blueneurosis

Really enjoyed it, glad it got talked up in Giant Bomb's GOTY discussions (caution: super spoilers in said discussion but they are very good about warning when it's about to happen).

If I had a very mild criticism about it, between this, the final season of Tellltale's Walking Dead, and Vampire: The Masquerade - Swan Song, there's these choice heavy games that feel like they would have been benefitted from a visual novel mode, as the controllable portions of the games can often have a dead air quality to it where you're traversing areas you've already exhausted interactable moments just to nudge things along (vague example: once everything you could do in a day/evening has been done, I would have liked a little firmer No, really, you're done, go to sleep prompt). Something that might be unlocked at completion so you can try a different, quicker playthrough to see how other choices/decisions play out.

Pentiment at least has a very striking look to it that I didn't mind repeatedly moving through, and by repetition of the traversal you get very well acquainted with the area and its inhabitants.

I wished I liked it more. For every beat that felt good (a grim Godfishers tribe sub-quest started hitting those Cormac McCarthy tones), there's three more beats reminding you just how silly this series can be (Wasteland 4, the game, is introduced to your characters in a gaming museum).

And while I kind of enjoyed how even the best intentions culminate in a very messy situation, I was disappointed to see just how much of the game's design usually ended with "...and now kill everything in this space."

Garfield "Coolbaby" Gerstmann (Level 1). Good luck with the whole Parenting thing!

You know what? Sure.

Sure, I guess I'm in.

Jeez.

I'm here to make friends and win free stuff.

Having a ball with Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together . It came up on the Axe of the Blood God podcast in their current Best Of list, reminding me that I had scooped it up on one of the many PSN sales and made me feel vindicated for keeping my Vita out and charged despite not having touched it in ages. The fights feel just perilous enough to feel like they could go either way, with my own sense of (or lack thereof) strategy often giving me a sliver of an edge. The story is a stack of unwieldy names thrown into a big ol' murder/grudge stew and still worthwhile.

Metal Marines. SNES turn-based banger that wasn't perfect, but would take advantage of the Switch's ability to play a turn or two on commutes.

The Magic Blade 3.5/5 - A Shaw Brothers wuxia that leans into the absurd and fantastic for a largely good effect. The #1 Swordsman strolls into town to settle a year old agreement with someone who took him on and lost (the loser gets one year to put their affairs in order and then a death duel). That follow-up duel is put on pause as assassins and traps start popping up everywhere, threatening both of them, kicking off an increasingly absurd quest to figure out who is pulling the strings in the world of swordfighting. There's a Devil Grandma who specializes in poisons, cannibalism, and explosives (?!), a villain who elaborately stages a fight like a game of Chinese Chess...wild stuff that would probably feel tiring if you aren't receptive to it.

Crippled Avengers 4/5 - A lot of plot has to get established (we can't accept seeing someone with metal arms unless we see how they lost them), but in the process there's a lot of real acrobatic, imaginative fights to enjoy here. There's even a character who doesn't understand the concept of fights, so they think it's all a game to be played with kung fu, leading to some surprising moments of humor in what could have been a normal I Must Train To Get Revenge plot.

For anyone in the NYC area, keep an eye on Quad Cinema's monthly Have Sword Will Travel double feature. It's a kick to see some classic kung fu with a receptive audience.