February update!
With 8 games completed this month, I'm now at a total of 14 - nicely on-target, at least for the time being...
Master post here
7.
Spyro: Year of the Dragon (remaster) (PS4) - 2 February 2019
Platinum trophy earned, 117% (maximum) in-game completion rate, all skill points earned. Rounding out the original trilogy,
Year of the Dragon is a fair amount longer then each of the two previous games. There's a bit of a rise in the use of 'minigame' scenarios such as skateboarding sequences (stunt challenges and races) which personally I didn't get on too well with, but these didn't detract from an overall enjoyable experience once again.
8.
Orwell: Ignorance is Strength (Steam) - 8 February 2019
100% of achievements unlocked. Although ultimately this sequel plays very similarly to the original
Orwell, the investigation-based gameplay remains satisfying and the are are a few worthwhile new mechanics introduced later in the game. There's some great background world-building throughout if you take the time to read through the detail of the various information sources presented, and although ultimately, the plot and investigation is inherently very focused on a small number of individuals, this allows for the investigation to go to an impressive level of depth. The various investigative steps generally follow a fairly accessible logic, though with enough thought required to remain satisfying, and the turn-based advancement of time brings a greater level of tension and urgency than seen in the first game.
9.
Fairune (Switch) - 11 February 2019
Completed twice, with 100% of achievements unlocked - includes 100% completion, 1-hour speedrun and zero deaths.
Fairune is a somewhat simplistic 2D adventure game, playing out from an overhead perspective, with pixelart graphics. Combat in the game is handled through a 'bump' system, with enemies defeated simply by walking into them, at the cost of an amount of cost determined by the monster's level - and with monsters off too high a level instead killing the player outright. With this simplified approach, combat clearly isn't the core focus of
Fairune, with exploration and puzzle-solving instead brought to the fore, to good effect. This creates a generally very relaxing experience, with exploration bringing a nice sense of satisfaction - perfect for its short length
10.
Quarantine Circular (Switch) - 11 February 2019
Single complete playthrough. Although sharing its core gameplay approach and part of its name with the earlier
Subsurface Circular, the story premise and setting are very different.
Quarantine Circular depicts a future world in crisis, gripped by a pandemic plague, within which a first-contact alien encounter offers a potential salvation. The game plays out as a text adventure, with players taking control of a number of different key characters in turn as the scenario develops - ultimately, much of the game seems likely to play out much the same regardless of the minor choices made by players, but there are a few more significant choices that factor into which of a number of different endings will be reached. The perspective shifts are effective in allowing players to explore all aspects of the scenario, though I fond that this brought a few moments of frustration where you take control of characters with directly-opposing aims from those which you may previously have been following. Overall, as a short story,
Quarantine Circular is another impressive effort from Mike Bithell and I look forward to seeing what comes next from his studio!
11.
Fairune 2 (Switch) - 17 February 2019
Completed twice, with 100% of achievements unlocked - includes 100% completion and 3-hour speedrun. Very similar to the preceding game, this sequel is largely similar, but provides an expanded experience - gameplay is much the same, with the 'bump' combat of the first game retained, but the game is 2-3 times its length, with a greater number of different, themed worlds to explore, each individually larger, and a wider selection of equipment to collect and puzzles to solve. There's a little more plot here, though it's still very light, but overall, the expanded scope and variety of scenarios (in all key ways - location, equipment, puzzle types, etc.) means that the game justifies its longer play time, while retaining the relaxing and satisfying feel from the first
Fairune.
12.
Fairune Origin (Switch) - 17 February 2019
100% of achievements unlocked; zero-damage, sub-6 minute speedrun. The first of two 'bonus' games that round out the
Fairune Collection,
Fairune Origins is a very short-form take on the series' approach, retaining the 'bump' combat but now making its outcome based on the direction of attacks, and taking place in a much smaller area. With 100% completion attainable in minutes this is very much not build as a lasting experience (though there's certainly competitive speedrunning potential), but it's an enjoyable if very simplistic 'palette-cleaner' after the lengthier experiences of the two main instalments.
13.
Fairune Blast! (Switch) - 18 February 2019
100% of achievements unlocked; cleared with all three characters.
Fairune Blast! is the second 'bonus' game in
Fairune Collection, only unlocked after beating the three other games. Very different from the main gameplay of the series,
Blast! expands on the format of the final boss battles of the two main games, being a vertically-scrolling shooter. The three different playable characters, each with different weaponry that powers up as you play, bring an impressive amount of variety for a bonus game, but with only a single stage, limited by a timer (each run ends at two minutes) rather than progress through battles, this is never going to last all that long. That said, with well-implemented leaderboards, the game does about as much as could be expected of it, and serves as a nice way to round out the Collection.
14.
Reverie: Sweet As Edition (Switch) - 24 February 2019
Complete playthrough with all items collected; 100% of 'stamps' (in-game achievements) unlocked. An entertaining, smaller-scale take on
A Link to the Past, in a modern setting, Reverie puts players in control of Tai, a child visiting a New Zealand island who finds himself tasked with calming the restless spirits threatening the inhabitants - but despite that premise, the game is brightly-coloured and cheerful in tone throughout. The game is generally fairly easy, but there are some nicely-designed puzzles in the later 'dungeon' areas (and a few with infuriatingly simple solutions that I initially overlooked. The equipment that you'll collect to help with puzzle-solving and exploration fits nicely with the theme, but it would have been nice to see some more imaginative functionality - what's here is ultimately quite common, e.g., a shovel, projectile weapon, swimming equipment. Despite being on Switch, there's a satisfying achievement system available in-game, which is also used to reward and encourage exploration - a few hidden areas/secrets are scattered around in more out-of-the-way areas. Overall I enjoyed my time with the game, but as it's fairly short it doesn't have the chance to extend itself between commonly-seen aspects of this type of game.
