Completing my Backlog - August Progress

A slightly beefier report this time; Now that's progress! This time, out of this list, I've only written reviews for two of them, so there will be much less repetition, which is great because I hate writing the same thing over and over.

I've managed to get through a wide variety of genres this month, ranging from serious action-adventure games and RPGs to the absurd and wacky titles that are quite unlike anything I've played. Without further ado, let's get into it.

Hextones

Sitting at less than a pound, Hextones is more than worth the price for those looking for a small, well-made game to kill the time.

A game that involves matching colours and symbols, Hextones has a rather straightforward concept that translates into an easy-to-access puzzle experience. If anything, because of how simple it is to get into it, you could classify it as a 'time-killer', as that was basically how I treated it. Have a few minutes to spend? This game would be a good option.

Its simplicity, however, doesn't make it a bad title. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Once you've come to grasp the gameplay elements, Hextones becomes less of a hard-thinking challenge and more of a relaxing point-and-click.

The visual and audio aspects of Hextones are incredibly well-polished. Despite being simplistic, it's beautiful to look at and relaxing to play.

The futuristic visual aesthetic helps give it an identity beyond its mechanics while the soundtrack helps radiate a calming atmoshpere. It's a perfect way of winding down after a long day. You may not be spending a huge amount of time on it, but regardless, it's fun and it isn't too expensive, so you might as well give it a go.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

Monkey doesn't need an outfit. Monkey got abs.

Reviewed earlier in the month, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West is a third-person, action-adventure game that's loosly based on the 16th century Chinese novel "Journey to the West".

Taking place in a post-apocalyptic world, the story follows Monkey and Trip, a scavenger and a tech expert, as they travel through ruined cities and barren wastelands in search of hope and resolution.

Releasing almost eleven years ago, Enslaved managed to fly under my radar, and by the time I finished it, I almost felt guilty for not playing it sooner, especially since I'm a huge fan of Ninja Theory. This is without a doubt one of the best titles they've produced.

For a game released in 2010, it has aged remarkably well. Camera issues aside, it's incredibly fun to play, and the level design is spectacular.

The worldbuilding is gritty and intriguiging, the combat and parkour mechanics are engaging and smooth while the levels provide players with a disturbing yet hauntingly attractive visual treat.

Technical issues such as the abominable camera controls are a significant problem though, as they drag the experience down by a noticeable degree. Once you move past those inconveniences however, you'll be in for one hell of a ride.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition - Mass Effect 2

Most of my screenshots taken during my playthrough of Mass Effect 2 consist of character shots such as these. The cinematography for this game was ahead of its time, and it looks even better now thanks to the remaster.

It took me a little while, but I finally got around to finishing the second installment of the remastered Mass Effect Trilogy. It's not that I don't have the time to play these for hours on end, I just prefer going through them at a slow pace. A mission per day on average is more than enough to satisfy me.

In my review for the remastered version of Mass Effect 1, I concluded that the Legendary Edition was an incredibly well-executed remaster featuring impressive visual upgrades and much-needed gameplay tweaks. These aren't as noticeable in the remastered second game, but there are still some upgrades that are worth discussing.

The texture enhancements are perhaps the most noteworthy changes, and boy do they look good. While this opinion may not apply to everyone, these graphical overhauls not only make the game look more modern, but they make it feel more immersive too.

Take a look at characters such as Thane and Mordin for example. These two are probably the best examples to showcase just how good the textures look. They certainly didn't look bad in the original versions, but they look fantastic now.

The alien characters have the most noticeable visual upgrades, and Mordin is a prime example of that. Both skin and armour have been enhanced, with built-in details being much more visible.

Thane's visual upgrades never cease to amaze me. Both skin and armour have received much more clarity and refinement. Improvements such as these make such a huge positive difference in making these games more immersive for the modern-day audience.

Another area that I feel is worth recognising are the improvements to lighting. One of the problems I had with the original Mass Effect 2 was that in some instances, the lighting was either too dark or too bright, but with the Legendary Edition, they've managed to balance it out perfectly.

So while the number of changes aren't as high as Mass Effect 1's, what has been tweaked for this entry only makes the game better to experience. I really enjoyed my time with it, and at the time of writing this, I am currently progressing through Mass Effect 3, which should be done by the end of the month.

Should be...

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart

Without a doubt, the most impressive graphics I have ever seen in a game. This is taken from an actual cutscene. The more you look at it, the more details you can spot. Needless to say, the environments are just as impressive.

I did say I would complete it by the end of this month! All I have to say is wow. What a game... okay I'll try and say more than that. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart has had quite the hype leading up to release, and while fears of it not living up to its expectations were present, albeit minor, it turned out to be a huge sucess, both financially and as a technical marvel.

Seriously, the graphics are absolutely insane. It is the video game equivalent of a Pixar film, except it's just over eight hours long and you're right in the middle of it, eyes wide while holding a controller that's rumbling like crazy. You can feel every physical impact you make in the game through the Dualsense, and the fast loading times provided by the SSD are put on full display from start to finish.

The idea of dimensions falling apart and colliding with each other is a concept made in heaven for the PS5. This is the perfect title to showcase the console's potential. What Insomniac have managed to pull off is nothing short of incredible.

Chaos and conflict are constantly present in Rift Apart. You never know when a hole to a different dimension will form, dropping enemies on your face. Likewise, you never know when you yourself are going to get thrown into a different dimension.

While a lot of the mechanics present in Rift Apart were around in previous entries to the series, it introduces enough new content to make up for it. A much wider variety of unique and explosive weapons followed by new tools for traversal such as hoverboots, as well as being able to interact with dimensional rifts, all come together to provide an intense and surprisingly challenging experience.

The story is as whimsical as ever, and while it's far from revolutionary writing, it still has the same charm that I experienced from Ratchet & Clank (PS4). The dual narrative approach is what helps it stick out the most, as it introduces Rivet, another Lombax from a different dimension, as well as Kit, a robot similar to Clank.

Despite sharing abilities, playing as Rivet does feel like a different experience, and that's thanks to the interactions and dynamics she has with the rest of the characters. She's interesting, memorable and well-written, and hopefully she'll appear more in future games.

Switching between playing as Ratchet and Rivet makes the game feel continuosly refreshing, and while I do think it's a missed opportunity to not have different skillsets between them, it never got reptitive.

It's safe to say that, so far, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is my current game of the year. It's even better than its predecessor, and from what I gather, it seems to be beloved by many online. If you're going to get a PS5, do not miss out on this one.

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion!

So colourful... so calm... so peaceful... right, time to go kill Jerry the snail for his rent money.

My most recent review, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion! is one of the strangest and most absurd games I have ever played, and because of that, it was one of the best games I've experienced in a while.

Taking on the role of an almost psychotic, but cutesy looking turnip, you're tasked with assisting the mayor as his aide, being sent on errands to collect various items for unknown purposes. This adventure takes you far and wide, fighting off dangerous animals while interacting with the local fruit and veg population.

If I were to talk more about what the game is, I'd basically be repeating what I said in my review. It's an action-adventure game that's in a similar vein to the Legend of Zelda series, but with a highly amusing storyline and a wacky cast of characters.

You'll be doing all sorts of questionable things while on your quest to commit tax fraud, but all of that's okay because it's for a totally good cause!

It's fun, it's crazy and all over the place, but it's so well-made, and is bound to make you laugh. Its short three hour runtime means it doesn't outstay its welcome. Plus, you get to commit tax evasion. For that reason alone, you should totally get it.

Disclaimer: NarukoopaReviews does not condone committing any form of tax evasion under any circumstance that results in getting caught. If you're gonna do it, do it correctly.

Manifold Garden

I was quite surprised to learn that this game doesn't have VR support. This would seem like the perfect candidate for it, assuming people don't pass out while playing it.

The last game on this list is one that I didn't finish, not because it was awful, but simply because I had to stop playing it. Manifold Garden is a first-person puzzle game that takes place in a surreal and twisted environment that feels like it was taken from a dream.

This is, by far, the trippiest game I have ever played in recent memory. The puzzles themselves are only some of the obstacles you'll encounter. Perhaps the biggest challenge is acquiring your bearings.

You see, I came in from the ceiling which wasn't the ceiling when I was there, and now I'm on the floor of the what the ceiling was when I came in. Yes, I totally get it now.

In Manifold Garden, there is no proper sense of direction. There is no up and down, left and right, top and bottom, right way and wrong way, etc. Everything takes place in a void, and you can rotate to whatever surface you want to by switching gravity, provided you don't slip off the edge beforehand. Should you fall though, you'll end up falling to a new platform that has the exact same appearance as the one you just fell from.

While difficult to get used to, it's impossible for me to deny how mind-blowing it is. I haven't seen a game with a visual aesthetic quite like this before. It represents a magnificent technical achievement in graphical design and gameplay implementation.

See the ceiling up there? That's not a ceiling. That's where I have to go next. I have to find a way to fall onto it, then rotate so that I land on it correctly, whilst not puking. Quite difficult.

So why did I stop playing it? Put simply, it would make me feel incredibly dizzy upon exiting. Feeling like your entire room is spinning around in circles isn't as fun as it may sound. I've never had a video game leave a health impact like that on me before, but then again, I haven't played anything quite like Manifold Garden.

I highly recommend playing it, if you can stomach it. I wish I could play more because what I did experience, I really enjoyed.

In Conclusion

There you have it. Overall a much better month than last time. With university just around the corner for me however, I don't think this will be some kind of trend where each month gets more and more productive.

That being said, I have a few games in progress at the moment, such as Mass Effect 3, and I've also recently started Raji: An Ancient Epic and Control, the former of which will be reviewed on this website soon.

I don't think I really have much left to say. Thank you for reading, hope you have a good month and I'll see you in the next report.