

Very much looking forward to the sequel, but now worried that older Zeldas will never be able to live up to this one.ĩ. The Hyrule of Breath of the Wild feels like a living, breathing place more than most open-world games I've played, and its low key charms proved to be effortlessly enthralling for hours on end. I've finally managed to finish a Zelda game, and unlike when I beat my first Mario game a few years ago, it doesn't feel like an obligation to cross this one off the list. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch, 2017) - 52:15 - April 4

But as an origin story, Like a Dragon fares really well, even when you reach the more frustrating bits of the game.Ĩ. A new protagonist, a new setting, and an entirely different way to fight mean there's going to be some growing pains. But a lot of that is to be expected Like a Dragon is a reinvention of the franchise.
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The combat system doesn't feel totally dialed in, they haven't figured out how to make boss fights spectacular (the penultimate one in particular is just a slog), and there are signs everywhere that the game is lacking the polish the last entries in the Kiryu saga had. In many ways, Like a Dragon is a rough outing for the franchise. There's nothing that fuses the farming and fighting aspects in quite the way Sakuna does, and it's well worth playing if the combination is at all interesting to you.ħ. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (Switch, 2020) - 26:27 (+14:58 in 2020) - February 25Īn awkward and annoying final boss encounter and the occasional wonky controls aren't enough to overcome an otherwise splendid game. I'm actually looking forward to a third game with Ryza now.Ħ. It's the game I wish Ryza 1 was, and it's a good return to form. I spent pretty much an entire month lost in the world of Ryza 2, and while it still suffers from some of the issues that marred the first game (mostly to do with alchemy being awkward in certain ways) and is way too easy for the vast majority of its running time, it also feels a lot better to play than the first game did. Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy (PS5, 2021) - 51:31 - February 21 Time pressure, contrary to popular belief, is a major concern, which makes the game much more frustrating than it should be.ĥ.

But far too many times, your 22 minutes in space ends ignominiously, and as you get further into the game the proportion of "wasted" cycles versus useful ones shifts drastically towards futility. Outer Wilds (PC, 2019) - 16:52 (+1:43 in 2019) - January 10Īt its best, Outer Wilds makes you feel like a genius: putting together a bunch of clues, coming up with a wild hunch, and having it pay off is immensely rewarding the few times it happens. I definitely haven't mastered the game and still die to dumb mistakes (oh I probably shouldn't have telefragged that explosive enemy) but it's a lot of fun and a great way to kill some time.Ĥ. Seems like a simple game, but it has a surprising amount of depth to it, closer to chess than checkers. Morphblade (PC, 2017) - 1:09 - January 10Īn endless game of cat and mouse. Not just a short story about mending relationships, but a reminder of the restorative powers of a vacation-maybe something we'll actually get to do sometime this year.ģ. I think it'd work a little better on a touchscreen device, but the game's intrinsic charms shine through unabated. One of the games I didn't quite get a chance to play while I was subscribed to Apple Arcade. Assemble With Care (PC, 2020) - 1:33 - January 3 I should've played this way sooner, given how much I liked Gone Home.Ģ. Let's see what happens.Ī successful transplant of the Gone Home formula to a science fiction setting, with interesting ruminations on the relationship between corporations and labour. That said, I DID make 52 games in 2020, and I thankfully didn't have to stress too much about it. If I make it to 52 anyways, great! If not, no biggie. I'm trying to cut myself some slack on the challenge because I'd like a bit more freedom with what I play (i.e. When I get over the pain I'll fill this out with my actual post
