Last time, you decided that ding! is better than the Howie scream. I have only word for that: yeeeuuuuaaaaauuuuughh! This week, I suppose it's a question of spectacle. Do you want to do ridiculous cool things, or have ridiculous horrible things done unto you? Tell me, what's better: ridiculous spell animations or the mangled hands of Ethan Winters?
It's been a hot minute since we last gathered round the RPS Time Capsule vault (thanks, Gamescom), but at long last we have returned with another cracking year of PC games to preserve: 2011. In hindsight, it's a bit of an interesting year for Time Capsuling purposes, as we're now getting to the point where games from this era are getting their own remakes and remasters, or fancier, super duper director's cut special editions. We've included the original 2011 release of one of these games in this month's Time Capsule, but there's another notable exception we've decided to save for further down the line. I mean, seriously, would you> really recommend vanilla Skyrim from 2011 over 2016's Special Edition?
There's a definition of "pure" that's proscriptive; a dogmatic adherence to surface details and strict rituals. I'm genuinely not thinking of any specific game, but many 'retro' inspired games fall into this way of thinking, and many more fans cut a good one down because of it.
Itorah, however, feels pure in the sense of capturing the essence, the heart of a good retro platformer, not just going through the motions to technically qualify for an arbitrary category. Aeons ago, it would have ported comfortably to your GameBoys and gramophones, and probably look just as pretty and feel just as good in motion, judging by the talented art direction on show here.
Yakuza spin-offs Judgment and Lost Judgment have arrived on Steam! This means you can mete out justice with your fists and do some important detective work... and do some drone racing... and participate in some robot wars. It's Yakuza with a murder-mystery twist that's well worth your while even if you're not actually that big on Kiryu or Ichiban's antics. I'd even go so far as to say it might be the perfect side entrance into the Yakuza series as a whole.
I had hoped to bring you a proper review of Moonscars today, the new 2D Soulslike from indie studio Black Mermaid. But alas, both time and its ferociously difficult combat have got the better of me, so you'll have to settle for some impressions instead. This isn’t simply a case of drinking the 'git gud' kool-aid either. While I'll hold my hands up now and say that Soulslikes have always been a bit of a challenge for me, I feel like I've been making some pretty good in-roads into the genre lately, and after falling in love with Moonscars' reveal trailer earlier in the year during the Humble Games Showcase, I really, really, really> wanted to like this one. Sadly, it's become increasingly clear that Moonscars does not like me very much, and maybe even hates my guts a bit - which is ironic, considering how many organs I've chucked at its feet over the last week and a bit to appease its hungry dread moon.
The RPS squad has once again made the trek to London for EGX 2022. There was plenty to see at this year’s show and, as always, we ran some of our own booths. The first was the Steam Deck Zone filled with thirty of Valve’s handhelds full of games for anyone to pull up a chair and play. The second was a showcase of weird and wonderful controllers including an incredibly inconvenient pool table, a digital plant that would grow by controlling light, and a game where you use a keyboard as a tie.
Alongside those, the RPS gang were exploring the show floor and here you’ll find highlights of what we saw, who we chatted to, what we played, and just general show shenanigans. Enjoy!
Serial Cleaners is Draw Distance's follow-up to the singular Serial Cleaner, a stylish 2D stealth action game where you clean up crime scenes without getting caught. Where the original offers a more traditional top-down view where you're avoiding cops' attention by dodging cones of vision, Serial Cleaners sprinkles different characters and abilities into the mix, alongside a visual revamp that ups more than just the aesthetics. And it works! Making the act of evidence disposal an action-packed affair that makes it a great game to play in bursts.
A while back, I was wondering where all the Steam Deck accessories were. Valve themselves have the case covered, including a decent hard case with even the cheapest 64GB models, and it’s not difficult to pick up one of the best microSD cards for the Steam Deck. Otherwise, and especially with delays to Valve’s official dock, there’s not much out there from the usual PC hardware suppliers.
I therefore turned to the makers and sellers of Etsy, where a kind of indie Steam Deck accessory market has emerged. Soon, I’d bought (with my own money, you’re welcome ReedPop) a selection of unique, handcrafted, sometimes questionable gadgets and appendages, and promptly packed them onto a train for independent appraisal by a newly minted Steam Deck owner. Specifically, RPS vid bud Liam.
Every weekend, indie devs show off current work on Twitter's #screenshotsaturday tag. And every Monday, I bring you a selection of these snaps and clips. This week, my eye has been caught by art made of hands, skeleton wrestling, and a squirrel horrifyingly climbing people to rob them.
Welcome to the first weekend of autumn, gang! Scarves on necks, cocoa on stoves, leaves on ground. Chat about the weather might seem trite but what other conversation topic covers matters directly impacting your life today without risking causing a disagreement, years of simmering resentment, or a brawl? "What are you having for dinner?" is another good one, I think. Perhaps you'll find this advice helpful if you're attending EGX this weekend. Oh, I know another one: what are you playing this weekend? Here's what we're clicking on!