“Whatcha Playin’, Pixels?” – #034
11 min read
A weekly roundup of games enjoyed by the writers of The Pixels
It was National Video Game Day this week, and what a week it has been! A Nintendo Direct and a Sony State of Play dropping on the same day presented a TON of trailers for all kinds of games coming this winter! We’ll have a full recap of the surprises both companies dropped on us this week. In the meantime, and as always, our writers have games to talk about, so let’s hear what they have to say this week:
Illusion of Gaia has been laid to rest this week and thus a new adventure begins, the 2nd part of my long journey through every SNES RPG! I chose Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest for my next conquest. If you’re wondering how it’s going, allow me to repeat the oft half-hearted refrain that “it’s going”. Mystic Quest isn’t the most exciting game to play, there are a lot of battles and dungeons back to back without much story or miniature games or collecting or anything to maintain interest otherwise. However, it’s a game I can appreciate for what it attempted to do (providing a starter role-playing game for the Super Nintendo in North America) and for what it does differently (I still can’t think of another RPG on the SNES where the enemy sprites deteriorate as you damage them). It’s the conversation that keeps me warm, though. It’s an easygoing game to stream.
I’ve gone back to an old favorite this week and immersed myself in Terraria. It’s one of those games where I never really get tired of it, and whenever I see someone else play it, I’ve got to do it again too. I’m not much of a builder. While other people make magnificent structures and bustling towns, I just prefer to explore, to run around and get all the treasure there is to find and see what’s at the bottom of all the caves and beat up bosses.
It really scratches an itch that no other game quite matches. I think at this point it might be an itch unto itself. I really should be playing other things, my backlog is still enormous, but there’s just no stopping the Terraria grind until the itch is scratched.
Well, this week I’ve done the quite controversial thing of purchasing The Last of Us: Part I on PS5. Yes, I know. To be perfectly honest, the game is as much of a joy to play as it always was on Sony’s previous two console generations. Is there anything else to say about it? Probably not. However, I do have a couple of other controversial takes that I’d love to share. We’re all friends here, right?
First of all, playing TLOU: Part I has cemented one thing in my mind: just how much better TLOU: Part II was overall. Hey, don’t get me wrong, I liked the first game as much as anyone, but the smart dual-narrative and the overall level designs in the sequel were just a heck of a lot more fun in my humble opinion. Playing Part I, I’ve instinctively said aloud “Urgh, I forgot about this bit…” which I don’t recall saying at all in a recent playthrough of Part II. In fact, if I hadn’t had a couple of major plot points spoiled for me on Twitter before release, I’d still potentially have Part II in my top games of the past decade. Even if I did once describe it as an “Ultra-violent spiritual successor to Rockstar’s Manhunt games.” Told you I was full of controversial takes today!
All in all, I am thoroughly enjoying a return to the world of Joel and Ellie, and it’s a pleasure to play through Part I again with significantly quicker load times thanks to the power of the PS5. I haven’t noticed too many other differences from previous versions of the game, but that’s not really why I came to this particular re-make / re-master / whatever this is. It’s still a stunning game and, when the inevitable PS5 version of Part II releases I’ll more than likely be picking that one up too.
It is no surprise to anyone that I am a fan of sci-fi games and shooters. Why battle with a sword when an explosion looks and sounds so much cooler, right? I try to focus on games that appeal to me, and high fantasy really doesn’t hit that spot, and that is alright. Our preferences are maps to our enjoyment, and this is certainly true for video games. That is why I recently played through an old title that I had not revisited in almost 10 years, and that is Metroid Prime.
With my GameCube still clinging onto life, I was able to pop the tiny CD in and get it to work. After you have played through a game multiple times, getting back into playing that title is almost like picking up a bike again for the first time in quite a while. I swept through a large portion of the game in one single setting, remembering where every enemy, boss, and hidden power-up is. Though the lock-on feature makes the game slightly easier than most first-person shooters, Prime does a great job in balancing the feeling of isolation and hopelessness that put the franchise on the map in the first place.
I tend to go through cycles where I will play one retro title alongside a newer game, and for the next couple of weeks, the new game on the docket is the 3rd person shooter/RPG hybrid, Outriders! I started playing the game at the beginning of the week and it has completely grabbed me, so much so that my sleep schedule has taken a hit…and I love to sleep! This is a SquareEnix title that is basically “Stranger in Paradise with guns.” Playing as a powered-up soldier tasked with protecting Earth’s last colonists on an alien planet, you awaken in the middle of a battlefield with no memory of past events (amnesia: check). You come to find out that an event called “The Anomaly” has made you into an Altered, or superhuman imbued with elemental power (power and responsibility forced on the hero: check). In very much the same fashion as in Destiny, you go through missions to save humanity and slowly get stronger over time (strength through grinding: double-check; it’s a Squeenix game, alright!). This game is primarily a co-op title, but if playing with other players is not your thing, the single-player campaign mode is a perfect place for you. With a compelling story, decent voice acting, and phenomenal gunplay, Outriders is a great game for fans of both the RPG and Shooter genres!
I’ve been obsessed with the mechanical Souls-like called Steelrising this past week. It is a bit rough around the edges but overall an enjoyable experience.
You play as Marie Antoinette’s bodyguard who is commanded to get to the bottom of her husband’s vicious machine army. In a twist on the French revolution, King Louis orders an army of robots to take out the rioting people. Something goes wrong and now the robots are killing everyone, fun stuff! The difficulty has been rising pretty quickly after the first two areas but the challenge hasn’t felt unfair. I’m looking forward to diving deeper into Steelrising and unraveling the story. The combat has a bit of a learning curve to it because most enemies do not stagger easily. You’ll have plenty of weapons to choose from, each with their own playstyle. Currently, I’m using a heavy hammer-type weapon and duel pistols that freeze enemies. I love the design of the mechanical creations and the main character as well. The graphics are not as polished as I would like but the combat and story are good enough to make up for that. If you enjoy Souls-like games, you should check Steelrising out!
Have you ever wondered what Call of Duty: Modern Warfare would look like if it was done by a team that was blindfolded? Well, do I have a game for you! The 2010 Medal of Honor reboot may be the most forgotten first-person shooter ever. It was heavily inspired by the success of Activision’s Modern Warfare series but lacked what made those games cool. The level design is a slog of shooting enemies without much to keep things interesting. A lot of levels feel the same even though the environment changes. I will say that the last few levels visually looked stunning, I was impressed by the mountain terrain and beautiful skies. It’s too bad that Medal of Honor didn’t have many unique ideas. Kicking down doors, doing a turret section in a helicopter, and having a seamless transition between levels are the only things that stood out while I was playing. The gameplay was bland and lacked the impact of other modern shooters at the time. It was interesting to play through this relic of its time period but I would not recommend revisiting it.
I really enjoy hardcore, limited HUD, team-based first-person shooters and the developer behind the WWI series has delivered again. BlackMill Games has given us two other WWI tactical shooters: Verdun and Tannenberg. Now, Isonzo joins the list! Each of their games are based on major battles of World War 1, meticulously crafted experiences built around the actual landscape of the time. Tactical shooters are not for everyone but I’ve found the ones made by BlackMill Games to be some of the best out there. The battles are grand hour-long conflicts where one team defends and the other attacks. A contested part of the land in the middle can be captured by either side. Defenses can be built like machine guns, sandbag walls, and barbed wire. Isonzo prides itself on historical accuracy and the series continues to be the only World War 1 era franchise to invest time into. I would like to see an offline mode come to the game and I feel like the running speed is not fast enough but overall I’m really enjoying my time. I’ll see you on the battlefield!
Woah! I didn’t know that September 12th was National Video Game Day. I probably should’ve known that. (Tee hee.) It’s a good thing that I spent the week playing Apex Legends: Mobile, Genshin Impact, and Multiversus.
I unlocked Crypto in Apex Legends: Mobile. I don’t play him that often, but I must pay my respects to a great voice actor. Love your work, Johnny Young.
Gizmo is a joy to play in Multiversus. I don’t care what happens. I just want to drive my pink Barbie car into people’s faces. So much fun.
But I’ve probably spent the most time playing Genshin Impact. My eldest daughter is moving to Japan at the end of the month, and we’re soaking up as much time in Sumeru as we can before she leaves.
Coincidentally, I and the rest of the Pixels may have a hook-up during the next year for Japanese video game titles. Let me know if there’s something you want her to keep on her radar. LOL.
-Kyra Kyle
I admit I’ve not played much this week, but I would like to give an honorary mention to the games I have had a quick blast on: the Resident Evil 2 remake (now improved for Xbox S/X!) which is one of the greatest horror games of all time in my humble opinion. And Titanfall 2, which really does have one amazing single-player campaign! Short but sweet!
Alas, COVID has finally caught up to the Coffee Family. We spent last weekend and the majority of this week resting and recovering from the illness. Kid Espresso bounced back within 48 hours, but Mrs. Coffee and myself were waylaid up until the time you read this post! Despite that, I still fit in some gaming.
While Kid Espresso was homesick, we played a TON of Star Fox and Star Fox 2 using the SNES Mini. Between these games and watching Let’s Plays and the Star Fox Zero short film on YouTube, the little guy is really starting to get into epic space battles featuring kid-friendly critters. And that’s on top of him playing Sonic the Hedgehog, watching Luigi’s Mansion playthroughs and getting a feel of the gaming verse. It honestly fills me with a lot of joy. Giving him a ton of options and space to find the characters and types of games that he’ll come to enjoy, that’s a parenting win, for sure.
On top of Dad wins, I also took a bite out of my backlog by finishing up Live A Live. I understand it’s a divisive game, with its heavy focus on story, uneven pacing and the archaic battle system… but I honestly loved every moment of it. The final chapter and the payoff from having all the seven protagonists together face off against the one force that binds them all were spectacular. It definitely satisfied my craving for a climactic, classic JRPG finish. I’ve now moved to Ori and the Blind Forest – a tough, but visually stunning Metroidvania set in a massive forest. It’s a short game, clocking in at about 10 or so hours, so it’s a nice bite-sized break before the next big game on the list.
The cherry on top of these silver linings, however, has to be a return to streaming. I recovered enough to keep playing Wind Waker on my usual Thursday time slot. This time around, I sailed the seas, filled in my sea chart and advanced the plot forward. After getting caught in a cyclone and unexpectedly landing in Windfall, I picked up a set of Bombs from Tetra’s Pirate Ship and followed that up by increasing my Rupee limit. Next, I head back to Outset to find the water spirit, Jabun.
So, what were you playing this week?
Ryan Cheddi – our friendly, neighbourhood caffeine addict – is a man of many talents: an engineer, a gaming historian, a fiction writer and a streamer. He is also a self-avowed Sonic the Hedgehog fan. You can check out his cool beans at his site – Games with Coffee – or find him on Twitter as @GameswCoffee, and Instagram as @games_with_coffee. He streams on Twitch, also as GamesWithCoffee.
