my gameplay and create video reviews for each on YouTube. I also intend to continue this diary, probably with a brief update once a week summarising my progress. That way, the blog gets a much needed injection of new content as well as RMGB TV! See you again soon, in the meantime here's that YouTube video I put together...
No comments:
Post a Comment