Alright. May is in the books. It was a reasonably productive month from a gaming standpoint. I finally did play Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon along with its expansion. I also finally played Dispatch. Both were the highlights of May, but Dispatch in particular really struck a chord with me, and I’d say it’s entered the loose top ten all-time favorite discussion for me.
May Completions
LIMINAL WATERS
4.4 hours, 35 of 40 achievements
This was an enjoyable liminal spaces game that feaured two distinct biomes. The first was more akin to the poolrooms, although it started shifting to a more Egyptian megastructure theme until eventually it changed to that outright. Really cool, monster free liminal spaces walking sim.
Dispatch
8.1 hours, 20 of 36 achievements
Probably the best Telltale style game ever made. Introduced some new gameplay elements which were cool, but the graphics, voice acting, and banter heavy dialogue were the stars of the show. SUPERcool.
Mining Merchant
17.5 hours, 95 of 100 achievements
This was a fun Steamworld Dig-like combined with a shop simulator, with a decent little story and interesting, evolving gameplay elements. Worth a look.
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
66.5 hours, 35 of 65 achievements
This was a stellar WRPG featuring a combination of spruced up Elder Scrolls style gameplay with a darker version of Arthurian lore and a hefty amount of Soulsborne influence mixed in. The latter of which I didn't expect but had a great time with. Very much worth a playthrough. The expansion was also great and had a bit of a lighter tone overall.
Cozy Liora
0.8 hours, 28 of 43 achievements
This isn't a game despite having some mini-games within. What it really is, is a digital journal/diary with additional activities available to give you more to do. It's effective.
Sub-Verge
1.0 hours, 13 of 20 achievements
This was a decent little lite-Lovecraftian VN with puzzles that offer some minor variations in what happens as a result of your choices. It's okay. Worth a look on sale.
Domino Chillbox
0.1 hours, no achievements
This both is and isn't a game. It's not the slap down 25 on the table type of dominos. Rather, it's the meticulously laid out domino designs that you then knock over. Although it includes special effect dominos. This is for people who are willing to spend time meticulously crafting domino designs.
The Liminal Dimension
0.4 hours, 100 of 100 achievements
This is another liminal spaces game. Super short and more of a cheevo printer, realistically. But, there is the makings for a cool little series of games if the dev chooses to go that route. This one is less about exploration and more about anomalies. There is the beginnings of lore that never becomes fully realized. It's decent, but don't spend more than a buck for it.
May Retirements
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Oil Strike ‘75 - Honestly, I didn’t give this one a fair shake because I could tell immediately it wasn’t for me. But what it actually is, is a free prequel to Still Wakes the Deep.
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Days Gone - This one doesn’t really deserve to be retired, but I’ve already played this for like 70 hours on PSN and the mystery was kinda gone. It was fun to revisit for sure, and it’s definitely one of the greatest zombie games ever, not to mention an excellent open world game as well. But I already know everything that is going to happen, and that actually made revisiting it less fun for me.
Plans for June
I honestly haven’t fully decided yet. I’ve been playing Alien Fireteam Elite with some friends, so I’ll definitely finish the campaign. I also have started Monster Hunter Stories, so I’ll likely play through that as well. I’m thinking The Alters and Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch could potentially also happen this month. We’ll see. Some smaller titles will get mixed in as well as always. :)