Welcome to my first Some Loose Scraps article! If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you may know that I sometimes use these as a way to wrap up my reviews. They’re loose scraps, sidenotes that didn’t quite fit into the review, bits of trivia about the games in question, or just random brain spins.
I’m now taking that same format and applying it, in slightly expanded form, to the games I’m playing. So you can expect one of these every now and then. Hope you enjoy it!
Beast of Reincarnation
- I can’t do it anymore. I’m afraid I’m done with Beast of Reincarnation.
Believe me, I really tried. Full of optimism, I started Game Freak’s action game, from the developer normally responsible for all kinds of Pokémon games. Gotta Catch ‘Em All is one of that series’ mottos. Apparently, Game Freak brought that philosophy over to Beast of Reincarnation, where we’ve gotta catch all the cringy phrases and every tired, dime-a-dozen development that comes with a robotic chick trying to rediscover her humanity.
- Soulslike-ish gameplay, but for amateurs like me
The first few hours were pretty decent, admittedly. Game Freak is extremely generous with the timing window for its parries, which made even me feel like a parry master. Every time an enemy started attacking, I could make myself a cup of coffee, stroll back to the couch, press guard, and still be on time.
The animations and finishers were pretty cool, and the combination of slowing down time and using skills for your wolf, Koo, felt satisfying. But after a few hours, I started losing interest in the gameplay. The novelty wore off. The same types of enemies showed up too often, and, incidentally, the same could be said about the soundtrack.
- I sometimes put my favorite song on repeat for an entire week on Spotify. Apparently, Game Freak is familiar with that phenomenon too.
One of my first thoughts when I started Beast of Reincarnation was, “Hey, this soundtrack sounds a hell of a lot like Stellar Blade.” A big plus, because Stellar Blade’s excellent soundtrack is one of the reasons the game scored so well in my review.
Several hours later, I’d taken down countless golems, a very common enemy type, and even a boss. Yet somehow, the same song was still playing, relentlessly drilling its way into my ears hours after it had first started. Sometimes, when I go to bed, I can still hear it playing in my head. What started out as a great introduction to the soundtrack has since turned into a mild form of torture.
Beast of Repetition, sorry, Reincarnation, simply doesn’t change things up enough. Not in its combat, not in its enemy types, and not in its environments. That’s ultimately what broke me after around ten hours. The motivation just isn’t there to keep going for dozens more.
Pentiment
*Spoilers ahead for Pentiment
- Pentiment is currently teaching me that apparently, I can get FOMO from a murder investigation
A game I’m much more positive about is Pentiment. I’m a fan of detective games and would love to see more of them. So far, Pentiment is giving me exactly what I’m looking for, as we find ourselves involved in a murder investigation.
The game throws a shitload of leads at you, though, and you can only pursue a small number of them. Most leads take up part of your day. This means I’m not only missing out on a lot of dialogue and potentially valuable information, but I could also quite easily end up obsessing over completely the wrong suspect.
All those options, most of which I’ll never get to see, are giving me a bit of a headache.
A headache is at least something the suspect I pointed the finger at no longer has to worry about. He doesn’t have a head anymore. Hopefully I got it right. Probably not.
- This is a game I really need to be able to concentrate on
As much as I’m enjoying Pentiment, I’m not exactly flying through it. There are a lot of names and situations to remember, and there’s a lot to read. After a day of work, my ability to concentrate has usually collapsed, and I notice that I sometimes struggle to properly take in all the information.
I take my job as a self-appointed detective very seriously, though. I don’t want to do the game, myself, or the people of Tassing a disservice by investigating while I’m barely paying attention. That’s why I play Pentiment in shorter bursts, during those rare moments when my brain actually feels somewhat fresh.
- I genuinely thought my work was done. Turns out it was only the end of Act 1
I was already preparing myself for the credits. My investigation was finished, at least as far as the limited time allowed, a verdict had been reached, and a head had rolled. Job done.
As the guilt started creeping in and I wondered whether I’d actually accused the right suspect, I also thought to myself: I’m about to find out.
Not quite.
The game suddenly jumped seven years into the future. Protagonist Andreas was richer in terms of money, while I was richer in disillusionment. Apparently, the answers are going to keep me waiting for quite a while longer. And with every passing minute, that growing sense of guilt keeps gnawing away at me.
Deep down, I’m already pretty sure I sent the wrong man to his death. And that was probably exactly what those sneaky developers wanted me to feel.
Well played, Obsidian Entertainment. You’ve got me.
Control
- The thing I liked least about Control was also the thing it had the most of: combat.
Years ago, when I first played Control, I gave up because I found the whole thing too vague. I just couldn’t get into the story.
Then I played Alan Wake and Alan Wake 2, and suddenly I realized that was kind of the point. The Remedyverse is bizarre, and apparently it just needed some time to grow on me. It has. I’m now fully on board with all the strange, mysterious and inexplicable phenomena Remedy throws at us in its games.
So, full of confidence, I started attempt number two at Control. This time I actually made it to the end, although not entirely without a fight. Or actually… with way too much fighting.
- Thank God for the accessibility settings. One-hit kills were a lifesaver.
While I loved the mystery surrounding the Oldest House, the combat quickly started getting on my nerves. At first, I thought protagonist Jesse’s telekinetic powers were pretty damn cool, but it soon became too much of a good thing. Every time I turned around, I found myself in another fight.
I’d deal with the enemies. Read some document filled with abstract text that God only knew the meaning of. Leave the room, only to get attacked again in the exact same hallway by enemies that had already respawned.
It was overkill. So much so that towards the end of the game, I dove into the accessibility options and turned on one-hit kills.
- I’d been hearing about the Ashtray Maze for years, and it didn’t disappoint
The Ashtray Maze is one of the most beloved sections in Control, and I can see why. For a lot of Control players, it’s probably what the “We Sing” chapter in Alan Wake 2 was for me.
Much to my delight, it even featured music by the same band: Old Gods of Asgard. Making my way through the Ashtray Maze took me right back to my favorite gaming moment of the past few years. It’s a wonderful combination of visuals and music.
I’m glad I finally went back and finished Control, especially with Resonant on the way.
Some Looser Scraps
- Game developers are like toddlers who just learned a new word this year.
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, Control Resonant and Final Fantasy Resonance are all coming out this year. What’s next? Resonant Evil?
- Three more weeks until The Dawn of Bloodwalker. I am SO hyped.
- Lots of Grand Theft Auto 6 footage is leaking these days. Pretty sure the ending will be leaked soon as well, so be careful out there.
