Thirsty Suitors has a surprising amount to say about culture, acceptance, self-expression, and growing from your mistakes. That being said, I did not grow past my lifelong videogame mistakes, and, as I’ve done so often in the past, I failed to manually save the game at regular intervals. So when a glitch wouldn’t let me restart a battle after dying, I had to quit the game and return back to the start of the level. Much like Jala my mistakes caught up to me, but, unlike Jala, I doubt that will make me change my ways.
But don’t let me be a downer. Here’s the good: Detective Pikachu Returns does not require much from you. It won’t ask you to do anything especially complicated and you get to look at cute Pokémon. It won’t ask you to get too emotionally engaged nor will it demand too much of your attention or energy. You can be infinitely wrong in your deductions, and it will still offer reprieve. Detective Pikachu Returns has its funny moments, its emotional moments, and its gratifying moments without requiring much effort in return, and for some, that is an ideal videogame. But, if you’re coming to Detective Pikachu Returns hoping for a fast-paced, semi-engaging narrative, or even much of a plot in general, just watch the movie. Pikachu is equally cute in both.
At its core, Fae Farm is a beautifully rendered farming simulator that, in my opinion, could compete with the best of its genre. It’s mechanically familiar to anyone that’s played Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing while having a unique enough art style and storyline that it can stand out against other titles. It balances its necessary elements—story and community building—against each other in a way that creates smooth gameplay, and it presents a cozy vibe perfect for the fall and winter months ahead. There are some elements of Fae Farm that may leave some craving a bit more of a challenge, as well as technical issues that do set it back, but it makes up for itself by being creative and fun. I don’t find myself terribly compelled to play Fae Farm constantly, but it is an undeniably enjoyable, adventurous, and approachable game that has brought together the farming simulator and story genres in one cozy package.