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Here’s my take on it, unlike most teams: I thought the year was mediocre for games. Or at least, it was in the middle for my own personal taste, which isn’t delicious at the best of times. Most of my top picks made it right onto the calendar, but a couple didn’t. One was that I hadn’t really played until it was voted on, and the other? Another wrong choice, but one I can’t stop thinking about.
Anyway, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope Santa bought you some nice warm socks or a really thick chocolate orange, you can have at your local golf club.
Blowing in the wind
Blowing in the windIt’s early access. Fraudulent I thought it was a bit mediocre when it first appeared. Then I gave it a whirl and was completely wrong. It feels great, it’s smart, and you can play furiously with a couple of friends. Cooperation Capers. It’s a shame no one is talking about it, so I’m going to fix it here.
As a cute animal (axolottle, bat, lizard, hamster, I forgot one) you have to jump into a big cannon and shoot yourself into a giant, swirling tornado. It’s a whirlwind of a series of increasingly difficult levels, ranging from mushroom kingdoms to rat cities and rusty mechas, all on gigantic floating rocks. You fight through them, slowly getting stronger as you go. Die and you’ll return to base with some currency, which you can use to permanently improve your stats or unlock cool stuff for future runs.
You’ve probably heard all this gimmicky before, but I’d say The Wind Blown sets itself apart in a few ways. The bar is high – it’s too fast, too fast, too spammy. We loved it. Combat feels punchy, bloody or encourages you to swap between your two weapons with a generous “Slam the Swap button” that lets you pull off the coolest combos that trigger special moves. A weapon? cool. Power plants? It’s all well thought out, with music that’s heavier than it needs to be.
And honestly, I love the fact that it’s together. It’s rare to play this rogue-like with your friend and he manages so well. I played with Lim (peaceful rps) and we never met each other in business. I will say one thing: Looting in alliance is a bit harmful (for example, it is not immediately clear who can see who has looted). This is a bit of a nitpick, but otherwise Breeze seems to be turning into something special.
Shin-chan: Shirou and Coal City
I’m listening now.”1 hour of relaxing music from Shin Chan: Shiro and Coal City“YouTube shows a mischievous boy named Shin-chan fishing in a quiet stream while his pet Shiro wags his tail and scratches behind his ears. I find the Akita countryside in northern Japan really takes me back to my childhood summers. It didn’t help me write this.”
We have to persevere emotionally, but that’s why it’s in my box in the first place. The Coal City gimmick isn’t really for me, because it’s a meeting hall where you go about a wonderful city and collect bugs and fish, and 99.9% of your quests are related to collecting extra materials. Do you do this every day? Animal CrossingAt that point (it will pause when you stop the game) and it can seem like you’re ignoring all the love in order to reflect the way to fill your bag as fast as possible.
Even though the actual gameplay isn’t for me, I think it’s a great place to be in and it has an interesting message (despite Shin Chan being a threat). Akita is presented in beautiful, dreamlike vignettes. Rice paddies lit by the sparks of fireflies. The reflection of the stream bursting beneath the light path. The chirping of cicadas highlighted everything. In the story, the townspeople sit in hot tubs or talk on the winding mountain streets, leaving the youth behind for more opportunities in the city.
The underlying theme is that the Japanese countryside is being forgotten and shouldn’t be. As she collects and collects all these materials, a sick and neglected city is revived and becomes a center of true happiness and industry. The game itself is a message to the next generation, and to anyone, really: there are opportunities in the countryside. Better than the soulless deals offered by corporations in gray cities. They can offer a rich life, marked by community and crystal blue skies.
