Category: Gaming

Super Mario Odyssey – Over The Moon For Moons:

Posted on by in Gaming

When we think of video games and their well-known mascots, 99% of people’s minds will go to the infamous plumber, Mario. Whether he’s flying through space or adventuring through Bowser’s internal organs, this moustachioed man can be found everywhere. I didn’t really have much experience with the Mario games personally. My main experience with them was Super Mario Bros for the Nintendo DS and even then, I mostly used it to play the awesome minigames with my cousins and my sister whenever we were together (just saying, I normally won). Mario games always felt a little bit lacking in the story department and repetitive with its mechanics. So, apart from the Mario & Luigi games which took a leaf out of Mario RPG’s book, and Mario Galaxy (because space is cool), my focus wasn’t on the red plumber.

When I got my Switch, I realised that I could get it cheaper if I got Mario Odyssey as well. So, I decided to go for it, thinking if anything, I’d have a fun time playing it even if I never came back to it. Plus, I was curious what it would be like to possess the minds of living creatures and make them dance to my will like puppets on strings. Plus, each possessed creature gets a version of Mario’s moustache, which is far too funny an opportunity to pass up. So, I booted up the game for the first time and was greeted by Mario’s goofy face, though thankfully in a slightly more appealing way than Super Mario 64 because that loading screen was bloody terrifying.

First things first, Mario Odyssey basically every commendation it receives and if you get the chance, it is a Mario game worth playing. It works as a good entry point into the series and really shows off the capabilities of the console, making use of the motion controls of the Joy-Cons which are a major upgrade from the controls of the Nintendo Wii. It’s charming, with an awesome soundtrack and a series of stunning levels that rewards players for thinking outside the box. Plus, with so many Moons to collect, there’s a strong urge to search every single nook and cranny of each level to ensure you haven’t missed anything. Especially when that level is so stuffed full of collectables that I guarantee it’ll burst if you put anything else in there.

Not sure anyone wanted to see this but… thanks Nintendo?

What a slightly smaller subset of people will have noticed, is the strong parallels between Nintendo’s Mario Odyssey and that of another famous Odyssey – written by Homer, the legendary author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. These two epics follow the story of the Greek hero, Odysseus, through his actions in the Trojan war and his journey home after the war ended, with victory going to the Greek’s, after the infamous Trojan horse incident. However, like any good story, the journey home was not smooth sailing and it took him ten long years to return to his wife and son, who he had left behind on the island of Ithaca. If you’ve never read these two great epics and have even a slight interest in mythology, go read it because you gain a deeper understanding about the word “odyssey” and it’s meaning in modern life.

It’s clear that Nintendo’s creation takes a few pages out of Homer’s writings, with some tweaks of their own. The entire main story of Mario Odyssey has you travelling around the world, chasing after Bowser and Peach, who always seems just one step away from you. Much like Odysseus, you travel from land to land, having to resolve the resident’s various issues and killing the occasional monstrosity as you go. Every time you think you’ve reached the end of your journey; another minor inconvenience occurs like a cyclops, being shot out of the sky by a giant cannon or a furious god of the sea drowning most of your crew members. Both Odysseus and Mario continue their journey, not for fame or glory, but to see their loved ones again, even if it means travelling to the underworld, fighting a giant dragon or disguising themselves as a hunk of meat? (What even Nintendo, what even.)

One thing that I truly love about both Homer’s Odyssey and Nintendo’s game, is that it allows you to envision travelling the world in someone else’s shoes, without ever having to leave your home. A lot of people will be saying, why don’t you go travel the world then if you love it so much? The answer to that, like the answer to many of my issues, is that of mental health. I can’t think of a single mental health condition that wouldn’t hinder you in some way from enjoying your travels. Be it having an anxiety attack in an airport, not having your support network with you when you have a depressive episode, facing your phobias by yourself or not being able to eat because to you and your mind, it is inedible. We don’t think about these things until they are suddenly blocking our path but it’s something every person with a mental health condition or a physical ailment must consider, every time they go outside.

Friendly reminder, Cappy can render you unable to control your body as you are forced to watch it be controlled by a maniac plumber.

A good explanation of this is my thought process when I go to a coffee shop to study. My anxiety demands I take the same, safe route that I have committed to memory. As I walk, I wear my noise-cancelling headphones to block out the overwhelming stimuli around me, be that passing conversation, traffic or just some very angry seagulls. Once I get there, I order, retrieve my coffee and go sit upstairs in a corner, where I can see everyone who is going up or down the stairs. I am, what you would call, naturally paranoid. Tiny changes in the environment, be it a chair moving or a conversation suddenly falling silent, can set off my anxiety. That anxiety leads to self-loathing which leads to depression which leads to flashbacks and nightmares, which sets off my PTS. It’s a cycle of damage that if I don’t take precautions with, could ruin my afternoon or even the rest of the month for me. Now, imagine that level of thought, having to be applied to travelling abroad. It’s a terrifying overload of information, is it not?

Games that incorporate travel and exploration as a big part of their narrative can be a major boon to those of us who might never be able to experience that for ourselves. In Mario’s case, the simplistic nature of the game also makes it more accessible. There’s a two-player mode for those with young children or those who struggle to use the Joy Con’s tiny controllers due to physical ailments  (trust me they can be a nightmare), though the game does punish you slightly for using the two-player mode, since it refuses to let you take part in various minigames, blocking off a lot of the game’s content which is a bummer.

This whole sequence was traumatic if I’m honest.

Anyways, I’ve rambled on long enough about this and if we’re not careful, I’ll be talking about mythology for the next 10,000 articles on this blog. Considering talking about card games or the Drawn To Life series from the Nintendo DS (yes I did just finish both games over the course of a four day weekend, no you should get a life). Let me know any suggestions down below and remember to comment, like and follow the site to keep up to date on all my posts!

Till next week,

CaitlinRC.

Firewatch – Too many fires, too little time.

Posted on by in Gaming

A few years ago, an indie game called Firewatch was released to the admiration of many people online – including the YouTube gaming community. You couldn’t really take two steps without stumbling across it but somehow, I managed to avoid it. Not that I wasn’t interested, it looked like a game that was right up my alley, but I didn’t want to spoil it for myself by watching someone else play it. Yet in typical gaming tradition, it sat on the pile of games that I wanted to play but never got around to, until about this time last year, where I live-streamed it as a change of content from my usual art streams.

If you’re interested in seeing some of my reactions to the game, I made a little compilation video of some funny moments including me going “mhmm sensual paint” (it makes sense in context I swear… kind of.) You can watch that here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1KbsP7QL8E . Firewatch is the kind of game you should experience yourself rather than watching a playthrough. It’s one of those games that tells a story that we all can interpret in different ways and I’m going to talk mainly about how the various events in the game affected me, so if you don’t want to be spoiled, don’t keep reading.

So, for those of you who are still here, let me at least explain what on earth this game is about. Firewatch is at its core, a story-driven walking simulator. You play as Henry, who has taken the job as a lookout in one of many fire towers in one of America’s national parks. He is to spend the entire summer looking out for fires, stopping people from setting off fireworks (darn teens) and generally just wandering through nature and hopefully not dying of boredom. The only person you really interact with is Delilah, your supervisor who speaks to you over the radio. You never meet her, but she is the one other voice you really grow to love throughout the game, which is one of many reasons her voice actress won an award CAUSE SHE’S BRILLIANT OK.

I cannot emphasise how beautiful this game is.

From the moment you start the game, Firewatch throws emotional turmoil at you. You constantly switch between Henry travelling to the watchtower and a series of screens telling stories from Henry and his wife Julia’s relationship – from their first meeting in a bar, to them getting a dog together and eventually, Julia is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and ends up being taken to be cared for by her family in Australia, whilst Henry stays behind. Even though it’s only a small section of the game, it’s more than enough for you to get invested in their relationship and gain an insight into why Henry has taken this job in the middle of nowhere. He doesn’t know how to cope; he needs time to process the events that have unfolded and how he might move forward. It’s something we can all relate to.

Speaking from personal experience, I think having to watch someone you love in pain is one of the worst things you can ever experience. Sure, when bad things happen to you it can weigh on you for the rest of your life, but you feel a sense of control over how you deal with it in the days that follow. Meanwhile, the sheer helplessness that consumes you when you are forced to just sit and watch those you care about suffer, cuts you to your very core. You want to help, to fight back but it’s beyond what limited powers you have and I think Firewatch touches quite well on this subject – by leaving titbits of information about Henry’s relationship with his wife, how he’s processing it all and what he might do after the summer ends.

Now, last week we talked about Alien Isolation and the profound impact that loneliness can have upon you, especially when you are in a stressful situation. With Firewatch, you instantly become attached to Delilah and her relationship with the player, as it’s the only real source of human contact you get throughout the course of the game. Apart from brief interactions with some no-good teenagers and reading the various letters sent between two of the park’s rangers, you only ever come across traces of other people. You grow to care for Delilah, quietly hoping that you’ll be able to meet her in person before the game ends. Everything you go through throughout the game’s story, she is right there by your side, giving her opinion and providing crucial context to what Henry uncovers.

Delilah, like you, wants to know what the only other person she can speak to, looks like. Because then it feels real.

One thing that Firewatch and well-produced horror games have in common, is how they build suspense and paranoia throughout their gameplay. Firewatch leans more on the paranoia aspect, as you slowly realise that it isn’t just hikers and campers in the woods around you. Someone is watching you, listening to your conversations and outright knocking you unconscious when you find the information you weren’t meant to see. An incredible example of this is when you are walking back to your tower at night, talking over the events of the day with Delilah when she casually says:

“Oh well, you’re back in your tower, I guess you need a drink too.”

At this point in the game, I was trying to find my way back and was making my way towards my tower, quietly considering the story implications of the events I had just experienced. My heart stopped momentarily in my chest when I realised, there was someone in my tower. Whether they were lying in wait to ambush me or leaving a threatening note next to my pet turtle, I had no idea. All I knew is that they were there, and I was not. (Side note, if they’d hurt Turt Reynolds I’d have burned down the entire place myself).

Throughout the game, you get to choose how you respond to Delilah over the radio. You can choose to be an ass and not respond at all if you want but anyone who does that is a monster and I’M COMING FOR YOU. This element of choice is there to help you build that relationship and to involve you more in the story, so that you are actually affected by the various events that unfold in the game, rather than just reacting by going “oh well, moving on”. This game is meant to impact you, everything from the art style to the voice acting and the soundtrack is built to involve you in this world and make you care about what is happening to it.

Cissy Jones, who plays Delilah, deserves so much credit. The game wouldn’t be the same without her.

One aspect of Firewatch you really don’t expect is your discovery in the ravine. Sure, the creepy person listening to you over the radio and throwing your typewriter out the window is a tad unexpected, but it isn’t entirely out of the blue. When you’re alone in an unfamiliar place, we all think that we are being watched or listened to. That paranoid part of our brain is screaming, considering the worst when in fact it’s probably just a squirrel. For games that have this central tension and suspense, you don’t expect them to do emotional impact well but oh boy does Firewatch punch you in the heart and brings tears to your eyes.

During your various treks through the wilderness, you occasionally come across various traces of a father and his son who used to live in the tower you now inhabit. They left after a short period of time, but Delilah got quite close to the young boy, Brian, and would lie to her superiors about his presence as children weren’t allowed to stay in the lookout towers. You find an abandoned backpack attached to a tree that contains various climbing gear that Brian presumably “lost”, as well as his hideout containing fantasy novels and role-playing games. Eventually, you venture into the ravine using the climbing gear and discover Brian. Or what remains of him.

There at the bottom of the cavern, is Brian’s decomposing body. One of his shoes had landed away from his broken form, which was nearly unrecognisable. At that moment, the music becomes sombre and you just stand there, staring at this little boy whose life was cut short. I realised what had happened the moment I saw the shoe, but I didn’t want to believe it. I stepped forward into the cavern, my eyes searching for what I hoped wouldn’t be there. When I saw him, the only thought in my mind was: “Did he suffer”. My brain saw this little boy, in agony on the cavern floor, clinging to life desperately as it seeped away from his shattered bones.

RIP Brian Goodwin. He deserved better.

You quickly realise that he fell and later discover that Brian’s father Ned has been living in the wilderness ever since his son’s death, hiding from the authorities and as a result, spying on Henry and Delilah. In the tape left to you by Ned, you hear the broken man recount the moments of his son’s death, talking about how Brian’s hook didn’t sink into the rock properly, how he was forced to watch his son fall without being able to help. Part of you wants to feel for him, as a father who lost his son but another part of you can only see that broken little boy in the dark cavern.

As you are airlifted out of the woods and away from the fire that is spreading, you just look at the credits as they roll – showing the pictures of Ned and Brian from their disposable camera, as well as the ones you took on that same roll of film. You don’t see Delilah again, with your final interaction being over the radio in a lookout tower, just like it was at the beginning of the game. A poignant end to a powerful game.

Honestly, I could probably go on about various elements of Firewatch for about a full-fledged novel’s worth of content, but I think what I’ve said in this article sums up the most powerful parts of this game. Grief, loneliness and paranoia are three of the most powerful things that can influence our choices and our memories. No-one is exempt from these feelings, regardless of whether you suffer from a mental health condition or not. You are not immune. So, reach out, there will always be someone there who is willing to listen.

I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I enjoyed writing it. A bit more of a sombre tone compared to last weeks but hey, don’t worry. We’re talking about Mario Odyssey next week and how it’s worldwide journey can bring joy to our lives in ways you wouldn’t expect.

Like, comment and follow my site to keep up to date on everything I’m up to! If you want to suggest future content, use the Contact Me page or tweet me at @OurMindGames on Twitter.

Till next week,

CaitlinRC

Alien Isolation – In Space, Everyone Hears Me Scream

Posted on by in Gaming

First things first, I’m not good with horror. Be it movies or video games, I prefer to immediately switch it off and go find literally anything else to do. Most of my experience with horror franchises is through watching various lets plays on YouTube, or through hiding behind my friends as they play it. It’s not that I don’t enjoy horror, I love the paths that it can follow and the tropes it can delve into without drifting too far from the norm. For example, my interest in psychology means that games that make use of sanity mechanisms or more subtle horror are fascinating to me, I just struggle to play them all the way through.

Part of this is due to anxiety. Horror games and their tendency to rely on jump scares, does not mix well with a tendency to have a panic attack when I get flooded with too many stimuli. Some people don’t do well with gore or can get too overwhelmed by all the events that are unfolding, meaning that for a lot of people, the horror genre of media is often one they can’t experience properly. Which is a bit sad, since there’s so much talent and enjoyment out there to experience.

Personally, I’ve never played Alien Isolation. Partly because it never really came on my radar of games to play and partly because I’d watched a few clips of others playing it, screamed my head off and had to go calm down in another room. However, one day when I was very unwell and had nothing to do, I was watching YouTube and ended up binging the entirety of Cryaotic’s playthrough of the terrifying extra-terrestrial game. The horrific alien and weird androids aside, the atmosphere and storytelling of the game are astonishing. Sure, there’s a few pacing issues but no matter what section of the game you are in, the constant paranoia and fear of the alien never truly subsides. EVEN IF YOU’RE IN SPACE.

I would not vacation here, nice air ducts and tech facilities but Alien kept eating my friends and family, 1 Star! – Probably Ripley, Trivago.

However, the simplistic nature of this survival horror game is what makes it such a staple of horror. Being based off a popular horror franchise helped massively with its appeal but when even five minutes of gameplay can unsettle you so drastically, you know you’ve done something right. Whether it’s the scrawls on the walls of the space station, the footsteps of the alien as it draws closer to your hiding spot or the constant paranoia that stalks you around the ship, Alien Isolation orchestrates an atmosphere of horror that fills you with a sense of dread that haunts your every move.

The most powerful aspect of this game is in the title. Not the alien, though that thing is horrific. It is isolation. Although you do interact with various people throughout the game, 90% of your time exploring the space station’s various nooks and crannies are spent in solitude. In fact, most of the people you come across are more likely to put a bullet between your eyes than help you open a door. The only person you can trust in those lonesome corridors is yourself. Sometimes you can go nearly twenty minutes without any dialogue or cutscenes, just the player and Ripley, staring into the darkness and praying that nothing is staring back.

It is in these quiet moments where the horror reaches its peak. You are instantly more aware of every creak in the pipes, every panicked breath escaping Ripley’s chest and the lines between reality and the game’s fiction seem to blur. People often talk about how they get sucked into books and games like it’s unfolding right before their eyes and they are just swept along like a leaf in the raging rapids of a river. Sure, jumpscares can be effective in keeping the players on their toes but the fear quickly fades. Meanwhile, with that constant sense of dread and each sound effect sending a shiver down your spine will stay with you long after the dramatic sequence has ended. The best games have a profound impact on you, and I think I speak for many people when I say, I don’t like walking under air ducts anymore (DON’T EAT ME I DON’T TASTE NICE I SWEAR).

I think the Alien needs to see a doctor, that’s not a healthy amount of drool. Or hygienic. GROSS

Humans are inherently social creatures. Even introverts like myself, need company from time to time, especially in distressing situations. Sometimes just letting someone know that they aren’t alone can be the greatest comfort you can give. So, the isolation that the game is so fond of, is probably the most powerful tool it has at its disposal. Sure, the big murderous alien is powerful but like many game mechanics, you can end up being more irritated with it than scared.

The alien is a known quantity. Once you’ve died to it a few times, you understand how it works and what you can do to avoid it. Loneliness and the darkness of the space station, however, are unknowns and this can be far more terrifying. We always talk about the dangers of the unknown, those gaps in our knowledge that could prove catastrophic. Our imagination runs wild with all the possibilities, something those with a mental health condition can understand better than most, as our mind becomes our greatest enemy. All the horrors in the shadows that you envisage, could just be products of your terrified brain, as it struggles to comprehend the events unfolding around it.

The first time you meet the alien, when it’s tail curls towards you and you’re certain it’s the end, is breathtakingly terrifying. The following sections are filled with panicked breathing, praying that it doesn’t see you even though you’re making an obscene amount of noise and sighs of relief when you see a save station. The combination of suspense, fear and paranoia culminates in a heart-stopping sequence that I think anyone who has played the game will remember far too vividly for their liking. This is the best part of Alien Isolation. It is you, in isolation, with an alien. (Wow Caitlin, it’s the title of the game, you’re so witty)

On a scale of 1-10, that’s a big old NOPE NOPE NOPE.

Despite all this marvellous suspense and paranoia that Alien Isolation builds up, it does fall flat in places. Once you’ve built up all this suspense, you need to do something with it. It’s a bit like building a house but instead of stopping once it’s complete, you add a conservatory. Then a pool. Then a third floor. Then a moat and drawbridge. At some point, you need to make use of all that you have been building, otherwise, there was no point in building it in the first place. Alien Isolation has some phenomenal moments of horror and primal fear, but it could’ve had so much more if the game flowed just a bit more smoothly.

Overall, I think Alien Isolation is one of those horror games that proves that it could terrify you with a tin can and some rice if it tried hard enough. You don’t need immense amounts of gore or zombies to traumatise your players, just have them stalked by a murderous, basically invincible creature! I would be excited to sit and play this some time, but I need to find a friend who is brave enough to join me first. I would also have to play it at midday in the sunlight with all the doors and windows locked and probably a bat next to me to protect myself.

Could I get some personal space? Please? NO, I DIDN’T MEAN THROW ME INTO SPACE!

What game would you like me to talk about next? I’m thinking we stick with the theme of isolation and loneliness in games and talk about Firewatch! If you’ve got any suggestions, drop them in the comments, leave a like on this article and follow my site if you want email notifications for whenever I publish a new piece! (Also follow me @OurMindGames on Twitter for all the behind the scenes goodies)

Stay away from air ducts,

CaitlinRC.

The Legend of Zelda, Breath of The Wild – Everything Is A Weapon If You Try Hard Enough:

Posted on by in Gaming

I’ll admit, my experience with the Zelda series has been a tad of a rocky one. My first experience of it was through the rather… interesting gameplay experience of The Phantom Hourglass. Or as young Caitlin remembers it, the utter anarchy that was The Temple of The Ocean King in the days where I didn’t realise, I could look up a walkthrough instead of just smashing my head against my DS for hours on end. To this day I still haven’t finished that game. Though I am a pro at the multiplayer minigame, where you chase your friend around as a series of phantoms (yes, this is how we spent our bus journeys on school trips).

A little while later, I tried Spirit Tracks and was immediately furious because WHY AM I ON A TRAIN NINTENDO THIS MAKES NO SENSE. Thankfully, my next two games were the 3DS remasters of Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask so I finally got to experience what everyone was on about when they raved about the Zelda franchise. I was then quite excited when they announced BOTW because it’d be the first Zelda game that I got to experience alongside the rest of the world, rather than having my playthroughs tainted by my friend’s opinions.

So, I saved up money from my job and spare bits from my maintenance loan (#Student Life) to buy a Nintendo Switch with Breath of The Wild. My mum described my face as I turned it on for the first time as a “child in a sweet shop with pocket money to spend”. Anytime I get to experience a new piece of technology that fascinates me, I revert to my five-year-old self. It’s apparently quite funny to watch (according to my family). During our nine-hour car ride up to visit our family in Edinburgh, I sat on my Switch and booted up the game, excited to lose myself in it as the countryside whipped past my window.

I have never been so angry at a train and I’ve been on Southern Rail.

I’m going to talk about a few mechanics that I really enjoyed, as well as the atmosphere and vibe that the game gave me but I’m not going to spoil any of the storyline. Obviously, a few familiar locations crop up as this is Nintendo and they’re the kings of recycling content (*cough* Mario *cough*) but anything you haven’t heard of before won’t be mentioned because there are always a few people who haven’t had the chance to experience it yet because consoles are expensive dammit.

Most people talk about the grand unveiling of the land in the tutorial, where Link steps out and stares out at the expansive wilderness. As beautiful as that is, something that caught my attention throughout the game was the voice acting. For those who don’t know, I do voice acting on the side as a hobby – helping with fan projects and contributing my voice where I can. So, to play an entry in a game series that has never really been touched by the voice acting community (no Link’s screams do not count), where the first thing you hear is a desperate call for you to rise and face your destiny, is phenomenal for someone like me. I can’t help but appreciate the nuance of each of the VA’s performances, the range of emotion and wisdom you can hear, as well as the personal touches each of them brings to the game.

Like voice acting, the soundtrack can make or break your experience of a game. I know I say this a lot but considering it’s all you hear for however long the campaign is, never mind any additional content, it needs to be good. I can confidently say that like many of the entries in the series, the music does not disappoint. From original compositions to twists on fan favourites, this game has a sound for everything. I can’t think of a single point where I deliberately turned off the music because I didn’t want to listen to it. When the endless stream of videos online that show off the music has over a million views a piece, you have done something right (or horribly wrong if you didn’t intend it)

For anyone who is curious, Patricia Summersett voiced Zelda in Breath Of The Wild – She has been behind many voices in gaming and films, including Hope Jensen from AC Rogue!

Every Zelda game has a “signature mechanic” – be that the Temple of The Ocean King, Rewinding Time or Kinstone merging. Breath of The Wild, though drastically different from many instalments in the franchise, does have a signature mechanic in the form of the Sheikah Slate. This magical I-Pad wannabe is one of the only things that DOESN’T BREAK. You can view your map on it, mark key locations, track your various quests and make use of the runes aka let’s kill everything with SCIENCE. One thing I will point out though is why on earth we are dropping what looks like some kind of magical water on this clearly advanced mechanical creation, I know Link can get rice but I doubt Ganon is going to sit and wait whilst you dry it out.

The runes available to you (after the tutorial) and their uses are:

  • Remote Bomb (Round) – When in doubt, blow it up with a bomb. Explosions are your friend, if you aren’t standing right next to it. The round ones can roll downhill and ruin the dinner of the enemies below you.
  • Remote Bomb (Cube) – Also good for blowing things up but doesn’t roll, making them better for when you’re being chased and can drop them behind you. Try not to mix the two of them up, I’ve blown myself off a mountain by accident far more times that I wish to confess.
  • Magnesis – Allows you to pick up and manipulate magnetic objects, mainly used for solving puzzles. Or if you’re my friend, picking up a metal block and using it to whack every enemy in his radius like a magic wrecking ball.
  • Stasis – Using this, you can temporarily stop time of a specific object e.g. that giant boulder that’s about to crush you. Sadly, you can’t slow down time and have Link do his best Neo impersonation, but if you hit a stopped object enough, when time resumes it will fly off and probably ruin some architecture.
  • Cryonis – Channel your inner Katara and bend the water into ice blocks that you can use to cross rivers, act as barriers against jerks throwing projectiles and raise treasure chests out of the water like the all powerful being that Link wishes he could be.

There’s also a camera if you want Link to become Instagram famous. It’d probably be the closest Link would get to talking and communicating with those around him.

Link is probably thinking about lunch. I know I would be.

Breath of The Wild is a vast, open-world experience. Once you’ve completed the tutorial, you can do anything and go anywhere you like – though I don’t recommend it. Want to climb a mountain in your underwear? Go for it. Have an urge to hit Ganon in the face with a mop? Try it. This game is one that rewards you for exploration and trying things, there is no defined way to do anything. If you meet the base objectives, it doesn’t care how you get there. Much like Skyrim, you are thrown into this massive expanse of a world and just left to it. Now that can seem scary to a lot of people because it can get overwhelming but the sense of freedom the game provides you with is a real breath of fresh air for the series, considering the NPC, problem, dungeon, reward cycle can get old very quickly.

If cooking in real life was as simple as cooking in Breath of The Wild, my student diet wouldn’t mostly consist of cereal, pasta and grapes. All you must do, is throw some ingredients into a cooking pot (available at most stables and in various towns/villages) and listen to the happy music until your meal is ready. Obviously, there is some finesse to it, as different combinations of ingredients will have different effects and rarer ingredients/recipes will have a stronger impact but the system for all of them is the same. Just don’t mix monster bits and regular food, keep the normal ingredients for meals and the monster bits for elixirs. Plus, some side quests require you to cook specific meals so it’s a nice respite from the various combat encounters you face on your adventure.

If you’ve never experienced a Legend of Zelda game before or are just unsure about whether you’d enjoy it compared with the other entries in the series, give it a shot if you can. Even after completing the main story, I went back and travelled around the world on my horse, completing side quests, battling monsters and hunting down every shrine in the game because those missing heart containers were taunting me. It’s also a very good entry point for newcomers as there’s no real reliance on prior knowledge. After exposition grandad explains what tragedy befell the world whilst you were in your weird waterbed, whether you unlock the backstory is up to you. If you want to learn the truth and search for hidden lore, it’s there for you. If you want to run around burning everything to the ground like some demented pyromaniac, go for it. Just don’t blame me if you catch alight.

Meet Exposition Grandad/Tutorial Elder/That Creepy Guy Who Keeps Following Me/JUST GIVE ME THE PARAGLIDER

What game would you like me to cover next? Leave your suggestion in the comments! If you enjoy my articles, hit that follow button and go follow my twitter @OurMindGames to keep up to date with my various antics. I often do polls on there to determine future content so don’t miss out on having your say!

Until next week,

CaitlinRC

The Phoenix Wright Trilogy – Object to Everything

Posted on by in Gaming

There are many game concepts that you never really think would make a successful gaming franchise. From farming to banking, the world of video games has a remarkable ability to make the dull seem fascinating. A lot of children are started on lifelong career paths through the medium of gaming – though I’d recommend not following in Agent 47’s footsteps… One such vocation is that of a defence attorney. The idea of pouring over files and obsessing over every tiny detail of an eyewitness statement is many people’s idea of hell. So, basing a gaming series around it seems to be a bit of a “Marmite” situation.

My only real experience with the Phoenix Wright games was through the various memes related to it. I knew that you screamed objection and that for some weird reason there was an orca as a witness in one of the later games? When the crossover game between Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright came out, I was enthralled by the characters and the court system (though I did fail a lot to begin with). So, when I heard the original trilogy was being remastered and brought to the Nintendo Switch, I was more than excited. Analytical thinking and finding logical solutions to problems have always been my strong suit, so it was nice to have another game series that I could throw myself into.

The Phoenix Wright games are extremely text-based, with the most interaction required being analysing a scene or rewinding a security type to spot an issue. So, if you don’t have the patience for that style of game, then this series probably isn’t for you – go watch a playthrough of it online instead! However, as a lover of story-driven games and deep characters, I admit that I have fallen hopelessly in love with the series and am plotting to get the other games in the series (eventually, after all I am a student).

True friendship is screaming at each other across a courtroom.

The main aspect of Phoenix Wright that speaks to people, is the interactions between the characters. Whether you are watching Phoenix and Edgeworth battle it out in the courtroom, Maya encouraging them from the side or Gumshoe having his salary cut, you are constantly rooting for the characters (or their redemption in some more whip happy prosecutors). This, combined with the intriguing storylines, creates a game series and a universe that has kept a loyal fanbase all these years. Coming into it so late, I can see the passion and creativity that has been poured into every detail of this game series, and I’ve only played the original trilogy!

What I found most interesting about the games is the fact that they play with your expectations. Obviously, as a game about being a defence attorney, your aim in each case is to successfully defend your client and prove them innocent. However, there are quite a lot of moments where you aren’t sure about whether you’ll succeed or even if you are meant to succeed. This is especially true of the second game in the trilogy which challenges you to make a choice in the final case, that you are terrified of the outcome of. If you haven’t experienced it and don’t want to be spoiled, skip this next paragraph!

My whip happy child who needs anger management lessons.

 (SPOILERS):

Phoenix and the gang are at a hotel watching an awards show when a murder occurs. Soon, you realise that Maya has gone missing. You are forced to take on the case of Matt Engarde, otherwise Maya’s life will be forfeit. The entire case revolves around trying to find Maya as well as proving Matt Engarde’s innocence. However. After investigating, you realise that your client is guilty of the murder. He hired a hitman to take out his rival, the same hitman that is holding Maya hostage to ensure you cooperate. You are faced with the choice of gambling on a rescue attempt by the police or letting a cruel psychopath roam free. Depending on how the case ends, you receive either the “Good” or the “Bad” ending.

(END OF SPOILERS):

In these kinds of story driven games, you don’t expect something so dramatic to happen. Despite the serious tones of the cases, there are elements of humour and general ridiculousness (looking at you Polly) throughout the game, so having a case turn into such a tense and fearful affair for all involved was a dramatic yet welcome experience for the player. Considering I’d purchased the trilogy, I knew roughly what the outcome would be and was certain that my choices wouldn’t have much of an impact but the steady fear and increasing suspense throughout those darker cases are what makes Phoenix Wright shine.

This is a game series that I recommend you experience for yourself. It has remarkable storytelling, a great cast of characters and a gorgeous visual style, as well as all the court cases. There are dozens of dedicated walkthroughs for the more complex aspects of the cases (looking at you Blue Badger security footage), meaning that you don’t need to spend two days banging your head against a wall because you presented the wrong piece of evidence. Each game has an initial case that acts as a tutorial into how the mechanics will work, so you don’t need any experience with these games to enjoy them.

I object to EVERYTHING

Honestly, it was a game series that I’m going to go back to soon. I don’t often replay games but this world that has been built by Capcom, is amazing and I’m genuinely excited to find out more about it. The sheer joy and satisfaction from successfully pressing a witness or spotting a contradiction, is ridiculously enjoyable.

Apologies this one is a bit shorter, I’m a very busy bean! Breath Of The Wild is next week’s article!

– CaitlinRC