Tag: Zero Time Dilemma

Games of the Month – June 2016

I finally broke away from Pokemon GO long enough to finish up most of my June games. Hooray!

June had a lot of stuff to get through, and I’m finally at a point where I’m pretty comfortable ranking my favorites. But when the biggest problem getting this post up is because there were too many great games, I’m typically okay with that. Oh man, and just you wait for July. 2016 feels like it’s finally getting started

1. Inside

I’m still digesting my thoughts on this one, and maybe Zero Time Dilemma would be the safer choice here (though I’ve yet to finish that one), but wow Inside is an experience I won’t be forgetting soon. I’ll still need another playthrough or two to see if I end up loving this one as much as Playdead’s previous hit, Limbo, but…man. There’s some cool stuff going on here. I’m not sure the last time a brand new game sent me to as many plot theory discussion forums (Undertale?) but there’s so much going on that the community will be uncovering new clues for a long time to come. If you moderately enjoyed Limbo or any 2D puzzle platformer in recent years, don’t pass over one of the most thought provoking games of 2016.

2. Zero Time Dilemma

I’m still finding time to wrap this one up, but if the previous games are anything to go by, I doubt I’ll be too disappointed by the time credits roll. Utterly confused, probably, but not disappointed. I had my gripes early on about how I wished this game let more of the cast interact with each other, but keeping close-knit groups allows ZTD feel less like a retread of 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward. More questions are able to be raised, and stronger relationships are able to form when 3 people are locked together for the entirety of what I’ve played. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how one of my favorite series ends, and I can’t wait to have to watch a half-dozen YouTube videos to actually figure out how any of it made sense.

3. BOXBOXBOY!

It’s the sequel to one of the most clever puzzles games ever, BOXBOY! Instead of using one set of blocks to solve puzzles, this time you get two sets! BOXBOY! Yeah! (Also the BOXBOY in-joke comics they added in this game consistently make me laugh out loud and are worth the price of admission.)

Honorable Mentions:

SEUM: Speedrunners From Hell: A better Mirror’s Edge than the sequel to Mirror’s Edge, and it’s just a demo. Get ready for this one to hit the Games of the Month whenever the full game is released.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix: A wonderful collection of a series of games I love, with a bunch of new characters and a lot of top notch new games. Get it, especially if you’re new to the series.

Black Gold: A very moody gathering of a couple of friends. Strikes a perfect tone.

Mighty No. 9: (Shrug emoji) [It was fine and I kind of liked it, but I also forgot I played it by the time I started writing this post.]

July 18, 2016
2016 Mid-Year Wrap Up – What’s Left?

We’re halfway through 2016 and my Game of the Year prediction list is already in the trash. Surprise! Four of them aren’t even coming out this year and two of them weren’t that good. Dark Souls and The Witness were pretty sweet, and the verdict’s still out on Zero Time Dilemma and No Man’s Sky. We’ve had a few great releases this year like Salt and Sanctuary, SUPERHOT and Pony Island, but so far I’m feeling a bit down on 2016’s game output.

HOWEVER: We’re far from sending this baby off just yet.

There’s a load of cool games still coming this year, and *hopefully* some of them will actually be good. Let’s run through the ones I’m most excited about.

Zero Time Dilemma:

I’m finally getting to play Zero Time Dilemma, a game I’ve been hoping would actually get made since 2012’s incredible Virtue’s Last Reward.

Inside:

The follow-up to Limbo, Inside, is also on its way. I’ve got some very high hopes for this one, especially after hearing some early thoughts on it during E3.

BoxBoxBoy!:

The sequel to one of the best games nobody played last year. Nintendo’s best puzzle game in a long time, and one of my favorite things HAL Laboratory has done.

Song of the Deep:

Song of the Deep looks like a promising Metroidvania, and Insomniac tends to not make anything that’s outright bad.

No Man’s Sky:

You’ve probably heard enough about No Man’s Sky by now, but I don’t know how anyone can write it off yet. There’s no way this thing can deliver on all of its promises, but even if it manages to be a decent version of what Hello Games’ is envisioning… it’s going to be something very special.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2:

Gunvolt 2 is nearly topping my most anticipated games right now. After finishing Mighty No. 9 and well, not thinking about it much anymore, I’m ready for a good action platformer that can deliver the goods. The first Gunvolt was sooooo cool. Please don’t mess this one up.

Final Fantasy XV:

Final Fantasy XV is somehow just a few months away and I still don’t have any idea what kind of beast it’s gonna be. It seems like such a mishmash of so many disparate ideas that I can’t fathom how any of it is going to work together. And maybe it won’t. But, wow…what if it does?

The Last Guardian:

The Last Guardian is finally, really, truly coming out. The follow up to one of my favorite games of all time, Ueda’s next game has a lot to live up to.

Dishonored 2:

I never finished Dishonored. I never even got halfway through it. But a lot of people I respect seem to love it, and I’m willing to give the series another chance.

Below:

Below is a mysterious adventure game that I’ve heard whispered of in the same breath as Dark Souls, and that’s about enough for me.

Cuphead:

Cuphead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2D platformer. Cool boss battles. Wonderfully drawn art style. Cuphead!!!!!!!

Nioh:

I have no idea if Nioh is actually going to make it out this year with all of the changes they’ve been making to it, but that alpha demo was promising. It definitely needed a tweak or two, but there are neat ideas there that I want to see more of.

The Intruder:

The Intruder has been talked about in hushed tones for what feels like a decade now. It’s an indie Slender-like thing, but supposedly has way more going on than your average “get chased by spooky man” game.

We Happy Few:

We Happy Few reminds me of BioShock at its prime. Terrible world that’s totally fallen apart but a subset of the population seems cool with it? Sign me up.

The Pedestrian:

The Pedestrian is a simple platformer with a cool aesthetic, and sometimes that’s all I need, ya dig?

DARK SOULS III DLC (at some point)! Yay.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided:

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is the sequel to a game I love, in a series I should probably play more of. Human Revolution was my introduction to Deus Ex, but what a wonderful, memorable introduction it was.

Pokemon Sun and Moon:

Also Pokemon Sun and Moon is coming and if you don’t know why someone might be excited about that I don’t know what else to tell you. Rowlet 4 lyfe.

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And I’m sure there’s more stuff coming, too. I always get blindsided by some cool indie thing that comes out of nowhere, so don’t take this as the law of everything cool coming out for the rest of the year. And, yeah, there are other games I plan on playing, like Infinite Warfare (yes, space shooty will probably be fun), but those just didn’t feel special enough to make the “excited about” list. 2017 is already looking ridiculous with all of the currently announced games, consoles, delays, etc, but there’s still plenty to occupy our time until then.

Here’s to a good rest of the year. And please let most of these actually come out in 2016. Please.

June 29, 2016