Spider-Man Miles Morales (PS4)

I knocked this game out in 3 days.  Is it that I loved it so much that I accomplished such an unthinkable task? Not really.  I kinda sorta gave my son my PS4, so I was "borrowing" the PS4 from him and this game and didn't want to have it too long.  I mainlined story with minimal side quests which, if completed, would have extended my playtime extensively.  I quite enjoyed my time with this game, equally as much as it's predecessor.  The game looks and plays great,  Miles has some nifty powerups and the combat felt a bit more varied.  Morales as a character is better than Peter Parker and the whole feel of the game is much "cooler" than the first.  Maybe it's the hip hop, maybe it's the powerups, but for all intents and purposes this game is better (albeit shorter) than the original.  Recommend.  

Unravel 2 (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

Unravel 2 is the follow up to a game I quite enjoyed, Unravel.  What I liked about the first game was the cute character and heartwarming story.  I don't remember it all too well, but I do remember it being about a series of photographs where each one is a level, recapping an old persons life.  It was nice.  Now, let me try to tell you the story of Unravel 2.

An abusive dad is beating his kids, so the kids escape the house out a window.  Your character and his friend are yarn creatures which can occasionally distract drunk dad with a little light.  The kids are continually escaping their dad, running through the countryside, an old abandoned factory, through a forest and more.  The kids cause quite a bit of trouble as they flee, property damage, setting the forest on fire and more.  They do save some horses and eventually kill their dad and are portrayed as heroes.  

Don't get me wrong, the puzzle platforming the series is known for is all there.  I just hated the whole "feel" of the game.  The controls are very tight, but the music is always so somber and makes you just feel "down".  Graphically it's a beautiful game that is just a joy to look at.  Story?  No.  Gameplay? Yes. Graphics? Yes.  Sound?  No.   Recommend?  Nah.

Donut County (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

What on earth did I just play?  Donut county is a story about a racoon who works at a donut shop, when people order a donut through an app, he delivers the donut through an app, only the donut is a hole that gets bigger with the more things that fall into it.  Not after long are you swallowing cars and buildings and eventually yourself to find yourself on a rescue mission to bring everyone back from their sunken demise.  The gameplay is simple but charming, the graphics are simple but nice, but what really stood out to me was the writing.  The game's got tons of charm.  I completed this in one sitting and enjoyed it all.  I got hung up in a couple spots, but didn't have to guide up and never felt frustrated.  Recommend.

Moving Out (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I've tried a handful of games since completing the Ori games and nothing can hold my attention.  Bloodstained (the new one), Sea of Thieves, Spiritfarer, but this one had a good enough hook to keep me coming back.  This is a party game, but I enjoyed it better solo.  It's akin to "Overcooked" but not quite as good.  The concept is simple, move everything out of the house in a set amount of time.  I was going for golds, but the novelty of that wore off and I powered through the end.  The levels become less inspired as you go along and it was as if the developer tried to pad the games length by a lot of repetitive levels in the back third.  Regardless, I had a fun game and I'd recommend this one especially if you have GamePass.  Heck it could land on my top 10 if nothing else manages to grab me this year.  Recommend.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

I started this game fresh off a playthrough of Blind Forest and initially I was thinking "This one's not as good" ... a few hours in and my mind had changed.  The auto saving system takes a lot of the frustration out of the game, the new mechanics, the entire package is better than it's predecessor. The combat in Will of the Wisps also far exceeds Blind Forrest, which makes fighting much less of a chore.   This is a beautiful game with an amazing soundtrack, I usually don't listen to game soundtracks, but I've put this one on a few times while I plug away in my office.  If you're only going to play one Ori game, play this one, but to appreciate how far this game has come, I think you need to play both.  Either way, absolutely recommend.

Ori and the Blind Forest (Xbox Series X via Game Pass)

Metroidvania, a term I've grown to hate over the years, but the odd one I enjoy.  I really enjoyed this one.  This game doesn't require you to backtrack too much, but when you do it's fun because your new abilities make traversing the environment fun.  This is a beautiful game with an incredible soundtrack.  The music is so "nice" that I've listened to it while working at my desk.  The visual style of this game is straight out of a children's book with animations that make the entire game feel alive.  All of this comes together in an amazing package, but don't be fooled, the game is HARD, but ultimately that's what I enjoyed about it.  It feels so rewarding, make your way though 100 yards in game, feel like you've accomplished a mile.  Absolutely recommend.

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