Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. An indie developer gets their start making and publishing digital games for the Wii U. Yeah, I never heard that one either, but apparently that’s just what happened with Petite Games, the maker of Super Destronaut DX and Super Destronaut: Land Wars.
Continue reading Super Destronaut Games
Considering I finished Return of the Obra Dinn a couple of months ago now, this review isn’t particularly timely. A lot has happened in the meantime; most notably my wife gave birth to our first child! The typical rigors of early parenthood – lack of sleep, deciphering the baby’s wants, etc. – have been accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, so this will undoubtedly be an especially memorable time for us. Unlike this review however, my playthrough was quite timely. Every year around Halloween, I like to play a thematically appropriate game, and conveniently this particular game, which had been on my radar for a while, was having an anniversary sale. The choice to purchase it was a no-brainer, although the game itself was anything but.
Continue reading Return of the Obra Dinn [Switch] – Review
Bastion is one of those games that has been near the top of my backlog for years. From all accounts, it was a hit when it debuted on the Xbox 360 on July 20, 2011, and in the years since, it has gone on to appear on damn near every platform, like an indie version of Resident Evil 4 or Skyrim. I first acquired it through a Humble Bundle in May 2012 and have checked it out a few times since, but never for more than a half-hour or so. In fact, I’ve spent more time listening to the soundtrack in the intervening years than actually playing the game! Obviously I think the soundtrack is great, but hey, it turns out the game is pretty good, too! Continue reading Bastion [Switch] – Review
The God of War series never was my cup of tea. Without question the games featured unrivaled set pieces, fine-tuned gameplay, and epic storylines deserving of acclaim. But, my perception was that they were testosterone-laden gore fests. While I’m not puritan in my tastes, the way I perceived the series as relishing those aspects outweighed everything else, and I spent little time with them. The announcement and subsequent coverage of the most recent entry was different, however. It was framed in such a way that it seemed more mature, and not in an edgy “sex and violence” sort of way. Sure enough, the storyline, and the relationships and acting in particular, exceeded my expectations. It was entertaining to unravel the plot, and equally so to explore and survive the beautiful environments. Continue reading God of War [PlayStation 4] – Review
Anticipation and apathy; for me, that was the prerelease cycle for the newest entries in the Pokémon series. As a lifelong fan, I couldn’t help getting excited with the reveal of Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee!, especially since they would hold such a unique place in the franchise. The developers, Game Freak, intended to bridge the gap between the long-running “core” series and Pokémon Go, the still popular mobile game that was a worldwide craze when it launched in July 2016. As information was disseminated however, my anticipation turned to apathy, doubtful about adjustments being made to accommodate features of the mobile game. Then, on the day of its release it hit me: there would be a new Pokémon game waiting for me when I got home! I was excited again, and that excitement remained all the way through my nostalgic journey of Kanto. Continue reading Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! [Switch] – Review
When I begin the process of writing a review for a game, the first thing I do is create a blank Word document and save it. Most of the time, I find writing process arduous and this small act reminds me that when I’m done, I’ll have accomplished something and it will have all been worth it. Well, when I got started on this review, my computer asked if I wanted to create a copy or overwrite the already existing file. It took me a second to realize that I didn’t start a day or two ago; no, it was referring to the review I wrote when I originally played Phantasy Star back in early 2012. I couldn’t help but chuckle and feel a sense of relief: my work was already done! Continue reading Phantasy Star [Switch] – Review
Now this is my kind of game! Available for both iOS and Android devices, Pixel Puzzle Collection merges Picross style gameplay with trivia on Konami games of the past, classic and lesser-known titles alike. It’s free to boot, and even though it’s chock-a-block of ads, they’re minimally invasive.
One of the first games announced for the Nintendo Switch, Octopath Traveler had me intrigued from the moment I heard its ludicrous name. Developed by Square Enix and Acquire, it was published by Nintendo on July 13, 2018. As indicated by its name, the game highlights the journeys of eight disparate individuals. They travel throughout the continent of Orsterra in separate adventures inspired by golden-age JRPGs. Unique turn-based combat and addictive character development kept me entertained for the hundred hours I spent playing the game, even when the game’s storytelling underwhelmed me. Continue reading Octopath Traveler [Switch] – Review
As a fan of Japanese RPGs, Project Octopath Traveler was one of the most intriguing games shown during Nintendo’s Switch reveal in January. Even though it was a brief trailer, we learned that Square Enix was supporting the platform with a previously unannounced RPG, a gorgeous looking one at that. Details have been scant since that January event but after last week’s Nintendo Direct, a demo was released. Now that I’ve had hands-on time with the game, I’m more confident it’s right up my alley. Continue reading Project Octopath Traveler [Switch] – Demo Impressions
![Return of the Obra Dinn [Switch] – Review](https://mybrainongames.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/return-of-the-obra-dinn.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Bastion [Switch] – Review](https://mybrainongames.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/bastion-box-art.png?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![God of War [PlayStation 4] – Review](https://mybrainongames.files.wordpress.com/2019/04/god-of-war-playstation-4-north-american-box-art.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! [Switch] – Review](https://mybrainongames.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/pokemon-lets-go.gif?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Phantasy Star [Switch] – Review](https://mybrainongames.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/Phantasy-Star-Switch-North-American-Banner.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Pixel Puzzle Collection [Android] – Review](https://mybrainongames.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/Pixel-Puzzle-Collection.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1){kind=tracking}
![Octopath Traveler [Switch] – Review](https://mybrainongames.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/octopath-traveler-switch-north-american-box-art.jpg?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
![Project Octopath Traveler [Switch] – Demo Impressions](https://mybrainongames.files.wordpress.com/2017/09/project-octopath-traveler.gif?w=672&h=372&crop=1)
My Brain on Games