Alright. February is pretty much in the books. I don’t anticipate finishing anything else today. Decent month overall. I had knee surgery on the 18th, which opened up a bit more gaming time, but I also slept a lot more, lol. Lies of P was the standout title this month, and I almost played NG+ after finishing it, but I thought maybe it would be better to wait a little bit so I don’t end up quitting halfway through due to Soulsborne burnout, which can easily happen. However, the game I enjoyed the most was actually Riddlewood Manor. I closed out the month playing Atomfall, which I’m still playing. I could probably finish the base game in a couple more hours if I really focused on that, but I’ve been exploring a bit. Plus, I have the first expansion to play as well, and Atomfall expansions are attached to the base game, essentially just adding new areas, gear, and some alternate endings. Of which, I count four or five potential endings already based on my interactions in the game.
February Completions
Lies of P
29.2 hours, 29 of 53 achievements
Truly excellent Soulsborne and my current non-FromSoft entry into the genre. Very cool game, excellent pacing, and the only one I've played that was most inspired by Bloodborne rather than Dark Souls. Definitely worth playing.
The Pedestrian
7.0 hours, 10 of 10 achievements
Refreshing puzzle game with an evolving set of puzzles and a refreshing visual presentation. Quite enjoyable.
Arcane Investigations
1.7 hours, no achievements
Very chill courtroom/detective game inspired by the Ace Attorney series. Pretty funny and charming adventure that can be finished in a sitting. It's also impossible to fail in this game. So, at some point, you'll get the correct answers.
Betrayal At Club Low
2.2 hours, 6 of 24 achievements
Quirky as hell story/dialogue/appearance, funny, super approachable, with equally quirky RPG mechanics centered around dice rolls. Very fun.
Devil's Hideout
1.8 hours, 10 of 14 achievements
Very dark PnC focused on Eldritch horror. Short, approachable, and with pretty sensible puzzles. Can be finished in a single sitting unless you're having difficulty finding objects or their uses. Maybe a two sitting game then. I liked it.
Riddlewood Manor
5.1 hours, 52 of 55 achievements
Another horror PnC, only this one is focused on occultism. It also happens to be comedic. And somehow rides a line between totally messed up and completely charming, lol. Very innovative use of puzzles. One of my all-time favorite PnC puzzle games.
Currently Playing
Atomfall
20.5 hours, 16 of 54 achievements
This is way more fun than a lot of reviews made it out to be. It's definitely Fallout inspired but has a clear horror-centric story and stand well on its own in the FPSRPG genre. I'm having a great time with the game currently.
February Retirements
- Echoes of the End - Enhanced Edition - The combat and world building in this game are cool. The fact that the game continually stops to throw pointless puzzles at you was immersion breaking though. Didn’t want to continue with that start and stop pacing.
- Hex - Can this even be called a game? I think not.
- Jingjie: Signals - This is for people who think differently than I do. Super cool concept. Just doesn’t…resonate…with me.
- Last Group Out - A meh Zero Sievert/Tarkov-like. It’s really designed more for co-op than SP, unfortunately. And I don’t think I know anyone that owns it. The controls didn’t really hit for me either.
- RailGods of Hysterra - Not a bad builder survival game where you live on a RailGod (an eldritch horror train). Camera controls suck ass though, and it’s also abandoned in early access. There is a definite playable game here despite that fact, but for me it felt pointless to continue, especially with the annoying cameras.
- Encased - This CRPG is a weird mix of awesome and boring. Super cool story, effective RPG and combat systems. Pacing is sooooo slow though. I do intend to come back to this at some point and finish it, but not right now. I’d had my fill after about 20 hours. Paused rather than retired.
- Legend of the Wargod - This is a pretty simple and yet also pretty fun semi-open world JRPG. It’s very early in early access with a solo dev, and so I’m just gonna wait for its full release before playing fully through it, but it’s worth a look. Paused rather than retired.
Plans for March
I’ll finish Atomfall over the next few days I imagine. I would like to play Sector Unknown and Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon this month. I also have The Seance of Blake Manor, The Case of the Golden Idol, and Dispatch on my list for March. Some maybes include Triangle Strategy, Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop, Kreed, Schedule I.
But who knows. I could just as easily shake things up. :)