That said, it’s all tied together with just the right amount of modern convention, with the primary example being its departure from the conventionally 2D presentation of a typical oldschool RPG into 2.5D environments. In terms of the gameplay itself, it’s everything a retro JRPG fan could want - turn-based combat, charming pixel art, and a grand 60+ hour campaign that’ll keep you busy for the foreseeable future.
True to its title, Octopath Traveler has you swapping perspectives between eight unique characters, each with their own distinct storylines, quests, and skills, in the fantasy setting of Orsterra. If you’re an oldschool JRPG fan pining for the 16-bit goodness of yore, then Octopath Traveler is an unabashed love letter with your name on it. People have called Superhot “innovative” more times than we can count, and though it has become a bit of a meme at this point, there is no denying this indie title’s creativity. It’s important to remain in position for a bit to take stock of your surroundings and figure out what your next move should be. When you are moving, things occur in real-time, and dodging a bullet in real time is difficult to say the least. Though you might expect Superhot to just be a run-and-gun, point-and-shoot type of game, it’s actually fairly cerebral. You are placed in various scenarios where armed opponents rush your position to attack you. Superhot is a game that captures the complexity of a puzzle game with the straightforwardness of a first-person shooter. The game’s simplistic geometric designs and sparsely colored environments belie its true nature. The slogan of “Time only moves when you do” doesn’t quite convey the sheer awesomeness that is Superhot. TWoM presents war itself as the all-encompassing antagonist, and brilliantly so. Games that revolve around warfare tend to present one side as the definitive enemy. You’ll inevitably confront uncomfortable and difficult decisions as you weigh the safety and survival of your group against the odds, but that’s more or less the point. You’ll confront food and supply scarcity, sickness, and of course, the more direct threats of active combat zones - and even then, survivors just as desperate as you are can present as much of a threat as dubiously hostile soldiers patrolling the city. On its own, TWoM is successful enough in putting together a thinking-man’s survival simulator, but it’s the context that really makes this game stand out from the crowd. Subverting typical military glorification in favor of a grounded human experience, 11 bit studios puts you into the shoes of day-to-day civilians trying to navigate the ravages of urban warfare in This War of Mine. Pair this with the black-and-white film grain rendering alongside a pulpy historical Japanese backdrop, and you have a tight little indie experience that’s well worth venturing into. Frame-perfect blocks result in parries, certain combinations stun enemies as a set-up for visceral finishing moves, and varying sets of enemies keep the learning curve active-yet-manageable. However, the gradual incorporation of various combo moves and the ways in which these mechanics interact weave a sort of rhythm that’s easy to get lost in for several hours at a time. Hiroki starts with two very straightforward moves, light and heavy attacks, as well as the ability to block. In terms of gameplay, Trek to Yomi somehow manages to be both satisfyingly and deceptively simple - the one real system at play here is the combat. Borrowing heavily (and unabashedly) from the cinematic stylings of Akira Kurosawa, players assume the role of warrior-in-training Hiroki and embark on a revenge quest after bandits ravage his village and slay his mentor in cold blood. Trek to Yomi is a uniquely stylized side-scrolling hack-and-slash that’s sure to please your inner samurai.
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