See the world anew
I’m a sucker for a good first-person runabout.
As long as I get to be immersed in an adventure.
I think that’s the big theme of my selection box: being grounded within my player character.
Even if that world is constantly glowing a magnificent crimson.
Dread Delusion
We are not lacking for PS1-inspired horror.
The latter half of this year saw the release ofThreshold,Mouthwashing,Hollowbody, andSorry We’re Closed.
Here, gods are hideous beasts with ulterior motives and kings are clockwork madmen.
Indiana Jones And The Great Circlehas done pretty much the same thing, but spread out over many days.
It has huge levels, tons of secret areas, and photographable cats.
What’s more Indiana Jonesthan that?
Going from place to place felt demanding in either coin or energy.
If you want to get from one town to another, there’s always the ox cart.
And enterprising players will be able to set up their own travel “networks” with clever crystals.
But by and large, you’re hoofing it.
And that gives everything more weight.
Steamworld Heist 2
Okay, this one is not such a bodily immersive game.
It’s bullet snooker on the high seas.
But it was still an adventure.
It’s just one of the quirks of this continuing fictional realm that spans a surprising number of genres.
Still Wakes The Deep
Still Wakes The Deephas incredibly good voice acting.
But atmospherically, it’s a work of careful craftsmanship.
Rain and other weather effects make every journey out onto the deck an uneasy, wet, gauntlet.
Mechanically, there is nothing super new about any of it.
