As a law firm that primarily works with video game companies, everyone on staff is a gamer in their own right. Here’s what we’ve been playing this winter of 2022:
Solar Ash by Heart Machine (PlayStation 5)
I’ve been playing through Solar Ash and very quickly realized that I am not a speedrunner – but I still enjoy the game! I also decided to take a spin with Game Pass and it has really changed the way I approach games. Like going back to the days of walking around Blockbuster and playing everything on display before deciding what to rent. I’ve been playing Forza 5 to get hyped and Unpacking to unwind. I’ve also been playing Human Fall Flat with my son and we are planning to start Pupperazzi soon.
Yoku’s Island Express by Villa Gorilla (PC)
I played Yoku’s Island Express, Hyper Light Drifter, Inscryption, and Into the Breach on and off over the last few months. Yoku’s Island Express was a fun and breezy Metroidvania with pinball mechanics. Best things were the fantastic art style, the jazz soundtrack, and the character design. HLD is very cool, challenging, and gorgeous. Fantastic atmosphere and amazing storytelling despite basically no text. Inscryption’s atmosphere is one of the coolest and creepiest of any game I’ve played. It’s going to stick with me for a long time and I’ve only scratched the surface. ITB is the most fun I’ve had with a strategy game in a long time. Incredible replay value.
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! by Team Salvato & Serenity Forge (PC)
I’ve been playing more creepy games lately and I have not been disappointed by this choice. Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is a brilliant game and hard to stop playing. Resident Evil 4 in VR is truly terrifying and promises to be easier to play with the recent update. I can’t wait to try The Twilight Zone in VR when it comes out. Bring on the jump scares!
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game Complete Edition on Nintendo Switch (Limited Run Games Physical Release)
I played this on average joe difficulty level and it is punishingly tough. The beginning was grueling because all the characters are at the lowest level. If you lose all your lives and have to start a level over (may happen a lot) you at least keep your character progress (if you keep playing the same character). Now when I go back to earlier levels, it seems much easier. I think it would be really fun to play with four players!
Pokémon Legends: Arceus by Game Freak (Nintendo Switch)
Oh, man. If you grew up with Pokémon like I did with an original Game Boy in the 90’s – this is a must-have for the series. I haven’t always gotten on board for every single Pokémon game but this one’s genuinely different. As the very awesome Joost van Dreunen summed up in one of his recent newsletters on the state of the games industry,
After decades of making the same game over and over, Game Freak has finally developed a brand new title.
ICYMI, Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, Crystal, Ruby, Sapphire, FireRed, LeafGreen, Emerald, Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, SoulSilver, Black, White, Black 2, White 2, X, Y, Omega Ruby, Alpha Sapphire, Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, Ultra Moon, Let’s Go, Pikachu!, Let’s Go, Eevee!, Sword, Shield, The Isle of Armor, The Crown Tundra, Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl are all the same game.
With the release of Pokémon Legends: Arceus, we finally have a second Pokémon game. It’s a bit wordy at first and the dialogue stays stuck on the tarmac, but once the open-world roaming begins, gameplay takes flight. Wandering around while throwing pokéballs at critters is deeply satisfying. It’s a chill Breath of the Wild meets Pokémon combo and exactly what the doctor ordered. No wonder Arceus was the best-selling title in France, Australia, and New Zealand. I expect it the same in the US once NPD reports this week.
I’ve been playing through with my kid so our gaming sessions aren’t always the most productive (we have collected every single Medicinal Leek there is in the world, ever) but it’s truly been a joy to play.
