Video Games...
Apr. 20th, 2024 08:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rosanicusIn my ongoing failure to read any books which are not Fullmetal Alchemist volumes I've already read four times, I have recently played quite a lot of video games. Here are three I finished!
Botany Manor
This was a very calm, peaceful game in which you play a middle aged botanist in the Victorian era. Through environmental storytelling it becomes clear that she's been prevented from fully embracing a career in botany by the misogyny of society at the time, but that doesn't prevent you as the player from discovering all sorts of fascinating plants in and around the titular manor. The puzzle solving aspects were occasionally a bit obtuse but I found the solutions so consistently charming I couldn't find it in me to be annoyed for long. There's one which involves playing the correct notes on a set of bells to imitate birdsong so a plant will bloom. For a three hour experience I think twenty quid is a bit much but if you have the money and the inclination to this sort of game it really does soothe the soul. EXCELLENT.
Murders on the Yangtze River (山河旅探)
I was fully on board with this game after fifteen minutes of the demo, and I continued to really enjoy it throughout the ~10 hours of cases and (genuinely) one interspersed stealth section. It's a period piece set in the 20s (ish?) in China, initially a rural setting before moving through an industrial area and then to Shanghai. You play as Shen Chungping, who is a detective with trauma over a dead brother and a cute Watson-figure called Afu. Afu swore his devotion to Chungping after he relocated his hyoid bone, it's a whole thing. I will almost certainly become the first English-language author in the Ao3 tag...
The deduction elements were generally very logical and I had a great time with the characters, who were variously complex and one-dimensional in a fun, murder mystery sort of way. The game also emphasises the historical element by having a sort of encyclopedia which you fill out by interacting with the environment. It's fun! And I learned a lot about Shanghai's complex legal system under British jurisdiction.
The game was only recently translated into English and there are still some teething problems (notably, one character's name was find+replaced and resulted in the word Old Chaogerous appearing once or twice) but as the devs note it's a small studio and the fact they translated such an elaborate visual novel at all is amazing. I fear going on too long for fear of spoilers, but it really was a great experience. Highly recommend to anyone who likes the Ace Attorney scene investigation segments (so, players of Ace Attorney Investigations?).
Hades II Tech Test
HAHAHA, YES. I did in fact scream with delight when I received the email confirming I'd been given access to this. I don't think I've broadcast my adoration of Hades on Dreamwidth before, but rest assured that the easily 110+ hours of that game I've played were not in vain. Hades was the first roguelite I ever played and it remains my favourite because of the story, which is deep and richly told, and even just the ~4 hours I got out of this Tech Test for Hades II have demonstrated that I can expect more of the same from the sequel.
Gameplay is similar to the first game in some ways but has a much heavier focus on movement and positioning. Melinoe has access to a sprint out of her dash, but can only dash once so it's much more difficult to get out of a tight spot if you've fucked something up. Equally, your charged attacks are more interested in this and rely on a mana pool, so you have to manage the damage boost with the possibility you'll run out and have to sprint dash to a recharge statue.
The tech test limited runs to 5 successful boss fights, and obviously there was only a small portion of the whole game's systems available for this short demo, but oh my god. It was so good. It probably helps that I had the aforementioned 110+ hours of original Hades, but I can't wait to get this in Early Access and spend more time with Odysseus, Arachne, Hecate and more!!! Extremely good stuff.
The character designs are all predictably gorgeous, and there's already slightly more body diversity than the first game (not difficult, considering everyone was thin or buff with no other options). I predict future thirsty fanart reblogging of Nemesis fanart from yours truly... as well as a healthy respect for Hephaestus, who is 1) a proper bear (gay slang) and 2) Liverpudlian. It's a fascinating mix.
ROLL ON EARLY ACCESS.
Botany Manor
This was a very calm, peaceful game in which you play a middle aged botanist in the Victorian era. Through environmental storytelling it becomes clear that she's been prevented from fully embracing a career in botany by the misogyny of society at the time, but that doesn't prevent you as the player from discovering all sorts of fascinating plants in and around the titular manor. The puzzle solving aspects were occasionally a bit obtuse but I found the solutions so consistently charming I couldn't find it in me to be annoyed for long. There's one which involves playing the correct notes on a set of bells to imitate birdsong so a plant will bloom. For a three hour experience I think twenty quid is a bit much but if you have the money and the inclination to this sort of game it really does soothe the soul. EXCELLENT.
Murders on the Yangtze River (山河旅探)
I was fully on board with this game after fifteen minutes of the demo, and I continued to really enjoy it throughout the ~10 hours of cases and (genuinely) one interspersed stealth section. It's a period piece set in the 20s (ish?) in China, initially a rural setting before moving through an industrial area and then to Shanghai. You play as Shen Chungping, who is a detective with trauma over a dead brother and a cute Watson-figure called Afu. Afu swore his devotion to Chungping after he relocated his hyoid bone, it's a whole thing. I will almost certainly become the first English-language author in the Ao3 tag...
The deduction elements were generally very logical and I had a great time with the characters, who were variously complex and one-dimensional in a fun, murder mystery sort of way. The game also emphasises the historical element by having a sort of encyclopedia which you fill out by interacting with the environment. It's fun! And I learned a lot about Shanghai's complex legal system under British jurisdiction.
The game was only recently translated into English and there are still some teething problems (notably, one character's name was find+replaced and resulted in the word Old Chaogerous appearing once or twice) but as the devs note it's a small studio and the fact they translated such an elaborate visual novel at all is amazing. I fear going on too long for fear of spoilers, but it really was a great experience. Highly recommend to anyone who likes the Ace Attorney scene investigation segments (so, players of Ace Attorney Investigations?).
Hades II Tech Test
HAHAHA, YES. I did in fact scream with delight when I received the email confirming I'd been given access to this. I don't think I've broadcast my adoration of Hades on Dreamwidth before, but rest assured that the easily 110+ hours of that game I've played were not in vain. Hades was the first roguelite I ever played and it remains my favourite because of the story, which is deep and richly told, and even just the ~4 hours I got out of this Tech Test for Hades II have demonstrated that I can expect more of the same from the sequel.
Gameplay is similar to the first game in some ways but has a much heavier focus on movement and positioning. Melinoe has access to a sprint out of her dash, but can only dash once so it's much more difficult to get out of a tight spot if you've fucked something up. Equally, your charged attacks are more interested in this and rely on a mana pool, so you have to manage the damage boost with the possibility you'll run out and have to sprint dash to a recharge statue.
The tech test limited runs to 5 successful boss fights, and obviously there was only a small portion of the whole game's systems available for this short demo, but oh my god. It was so good. It probably helps that I had the aforementioned 110+ hours of original Hades, but I can't wait to get this in Early Access and spend more time with Odysseus, Arachne, Hecate and more!!! Extremely good stuff.
The character designs are all predictably gorgeous, and there's already slightly more body diversity than the first game (not difficult, considering everyone was thin or buff with no other options). I predict future thirsty fanart reblogging of Nemesis fanart from yours truly... as well as a healthy respect for Hephaestus, who is 1) a proper bear (gay slang) and 2) Liverpudlian. It's a fascinating mix.
ROLL ON EARLY ACCESS.
