RandomStranger wrote on 2023-12-29, 11:03:
I think the 2D sprites are generated from the 3D models in real time.
If so, it's even more impressive that they went through the trouble! It's a cool effect.
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West of Loathing
This is just such a relaxing RPG to play. There are no stakes at all (you cannot die as far as I can tell), but the game is designed around that. It autosaves as you play, so you have to stick with your choices. Since you cannot die or get stuck, you basically "fail forward" even if you make a really dumb choice. It rewards exploration and experimentation, and it's very liberating! If there's a giant spider waiting in a mine shaft, why not walk right in there? Maybe something cool will happen.
The game is very jokey, but the humor is good natured. It's a breath of fresh air in 2023, where humor now tends to be sarcastic or just a bunch of references to memes. The game constantly throws jokes at you, and they aren't all winners, but even the bad ones bring a smile to my face.
There's so much to do in this game. You are constantly discovering new locations by talking to people, reading documents, and examining items. Each location has its own little story or joke, which would alone be worth it in such a cleverly written game, but you also find lots of stuff and gain EXP, which can then be used to increase your skills to give you even more options for exploring and solving quests.
Highly, highly recommended so far!
UnEpic
This is a so-called "metroidvania" I got years ago in some bundle, and just got around to trying it out recently. It leaves a bad first impression, as it's very jokey but in the sarcastic, crass way you'd expect of a game released in 2011. Once you get past that, though, the game is actually very interesting! It actually plays less like a modern metroidvania, and more like proto-metroidvanias such as The Maze of Galious (MSX), Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family (MSX, FC/NES), or Zeliard (PC-8801, DOS). There seems to be less of a focus on gaining abilities to access new areas (as in the metroidvanias), and instead a greater focus on just exploring and figuring the dungeon out.
One minor thing that I really like about this game is how important light is. The dungeon is mostly dark, so all you can see is the area around your character (who is holding a torch)... but you can also use your torch to permanently light sconces and other fixtures, so that the dungeon will stay visible. It gives you something else to accomplish other than pure exploration and killing enemies, and it feels surprisingly satisfying to completely light a room (the game even plays a little jingle when you do this).
So far, a very cool game.