I’m not great at scrolling shooters, though I enjoy their spectacle and the panic they induce as the number of bullets increases. Radiant Silvergun not only has a great many bullets, it also has a great many weapons, all but one of which I forget to use. This makes things very tricky indeed, especially when you’re supposed to be firing around corners using a homing missile and I’m stuck firing upwards like a lemon.
Comix Zone: comically hard
I love the concept, of being pulled into a comic and having to battle through the panels. Having the world shaped by your own hand, and then having enemies drawn in by your enemy is a work of genius. Choosing paths, having to jump across or down past the borders of the picture, is a really engaging mechanic. It looks stunning too, with large sprites which have been drawn full of character and incredibly colourful. This is paired with a fighting game engine which is very competent and fun to play with – punches and kicks carry weight, and enemies can be avoided by a millimetre.
But it’s very very hard. You have a single life, and recharges to your energy are few and far between. I haven’t worked out how to consistently kill enemies without them taking some of my health off. As such, I’ve never got very far in, and short of quick saving after every hit I’m not sure I ever will.
But it does look lovely.
The Sword of Stone (Evercade): COMPLETED!
Searching for this online is a pain because Google thinks you’re talking about the animated film “The Sword in the Stone”, which this Game Gear game, hidden in the Evercade’s firmware, has nothing to do with. Instead of being related to that, the game is essentially a visual novel, albeit one that plays out more like an RPG.
You pick one of three characters, and then have a quest given to you. The world you all inhabit is, well, here’s the blurb:
The world of Mindevil is in danger! Begin a journey as one of the three heroes in order to put an end to the conflict between the four kingdoms. Complete all 7 chapters revealing a complex story with many branches and save the world… with a twist at the end!
So your quest plays out differently depending on which character you choose. You’re initially limited to different areas of the map each, as you have different skills that allow you to fight different types of monster blocking each route. Once you complete it with one character, you’re encouraged to do it with the other two, and you’ll see how their stories link. After completing all three, three further quests are possible by making different choices eventually unlocking a final quest where all three characters work together.
I found it a little frustrating to play, with lots of repetition and backtracking, and so much repeated dialogue it really slowed down progression. If you can get past that, though, there’s a decent little game here with some really clever gating and interwoven storylines.
December – Is it that time of the year already!
Play
Wordle, Strands & Connections (Android)
Still playing these three games on a daily basis, Wordle streak is at 65 days! Connections is the tougher game of the three and my max streak is 37 days with 21 Perfect Puzzles & Strands is all perfect, 67 games played with 100% solved.
It Takes Two (PS5)
Very slow progress on this, always waiting for my co-op partner to be available. But I do like beating her at the mini-games
Lost Records Bloom & Rage - Tape 2 (PS5) - Completed
Continues from the first game with the girls reliving their memories and looking for closure. It's a telltale-like game with freedom to explore but does have the dreaded timer to pressure you into decisions.
Hole.io (PS5) - Completed
Sometimes the simple games are the most fun, perfect for a few minutes of gaming.
Of course I end with a Waterfall video from Pacific Drive which I started but just could not gel to it and enjoy.
December Gaming Plans
Hopefully some more time enjoying It Takes Two, starting and completing As Dusk Falls & Sword of the Sea (both of which are short games, according to HLTB) & deciding which of my physical games I start for Christmas?! I'll leave that as a surprise for next month's post!
Backlog
Digital Games (31) - No change including no new purchases!
PS+ Subscription (4) - Reduced by 1, I completed Lost Records Tape 2, I did add Pacific Drive & Thank Goodness but then promptly took them off (see bin)
PS+ Monthly (20) - No change
Physical Games (12) - +1 in Dragons Dogma 2
Total = 67 Games
Shopping
Purchased Steamworld Dig 2 & Steamworld Build on digital & Dragons Dogma 2 on Physical (I had £10 bonus points to use on Game Collection), and yes I still need to play the first game!
Want
Wishlist is reduced by 2 because Pacific Drive & Thank Goodness were added to Playstation Extra
Bin
Trophies - I've now turned off all notifications for trophies to allow me to just enjoy games the way I want to and not have some tickbox exercise, it really helped me enjoy Lost Records Tape 2 not having to worry about collectables or pointless trophies.
Pacific Drive
I was curious about this but maybe it's the UI or playing with a controller I found it quite cumbersome and got bored of the crafting. It did have a waterfall in the game!
Thank Goodness You're Here
Another game that was on my wishlist and I'm glad I did not purchase, yes it's a comedy game but it's very crude comedy with sexual innuendos and yeah not for me, deleted!
Metal Slug 2 (Evercade): COMPLETED!
Another SNK cartridge (actually, two) arrived for the Evercade and since my daughter and I enjoyed playing the first Metal Slug in co-op recently, we did the same with the sequel.
Naturally, it’s more of the same. Only now you can ride camels as well as tanks, and after a few levels it becomes clear that Definitely Not Any Real Middle Eastern Military Dictator is in cahoots with actual aliens.
It still has the slowdown issues of the first game, but it’s silly fun regardless.
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