Patapon 2 is a fun game of its time. It still feels like a relic of the PSP days with its big chunky menus and relatively straightforward gameplay, but if anything sets itself apart as much to warrant its own remaster, it’s the charm that comes through loud and clear.
In summary, if you’re someone who can get lost in a repetitive task, then I will say you may find yourself falling into a trance, an almost zen-like state. But maybe do so on PC if you have one available to you. I could not get into Barents Sea on the tiny screen with its muddy and bare world.
I do think Where The Water Tastes Like Wine is worth a gander, just don’t expect a swan song of a tale or gut punch metaphor about early America. Enjoy it for it what it immediately offers: a fun series of tiny vignettes and discoverable characters to unwind with. Forget the rest.
It’s okay. It’s fine. Its art is beautiful and its music wondrous, but somehow it’s missing its own magic. So if you have nothing going on, and it seems your jam, give it a go. It’s totally fine. Personally, I need something a bit more than okay these days.
All told, Crying Suns is a slick reinterpretation of FTL’s core design.
If games like The Forest were up your alley, I do recommend giving Green Hell a shot. However, if you’re easily frustrated by obscure deaths vs trial and error, I’d recommend starting out at the easier difficulty so you can enjoy what it has to offer without needing to wrestle in frustration.
I may come back later when it’s had time to sit with the general population only to really discover its wonders. But for now, my dear reader, I’d rather forget about my ancestors lost to time and play a game like Ape Out instead.
If you enjoyed the main game and have an itch to come back, I recommend picking up Eight Princes if you were aiming to do another playthrough. If you are waiting for something different and novel to come along and really shake up Three Kingdoms, then I would say hold on to your dynasty hat for the time being.
It remains to be seen if some patches down the line may improve the visuals but for right now Mutant Year Zero is the most portable version of the game while being the worst looking version available. It’s a reminder that the Switch isn’t always a catch all for games, given its limited power, but it’s still appreciated these games can be played on the go when needed.
There’s so much to talk about that most of it is truly best left unsaid, as your path to these discoveries will be very much your own. I hope bigger games take some of Outer Wilds’ design lessons to heart. There’s nothing quite like it right now and there should be.