The Backlog Check-in Vol. 203: 11/20/21: Thanksgiving Edition

[Phaseknox]

Played: Blue Reflection, Rabi-Ribi, Shadows of Adam

Finished: Nothing

Playing: Blue Reflection, Rabi-Ribi, Shadows of Adam

Added: Anna’s Quest, Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online, Death end re;Quest 2, Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark, Fight’N Rage, Hard West Ultimate Edition, Ikenfell, Iris.Fall, LEGO The Incredibles, Minoria, Phoenotopia: Awakening, Rabi-Ribi, Raging Justice, Shadows of Adam, The Wild Eight

I played more Blue Reflection, and the two words that best describe it are boring and repetitive. It’s primarily an interactive story with the characters conversing a lot so there’s a lot of reading since the voice acting is in Japanese. The entire game takes place in only two locations - a small high school and an otherworldly dimension. Gameplay is limited to walking around the high school (which you don’t even have to do since you can warp to any part of it from the map), talking with your friends and NPCs and traversing the linear otherworldly dimension collecting orbs and occasionally engaging in turn-based combat. While I was somewhat liking the story, characters and gameplay loop for a while, halfway through I got bored and wasn’t really interested in playing it anymore so I stopped. I might go back to it if I get in the mood to continue its story, but I’m not sure.

I started playing Rabi-Ribi, and it’s completely bonkers. It’s a 2D side scrolling pixel art Metroidvania type game with a colorful and cute anime aesthetic. You play as a pet rabbit that wakes up in a box in a basement wondering why you’re there and why you have a human body still with bunny ears and a tail dressed like a Playboy Bunny. You set off to find your owner to try and figure out what’s going on, and it continues to get even weirder. The graphics have a retro appeal, the music is really good and the gameplay is fun action and platforming. The story is strange, but things are explained as you progress. It’s all wacky and weird, but entertaining.

I also started playing Shadows of Adam since I wanted to check it out, and I’ve been enjoying it. It’s a retro 16-bit style top-down view pixel art turn-based JRPG that was developed in America. It almost seems like an actual JRPG that would have came out for the Genesis/SNES. The story, characters, music, levels, battle system and pacing are all good. I’m finding it charming and fun, and it’s been keeping me wanting to play. It’s currently on sale for $5 at the PS Store, and I would recommend checking it out if you like retro 16-bit style turn-based JRPGs.

Games releasing this week
Before We Leave
Cricket 22
Date Night Bowling
Death’s Door
Deeeer Simulator
Deiland: Pocket Planet
DoDonPachi Resurrection
Drizzlepath: Deja Vu
Farming Simulator 22
Forza Polpo
A Gummy’s Life
Night Lights

[jfissel]

Finished: Nothing

Now Playing: Final Fantasy VII Remake, Lost Judgment PS5

Added to Backlog: Nothing

Current Backlog: 40 games

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Hope you are all able to be with family/friends and have a good meal!

[Phaseknox]

I’ve played quite a bit of Rabi-Ribi at this point and I’m still enjoying it, but there are a few things making it a little less enjoyable such as the nonsensical story, the constant boss battles and the boss difficulty.

While it’s primarily a gameplay driven 2D side scrolling action platformer, it has a lot of story and character interaction too. While it can be humorous at times, it’s been mostly weird without making much sense. I’m sure that things will be explained as I play more, but so far it’s been kind of dumb.

There’s constantly boss battles, and they get a little annoying in a more explorative game like this where you want to spend more time exploring the levels and finding secrets and less time having your progress halted by bosses. And they get more difficult and take more hits to defeat making the fights drag on for longer than I would like. They’re a bit same-y as well always fast moving characters that many can hover/fly, and they shoot out a constant stream of projectiles and lasers that you have to dodge like in a bullet hell shooter. The projectiles and lasers are so fast and random in their patterns that a lot of the time they’re impossible to dodge. Sometimes the boss battles can be fun, but I feel that they went a little overboard with them.

I find cartoonish, comical and cutesy games that seem like they’re aimed at a slightly more casual and/or younger audience a bit deceptive when they’re really challenging. I like a challenge, but one that’s reasonable and doesn’t make me have to give it my all every step of the way. This game has a lot of annoying enemies, difficult platforming and challenging boss battles. I’ve been completing everything so far, but it’s been a little more of a struggle than I would really like taking away from the fun factor a bit.

[argyle]

Games added: Aces of the Luftwaffe, Dariusburst Chronicle Saviours, Riders Republic, Biomutant, Neo: The World Ends With You'

Last week: Finished nothing, played Forza Horizon 5, Unpacking, & I've just started Biomutant

This week: More of those

Think I'm done w/ BF sales this year. Got Aces & Dariusburst in the PSN sale, w/ some store credit I had. Grabbed the other 3 from GS mostly w/ store credit, only spent about $13 out of pocket. Decided to get RR instead of Hot Wheels for my racer because I read really good reviews of it and it had a better sale. Also decided to hold off on Guardians of the Galaxy because I figure by the time I get around to playing it it will be cheaper than the $30 it's on sale for right now.

Digging Biomutant so far, but really just got through the intro/tutorial area. Unpacking is another GamePass game, and it's very relaxing. It's what the name says, you unpack starting first as a kid in your first room, then your first apartment/dorm, then with your first roommate. It's pretty cool how it manages to tell a very loose story just with the objects you are unpacking - what you carry over from one location to the next, etc. I recommend checking it out if anyone's looking for something chill & different.

[jfissel]

Unpacking is another GamePass game, and it's very relaxing. It's what the name says, you unpack starting first as a kid in your first room, then your first apartment/dorm, then with your first roommate. It's pretty cool how it manages to tell a very loose story just with the objects you are unpacking - what you carry over from one location to the next, etc. I recommend checking it out if anyone's looking for something chill & different.

Yeah, I saw that game. It does look different and original.

[Phaseknox]

I finished Rabi-Ribi, it took me about 10 hours which was a good length for the game that it is. I mostly enjoyed my time with it, and despite previously complaining about its difficulty it’s actually the perfect difficulty most of the time presenting a good challenge without being frustratingly difficult. Some bosses are a little tougher than others and can drag on for a little longer than I would like, but nothing is cheap or unfair except for maybe some projectiles and lasers being impossible to avoid or dodge.

The colorful anime graphics, cute characters, music and fun action platform gameplay are what kept me playing, not the story which is complete nonsense all the way to the end. It’s hard to follow and understand as it’s just weird. The dialogue is a little funny at times, but overall it’s silly and dumb. The story is the worst aspect of the game, and unfortunately hinders it. The core gameplay is somewhat repetitive as well since the combat is pretty much one note, and you basically do the same traversal and platforming throughout with a lot of backtracking and same-y type boss fights. At least the areas that you go to are somewhat varied, but not all that interesting.

After the credits roll there’s post game content to play, but I’m not sure that I’m interested in playing it since I’ve kind of had my fill of the game. I had some fun with it which is why I finished it, but it’s kind of average overall.

[argyle]

Phase, I played a bit of Rabi-Ribi a few years back. I remember it being OK but feeling pretty rough - it was one of those indie games that FELT like an indie.

[Phaseknox]

Phase, I played a bit of Rabi-Ribi a few years back. I remember it being OK but feeling pretty rough - it was one of those indie games that FELT like an indie.

Yeah, it seems like one of those really low budget home brew inexpensive indie games that comes out for like $10 not for $30 which is what it costs. I paid $15 for it on sale, and felt that was too much for it. It should be $10, or less IMO. I had some fun with it and it’s a good length for the cutesy little indie game that it is, but the charm of it wears off a bit after a few hours and repetition starts to kick in since it’s the same core gameplay loop repeated throughout. The nonsensical story and characters bring it down a bit as well.

In other news, I’m glad to hear that Biomutant is good. I’m hoping to get it for $20 soon. I was also interested in checking out Unpacking, but it doesn’t appear to be available for PS4.

[canedaddy]

Played recently: The Adventure Pals

Finished: nothing

Added to backlog: CrossCode, Yoku's Island Express, The Adventure Pals, Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark, Wattam, Donut County

Current backlog: 21 (18 PS4, 3 Switch)


The Adventure Pals is, as advertised, a delightful platformer... so charming and fun. I haven't been able to put it down. #argylewasright

[Phaseknox]

The Adventure Pals is, as advertised, a delightful platformer... so charming and fun. I haven't been able to put it down.

It’s in my backlog, and I plan on checking it out when I get in the mood for a cartoonish and comical 2D side scrolling platformer.