danielpholt

The Stanley Parable - Ultra Deluxe Edition It's been a while since I played the OG game, but I feel like I have a decent enough memory that I can dive into the new content straight away. So I did just that, and it's great. Few games make me laugh, but after about an hour of playtime the new content has had me genuinely laughing out loud. I was a bit worried that the 'gaming space' had moved on since 2013, but the jokes are still funny, and so far the comedy hasn't felt stilted or forced.

Elden Ring My first experience with a Fromsoftware game, and I don't think it'll be my last. I've got a few issues with how the game presents it's world to the player (a journal with all my accomplishments/beaten enemies & dungeons would have been nice), and a few of the late-game bosses felt kinda bad to play against as a melee character, that aside however, I adore this game. Spare time is at an absolute premium for me right now, but I've still found a way to give the game over 100 hours in 5 weeks; it's totally taken over my free time in a way no game ever has; when I'm not playing it, I'm thinking about it. I know many consider Elden Ring to be significantly easier than other Soulsbourne games, given the fact that you can out-level bosses to assist along the way, but I'm super excited to dive into Sekaro when I get a chance, for now though, I'm probably going to dip in and out of the post-game stuff, toy with the idea of beginning a second journey (although I probably won't do that for a while). A truly incredible experience from front to back.

I'm loving Elden Ring but I'm acutely aware I've put 80 hours into it in the last 2 weeks; thinking I need a palate cleanser. I've played this before (PC) and it;s kinda perfect.

Pre-order. Despite being pretty engaged in modern politics, I don't actually have much knowledge on what came before. And this book was heavily referenced in another book I read last year (Ed Millibands - GO BIG).

It's been a few weeks since I finished Tunic and I'm finding it hard to disagree with Ethan here. Whilst I never had to fall back to no-fail mode I did end up using the guide towards the end to beat some of the more...abstract puzzles. And once I'd done that trick once, I found myself going back to it time and time again until I'd finished the game. That being said, I don't think that's a reason not to give it a look. It's a charming little game that deserves the attention it's been getting.

Super clean looking watch in bronze, which I actually think looks really classy. Now if only it wasn't nearly a months wage for me I've got it on now. Few initial observations, the dials are easy to see, there's not too much noticeable ticking (which I've found with my Timex Weekender is a problem) and there's this slight concave effect that gives it a lovely touch. I don't love the strap, but I guess I can always replace that down the line.

I've just been turning the console off and hoping quick-resume does the job

Got into watches in the last few years. However I'm also poor, so I don't get to splurge as often as I'd like on them. Timex Midtown Chronograph

It's probably not fair to judge the game on this, but I really don't love the art-style. It's nice enough, well presented and cohesive, but I kind of just don't enjoy looking at it for long sessions. I'll keep it on the Switch, and maybe when (if) I get some free time I can throw myself into it, rather than playing 25-30 minutes every few nights.

Deaths Door It just wasn't grabbing me and truth be told, I'm not sure why. Probably more of a space and time thing than anything with the game.

What about whining or whine?

Just the sheer force of the rumble is enough to make me turn it off. The Switch commits an act of violence on me whenever the damn thing needs to rumble.

I Am Dead. It just wasn't grabbing me, which is a shame because I usually connect with these games. The game doesn't have the strongest start in the world (far too much talking for my liking, especially in a game like this). I may return to it, I may not.

Started Death's Door last night. I'm only about an hour in but so far so good. It seems a bit more combat focused than Tunic, which is a nice change of pace. One gripe I do have, and this is likely specific to the Switch (when handheld)....the HD rumble is an absolute nightmare. I'm trying to play this thing with a sleeping baby in the room and every single time I die, or engage the enemy I got this bone shaking rumble out of the Switch, and there's no option to disable it in the game itself, so I've had to do it at a system level. Not the end of the world, but certainly annoying.

A Memoire Blue A very short game about a daughter reconnecting with her mother. It's light on the 'gameplay' and heavy on the feels. All in all it took me about 90 minutes from front to back. Super nice art, some incredible moments of spectacle and a heartwarming story. Solid effort. Also on Gamepass. Tunic I'm guilty of using a guide to help me get through the final few hours of Tunic, and once I did that the first time I never looked back. It absolutely took some of the shine off of the game, but I still really rate this one. I'd be very surprised if this isn't in the running for some industry wide awards come November and December. 4/5

Figured that I loved both Tunic and Links Awakening so I should probably dive into this genre a little more. Also it was cheap on Switch and seems perfect for that platform.

I'm hoping that in 2-3 years I'll have forgotten a lot of the detail, or at-least enough to keep it fresh. The game does a decent job of providing you with what you need to solve it's puzzle; although there's a certain amount of deduction built into it.

Tunic - Xbox - Gamepass If I'm being reductive I'll say this is Zelda meets Dark Souls meets Fez, and it's kind of great. I don't really have the language or critical ability to state what makes it amazing, but after 9-10 hours I'm still absolutely enjoying it. There's a bit of a learning curve; nothing is spelt out to you and the combat (especially early) is kinda difficult to get to grips with (although it's far from complicated), but if you give it a chance there's so much to enjoy here. As I mentioned, big Fez vibes in how the game presents it's puzzles. If that's up your alley then definitely check it out.

Regency Solitaire Finished the main campaign. It's solitaire, with added romance. Return of the Obra Dinn You ever play a game that you know is going to consume your mind for the next X months? That's Obra Dinn for me. From the moment I loaded it up, to the moment I put it down I was totally engrossed in its mystery, its gameplay and it's presentation. A top 10 game of all time for me, and one that I look forward to re-playing in the future.

Grabbed both on Switch. Already own Superhot on PC, Xbox and Playstation (VR Bundle). It would appear that I'm a fan of this game.

I'm not even sure I dislike the game as a whole. It just falls down in some incredibly obvious ways and I think we can/should expect better from arguably one of the biggest entertainment franchises on the planet. As I said in my post, I think there's a game I could enjoy in there, but right now I'm just not in the right mental space to find it. In short.... It's me not Pokemon Legends Arceus.

Disco Elysuim Seems like a super neat game, but one that just isn't going to work for me. I wonder if playing this on the Switch is a contributing factor here? Maybe I guess, but what is absolutely for certain is that I'm just not feeling it. I'm going to be super reductive now and say this: If I wanted to read that much text, I'd read a book. I know that's a shit way to look at this game, because I've heard it does some truly amazing things, but much like the game below...I think it might be place and time thing for me. Pokemon Legends Arceus I know I moaned about the game when it launched, and whilst my opinion hasn't really changed on it, I do think there's fun to be had here. Unfortunately I don't think I'm in the right head-space to find that fun, and as such I've decided to put it down. Maybe I'll return at a later date, or if I find myself suddenly with a load of free time, but right now my time is far too limited to be spent on something I'm not enjoying/getting anything out of.