Games in October (2020)
Some BLM bundle games on one hand, some shorter RPG’s on the other
Arc the Lad 1 System: PS3 (PS1 Classic)
I played Arc the Lad 1 (again) and did the 50F dungeon (again), bc I hate myself (aka I really want that completionist clear for Arc the Lad 2). There’s not a whole lot new to say about a game I’ve replayed about five times, but I do want to say: the environmentalism bent in this game just gets so much more depressing with every passing year... Oh and I guess I also confirmed my theory that Arc the Lad 1′s difficulty really depends on who you have over-leveled.
Basically... I’ve run into inconsistent difficulty spikes in all my replays of this game and for this run, I deliberately focused on making Arc very OP. This approach basically made the game like my first run (i.e. early game is hard, the rest of the game, up until the Ark Demon fight, is quite easy). If you don’t believe me, try a run where Tosh steals all the kills. You’ll basically get stone-walled by the Mt. Amaidar section (since Tosh is a sitting duck for the wizards at the top of the stage, over-leveled or not).
Anyway. I really, really, really, really, REALLY hope I can get a playthrough of Arc the Lad 2 (with a completed transfer save) done this year. As much as I like this flawed gem, I honestly know way more about this game than I’d like.
Imperishable Memories System: PC (itch.io)
I picked Imperishable Memories up from the BLM bundle earlier this year (along with, no joke, 1000 other games). IM is a very surreal, artsy shmup that has very little to do with Touhou at all (beyond the title, which seems like a clear nod to Touhou 8, and the final boss, who has 1 line and 1 attack like a certain Fairy from Hell). The game itself was okay. Without spoiling anything, it’s pretty lite on gameplay, with the game itself being touted as narrative-driven on itch.io.
Personally, I respect and understand the type of narrative the game was trying to go for. My only qualm is that I kind of wish that the visuals played with your expecations just like the story did. Like I feel that if the game started with a more conventional artsyle and then, level-by-level, it’d turn into what we got, it would have just added to the interesting meta-narrative. Anyway... if you don’t mind an under-an-hour-artsy-experience, I’d say this game is worth checking out.
Risk System System: PC (itch.io)
Another BLM bundle shmup. This one was pretty great. It’s definitely one of the most impressive itch.io games I’ve ever played (I know that sounds like faint praise considering I’ve played less than 10 itch.io games total, but seriously this feels like the type of game I’d normally have to buy on PSN or Steam for a lot more money than I did). The only bad thing is that visuals are a bit intense. Also, the requirements to get the true ending are a bit much.
Earth Defense Force 4.1 System: PS4
Decided to get this since 1) my kid brother was begging me to get this so we could play co-op (note: we did not actually end up playing co-op) and 2) it’s one of those famously “so bad it’s good” games and I’ve always had an appreciation of ‘not conventionally good’ titles. I’m personally not sure something can truly be “so bad it’s good” (I always felt the term should be so bad, it’s entertaining) and EDF 4.1 doesn’t really change my mind on this.
For what it’s worth, I did enjoy Earth Defense Force 4.1 up until a point. I think there’s a genuinely compelling gameplay loop here; the way the game will give you utterly overpowered weapons that are only balanced by the sheer number of enemies thrown at you is interesting. The way the game also plays with scale is amazing. There’s this level on a beach where you’re blasting at giant robots from beyond the horizon line (and you can actually hit them), there’s another where you fight off-brand Godzilla who is just tearing through a city, and all of it’s great. That’s not an experience you’ll find in a AAA game.
Yet for all the fun I had, I couldn’t help that the game was fun DESPITE itself. The core crowd control gameplay is fun, sure. But painfully walking between areas to activate the next part of a mission, or physically picking up all the loot after killing the enemies is not. There are like four classes, and yet only one of these actually feels decent to use (Wing Divers) and the fun is hampered by only having two weapon on hand at once. The game has compromised graphics supposedly so it can handle all the enemies on screen, yet the FPS of the game still tanked pretty consistently. Aside from the absolutely cheesy writing and voice acting, which I could see the “B-movie” appeal for, there was a lot here that was so bad it’s just bad.
Now that I’ve played a “proper” EDF (I played Insect Armageddon previously and apparently that wasn’t a “real” EDF title) I can understand the appeal of the series a little, but I’m not sure I’d call this series the shining example of a “so bad it’s good game” because I’m just seeing yet another unrefined game with a lot of untapped potential.
Okage: Shadow King System: PS4 (PS2 Classics)
It took me a while to get through this (I originally posted about it many, many months ago). Anyway, I think I loved everything about this game EXCEPT for the actual gameplay parts. The writing is easily the strongest part; not only is full of personality and actually pretty funny but it‘s pretty clever too. I won’t spoil anything, but it’s not often a game can be as absurd as this while also fully justifying it in-story. The Burton-esque visuals, the charming characters and the underrated soundtrack are all lovely too.
The gameplay is pretty bad by comparison. Like at best, it only ever reaches the level of serviceable with a few tough bosses that require simplistic strategies. At its worst though, the game can feel random and downright janky at times. Responsible for the janky feel is the sort-of-ATB system and I... don’t think it’s possible to explain the why in words. I’ve spent at least 20 minutes writing and re-writing this one specific section, and every variation of this section sounds long-winded and insane. But BASICALLY, the ATB system is weird because the way the game processes in-game battle animations is also weird.
This battle weirdness isn’t super noticeable in the boss fights, since the boss fights always have a low number of enemies, but in random encounters where than can be up to 8 enemies at once? You’ll definitely notice this. You’ll definitely notice the way one of your characters takes FOREVER to actually get their first turn. There are all sorts of other ways that battles are weird (like the in-game targeting system) but the weird “ATB with lag” is the most noticeable. There’s also the dungeons which range from “very, very basic” to “very, very annoying”.
With all that said about the gameplay, this game is still worthwhile if you’re into JRPG’s. Don’t get it wrong; the game is absolutely carried by its writing, but that shouldn’t put you off because the writing is just that good. Okage: Shadow King is a lovely, 20-hour JRPG that is light, absurd and funny as it is surprisingly profound and I’d recommend it to any JRPG fan that can stomach a little jank.
A Hole New World System: PC (itch.io)
Another game on the incomplete pile. Not only does this game nail the NES / SNES platform aesthetic, it also nails the annoying NES era gameplay too (...have I mentioned how much I dislike that era of gaming? Because I do). Much respect to the developers, they totally nailed the look (and also the feel) but this just *isn’t* for me. Anyone who has the BLM bundle and is into this type of game should absolutely give this a try though.
