Completing my Backlog - September Progress

So, September happened. It was indeed a month that transpired. Just so happens that it's also the month that I started my final year of instituitional hell, also known as university. It's already had a noticeable effect on my ability to produce articles and reviews, but I'm still fitting in time where I can.

Regardless of how much I can do, I'll definitely have these backlog reports done each month. Unless I'm not able to complete any game by the end of a month; that would be pretty sad.

Alas, September hasn't been great for me finishing games. I've managed to give up on a few of them, for a number of reasons. Still, there are some good ones, so without further ado, let's begin.

Raji: An Ancient Epic

The combat is as flashy as the weapons. Raji rarely holds back on its presentation. Couple that with its authenticity and atmosphere, and you have an iconic action-adventure game that's worth the attention.

The first review of the month, Raji: An Ancient Epic was, quite simply, a blast to play. Its ties into Hindu and Balinese mythology served as a refreshing backdrop to the fantastic storytelling and atmosphere.

Taking place in ancient India, you play as Raji, a street acrobat/performer who's thrusted into a divine conflict after her brother, Golu, was kidnapped by demons invading the lands. Guided by the gods and their mythical weaponry, you must travel across the country, utilising Raji's athletic capabilities to not only traverse the landscape, but to fight off any hostile foes.

The level design never ceased to amaze me. I took way too many screenshots when playing this game. Its beautiful presentation cannot be understated.

Composing of fantastic art direction and meticulously detailed levels, Raji: An Ancient Epic is a triumph in most of its core aspects. Sure, there are a couple areas that lack a little refinement - the abrupt nature of the narrative's conclusion and the mundane skill system come to mind - but overall, it's an incredible game that's worth playing.

Control

"Ring ring: Would you like some more exposition? How about another PC crash?" Honestly, Jesse's facial expression basically sumarises my feelings with this game.

Might be a controversial opinion coming up: I didn't like Control much. To be fair, it didn't help that there were dozens of technical issues I had to put with, such as 'the paper crasher', as I like to call it, where the game would sometimes crash when picking up a note.

My problems with it, however, go beyond that. I'm not a fan of exposition-heavy narratives, and Control was relentess on that front. It reminded me of Death Stranding from time to time, another game which I didn't enjoy.

From a gameplay perspective though, I didn't have much issue with it. I thought aiming was a bit janky here and there, but overall I found it quite entertaining, especially once you start acquiring your powers.

The combat started off okay, not bad but nothing too special. As soon as her powers were introduced however, the heat really began to turn up. Throwing objects at enemies never ceased to be entertaining.

Maybe I'll give it another go at a future date. I did uninstall it out of rage, but when the game decides to crash multiple times on the main menu, when you have a PC more than capable to run it, it's understandable to get a little annoyed.

The Frosts: First Ones

I can't help but feel the designs for the spirits were slightly inspired by No-Face from Spirited Away. The resemblence is definitely there, and it's fair to say that these spirits are equally as mysterious.

For fans of walking simulators, this one might be up your alley. The Frosts: First Ones is a top-down adventure game set in a frozen, post apocalyptic version of Earth that has brought humanity to its knees. The harsh climate has reduced civilisation to several scattered settlements of survivors working together as hunter-gatherers.

You play as a citizen of one of those settlements. His name is Berak, and he is a hunter. The game begins with Berak being approached by a woman whose husband has gone missing whilst out hunting. You are tasked with finding where this missing hunter has gone, and bring him back safely.

One minute you're going on a peaceful stroll, and the next you're being chased by a massive bear. Events such as these stop the game from feeling like a tedious, unfulfilling trek.

From a gameplay standpoint, there isn't much to it. There's a lot of walking and exploring, but the maps are linear in their design, despite their open spaces and multiple pathways. That being said, First Ones does vary things up every now and then, whether that's through grandiose events such as chase sequences, or the little things such as tending to a deer's wound.

The story, although riddled with translation errors, is intruiging and well-written. This game is definitely for people looking for a narrative adventure, first and foremost. It's simple and short, but entertaining regardless. Feel free to check out my review for it here.

Kingdom Hearts 1

Mickey Mouse, who's also the king (slightly disturbing), has gone missing. The queen, Minnie Mouse, has tasked Donald and Goofy to pilot a spaceship and travel to different worlds to find him. Oh, and there are Final Fantasy characters thrown into the mix, because why not?

Oh Lord have mercy. I really didn't like Kingdom Hearts 1. This is coming from somebody who thoroughly enjoyed Kingdom Hearts 2 and Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days as a kid. After buying the complete collection on PS5, I decided to give the series another go, from the very beginning.

If I could describe my 4-5 hour experience with the first installment of the franchise in one word, I would choose: pain. It's hard for me to recall which aspect annoyed me the most. Was it the clunky and repetitive combat? Perhaps the irritatingly confusing level design, coupled with music that, is nice to listen to for the first and second times, but after twenty loops, starts to feel like nails on a chalkboard?

I hate Traverse Town. I hate everything about it. I hate the layout. I hate the appearance. I hate the stupid people living there. I hate the music. Oh god the music. It's still in my head. Please get it out. I hate it.

Ironically, the story was my favourite part of the game. Sure, it's bonkas, and absurd in almost every way, but that somehow made it more appealing to me. It was as unique as it was bizzare, and narratively speaking, it really isn't that bad.

The gameplay just doesn't hold up enough for me to enjoy it. Again, like Control, I am tempted to come back to it at a later date, whem I'm in a more patient mindset. My time with Kingdom Hearts 1 makes me wonder if I'd still enjoy 2 and 358/2 Days. I suppose we shall see.... at some point.

Hot Lava

The school is full of lava. How did this happen? I dunno, just did. Now you have to parkour across it while trying not to touch the lava. Why? I dunno, just do it.

This was another game that I stopped playing, but not because it was bad, more so because it annoyed me. I'll get to that in a bit. Hot Lava is a first-person parkour/speedrunner that has players participate in courses located in a variety of environments, with the goal being to complete them as fast, and as cool as you can.

The further you push yourself to the extremes, the higher your final score will be. You can run, jump, dash, wallrun, swing, climb, surf and slide your way across fantastic-looking maps, while desperately trying to avoid falling into the searing hot lava beneath your feet.

Juxtaposing lava to environments such as the playground is not only surreal to look at, but extremely interesting to play through. Honestly, the amount of detail in these levels is distracting at times.

You can play alone, or you can play with friends. While interaction with other players is minimal, your scores and times are displayed publicly by default, so there is an element of competition there.

Regardless of the fact that I stopped playing, I wholeheartedly recommend Hot Lava. The mechanics are smooth, the level design is spectacular, there is tons of customisation to absorb yourself into, and the game is fun to play. I just had to stop because I raged too much. I'm sure I'll come back to it later.

FAR: Lone Sails

I'm not exaggerating when I say that every frame in this game is a painting. Because every frame in this game is a painting. One of the most attractive games I've played in a while.

Undoubtedly my favourite game on this list, and the most recent one I've completed, FAR: Lone Sails is a 3D, side-scroller adventure game boasting a beautifully picturesque visual aesthetic and an immaculate atmosphere that immediately grabs your attention.

Taking place in a seemingly post-apocalyptic world, you play as a nameless survivor piloting a sturdy, mechanical vessel that'll take you on a journey across vast landscapes filled with ruins and remains of a past civilisation. The world is bleak and downtrodden by an oppresive sense of dread and decay, and yet, there are locations that have a certain beauty to them.

(I might set this picture as my desktop background) Travelling across this world is a lot more challenging than it looks. If you don't pay close attention to your vessel and your surroundings, disastor can strike very quickly.

This is one of the things that makes Lone Sails so remarkable. If you've played titles such as Journey, Abzu or Gris, then this game will feel somewhat familiar to you, as it is presented in the same way. You aren't given an objective. There is no dialogue, no narration, no text. Just you and your vehicle, working hand-in-hand to persevear through harsh climates and choppy terrain.

The only goals you are given are the ones you give yourself. You are responsible for the maintenance of your vessel. You must fuel it, repair it, stop it from burning and falling apart, and in return, you are able to progress. You are rewarded with moments of both awe and amazement, and those feelings alone make everything that came before feel so fulfilling.

The environments tell a story, and even though that story is not told at the forefront, it adds life to an otherwise seemingly barren landscape while also adding to the atmosphere.

At the time of writing this, I'm in the early stages of making my review for this game. Until then, all I'll say is that Far: Lone Sails is a game with little faults, and whose praise cannot be understated. It is one of the best side-scrollers I have ever played, and I couldn't recommend it enough.

In Conclusion

That concludes this month's backlog report. Even if I didn't finish all of them, I still managed to get quite a few on this list, so I'll take that as a positive. I hope you enjoyed reading through it, and I hope there was at least one game there that interested you.

Like I said before, I have a review for FAR: Lone Sails coming up, but after that, I'm at a bit of a loss for articles. With university being an ever-persisting thorn at my side, it's hard to allocate my time effectively, and I'm only going to get more work as time goes on.

Still, I'll do my best. I'm thinking of starting a series of articles looking at games I used to play as a kid, giving reflective analyses for each and how they shaped my childhood, as well as how they potentially influenced my path to studying games development. Could be interesting, I'll give it a go and see.

Until then, stay tuned and stay safe!