VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action - In Review

There comes a time in everyone’s journey when they need to take a step back for a moment. For whatever reason things just aren’t coming together and they let their mind drift. Quite often in film (or in my case on Netflix), this is where they enter a local bar and have a one-to-one with whoever happens to be serving drinks at the time, while they work through their thoughts. I often romanticise the idea of playing the neutral bartender character in series such as Bartender or Midnight Diner, offering sage advice or the perfect drink to help out a client. And at least for the second part of this, a certain game exists by the name of VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action (or Valhalla as per the bar name).

This game takes the formula of bartender & client heart-to-hearts, and switches it up by positioning the bar in a cyberpunk dystopia in the year 207X. By correctly utilising mixology, you are able to change the way the dialogue branches as well as how well you are rewarded. The time setting allows for some interesting conversation on deep philosophical topics and clients don’t hold back (as well as the bartender sometimes), more so than in any other visual novel I’ve played. Get ready for a night to remember as we shake up some conversation (and earn some tips in the process).  

The First Night

It all starts off with a basic refresher from a fellow colleague by the name of Gillian (or Gil for short). You play the role of a somewhat dry (sometimes childish humoured) bartender called Jill. She sometimes refers to Gil, as even some clients do, as John, because he has a bit of a ‘John’ face (a running joke that always made me snigger). She seems a little distracted however, as there is a lot going on, including an impending rent payment due else eviction looms. Dana (Jill and Gil’s boss) also makes an appearance with a mysterious unconscious figure draped over her shoulders. Jill is unhappy about this, as if they wake up all hell will break loose. Dana asserted that Jill will just have to deal with it when it happens. 

Once the tutorial is complete you then serve your first client; a highly chauvinistic chief editor for an online newspaper. Here you get your first initiation on how cutting the dialogue is by making him a big beer. The first time I made a small one by accident, which prompted him to say something along the lines of: “No I want the beer big, like my dick!”. Turns out you got initiated into the cutting dialogue in the game, which is one of its biggest strengths. If you didn’t make the same mistake as me, you’ll definitely get this from the next client. 

One aspect I did find slightly odd during the tutorial was that Gil was testing Jill on making drinks, instead of the more authoritative Dana, even though she was the one that was bar-trained. Directly after the tutorial which he delivered in a somewhat authoritative way, he then becomes the butt of the joke for virtually the rest of the game.

At some point the unconscious customer wakes up, then starts demanding to know where they are. Of course this does not go down well when they are told the bar name: Valhalla. Of course they then start getting panicky, so you are tasked with fixing a good strong drink to calm her down. This introduces you to the intoxication aspect of the game, which is controlled by how you mix drinks. More on that later.

Let’s Set The Mood

During your first night as a (hopefully successful) bartender, you set up a playlist on the jukebox for your shift, and there just so happens to be a rather extensive amount of music available to create the ideal mood. For my personal taste, there was a lot of suitably dreamy synth work as if for a starry night. I also loved the intro song Every Day Is Night. Hearing this every time a shift was started was almost a ritual in itself, along with Jill’s catchphrase: “It’s time to mix drinks and change lives”.

To go with the music, there is also the highly anime-inspired art-style of the game. Each character is beautifully and thematically drawn, with a constrained set of colours in the palette to align the style, almost like an improved version of NES graphics. The neon signage behind the customers was also pretty cool. I liked that you can change the TV channel, which of course I always changed when possible to the famous Robocop reference: “I’d buy that for a dollar!”.

If I had to level a criticism here, although there is considerable joy in the freedom of being able to change your music for the night, I would have liked this to change or be interrupted more frequently to intensify game events or dramatic points of conversation. Perhaps it’s the Ace Attorney player in me but as an example, it makes the music much more dramatic during tense moments, but also more curiosity inducing while probing a witness in the courtroom. I felt it added more gravity and I’d like to have seen more change here, if only to add a more diverse set of moods to the story. This is particularly relevant with the White Knights, a group of self-proclaimed protectors from a questionable corporation called Zaibatsu. Events did happen, and there was music in the jukebox relating to them that was never heard, which could have been used to accentuate the story.

Chemical Mixology

Let’s dive into the main part of the game that you have control over; mixing drinks. At certain times during conversation you will be asked to mix up a drink for a client. Sometimes these are very straightforward and you can just find these by name in your Drinktionary, or through other categories such as flavour, type & bottled drinks. At times the request might be more ambiguous or obtuse. They may ask for something sweet or maybe girly, or there may be a rare time when you require a special bottled drink for the job. Sometimes, the client will request the ‘usual’, which can cause a small state of panic on occasion as you attempt to cast your mind back. The one client that stood out to me however was a chap called Virgilio. The question mark on his head says it all and you will find your frustration with his requests piqued.

The first aspect about the mixing system is that there are only 5 ingredients here each with unusual chemical-based names, although the one you will likely remember most is Karmotrine (which measures alcohol strength). You also have different methods which involve ageing or serving on the rocks as well as mixing or blending drinks, which mean different shaking times are required. If this is played on a Nintendo Switch, there is also haptic feedback to indicate timing. If a mistake is made the drink will turn into a complete mess, which simply means chucking it out and trying again. 

However, while it is relatively fun to mix drinks, I do have a couple of issues with this system. Although the game is by-and-large pushed as a relaxing game, formed of around 80%-90% dialogue and story (very much expected being a visual novel), I can’t help but feel that there needed to be some penalisation for time and/or mixing drinks wrong in the moments you are required to be the bartender. Something like less tips if you took too long or less wages for wasting ingredients. Or perhaps even a special ‘Professional’ bonus for not even looking at the Drinktionary to make the drink. Correctly doing this would give some satisfaction to the player when they nailed the order. 

As an example from another visual novel game, the Ace Attorney franchise (where you play the part of a defence lawyer) breaks up dialogue using a cross-examination mechanic. Here you point out inconsistencies in witness testimony based on what you’ve heard and the evidence that’s been presented. Failure to do this would result in one of 5 chances to be struck off, the eventual result being game over with a verdict of guilty. This encourages you to dig deep during trial, as you want to nail it as a professional lawyer just like you would want to nail mixing the drink as a professional bartender in order to avoid penalties and master your craft.

One final small gripe is that you can’t tell how well you’ve done until the end of the night (made up of two sections with several clients in each). I would have liked a little feedback during and just after mixing, so I could identify mistakes more frequently to learn and improve. At present, the only info displayed is the company earnings, which doesn’t help understand current individual earnings for Jill.

Now For Some Me Time

Once the night is over, you now know how much money has been made and Jill heads back to the flat to chill out. Here you can do a few things such as scroll on your phone, head to the shop or later on change up your flat using Nanocamo (again on your phone but worth a separate mention).

On the phone, you can catch up on the latest articles from various sources in a familiar way. For the latest journalistic news there is the Augmented Eye. There is also the Danger/u/ thread which reads similarly to how a discussion does on Reddit. Here the users seem to take all angles and sometimes come up with bizarre things that don’t even fit the thread - pretty realistic then. These are well-executed as they help to really build out the lore and current events, adding more flavour. I also found the bias towards the surge in waifu video game popularity to be particularly entertaining. I also loved it when Jill had amusing conversations with herself also playing the role of her cat, Fore, in relation to whatever article was being read at the time.

Later on, you can purchase customisations for the flat using an app called Nanocamo. There is also a shop where you can buy items for the flat, as well as a few secret items that can be unlocked in the bar. You can see a nice little animation to the right picturing Jill in her flat as the customisations get added. A word of warning here however, money is tight in this game and there is significant financial overhead. Occasionally, on returning to the flat Jill will require the purchase of an item, otherwise she will be distracted the following day. More on that later on.

People & Stories

Throughout the entire game, a large variety of clientele will grace the bar. They arrive with differing perspectives and problems, which come together to form the big picture of life in this dystopia. An interesting aspect is that they are largely on the human to machine scale, with some having a higher percentage of robotic prosthesis than others. Lilim on the other hand have been created to be fully mechanical, but have gradually evolved in their computations to start to beg the question of whether they can be regarded as human or not. Sometimes clients even transcend different species. There’s also a particular client that holds a Seinfeld easter egg, which I thoroughly enjoyed. If you’re a fan, you’ll know it when you see it!

As mentioned before, the dialogue does not hold back. There are a number of highly mature and sometimes taboo subjects such as prostitution, underage fetish and physical objectification. An example of this is how Jill objectified one of her female friends called Alma, a cybersecurity consultant who she incidentally also fancied. Jill often cracked jokes about the size of her breasts, which later on prompted other characters who couldn’t remember her name to simply refer to her as ‘titty hacker’. Sometimes moments like these can make you spit out your drink. I certainly found the cutting dialogue to be one of this game’s strengths. Also extra points for the ever-cheerful lilim (what we know as an android) called Dorothy who is always a joy to engage with, although it probably won’t be for the reasons you expect!

Of course, as this is also a game about mixology, how you mix drinks can occasionally change outcomes in the dialogue. Adding more karmotrine to a drink may cause a client to spill the beans. Or serving the perfect drink can cause them to open up to you more. This can even unlock more endings down the line (yes this is a game with multiple endings). If during the night time chillout you failed to buy the current item to stop Jill being distracted, you will need to pay even closer attention to what the client says, as you will not be able to refer back when the Drinktionary is on-screen. You usually get a final hint on-screen but this will be unavailable if distracted.

The ideas in this game are pretty good then, with a lot to enjoy. However, I do feel that there is not enough gravity or sway in the dialogue depending on how you mix the drinks. Although you can get a few extra lines of conversation from mixing more Karmotrine into a drink, this happens only very occasionally and has little (if any) lasting impact on how the story plays out. So although dialogue does branch a bit, it’s only temporary most of the time. I feel more could have been extracted from the idea of intoxication, where different drink types or flavours hold different behavioural qualities. This way, you would try to engage with the character more to influence their mood, adding more depth and understanding.

This brings me to my final gripe about the game, which surprisingly is that for the most part, I didn’t feel as invested in the characters as much as I wanted to be. And there is a wide range of characters. For this, I’ll need to compare it to an old title, Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (a hand-drawn visual novel with film-noir style investigative mechanics and dialogue originally created for Nintendo DS). It’s a tale about an ex-cop, now a door-to-door seller, who spends a night at a hotel. Over the course of the night, he gets to know the guests through subtle questioning (old habits I guess).

A variety of people are encountered similarly to VA-11 Hall-A, from a brattish child to a headstrong owner to a mysterious silent female figure. Once enough info was gathered, the squeeze was really put on them later to get their full story. The atmosphere intensified and with successful probing they would eventually buckle under the pressure. There was also increased weighting on your decisions here, as choosing the wrong option would result in a game over. Whether it was the art, writing, the increased intensity during a squeeze or the way the dialogue gradually pieced together their story through questioning, you really found yourself understanding and empathising with the characters. You sometimes wished that you didn’t have to push them so hard, but needed to do so to find out the truth about the hotel, which as it turns out is more connected than it seems. You really get to know and feel for the characters and I would have liked to have felt a similar affinity to the characters here. Sometimes it’s more like you just have to take their word for whatever they say, instead of really feeling it.

Summary

This is a game with some great ideas; being the go-to bartender and mixing drinks is satisfying as well as the people and stories. Glitch City is built up well through interactions with both conversations with clients and news feeds. There are genuine moments of shock and laughter with some of the cutting dialogue that are highly enjoyable, and the clients are memorable & well-drawn. The variety of music available is broad and some of the more introspective moments in the dialogue are great to be part of. However, I do feel said ideas could have been squeezed a bit more. Penalising the player for incorrectly mixing drinks would give opportunities for them to learn and master their craft, and lead them to better understand and grow a bond with clients. This with more nuanced intoxication control could have influenced dialogue in more fluid and meaningful ways. Lastly more interruption events and curve-balls in both dialogue & music would test the player, introduce some peril, and give opportunities to really seal that bond with clients.

All this being said, the best thing to do is give this one a go. It’s an experience worth taking if not for the moments that can catch you off guard and allow you to play that role of bartender for a while!

Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP - A Hidden Gem

There is always so much choice when it comes to finding new gaming experiences. On top of the ever-steaming hype train, there is a huge number of smaller game studios fighting to make a name for themselves amongst the established behemoths. This may also in turn lead to an enormous pile of shame (otherwise known as a large library of unplayed games a player may own, possibly due to promotional discounts). As such, certain games become obscured and regrettably never get played. This is of course a great shame, so I will now take steps to try to rectify this problem. Let’s get into our first hidden gem known as Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, first released in 2011 for iOS.

Any fan of adventure games such as the Zelda series may appreciate the difference in the way this game approaches the genre, providing they have an open mind. In a way, it also has something for point-and-click adventurers. It applies a very strong audiovisual element and a somewhat laid-back style of dialogue towards a more serious ‘woeful’ errand the main protagonist is to carry out. It is quite an interesting and unique departure from what we understand in video games. This will be a shorter post than the prior reviews, as this is to give a flavour of what to expect rather than an analysis. As we are now in session; let’s go on a small adventure.

To Adventure! (In a Super Chill Way)

The game introduces itself in a rather unusual way. Before you stands a rather pixelated gentleman, indicating that you will now take a session of therapy. Just before this, this part is introduced as an EP (around 4-7 tracks or shorter than an album), alongside vinyl visuals. The stage is set for an otherworldly experience. Our main protagonist comes forth, who forms part of a war-torn people known as Scythians (maybe in reference to Hylians?). The first thing you will notice is that you can feel every footstep and every rustle, even every movement of the equipment on your back. The attention to the audiovisuals is very precise. If you play games without headphones, seriously stop it and treat yourself this once. 

One of the first characters you will meet is a fellow (funnily enough) called Logfella. As your character notes, he seems cool. He acts as your guide for a couple of areas while you get to grips with how to navigate your adventure. This is one of few games I will likely talk about where there is a PC version as well as mobile. The movement control of this game focuses on tapping an area of your screen or holding down a spot to move your character, or in the case of PC to click or drag an area. 

The combat mechanics are also introduced. To initiate this at any time simply right-click on PC, or turn your smartphone portrait. You simply carry a sword and shield, timing these to defeat opponents. Nothing fancy. This is also used in conjunction with some interesting and slightly puzzling mechanics. Towards the end of the first ‘session’ you will have learned most of the important mechanics and what to look out for, which is often convoluted but in such a way that it’s just a joyful moment discovering them.

Audible Art

I’m going to mention this again and be super annoying, but seriously wear headphones during this experience. The meaning will become clear in how the visuals and audio blend together.

Onto the graphics for a moment. These are (at least to me) quite reminiscent of the Commodore 64, albeit with some non-pixel-constrained art blended in. It is actually quite astonishing to look at and really creates areas that are begging to be walked through. You can really feel the bushes and trees swaying and the animals running away as you get close. 

At times, you will use the Song of Sworcery to change your perception of the areas, which can be found not only by looking but also listening. At first you will be required to use this to summon sprites, but it’s not that easy. Each time you attempt to summon, the ways to make them appear are different each time, usually signalled by audio and visual cues from the area. Once you do find them however, there is a satisfying sound as your taps (or clicks) ascend them into the heavens.

Then there is also the music. It’s best described as having a very indie/cosmic feel, something you may hear in a musical akin to something like War of the Worlds. This fits the events of the game, perfectly capturing the otherworldly vibe and stage of the story. One particular track stands above the rest for me, for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on; Prettiest Weed. If you have YouTube or Spotify handy, feel free to give this one a listen, although I would recommend playing the game until you run into it near the end of the first EP. You will know when it hits and it will be glorious.

The Woeful Errand

The main story is tied in somewhat with the combat mechanics. This, at least for me, is the way that I felt the game had the most impact. It is somewhat traditional in gaming to keep fighting to make your character stronger, purchasing upgrades to make them more badass, consequently making the game easier. This game takes a different, more haunting approach. It will instead take away a heart from your total vitality as the game progresses, weakening your character and making combat more difficult over time. This more than anything signifies the burden the protagonist has to bear as they continue their quest. 

Along the way, you will meet characters (some you will fight) and even have an opportunity or two to change how the story turns out. The way the game plays feels like you are going with the flow, and as such different faces come and go along the way. Also, if you ever get lost during the woeful errand you can simply take out your Megatome and look through each character’s current thoughts. This may give clues on what to do next. Extra points for how casual the dialogue is from the protagonist; it definitely made me chuckle at times. 

At this point I will leave the rest to you, as I feel it would be best to play through this experience being entirely present. Think of this as a warm-up to the main event; it’s best not to spoil things too early!

Summary

SB:S&S EP is a game experience best played with your full attention. The marriage of audio and visuals through a decent pair of headphones will give you a memorable adventure. It will also haunt you in some ways with the flow of the story. Initially this was designed with a touch-screen in mind, but can also be played just fine on PC and consoles. It is an inexpensive, short adventure somewhere in the 3-4 hour mark, so allow a small amount of your time to completely lose yourself!

P.s: As a bonus, here’s what the real life vinyl looks like. It even glows in the dark!

Stray - In Review

Very occasionally, there comes an experience that manages to stand out from the rest. A fresh take on a beloved genre, if in this case there’s anything to immediately compare to. The magical thing about games is how they can draw you into wonderful environments that have been lovingly handcrafted to tell a story, or just allow you to wander about and explore. Sometimes, however, they can also help you to transcend even species, allowing you to walk in their shoes and change your perspective. We now come to a personally highly anticipated game of mine; Stray.

My interest stemmed from a GIF I came across on Twitter codenamed ‘HK’, all the way back in 2016. This showed something quite unbelievable to me at the time; some of the most incredible graphics of a cat walking a dark backstreet and climbing pipes, in a cyberpunk dystopia inhabited by a robot or two. Unreal Engine 4 graphics were a new thing to me at the time and I believed initially that it was a movie; the shadows, animation, lighting and reflections all looked realistic. That is until I saw the word ‘game’ inside the tweet. Now it is finally fully-realised and receiving serious acclaim across the board. If I have piqued your curiosity (and hopefully not killed you), it’s now time to delve into an adventure of epic (yet small) proportions.

Peering Out From the Balcony

Our nameless ginger protagonist starts their adventure doing what cats do best: looking outside while in a cat-loaf stance. Unlike many other games it will take a moment for you to adjust to what’s going on, as there is no HUD initially and there are only cats (the expected trope being that these are usually non-player characters). You approach the others and interact, performing cat-like actions like rubbing up against each other and meowing (yes, there is also a separate button for that). It’s hard to emphasise how good the feline animations look here. Let’s just say cat lovers will be left with no other option other than to let out a brief “awwww”. 

With all the pleasantries out of the way, our gang ventures out into the beautifully overgrown concrete landscape, leaping over ledges, pipes and railings. For me this evokes gorgeous post-apocalyptic vibes akin to a game like, say, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. As our team ventures on, you learn the various types of ledge to look for using the one-button system. Being somewhat a platforming connoisseur myself, I found myself wanting to perform the actions individually from each ledge grab to which direction to point. After some quick-thinking scenarios later on, in hindsight this was probably the best system to maintain the pace of the game. The gang flows from one platform to the next, without a care in the world. Suddenly, our protagonist makes an unfortunate misstep. Desperately trying to cling on to the ledge with their claws, our other felines can only watch as our furry friend gradually loses grip and plunges into the darkness below. The resulting ‘meow’ is both haunting and horrifying, making you feel almost helpless.

Fall From Grace

After crashing down into a garbage dump at the bottom of the darkness, our furry friend gradually wakes up. Now alone, injured and limping (it’ll be okay cat-lovers, it’ll be okay…) our protagonist finds themself inside some kind of concrete sewage structure with metal doors. You see some cute little pinkish creatures rustle out from a garbage bag and scurry through a gap under a metal door. You follow, leading into the darkly lit abandoned environment you’ll be in for a while. Here you fine-tune your ledge-spotting abilities, learning that if you meow the game will help to hint at the next bit. You may notice, once again, how well animated your feline friend is. Every time they line up for a ledge, they are either reaching down to prepare for a downwards jump or winding up to prepare for a leap upwards.

The other aspect you may start to notice is just how much the game plays on your knowledge of how felines move as well as their little habits. No doubt here you may find the urge to perform one of their greatest hits. You may notice some paint cans are a little close to the edge. Wouldn’t it be fun to just…..push it off? So you do just that, nudging them to your heart’s content. Then you notice a glass ceiling that you can’t quite get through to. You know you need to….after all the signs you’ve been following all this time are inside there. Then you notice another paint can that’s precariously balanced just above it. At this point you know what to do; you send this paint can packing and hear the glorious crash of the glass below. A well-executed part of this game is that it encourages you to think like a cat to solve puzzles, or maybe as you’ve seen around the internet, with quite entertaining results.

After a while jumping from ledge to ledge in this beautifully crafted dystopian landscape, you run into those cute little critters from a while back. Then they start staring at you. Then there are a huge number of them staring at you. The vibe changes and you let out a small hiss while backing away. Suddenly, the pace changes and before you know it you are all-out sprinting in an effort to get away from these critters, who have a surprising amount of speed and leaping power to attempt to latch onto you. This frenzied chase lasts a while until you are finally able to make your escape. The audio here really got my heart racing; it never fails to carry tense as well as exploratory moments. 

The Paranoid Slums

After reaching safety (for now) you end up strolling down a dark, peaceful alleyway with doors either side in a downtown neighbourhood. You then come face to face with the locals; robots with quite human behaviours. It appears that they may have become accustomed to running away from small things (the pinkish critters perhaps?), and they don’t hesitate to lock themselves away on your arrival. During your travels, in an abandoned flat, you will have located a small adorable floating drone called B-12. This drone serves as your companion to help communicate between these bi-pedal droids and our furry friend, as well as having their own story arc. Once you have made peace with the locals, you learn more about the mysterious pink critters. It transpires they are a special form of bacteria that went rogue, evolved and developed the ability to even eat through metal itself, known only as the Zurks. You also learn of a particular bi-pedal entity called Momo. We’ll speak more about them later.

For now, there is a gloriously modelled area to explore known as the Slums. Any cyberpunk fans will absolutely love the dark alleyways, neon signs and Kowloon-inspired rooftops. You leap from place to place, largely solving small puzzles (sometimes with hilarious results) and scavenging certain items. You will also find yourself having conversations with the locals quite a bit. At any time after they first speak, you have the option to show them an item. If successful, this will progress you further. It’s largely a great system encouraging you to remember points of interest, although my only small gripe is that at one time it feels as if you’re simply on a hunt for items and not much else. This game also has mainly stealth elements with no combat in sight for the most part. That being said, the game I had been playing most recently has been Dead Cells; a very fast, very mobile combat-based procedural 2-D adventure with lots of loot and abilities. I probably just had that itch having not played something narrative for a while. 

This brings me to an important point about this game. If you are somebody who loves a combination of collectibles, combat, abilities etc. you may find yourself somewhat disappointed here. This adventure is more of a narrative piece and although there aren’t that many items, everything has its place. At most you have 8 pieces of sheet music for a fellow with a guitar and a bunch of memories to recover for B-12. None of this is strictly necessary as the only rewards are badges that get attached to the jacket our ginger friend bears, which don’t serve a purpose later as far as I can tell. Speaking of that jacket though, one of the most entertaining cat behaviours (the moment which made me laugh out loud) was when B-12 makes the jacket appear on our furry friend. Any cat-lover can relate to this, but when the jacket appears, our stray hero doesn’t appear to like it and their body bows down at the rear as if trying to dislodge it. Also there are many other fun little cat behaviours to be found, such as scratching sofas and rugs. The charming moments that catch you off guard are numerous in this game, but I’ll save some for you to discover for yourself!

The Outsiders’ Mission

Let’s go back to the main mission of the game. Our friend Momo is part of a collective who call themselves the Outsiders. When you first meet Momo however, he seems quite troubled and almost at the end of his tether, as the others have not been seen or heard from for quite a while. Their collective mission is to get to the outside world by any means they can find. It turns out the stars in the sky are not real, astonishingly enough I didn’t notice this. They are concentric circle constellations and it turns out they are lights on a very large ceiling containing the city. You get on to find and return notebooks of the outsiders, found somewhere in the slum, to raise Momo’s spirits.

If at any point you happen to get lost in the rooftops, it’s important to remember that crucial ‘meow’ button. Lights and other apparatus will light up to hint at the place you need to go. As you adventure on, there will be memory points along the way that B-12 will be able to use to remember things. Both you and B-12 will learn more about how life was before the machines, helping to flesh out the environment we find ourselves in. I’d like to mention here that there is not only the slums either, there are other places you will visit as you progress your quest. 

You’ll come across areas such as an almost 1984-esque policed city and other areas that are actually quite terrifying. The one thing that will keep striking you is just how beautiful, detailed and varied the environments are. When you walk inside a flat or bar or shop, everything from the textures to lighting feels so varied and meticulous, making them unique to each other and always hitting the right mood in association with the character(s). The other thing that makes it different here is that the details are on a smaller scale. The environments can afford to be smaller and more effort can be injected into the smaller rooms. I frequently found myself in awe and took so many screenshots that it was unexpectedly difficult to pick the right ones for this review! 

As an example, a particular bar I walked into later in the game had a few bi-pedals sitting at the counter, some small wooden tables to the right and a pool table to the left. I spent a few minutes checking out those tables as they looked downright real, and had that mahogany wood finish you usually would see in actual bars. You can leap on those tables, the bar and even the pool table. You can walk on top to ruin the perfect ball set up and swat the cue ball around. Anyone that has met me knows I can never turn down a game of Cat Pool.

At this point it becomes quite difficult to continue as I would not wish to spoil important plot points; the game is largely narrative driven after all. However, if you would like to know some profound thoughts I had on this game after finishing, read on. 

Endgame Epiphany (SPOILERS PRESENT)

You will know when the time comes, but an opportunity to visit the controlling tier of the city will become available. By the time you have learned all that you have, you may experience a sense of shock as you enter an incredibly clean and functional environment, still operating with robots for numbers as names as per their programming. As you walk through here, you feel a strange anger consume you. Here there are no Zurks or other dangers, and as you walk you continue to learn that every other level was left to fend for themselves. Once you hit the main control room, it is time to open the lid to the city. This is where the outside finally opens, and it is a truly epic event. 

Once I had completed the game, I had to stop for a while and think about everything that happened during this adventure and had a couple of realisations. I had come to think about how a lot of games I play are generally incentivised by collectibles and other trinkets. This game took an opposite approach in a way; the items, characters and the parkour system were all there to further the narrative in a focused and uncomplicated way, which served to immerse you more deeply with less distractions. There was no fear of missing out here. And if that wasn’t enough, at the end you realise that you, a mere feline, somehow did all this. You saved an entire generation of sentient beings, solving a centuries long problem that they were otherwise unable to themselves!

Even though the game was generally speaking shorter than other adventures (took me just over 6hrs to complete to a satisfactory level), at no point did I feel distracted and everything felt very pure and justified. I was left thinking about all those poor citizens that now feel as much as humans, and how they were left  discarded and forgotten. But I was also given hope for them and left with a heartwarming (although in a way bittersweet) end.

Summary

This game is a masterpiece in its own right. It successfully puts the player into the shoes of a (particularly smart) cat that never strays far from its core formula. Every behaviour moves you in some way, manifesting itself as everything from joy to sadness, producing many moments of relatability to anyone who has ever owned a cat. The environments are vibrant, detailed, unique and very much alive, working well with the brilliant cyberpunk-esque vibe created by the sound. The characters are genuine and you find yourself caring a lot for them throughout. For anyone that may want combat or incentivised collectibles, this won’t be for you. For everyone else however, take a moment out of your time to treat yourself to this unique and satisfying adventure of a certain stray feline that defied all odds to become the unexpected furry protagonist we never knew we needed. I sincerely hope this adventure is experienced by you too!

Blasphemous - In Review

Imagine for a moment the most divine picture you can. No doubt you’d be envisioning objects such as a holy grail, or a celestial group of beings whose mere appearance opens the heavens, or maybe a spontaneous miracle or intervention in a time of great need. Now imagine this as what we would consider the opposite of beautiful, a parallel universe where suffering in physically tortuous ways is considered penance for one’s own guilt. A world where the general ideas of what is considered a miracle are in fact something much more extreme, in order to help attone those who wish it upon themselves. You may now be able to visualise some of the unique ideas behind Blasphemous.

This is a rather satisfying largely combat-based adventure, that makes you feel every strike and parry. With the enemies far from being crawlers as in other games of the same genre, it throws you straight into the deep end against a backdrop of some of the most glorious sprite work to grace your screen, with imagery that is certainly not for the faint of heart. It’s time for us to take our pilgrimage through the beautiful yet grotesque world of Cvstodia.

Arise From the Pit

It all starts with a ritual that manifests all sides of the soul, in a somewhat nebulous start to the game. The main protagonist (perhaps?) rises from a pile of corpses, eerily similar to themself. You’ll find your character referred to across the land as the Penitent One. You make your way forward through the first area; Brotherhood of the Silent Sorrow. The immediate aspect you will notice is the astonishing artwork. You have a vast hand-painted, yet pixelated backdrop that creates quite the foreboding landscape.

Heading into the next area, the corpses continue and you are met by your first opponent which just so happens to be a mini boss. You have only just awoken and played for a few minutes learning how to jump and slide, and are already face-to-face with the Warden of the Silent Sorrow. This is a baptism of fire and although you may perish a few times, this will awaken your senses. Healing using biliary flasks, and reviving using your nearest prie dieu (I still had to Google the spelling of that), you finally defeat your quarry. The Penitent One fills his helmet with the blood of his fallen foe and sits it over his head. Heading further still you come across a character who will narrate at various points by the name of Deogracias. You learn that your character’s penance is that of silence, which explains the blood-filled helmet (and also means your character will not speak for the duration of the game rather tidily). You are tasked with undergoing three humiliations to progress through a sacred door. By the way, if you are having trouble following any of the terms used in the game, bear in mind this will continue to be a common theme. While highly immersive, you may be prone to forgetting things on occasion.

Road to Albero

We head onwards and immediately notice that this stretch feels a lot like the Castlevania franchise. Here, the smaller enemies start to present themselves. Combat is generally great, with a fair few options to take down your foes. There are a few types of enemy present to practise attacking from the right angle, using low attacks and practising the highly satisfying parry counterattack, which requires good timing. You can slash in nearly every direction - except downwards. Coming from Hollow Knight, this may have thrown me a few times. Sliding can be used to enter small gaps or dodge away or even through some opponents, which is really well executed for the most part. My favourite move is found slightly later, where you thrust through your enemies with your blade while sliding to take them out, even from across the room. Makes you feel like a badass when pulled off. 

If you’re a bit lucky, your foes may enter into a stunned state where you will be able to then perform an execution. These are satisfyingly gory and varied, not unlike fatalities from the Mortal Kombat series or glory kills from the rebooted Doom franchise. It is worth mentioning though that these have sometimes resulted in being hit by another opponent or falling down a hole due to the animation playing out. A bit of care is needed for these. 

You have a few aspects to consider in combat. First is most obviously your health or vitality. A blue bar also measures your fervor, used for special moves mainly. There is also the number of biliary flasks. You can use one of these at any time to heal by smashing one over your head, which takes a short time to execute. If you find yourself lacking in fervor, you can always hold the secondary move button to slice yourself. This sacrifices a little vitality; a hail Mary for when you need that little bit extra to pull off that move. Should you perish at any point, a guilt fragment is left behind which keeps a bit of vitality and also reduces the fervour bar a bit until collected again.

When you reach the end of the first stretch you enter the central hub, a small sanctuary called Albero. You will notice more and more as you return from your adventures that this appears to be the only place focussed on healing rather than penance. It is here you find a few rooms, starting with an altar. Here you are able to purchase combat upgrades using any tears of atonement (the in-game currency) received from slicing enemies. You learn of your weapon’s name, the guilty blade known as Mea Culpa. “The virtue of Mea Culpa hath ascended” will appear after a haunting animation of handing over the blade to the altar statue. Once again, sometimes the game may get lost in the lore and doesn’t explain some terms. It took me until I found a few altars to realise that as well as increasing the amount of upgrades available, my blade also got more powerful with each one found.

Into the Beyond

It’s now time to venture out deeper into the world of Cvstodia and progress our mission. We’ve already covered how beautifully illustrated the backdrop is, and this carries with the areas you now have access to. For example, you have a basement area, altitude-pushing snowy peaks and a rather large almost canyon-like area. There are also a number of others. 

For the unversed, my recommendation is to first travel to the basement area; Mercy Dreams. This will introduce you to various traps, combat and agility tests. If not already that is. Particularly in this game, you have the freedom to choose which path you take first, as there are many areas even before the sacred door. This is a good time to talk about the dexterity of the character; the general agility of the character is great in most cases, if slightly awkward in others.

While exploring, unlike many other adventures you can perform ledge grabs. On the surface this seems like a good idea in case of a misjudged leap, or maybe to accentuate those held breath moments. This can however cause a few problems during combat, which the game has in abundance. In the heat of battle your main instincts to get out of danger will be jumping or sliding, with the latter not always possible in the case of, say, a shielded foe. On accidental ledge grabs from a jump, you are left open as you cannot attack while hanging. 

Ladders are a welcome addition in any metroidvania and they perform their duty here; you can indeed ascend or descend comfortably. There are a number of issues here as well however; first is that you cannot slash or use any ranged moves to take out enemies that may be beside you. This means you need to jump off to slash and risk falling into potential unknowns. Like spikes for example. And unlike a game like Hollow Knight, you will die instantly if you are unfortunate enough to become impaled. This can be a regular annoyance when exploring, as each time it sets you back to your last prie dieu. And on occasion the guilt I left behind was on the spikes, meaning spending tears of atonement to resolve them as they were otherwise irretrievable. But going back to the ladders, there is another strange glitch whenever a flea-like enemy leaps into one or if you were to sword slam through one. In both cases, there is significant sticking.

Another annoyance initially is pitfalls, which also equate to instant death. You run into a lot of these in the altitude-pushing Graveyard of the Peaks. Again, there are other 2D adventures that simply place you back just before you took that jump, such as Guacamelee (another combat-based outing). In all fairness though, there is actually some clever reasoning behind this one. More on this later.

Trinkets & Curiosities

Each area on the map presents its own set of challenges, from inaccessible places to challenging boss fights. It stands to reason you will also come across some trinkets along the way to help out. And there are a lot more trinkets here than in most adventures.

Along the way you will pick up special moves, which are known as Prayers in game. You then have Relics which change the way the world is perceived, which helps in traversal. Rosary Beads are a set of abilities that can be combined in many ways to augment your character based on the amount of empty bead slots available. Quest Items are a mixed bag of curios such as keys and other items that could potentially be blessed to grant new abilities. Mea Culpa Hearts can be inserted one at a time as a sort of deal with the devil, usually making the blade stronger but at a cost. Abilities are, in a rather ambiguous manner, relating only to abilities that can be upgraded at the Mea Culpa altar. Collectibles throughout the playthrough are only bones, quite a perplexing name as it implies there are different kinds of items.

The way your inventory is laid out is imperative in any metroidvania. Ideally it would be something that is quick and easy to reference as the map tends to be quite large, and you have to remember where to go to make the most of new items or abilities. As such, you’d usually have two menus as a base; a map and your current abilities. Blasphemous handles this differently given its item mechanics, with a mixed level of execution. I’ll elaborate on this more.

All of the above menus are present in separate tabs, nice and clear to see in this way. The abilities (not just the ones under the abilities tab) are plentiful and provide some nice interactions. The rosary beads are not unlike Hollow Knight’s charms system; you will pick up more and be able to expand the string with rosary knots to combine more abilities. Relics are interesting in that they can alter the world; for instance one relic grants you the ability to fall through those pesky pitfalls and into other (sometimes secret) rooms below. However I would have liked to feel like it was the character doing this on occasion. An example is in another metroidvania; Axiom Verge. You can use a grapple to swing or fire an address beam (a bit like a pulsing ray gun) to glitch world blocks out in order to make them disappear and traverse through.

There are a lot of nice ideas here. However, when changing out rosary beads, mea culpa hearts, etc. the writing underneath each ability or item is a mixture of lore and function. To the game’s credit the lore is immersive and beautifully written, but this does mean that if you happen to forget what an ability or item does (which is often due to the sheer number of them), you have to re-read the entire passage to recall what does what. Making the lore entirely optional here for convenience would have been a better option. As well as this it’s difficult to know other important factors such as which items can be blessed or subtle hints as to which character accepts them, as this has not been written into the appropriate passages under key items.

Journey of Atonement

Let’s talk about the map for a moment, which is separate from the other menus. It marks out any prie dieu, altar, or any other point of interest automatically just like other adventures. I do feel however that the map in this game could have represented the topology of the landscape more like Hollow Knight or Axiom Verge 2 rather than squares, as each individual area can look quite similar throughout with the exception of boss fight stages. It usually fits in other more sci-fi metroidvanias rather well, but for some reason can throw you off here when trying to find that elusive trinket or character. 

This brings us onto our next issue; that non-player characters around the map do not mark themselves automatically for the most part. This is pretty critical here, as there are key items that require you to find the correct character to trade for abilities or purchase from (notably the merchant). It’s easy to get distracted initially as you are trying to comprehend what each character says and means, and the map marker function isn’t hinted at. By the time you realise you can use them it’s already too late and you will need to explore entire areas again to locate characters once more. As a side note, I will say that the characters are beautifully voiced. It honestly is a joy to the ears and I wanted to make sure to take it all in (I know there are text captions but still…).

While travelling through any world, the auditory experience is important for capturing the mood. Here the theme of music felt for me as having a Hispanic or Latin American feel. Considering the central hub is called Albero, this fits nicely. You have the pleasant guitar strums creating a sense of the area you are in. Only small catch to this is sometimes the music can feel repetitive across an area while exploring. A bit more evolution could be necessary here, although there are a few times where the boss' music and approaches to certain pinnacles in the adventure start to make your heart race. On a more visual note, I also feel that a bit more movement in the environment may be needed other than the enemies or crumbling platforms, whether it’s something like particle dust effects, tremors or small creatures flying off when you are near.

Now, we can’t talk about combat-based adventures without bosses. The bosses in this game are probably unlike most you have faced before in other games. In fact they are some of the most interesting designs I have seen personally since Okami. As an example, in one of these you are fighting a skeletal snake while there is a giant, blindfolded baby adorned with a crown of thorns who is constantly trying to grab you. Incidentally, if it does you get dismembered and predictably you are dead. Another is an exhumed emperor being held up by 5 pairs of hands. 

I’m happy to report that these boss battles are highly satisfying. The difficulty (or pinch) grows as the boss’ health lessens, more gradually than in most games. They do for the most part feel like they are trying to end you and that feeling when you finally vanquish them is not of relief but of elation. The only slight downside for me is that it may not always be clear when you can and can’t dodge through bosses, but this is slight and infrequent. If you are having trouble with a boss, there is a handy character next to the nearest prie dieu that will make your life easier should you accept their help. They will assist by recovering you if you hold out at low health for long enough. Boss battles are a great joy overall.

Summary

Blasphemous is brilliantly conceived and a great adventure through an otherwise tortured world. It is a feast of visual goodness with the outstanding and graphic art style. The combat is highly satisfying and permeated with rather gratifying fatality-style executions. And those boss fights, although there are more in other games, are memorable and highly enjoyable. Sometimes this is hampered by the game being a slave to the theme a little too much at times with the lore, which can obfuscate the objectives, the map or how your inventory is managed. The character’s agility in the environment can also conflict with combat, mainly with the ladders and ledges. Overall however, I can highly recommend this game and believe this is very much a journey worth taking on account of its unique view on the genre.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - In Review

Every now and again, you get that itch for adventure. Then you remember your holiday is a bit far away. So instead you spin up a game and dive headfirst into an otherworldly realm, letting your imagination wander as you explore the possibilities. There've been many great attempts to capture this feeling, one of my favourites being Okami, where you explore a gorgeous Japanese brush-painted landscape you can not only explore, but can interact with by painting over it. Maybe you prefer to parkour over a zombie-infested city, ducking and diving in order to craft weapons and complete objectives in Dying Light. Perhaps you want to simply race across a desolate, post-apocalyptic world and beat up maniacs to upgrade your car in Mad Max. The one that seems to stand head and shoulders above the rest though, at least in my mind, is Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Where other open-world games have provided a worthy escape into unknown lands, this game elevates this to a whole new level. It adds interactivity with the environment in so many interesting ways that now, 5 years on, there are still players finding brand new ways to achieve their goals. Come and join me on a journey to discover why this is more than simply a worthy escape, and is a world to be deservingly savoured. 

The Great Plateau Beckons

Our hero by the name of Link awakens in a mysterious cave, known later as the Shrine of Resurrection. You walk over to a large glowing stalactite-looking object and (after a rather beautiful animation) pick up your first vital item; a Skeikah Slate. This object is cleverly designed as it resembles a modern tablet, and feels powerful yet ancient. You find and put on your ragged clothes and head out. Immediately upon exiting the cave, you are then greeted by the astonishing vista of the world of Hyrule, and the game then introduces itself in the now iconic moment. 

As you head down a hill to the right, you stumble into a mysterious hooded figure by a campfire who guides you to your first destination. As you approach, a place to insert your slate is revealed. Once inserted, a giant Sheikah Tower thrusts itself from beneath you, and all around the map others heave upwards into existence. The vastness of the landscape becomes clear when you are shown the map of The Great Plateau. This area serves as a sandbox to get your bearings with some of the systems in the game. It is now evident that activating towers is how you will also map new areas.

Into the Heat of Battle

Once you unearth the tower, you will be tasked to reach a few locations in the Great Plateau, in order to upgrade your Sheikah Slate. While on your journey however, you run into some trouble along the way. Suddenly a Bokoblin (a goblin-like creature) notices you, which triggers a frantic search for a weapon. You then realise you don’t have one. But then you remember that tree branch you picked up a little while ago and start swatting. Then the tree branch breaks.

Unlike many other open-world games, you not only have an economy based in rupees (the in-game currency) but also another for weapons in a manner of speaking. Most weapons you pick up have limited durability. You will need to strategize and decide which fights to take on, but also which weapons to use and in what order. It provides a good motive for picking the right tool for the right job.

After wandering about for a while, you find your first rusty weapon. Not the most durable, but it will do the job for now. “Huzzah!”, you cry, “Finally a weapon!”. You then give that pesky Bokoblin a good old-fashioned battering. Then they drop their spear. “A spear?” you think to yourself, searching for another opponent to test on. Once found, you then proceed to machine-prod them into oblivion, they can’t even get near you. Each weapon type carries its own qualities. You may have the traditional sword and shield, or a two-handed claymore that’s powerful but negates the ability to parry, as you can’t carry a shield. Some even have functions other than as mere weaponry such as axes. Finding new weapons is always a joy.

There are also other methods to make the most of your gear. If a dodge is successfully executed with good timing, this will allow you to retaliate with a flurry rush; a series of hyper-fast hits against the opponent. If your melee weapon is about to break, you may as well throw it at them…..which you can. The weapon will inevitably shatter on hit, but will deal double damage in a pinch if needed. Of course the game also has bows as an option to attack from a distance, with excellent Joy-Con motion controls for fine-tuning your aim. 

A final consideration in combat basics is the handy colour-coding of enemies. The first Bokoblin you will meet is likely to be red, the lowest level. Later on, other colours will represent increasing levels. Not only do enemies become tougher with level, but they develop new and sometimes unexpected attacks and movements. They will also become more resilient, even immune to certain attacks and statuses. More than anything then, the enemies feel increasingly battle-hardened.

The Fruits of Labour

With every battle comes a need to recuperate and build resilience. There are two main forms of energy Link will need to tackle this great landscape; health and stamina. Health is pretty self-explanatory, you start with three hearts and if they run out you die. Stamina is the more interesting aspect here, as it dictates how much of or how long a given action can be performed before becoming exhausted. Actions that can be performed are numerous, for example; sprinting, climbing and charge attacks with your weapon. 

At some point you will need to survive on more than those apples you climbed a tree to retrieve. With that comes Breath of the Wild’s excellent recipe system. Every good recovery item is either some sort of meal or elixir. With the ingredients or monster parts you accumulate, you can create whatever your heart desires, whether it’s an omelette or a fancy cake. The more gourmet the ingredients, the higher the potency. Just find your nearest campfire complete with a cooking pot and start chucking stuff together, it’s always fun discovering new recipes!

Meals are great at recovering health, but if combined with special ingredients they can also have status effects. The first you are likely to locate is the spicy pepper. In the Great Plateau, there is a cold mountainous region and you will need this to cook a warming meal, otherwise you will freeze. Elixirs will also have effects, except using monster parts and critters (bugs, frogs, etc.), with no real health regeneration usually. Experiment with this for yourself, and you will see how versatile the effect buffs can be. Be careful not to mix the wrong ingredients together however, otherwise the result will be something rather vile.

Alongside the recipe system, it is also necessary to hunt for pieces of armour to bolster your defences and increase your overall resilience. The number next to these will determine the level of defence (and incidentally the number next to weapons also dictates their level of strength). Over time, this can also be upgraded with all the items you may be hoarding at a wonderful place; a Great Fairy Fountain. The more of these you find, the stronger your armour can become, and eventually can have additional effects.

The Art of Discovery

We now move onto possibly the best part about this game. It’s time to step out of the Great Plateau and into the world of Hyrule at large, and talk about some aspects in more detail. 

There will be many, many things to discover. You will have already entered and completed a few puzzle areas called shrines (not unlike tombs in the newer Tomb Raider series) in the Great Plateau. Out in the wide world these are everywhere. The shrines range from combat trials, to mental and physical puzzles (some with excellent motion controls once again), or even in some cases simply entering after completing a Shrine Quest. Talk to folk regularly to uncover secrets such as these. Once a shrine is detected, your Slate will bleep faster as you near one. I advise to locate these as and when detected, as they act as fast travel points on the map. They are satisfying to complete and can provide great loot, but also help extend your health and stamina bars using the spirit orbs awarded on completion at prayer statues. 

But let’s get to the other fun stuff; the Sheikah Slate Runes. These expose the rather exquisite physics system, which is so good that many of the shrines and key parts of the game depend on it, and make the ah-ha moments of discovery oh so satisfying. No strange, floaty physics here.

Round and Square Bombs can lay a bomb that is lighter that it looks, useful for enemies or broken walls. Stasis allows you to stop objects for a while. A clever part of this is hitting the object repeatedly with, say, a hammer will cause it to shoot into the opposite direction upon the timer running out. Cryonis allows you to summon large, climbable ice cubes in water, handy for say crossing a river if there isn’t enough stamina in the tank for swimming. 

One of my most commonly used though is Magnesis. This excellent ability can be used to control metallic objects ranging from crates, to weapons, even treasure chests at the bottom of a body of water. Admittedly, one of my guilty pleasures is using a metal crate to push an unsuspecting Bokoblin off a ledge. There are always new and interesting ways to discover when using Runes.

My advice is to follow your curiosity, as the game seems designed with this in mind - an aspect where many open world games have previously failed. One big reason to do this is Koroks. These are cute little masked wood-sprite creatures that you will find hiding around the map and they are EVERYWHERE. If you see a circle of rocks on the ground, but one missing, find and place a rock there and blam……Korok. See a circle of lilies in a pond? Dive into it and blam……Korok. See a boulder-shaped hole in the ground? Smack one into it using Stasis and……you get the idea. Finding these will award you Korok Seeds, which allows you to expand your inventory via our cheerful maraca-wielding Korok friend Hestu. Feel free to take a small diversion once in a while.

Exposed to the Elements

Exploring the wonderful landscape of Hyrule is a feeling that is difficult to encapsulate in full. You have the birdsong and crickets, the breeze that sways the grass and the occasional broken arpeggio on the piano accentuating the wild in subtle ways. Even strolling through the long grass as it parts around you, you can almost taste and smell the vast ecosystem as if you were actually there. It’s important to keep in mind just how you can affect this environment, and how much it can affect you when you least expect it.

In the land of Hyrule, you will often find yourself contesting its weather systems. Some environments will be extremely hot, cold or simply harsh due to adverse weather conditions. Alongside the physics model, working hand-in-hand with this is the elemental side of the game. This can lead to some rather interesting interactions discussed later.

The weather can present many challenges. One of the most common is when you are climbing, which you do A LOT while exploring Hyrule as nearly all terrain can be traversed (provided you have the stamina for it). Once it starts raining however, surfaces become slippery and Link can barely make his way up anything. Another example is in the volcanic environment. Here, any wooden weapons equipped set on fire and can burn to ash if unchecked. A humerous example of the weather system was with my bow. I had this equipped and spotted a bunch of enemies over yonder. I drew my bow with great enthusiasm, and promptly exploded. Confused, I once again rose up and drew my bow, then exploded again. After cursing expletives and shaking my fist at the enemies for a while, I came to the realisation that it probably wasn’t wise to equip bomb arrows in a volcanic environment.

Used correctly however, these conditions can be turned in your favour. While it is raining, any lightning-based weaponry gets a large boost and creates a field, disarming enemies of their weapons in a larger radius and causing more damage. Also in the volcanic environment, any regular arrow you draw will ignite and become a fire arrow, saving a fair few rupees.

Let’s set up an example of how these systems can be harnessed in battle using our nemesis, the Octorok. These balloon-like enemies can be quite irritating, firing rocks with pinpoint accuracy at your face. Once defeated they provide you with Octorok Balloons, which when tied to an object will cause it to float upwards. Tying one of these to an explosive barrel can float it to a base that is higher up. When it then reaches the right spot, a loosed fire arrow can ignites the barrel, sending nearby enemies to kingdom come!

One final mention is the time of day. During normal daytime hours it’s business as usual, however during night-time there are more enemies that spawn in, as in other games such as Minecraft. On occasion however, an event occurs that respawns all previously defeated enemies; a Blood Moon. We haven’t spoken ill of this game as of yet, however I feel this is a weaker aspect. In relation to the frequency of the announcements, I’ve not felt it really impacted me in a meaningful way as all it appears to do is respawn enemies. I’ve seen this better executed in games such as Terraria, where the enemies kept on spawning in an attempt to overrun, battering doors down and closing in on the player, while they wished it would all end as soon as possible. That was a rush.

A Noble Cause 

With all this said and done, let’s get onto the main quest line. Upon exiting the Great Plateau, you are immediately presented with the end game objective; to defeat the evil known as Calamity Ganon, that has taken over Hyrule Castle and is draining Princess Zelda as she attempts to delay it from spreading throughout Hyrule. It is highly unusual for a game to reveal the end objective with a map marker so early. It tempts you, reminding you that this can be approached in your own time, however it would probably be suicidal for a first-time player to do this straight away. Instead, there is another objective to reach Kakariko Village.

After sprinting around for a while, you may be wondering how on earth to speed up the pace on your journey given the size of the map. By this point you should have hopefully reached a stable. These are scattered about the land, and can be used to register and summon your very own horse. This companion will serve as your trusty steed, however when you first manage to tame one, it doesn’t do this straight away. It may go in a different direction than intended or get restless. With enough soothing however, over time the bond will grow stronger and the horse will obey more frequently. You can then relax to the beautiful staccato of the piano alongside the galloping horse.

Upon reaching the village you will learn of four mighty Divine Beasts that have unfortunately come under control of evil and are now causing havoc. They appear on the map in different corners and require separate challenges in order to reach each one. This involves reaching each of four nations; the merfolk-like Zora, the birds of Rito, the all-female Gerudo tribe and the rather hefty Goron. All of these tribes have their own distinctive differences and are all very charming to explore. 

Along the way, you will also stumble upon memories of Link’s past from a bunch of photos on the Sheikah Slate, which neatly tie together the characters and story. The story aspect is a little more infrequent in this compared to other open word titles, however I feel this works in its favour and gives space, allowing you to fill in your adventure.

Moving on to the divine beasts, these involve both puzzle solving and precise combat to tame. Each of these revolve around their own overarching mechanic and are satisfying to complete. The first divine beast you are likely to head towards (as I did) would be that in the Zora domain, as this is nearer to Kakariko Village than the rest. Once reached, I spent a couple of hours taming the divine beast there, and after finally completing this I felt satisfied and looked forward to the rest. 

However the game fell a bit flat here with difficulty balancing for me. I found the other beasts to be much easier in varying levels. You may be thinking here that this is simply because I improved at the divine beasts, but I beg to differ. Referring back to Hollow Knight, the difficulty curve was such that every boss was tricky but each gave different challenges that still felt fresh and testing, as well as individually rewarding. The mechanic ideas for each Divine Beast were all great designs, but the difference in difficulty means that you could be thinking there is supposed to be an order, which can be counter-intuitive to the non-linear adventure.

We then get onto Calamity Ganon. I will not spoil anything here, but will say that this is an epic-feeling battle as you’d expect. What I did not expect, however, was to beat it in one shot. Somehow, this was easier than any other boss faced, which I thought was strange at the time. The finale confrontation of any game should be a well-fought and satisfying end. Again referring to Hollow Knight, the final boss was tough. Took quite a few tries, but when it was finally beaten I exhaled a sigh of relief and satisfaction at the mountain I had just climbed. And that was with all my gear upgraded to max.

Summary

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is truly a magnificent masterpiece. It is an incredible world full of curious interactions that will be different every time you play it. If you have tried previous open-world games just to check that nook over there only to find nothing, this is the game you’ve always wanted. Every discovery is a reward, every battle is a story. The only aspects that bring this down slightly are the questionable difficulty balancing in climactic parts of the main quest and the underwhelming blood moon. These are quite minor points however. For everything else, you will more than enjoy your time exploring and sometimes contesting the utterly beautiful Hyrule and savour every breath in this simply stunning adventure. 

Hollow Knight - In Review

I started playing games at just four years old, and I still remember the lightning-fast sensory overload at the time that was Sonic the Hedgehog (my first game) on Sega Mega Drive. Since then I’ve played quite possibly thousands of games on multiple platforms varying from home consoles, through to handhelds and into PC for the ultimate experience. As you can imagine then, there are a lot of games to compare, each with bright and bold ideas with varying levels of successful execution. However, each also had their fair share of problems, even in some of my favourite classics. Then I played through Hollow Knight.

Never before have I experienced a game I’ve felt compelled to write about previously in order to break down the reasons why I believe this to be a strong contender for the greatest game of all time, at least in terms of single-player experiences. The design, art, sound and story are so tightly executed that it is extremely difficult to find flaws. Let’s break this one down bit-by-bit, although I would argue this one would require a lengthy case study to outline all the reasons it is worth your time. It really is that good.

Enter Hallownest

The game begins by landing your character, a humble hero simply referred to as The Knight, into the sombre world of Hallownest, a world populated with bug-like creatures. Here you will eventually arrive at a small village called Dirtmouth. All houses are empty with no-one to be found, except for one lone inhabitant: the Elder. After chatting with him, you drop down into a nearby well and into the vast world below, starting in the Forgotten Crossroads. Here you see the usual starting methods a metroidvania will give you to practice to run, jump and strike enemies with your sword-like weapon referred to as a nail. The enemies will look like standard boilerplate enemies harking back to Metroid, such as wall crawlers, walkers that run towards you if you get too close and basic fliers. This will give you a feel for the highly mobile and controllable eponymous hero. 

There are a few things here that are different however. Firstly, contrary to most metroidvanias (particularly those that are closer to Castlevania), you can swing your weapon in any direction - even downwards - to take out enemies. Second, life energy will not be gained from taking out enemies, instead the game utilises a system called soul. You will receive soul in the form of a metre and can use this to either recover health by focussing energy, or simply use this to send a forward blast towards enemies. This gives you a little bit of choice early on, although there will be much more to come later.

The map will also have areas that are currently unreachable from the Crossroads in true metroidvania style. You will have to explore every corner to discover the way forward. It’s recommended to take on enemies as you go, not just for practice but also because on top of soul you will also receive the in-game currency known as geo. Be sure to also find grubs about the place, you will be rewarded handsomely with geo and other goodies when you return to their neighbourhood (you can find that on your own!). The extra cash will come in very handy for times when you run into characters and machines that may require it for items and other conveniences.

The World is Alive

Speaking of in-game characters, the world of Hallownest is full of memorable characters that have their own traits and help add to the story and atmosphere. One of the first you’ll meet in the Crossroads will be the ever-cheerful Cartographer, habitually humming while scribbling away at his parchments. As soon as you hear this sound, you will feel strangely comforted in this sometimes hostile environment and try to locate the source, following the trail of parchment directly to him. Once found, he will offer a portion of your current area map for a small amount of geo (really handy to keep some of this around). This is a great starting point for an area of the map and encourages exploration around the edges.

Another vital character is the Last Stag. Following signs to various areas is how you’ll find useful points of interest such as benches (save points and for health recuperation), hot springs (regenerates soul) and stations which are accessible by this somewhat tragic character, who still shoulders his duty to assist travellers where possible. This is one of the primary ways to get around in the world and make this vast landscape that little bit more manageable.

It is also worth mentioning that returning to the Dirtmouth every now and again after meeting characters can bring new opportunities. A final, useful character can be found after meeting the Cartographer in his own shop; the Cartographer’s Wife. A somewhat bored character (possibly due to the sparse activity in dirtmouth), she will regardless assist in making the map easier to mark points of interest (for a price) as well as offer purchase options for lost parts of the map in case the cartographer was missed. She will also open up one of the most unique and versatile mechanics ever experienced in the genre at the time of release.

Charmed I’m Sure

The main mechanic that sets this game apart is the inclusion of charms. These are abilities that can be equipped according to the current limitations which are dictated by the number of charm notches available. Every charm has a different number of charm notches in its cost, which helps balance the game as more powerful and versatile abilities will cost more. These have the power to not only grant abilities (such as Steady Body, which allows the player to hit without their character recoiling back, handy if on a ledge) but also make abilities more powerful (Soul Catcher will give you more soul when slicing enemies with the nail). 

These even stretch to things that have come to be automatically expected from the metroidvania genre. Chances are the charm given (for a price) by the Cartographer’s Wife will be the first you receive - Wayward Compass. This charm costs only one notch (out of three initially) and will allow the player to see their current position on the map. The game quite literally gives options to strip everything back if the player does not need the abilities.

But it doesn’t stop there. Later in the game, there are hidden synergies between charms which reward the player for experimenting with mixing and matching charm setups. As an example, one of these is between Spore Shroom (releases toxic spores when focussing) and Defender’s Crest (releases a ‘heroic’ odour that damages enemies). Pair these together and instead of spores being released on focus, a more potent stench will be released that is much more damaging. I’m still quite pleased that I found that one! You will be genuinely surprised at how much you can make the Knight your own hero, your own way.

A Sight to Behold

The world of Hallownest is a real audiovisual treat that feels alive like never before. While travelling around the map you will come across incredible sights giving each area its own distinct theme and feel. Although this varies widely, the visuals paired with the evolving sound design make this world come alive in the most immersive way that commands your attention. It also helps that the astonishing parallax scrolling give the background and foreground incredible depth, sometimes showing other areas as well. There are three areas that captured my attention most, however all areas are worth your admiration. 

Let’s start with Fog Canyon. This is an area that can be quite dangerous if you decide to attack an enemy, possibly made more obvious by the fact that they are mostly floating jellyfish. But what makes this incredible is that the sound makes you feel as if you are underwater with swimming, bubbling sounds. Pair that with the twinkling soundtrack and it’s wondrous.

We go from there to the murky depths of the Royal Waterways, a sewage system underneath the City of Tears. Not only is the music more tense, but there are also atmospheric echoes of the highly unusual creatures lurking within, each very distinctive. The creatures are also quite unsightly aberrations more suited to a mutated sewage environment. 

Then there is the lush, naturally built-up area known as Greenpath. This ecosystem is just bustling with life; out of a pile of leaves a creature may emerge for example, sometimes small, sometimes large and charging right at you. One very memorable time for myself is falling through a maze of tight corridors in one vertical room where you have moss creatures appearing from leaves, others that will spew spores if too close, and plants that are nearly invisible that snap shut like venus fly traps on you if you are not careful. These events happened so close to each other that you really had to watch your step. There is also one really rousing moment where you are charging through a horizontal corridor with a new ability and the music evolves into something more uplifting and adventurous.

Word of warning, any spider phobics out there will find one particular area that will make your skin crawl. Even the cartographer hates it. I always tried to get this out of the way as soon as possible!

What is That?!

We move to quite possibly the only downside that may put players off; the higher difficulty level. For the uninitiated, the world of Hallownest will seem brutal at times. It will mercilessly throw you into mini-boss and boss battles which can seem impossible when you first encounter them. However, it’s important to remember that you will always have the right tools to take on a boss when you encounter it, it’s just a case of reading their attacks and timing yours correctly. If there is one thing that I can credit this game for, it’s the fine-tuned difficulty curve throughout the game once you get over the initial step. The challenge will always push you a bit harder than you are used to while exploring, and you will come out better for it. On top of that, beating a boss successfully is one of the most satisfying feelings you will have in any game, as you made it happen because of your skill. As with any defeat.

Before moving on, we should probably get the defeat part out of the way. In this game, you will die. A lot. I will say however, as somebody who really didn’t gel with Dark Souls, that the game has great ways of encouraging you to carry on. When you die in this game, a ghost of your past life will appear, and all of your geo will stay with this ghost marked on the map. To get this back you will need to retrieve it from the ghost. But this ghost won’t give it up without a fight, and will get tougher with nail upgrades. Once you do defeat it, all your geo is retrieved and you can get back to battling that boss. If you do happen to die when this ghost is on the map however, it will be lost forever along with your geo.

It is worth mentioning at this point that every boss is fair and just. The Knight is incredibly mobile and there are ALWAYS opportunities to evade their attacks. It can at times be easy to forget this however, as every boss has a very well thought-out and unique attack pattern that also succeeds in making the boss actually feel like it is trying to kill you. Each attack can even have multiple steps to evade. I can think of many previous examples in games where bosses just feel like they are going through the motions and as a result are very easy to predict, even in my all-time favourites such as Sonic the Hedgehog 2. To this day, I do not believe I have seen better designed boss battles. And bosses there are a lot of. And they are never boring.

Let’s go through an example. The first enemy you are likely to have problems with will be a husk guard. This is a clear jump from all those crawlers in the Forgotten Crossroads and has two main attack patterns; he will furiously run at you while repeatedly trying to hit you with his club and occasionally slam causing a shockwave. The way to beat him is to slash in between hits, making sure to jump when he slams. This will be tricky the first few times, but will also ignite those lizard-like reflexes in preparation for what’s to come. And once you beat this mini-boss, you will feel invincible already.

Other honourable mentions in terms of difficulty are the sometimes tricky platforming (particularly in Queen’s Gardens) which will test your understanding of the movement of The Knight. As well as this, at one point the Forgotten Crossroads even become the Infected Crossroads, beefing up all enemies in the area and in a genius move resolving one of the main problematic tropes in metroidvanias - previous enemies becoming harmless and boring.

Wait……There’s More??

You may think I have covered most things at this point, but oh no. Not even close. The amount of what other games consider endgame content is quite frankly astonishing. And somehow, again, it never gets boring. To gain access to this, you will need to work at upgrading your dream nail. That’s right you have more than one nail, except this one is not designed for combat. Rather, it is primarily used to access the dreams and memories of fallen champions. You will find these lost souls around the map. There is also the option to fight them, they tend to have only one or two attack patterns but again they can be quite devious. The real fun starts when you hit the corpses of the fallen bosses. Once you do this, you will be transported to a dream land in the heavens where there will be a supercharged version of the fallen boss, which will require you to be a complete badass in order to beat them. 

So how far should you go? I would recommend all regular players do the following; work to get all the charms, get all upgrades, complete your beast journal and beat the Colosseum of Fools (yes there is a colosseum, and it is glorious). This is where I was happy to leave it completed. For everyone else, there will still be more after this.

There may be what is considered spoilers here in this paragraph if you would rather discover the rest on your own, you have been warned. Still wish to know more? OK here goes - there will even be something for all the Super Meat Boy fans out there if you upgrade the dream nail enough! This also contributes to the game’s multiple endings. There is also a test for only the most masochistic known only as the Pantheon (I’ll leave you to discover that on the map on your own) - fighting bosses back-to-back. And if you are truly sadistic you can even have a crack at Steel Soul Mode (permadeath - for maniacs only).

In Summary

For all the reasons above, this is quite possibly the best game I have ever had the pleasure to explore and fight through. For every single ordeal you undergo, for every character you interact with, and every nook you explore you will be rewarded if not with a unique item then a memory that will stay with you for the rest of your gaming days. A hallmark of a great game is that you get out what you put in, and Hollow Knight delivers this in spades. This game will make an impression on you that will set the bar for future games and perhaps this along with an elevated difficulty curve will be the only downsides, but for me that is simply splitting hairs at this point.