As expected, November was for the most part a month dedicated to the latest Atlus magnum opus, Metaphor: ReFantazio! However, as usual, there was some time to squeeze a few smaller games in between. So, without further ado, here’s what I’ve been playing:
Metaphor: ReFantazio
RPG / Xbox Series X
At this point in time, with 60 hours clocked in, I think I’m near the end of the game. At least it’s what the game’s calendar tells me, as I’m currently heading into the last month, from a total of five. Still, comparing with a Persona game this one feels more streamlined, which is a good thing since it was my main issue with Persona 5 Royal. I have so many things to say about this game, most of them good, but I’ll save for an eventual review.
Undertale
RPG / Nintendo Switch
This was a game that I had for a long time in my list. Looking for a quick break from Metaphor, I decided it was the ideal time to play it. I think Undertale needs no introduction, as its a quintessential indie game. Created mostly by a single person, quirky, inventive and with a great sense of humor. In it, we play as a human who falls into the underworld, where the monsters live, and our goal is to escape it. During our journey, we discover the truth about the underworld and the long standing conflict between humans and monsters, as we meet the most absurd and charismatic characters. Seriously, the writing of this game is its strongest asset, with its music coming in a close second. I finished the game in around 6 hours, but since it’s so short, I’ll play it again in the future to see its “good ending”.
Sonic R
Racing / Sega Saturn
In the sequence of the Sega Saturn 30th anniversary, I was challenged by a colleage from The Games Tome to do a “Deep Dive” review of Sonic R. Since it made years since I last played it, I decided to pick it up again to have a fresher perspective on it. This game is from a weird era in videogames, when the developers were still figuring out how to work with the third dimension, as so, its controls are everything but conventional. We control Sonic and some of the other characters in its universe, racing in 5 circuits with many hidden paths and secondary challenges. So far so good. But when we pick up the controller, we quickly understand that this isn’t quite a racing game, neither a platformer. It’s something in between. The first minutes are truly awful, but by the end, (as in, one hour later) when we finally understand its mechanics, it actually becomes fun and engaging. Lastly, it’s impossible to talk about Sonic R without mentioning its fantastic eurodance soundtrack. Can you feel the sunshine?
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Action-adventure / Nintendo Switch
As a fan of Jet Set Radio I had this game under my radar since it was announced, but its steep price, for an indie game, made me forget it for a while, until now. I finally got it during this last Nintendo eShop “black friday”, in a sweet 50% discount deal. Being completely honest, from what I’ve played so far, I was expecting more. Sure, the music and style are top-notch (all they had to do was to copy Jet Set Radio Future sense of style though), but the gameplay could be better, and the camera isn’t amazing either. Keep in mind that these are only early impressions. My opinion might change later on. Let’s see.
And that was November! With 2024 almost done, the next edition of this series will be the last one, as I’ll change the format starting next year. I’ll save the details for January. See you next time!
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