Firstly, Happy New Year to each and every single one of you, let’s hope it doesn’t suck as much as the last one did. Secondly, I made some purchases over the past few days, adding to the pile of games I already have. I’d like to actually start the year off right, and make sure I’m only buying games I genuinely want to play. That’s why I technically made all these purchases last year, so I’m still good. So here’s what’s on the list.
WATTAM
I played a little Wattam when it dropped earlier in December and found it to be a pretty thin, yet charming experience on the whole. It’s not something I’m actively wanting to go back to, but I do have this odd curiosity with it that makes me want to power through and see what else Wattam has to offer.
THE SOJOURN
I’m always game for a good puzzle or adventure game, and that’s what appealed to me about The Sojourn. In the early parts of the game, it hasn’t been particularly gripping, but hopefully that changes as I get further in. I don’t think I’m at a point where I can recommend The Sojourn to anyone just yet, but I’ll see if that changes as I play more.
A KNIGHTS QUEST
A Knights Quest is an action-adventure game that treads on the same ground that most of the 3D Zelda games do. In my short time with it I found it pretty average on all counts. It’s been a pretty unspectacular journey with middling writing, mindless combat and bland level design. That sounds a lot harsher than I want it to, but it made a pretty lousy first impression that’s making me reconsider if I want to follow through with it at all.
OUTWARD
Outward is a cooperative survival RPG that has a lot going on. Just from playing the tutorial I felt mildly overwhelmed, worrying about status effects, encumbrance, crafting and survival mechanics. By all counts it is not a game I think I would venture forward in alone. Luckily, Outward can be played cooperatively, which is my way of justifying this purchase knowing that maybe one of my more RPG savvy friends might shepherd me through it.
CITY GAME STUDIO
City Game Studio is an early access game development and management game similar to the very popular Game Dev Tycoon. Being a fan of this subset of management games, I dove in headfirst and felt pretty comfortable with the mechanics at play. There are a lot of things that aren’t super well explained, but it is in early access, so I’m guessing the tutorials and tool tips aren’t fully fleshed out yet. I’ll keep an eye on this one though.
PARKASAURUS
I actually haven’t had the chance to dive into the charming world of Parkasaurus just yet, but I’m really looking forward to it. Much like a Zoo Tycoon or Jurassic World Evolution, your job is to provide a safe and entertaining place for your dinosaurs and customers respectively, in the form of a park. It seems like a cool idea to be able to build your own dinosaur zoo without all the worry of them breaking out and killing all the people. I really look forward to when I can sink my teeth into this game.
HYPNOSPACE OUTLAW
Hypnospace Outlaw has been a game I’ve been interested in for so long, but never pulled the trigger on. It’s a story/adventure/puzzle game that involves you policing the early internet, flagging various copyright infringements. Eventually this all coalesces into some bigger mystery for the player to discover and navigate the way they see fit. It’s definitely the kind of game I could get lost in for a while. Luckily I now own a copy of it, and I’m going to make time for it in the coming weeks.
MORDHAU
Hey so it turns out I was right about Mordhau being a really fun game as well as having no desire to play it without my friends. I specifically told myself I wouldn’t buy it unless my friends were onboard, but here we are. I really enjoy the combat in Mordhau and think that there’s a lot to enjoy here, but I think that buying copies for my friends might be the only way I sell them on this.
The Bonus World 