Games

Just finished Gunpoint - it's a fairly nifty puzzler about a somewhat goofy private eye with cybernetic frog pants and ability to rewire building electronics with his mind. The soundtrack is odd mix of noir-jazzy electronica, and it slaps.

And right after I felt nostalgic, so I started scummvm and booted up Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist. Did not remember laborious the start of the game is with what is essentially copy protection - mixing medicines to order. Beyond the copy protection shenanigans, the game is a Sierra-game through and through: vga visuals are neat, voice acting is goofy but well made, instant deaths... Though the game isn't as malicious as some early Sierra games.

I started Dread Delusion, and I had a rough go of it at first, as it slowly but surely gave me motion sickness. The next time I picked it up, I threw the FOV up to 90 and rolled my chair a few feet further away from the monitor, and that seemed to do the trick. The one thing that I knew would help but that I wanted to avoid doing was to turn off the PS1-style wobble, as I think it's a major contributor to that aesthetic; fortunately I didn't have to. I really appreciate that this game doesn't shy away from RPG systems and dice rolls and also leans into the strengths of the readability of late 90s 3D level design. I'm not one of those "back in my day, games were better" types, but there's a lot of good that comes from simple geometry and floating item pickups rather than having to rely on Batman detective vision and yellow paint. I just got through the intro area and mission, where the world starts to open up.

I'm continuing on through Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. A good number of major bosses are down, and I just got to a pretty elaborate tower/dungeon. My skibidi powerups are at level 9.

I beat The Thaumaturge. It is an RPG, but to call it that with no qualifiers sets up some false expectations, as it shares a lot with adventure games. It's a bit on the shallow side, but it doesn't overstay its welcome either. The combat is fun, the production value punches above its weight, and the story and setting are very unique in the world of video games. It's not particularly expensive, and there's a good chance this one wasn't on your radar, so if you find yourself wanting to play something unlike what you usually play, I'd recommend this one.

I’m still enjoying Mass Effect Andromeda. The combat is a bit too action-oriented - I miss the tactics and strategy of other RPGs. But it’s not so bad that it detracts from the game’s enjoyment.

I’ve also (re)started Baldur’s Gate 1 (enhanced edition). I’m not far in yet but I can already tell it’s going to be hard picking only 5 companions. They’re all so interesting.

I've been playing Pokemon SoulSilver and Pokemon Y on my 3DS. It feels good to play older games again.