Quick thoughts on games I've been playing in the recent weeks
I've not been posting much but I have been playing some games! Figured I'd do a quick run-through of the virtual adventures I've been enjoying during the past 3-4 weeks - not sure if any of these warrant a "full" "review" in themselves.
Sonic Unleashed
I joined the rest of the Sonic fandom in replaying Sonic Unleashed when the Recompiled mod hit the internet, and I feel very smug for having said for years what everyone is suddenly magically realising for the first time: that Unleashed is actually a really good game. Both the daytime and night time stages - the Werehog levels are actually quite fun, even if they struggle from being a tad overlong at times. The Recompiled version also allows you to turn off the combat music which does feel like a meme reference at first, but it does actually have a genuinely good purpose because when the game isn't randomly switching to the Werehog battle music every other minute, you can realise just how well-crafted the level music is. It's an adventurous, but often gorgeous OST that feels criminally underrated in the world of Sonic - much like the game itself, which offers some exciting level design, fun boss battles and in Chip you have the best one-off character the series has introduced (and buried immediately), if we're not counting the Avatar from Forces. I think I in fact enjoyed Unleashed more this time around than I did originally - and I wonder how much of that is to do with the fact that I could play this with a gamepad that's actually good rather than the horrid PS3 dual shock.
Nubby's Number Factory
One third numbers-go-up wackiness of the current one-more-go addiction phenomenon of Balatro, one third tactical randomness of the one-more-go addiction phenomenon of yesteryears Peggle, and one third memetic 90s CGI madness that immediately strikes a chord with a very particular set of gamers and internet-lurkers. Nubby's Number Factory tries very hard to be the next big thing (whether intentionally or not), but it's still a few layers of refinement away from something you positively can't stop playing. Randomness and imbalance are part of the MO for games like these but the balance is a little off with this one still: the gameplay is fun enough to make it a neat little timewaster, but it feels a little too loose and rough to beckon you to play more of it once the initial amusement/novelty wears off. There could be something there though, and maybe in a handful of patches it''ll grow to be its own flavour of enjoyable chaos rather than an obvious tribute of existing ones. I enjoy playing this as a little timewaster now and then, but it's not calling me back to it.
Return to Monkey Island
The Monkey Island series comes with a hefty, legendary legacy and that's a double-edged sword. On one hand, as one of the most iconic gaming series of all time and one universally beloved by adventure game enthusiasts, there is some level of pressure from the developers to uphold the reputation - especially this time around as the original creator Ron Gilbert returns to helm the series (and brings with him a wide cast of returning names in both the dev team and actors). Little wonder then that Return to Monkey Island plays very well. I played it on the "hard mode" which basically just means the game has puzzles, and the gameplay achieves that good balance of making it clear to the player what the end goal of each puzzle is, but leaves enough to imagination so that finding the solution is genuinely rewarding (and in most cases, thoroughly logical - at least for the logic of cartoony adventure games). If you do get stuck, the in-game hint system is easy enough to ignore but doesn't spoil the experience if you do need to use it, and works a treat even if just to ensure you're on the right path. The presentation is class throughout from music to acting, and the (controversial?) art style only takes a couple of hours to convince the player of its unique charm and personality.
On the other hand, well, who's playing Monkey Island in the 2020s besides grizzled Monkey Island veterans? The game knows it has a legacy to live up to and an audience of passionate fans. While I imagine it's easy enough to jump into Return to Monkey Island as a complete newbie, the game is chock-full of references, nods and loving embraces of its own history, and especially the first two titles. Much of Return is intentionally like a reflection on the series' history and a proverbial final chapter (if only because who knows if Gilbert would get the chance again to work with it), and sometimes feels like a sightseeing tour of faces, places and items that would raise a smile on the faces of old-school fans. Problem is, if you're not as passionate about Monkey Island, you do get the feeling at times that this experience isn't targeted at you. I grew up in the golden age of click n point adventures but due to circumstance and coincidence never played any of the Lucasarts titles growing up, and so my Monkey Island journey has been a piece-meal catch-up effort over a few decades. They're undeniably good games but not ones that strike a passion in my heart like certain other classic (and not so classic) adventure game titles do - and there were definitely times during Return to Monkey Island where it felt like in a different lifetime my heartstrings would get tugged a lot more heavily than now, where it felt like a token of gratitude for someone else's admiration.
Tl;dr Return to Monkey Island is a tight, well-executed and excellently presented adventure game which is bound to be an enjoyable and solid ride of feel-good puzzling for fans of the genre; but if you're not a hardcore Monkey Islander, the final je ne sais quoi to make it truly great might just end up missing for you. If you do hold the originals to a high, personal esteem, then what are you waiting for if you haven't played this yet?
Split Fiction
My partner and I adored Hazelight Studios' last co-op game It Takes Two, and so learning they had a new one out was pretty much an instant buy for us. It also surprised us how fresh Split Fiction felt even though the premise it pretty much the same: two very different characters learn to appreciate one another through the course of the story, while gameplay-wise the two players get to enjoy a cavalcade of stylistic pastiches, genre tributes and a plethora of ever-changing gameplay mechanisms. It is ostensibly an action/platformer game, but how you go about the action and platforming changes or evolves roughly every 1-2 hours (not counting the side missions) None of Split Fiction's gameplay tricks feel like a rehash of It Takes Two, in fact you can tell that the team were hyperaware of not repeating themselves but also not forgetting about refining themselves. All kinds of small touches make the constant gameplay style switches even better from both a mechanical and overall design perspective, as you never find yourself getting bored of one gameplay section before you move onto the next eagerly anticipated surprise.
If there is a downside is that sometimes the game feels a little empty with all its vistas and wider gameplay areas - there are no collectibles and only a handful of interactive side areas for the players to have a moment of chaotic fun, and sometimes it makes the otherwise gorgeously designed areas feel a little empty. But to balance that out, I don't think any game of 2025 will be as immaculately put together as the final chapter of Split Fiction - not spoiling it but it's a pure marvel from a design perspective (it must have taken the team ages) and utterly incredible for the player to experience.
Brilliant game. Even better in couch co-op, but if that's not an option I would suggest dragging someone online to experience it with.
Blue Prince
Blue Prince seems to be currently building a reputation as one of this year's go-to experiences, and I've joined the hype train - though I'm still far from complete with it. It's difficult to say much about the rogue-lite mansion-building puzzler because it's got that whole Tunic/Outer Wilds/The Witness thing going on where things are a lot more involved than they first seem (an early tutorial note even outright tells you that it's worth starting to write down notes), and therefore ruining the element of potential surprise to fellow new players is the worst thing you could. But what I can say is that I've already had a couple of heureka moments which remind me of those excited flashes of genuine surprise and smarts I had when I began cracking the surface of Tunic, and I love that feeling so much. It is not a flawless game - but also who's to say how many of these flaws get ironed out as I continue with the roguelite element of unlocking permanent changes and turning the odds and tables against the house that otherwise toys with me. Really exciting, really fun.