petpasta

Report 47: Something calming for a change

Besides completing the new Helltaker update (which was quite the opposite from being something calming, it was pretty hard actually) and playing some Isaac, here are some games I wasted time with since the last report.

    The Talos Principle

    The Talos Principle

    7,5/10
    32 hours playtime

    I haven’t played first-person-puzzles since Portal series, so that was a nice change of pace. The difficulty was just right - it’s neither too hard or too simple, and puzzles are usually small enough for you to figure them out if you think a bit harder. Don’t get me wrong, there’s quite a few mindbenders there, but once you get used to the game’s mechanics and start thinking with porta… energy beams? - things’ll get easier.
    Road to Gehenna DLC was a real challenge, and I think I should’ve waited a bit before playing it. There was a huge amount of reading involved compared to original (even though it’s optional) and I’ve skipped a lot of text because of that. Well, it was definitely worth it for some new puzzles as well, at least.
    Overall, it was a pretty neat puzzle game.

    Train Station Renovation

    Train Station Renovation

    7/10
    12 hours playtime

    This is exactly what it looks and sounds like, and besides an oddly specific premise, you’ll hardly encounter any surprises here. Just like many job sims out there, it tries to recreate the routine while keeping it just tedious enough to not be a complete snoozefest. This one hardly makes you think and it’s more about getting the “dirty spaces get clean” itch scratched. You get various tools you can upgrade, you collect garbage, you know the stuff.
    Besides cleaning out stations, you got to re-furnish them if you want to complete levels up to 100%. I was bored by the concept itself and I found it useless to actually try doing it seriously, so I’ve just spammed the cheapest items all over the rooms like a deranged avantgarde artist.
    It’s really nothing to write home about and basically just a timewaster, but if you like to turn off your brain to do stuff like this, give it a try. Just beware it’s kinda janky.

    Forager

    Forager

    7/10
    50 hours playtime

    This is uhhh… a crafting game? You know, the one where you set up the most efficient production and craft stuff to craft better stuff? Well, that’s Forager.
    I was kinda curious at first, when you were supposed to buy the islands to get lands, dungeons and quests. But it fairly quickly degraded just to crafting stuff for achievements. The problem with Forager is that it barely has any sense of direction. It has no plot and no goal. Yes, it did click with me and I stuck with it until the “"”end””” (as in: trying to get most of the achievements). But underneath the initial adventure-y feel lays the grindfest that takes 90% of game time.
    And even then, it still feels kinda unfinished, or as if there’s always something lacking. For example, I beat the game and I still have no idea why would I need a railroad.
    I wish I could’ve completed it after wasting so much time in it, but I realized that I need to waste much, MUCH more to get the last achievements. Screw that.
    Overall, it’s alright for what it is, but only if you’re into this kind of niche.

    Donut County

    Donut County

    7,5/10
    2 hours playtime

    This is a pretty small and fun game with somewhat satisfying concept. It’s very silly and comedic in nature, but most of its’ gen-z-humor-tier writing fell flat for me.
    It was still pretty fun though.

Backlog progress status:

13% (291/2306)
4% (98/2306)
7% (152/2306)
74% (1696/2306)
3% (69/2306)
Vito

Forager always looked a bit strange to me, thanks for the review. I was suspecting, that it’s mostly grind and I seemed to be right. Kudos for getting that many achievements nonetheless.

petpasta

I just wish there was some sort of in-game final goal, honestly. Maybe something will be added in future updates (if they won’t get cancelled like the multiplayer one a month ago), who knows.

tubberware

I also got a feeling like the game changed drastically halfway through and lost its appeal. Buying new island and unlocking new stuff was fun. Grinding your gears with endless factory process just isn’t fun.

Subs (SF)

I’m kind of tempted by the train station game, but also helpful to know these drawbacks. Thanks for the info, and congrats on the backlog progress.

petpasta

If you find your cup of joy in a slightly tedious routine - it’s alright, but, once again, I can’t stress enough how boring the re-furnishing process is. I’m really afraid I’m not going to like House Flipper for the same reason - I still want to try it, though.
At least PowerWash Simulator seems like something just for me - looks like it only focuses on cleaning stuff.