During the occasional lulls in my chaotic life, where work and personal projects are running smoothly (what an insane concept, I know), I like to scroll through the games lists on Xbox Game Pass or the Nintendo Shop on my Switch to find something new to play. A lot of the random indie gems that I’ve played and/or talked about on this site have come from those scrolling sessions, rather than keeping track of review listings or release schedules. I mean, my life is frantic enough without adding something else to keep track of!
One such game that I found was Moonglow Bay. Like many others, the fishing element of many popular games like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley and even Final Fantasy XV has a rather addictive quality to it. Relaxing, satisfying and technically contributing to in-game progress, players have lost hours of their time plundering the ocean’s depths for its treasures (and various bits of trash). So, an entire game based around fishing, exploring, and cooking seafood for your hungry customers seemed like a fabulous idea.
I’m fishing for my sanity – no luck thus far.
Yet, Moonglow Bay is so much more than just a fishing game. It’s a tale of loss, grief, and hope, of community and restoration, of building relationships and keeping promises, of making new memories and treasuring old ones.
Immediately off the bat, the game asks you to choose who you wish to play as, what you wish to be called, your pronouns as well as the identity of your partner. The fact I could choose they/them as my pronouns and the fact I was not restricted in choosing the opposite gender partner to that of my player character, brought a massive smile to my face. Representation is important and the developers of Moonglow Bay, Bunnyhug, have clearly thought about it – with the pronouns you choose being used throughout the game, rather than as a one-off thing.
TFW I’m better at cooking in a fictional game than IRL
Personally, I want everyone to play this game – available on PC and Xbox, but I know not everyone has the time nor access to their system of choice, so I’m going to talk a bit more in-depth here about the game. There may be spoilers ahead, so if you want to remain wholly blind going into this game then uh… close this tab immediately?
Anyone still here? Let’s chat.
Based in the seaside town of Moonglow Bay on the Eastern Canadian shoreline in the 1980’s, your character (whether you’ve called them an actual name like I did or called them Sir Bootylicious) and their partner (Robin, in my game!) are learning to fish. Your partner talks about their dream of settling down in the bay and setting up a business selling various meals made from the wide variety of local fish in the area. They give you a present to celebrate the pair of you starting this new milestone and you promise to open it when they get back from their fishing trip tomorrow night.
Sadly, they never come home.
The developers are hilarious. Also, this guy will forever be called Dave.
Three years pass and you’re living alone, comforted by your ramen and your precious pup Waffles (and yes, you can always pet the dog). Your daughter, River, drags you out the house to go fishing and to show you how run-down Moonglow Bay has become. Trash on the beach, brickwork crumbling, homes and businesses boarded up – the town is fading away. As the town fades, so does your lost partner’s dream. So, what will you do about it? Roll up your sleeves, get fishing and restore the bay to its former glory through the power of your bloody brilliant cooking skills.
As you explore the bay, catching all kinds of sea creatures and cooking them up into delectable dishes, you begin to rejuvenate the town and unravel some of the truths behind the various superstitions that seem to haunt the bay. Tales of monsters in the deep, creatures that destroy ships and terrorise sailors, rumours that have only grown stronger as the fishing industry dwindled during your grief. As you move forward with fulfilling your lost partner’s dream and pour your heart and soul into the town you both loved, you find mysteries and secrets that intrigue you, monstrous creatures that send other anglers running in fear and a trail of breadcrumbs that might give you a way to soothe the raging void in your heart where your partner once resided.
Thankfully, our ship is not called the Titanic.
Each chapter of this story finds you facing off against massive creatures of the deep and you need to quell their rage before anyone gets hurt. Yet, these monsters aren’t out for revenge. They’re just creatures in need of help, much like the player is. Much like the town of Moonglow Bay. Maybe, just maybe, helping these wounded creatures will help you start to heal the gaping wound in your heart.
Anyways, please try this game. It has a heartfelt storyline, a beautiful world, fun mechanics, and soothing music. Do it.
Now that we are in the new decade, everyone is looking towards
the new console generations and new instalments to long running franchises.
Here at Mind Games, I am more focused on just trying to pass my degree. I don’t
tend to play the latest games or the big releases the moment that they come
out, partly because I’m usually busy working on a coursework and partly because
I like to wait for the price to drop before I buy (#Student Life).
So, when I’m looking for a new game to play, I tend to trawl the online stores looking for weird and whacky games that pique my curiosity. This is how I came across West of Loathing a few years back. As seen with the popularity of the Red Dead Redemption series, games set in the Wild West tend to draw a big audience. Ironically, the fascination with cowboys fizzles out quickly when you investigate their history and realise their lives were nowhere near the dramatic, high-stakes action that the media portray them as.
Check the bookshelf several times. Trust me.
I’m not going to spoil any of the plot as despite it being a
slapstick comedy game, the storyline is quite intriguing, especially when you
start to branch off and explore the side-quests that open as the game
progresses. Plus, it’s always more fun to experience the jokes first-hand.
An RPG, set in a Wild West world, featuring turn-based combat and a series of odd side quests alongside the main story? Sounds like most RPG’s, so what makes this one different? Well, first things first, the art style is simplistic – so much so that it’s a series of stickmen, wearing goofy hats and hurling snakes at their enemies. I love it. It’s a satirical look at most RPG’s, from choosing classes, to levelling up skills and solving puzzles with non-sensical items.
Always practise safe TNT storage kids.
The moment you open the game, it grips you with its sense of
humour. Most of the hours that I have sunk into this game, I have spent with a
massive grin on my face. Instead of choosing from the traditional “Fighter, Magic
User or Rogue” class archetypes, you have the choice of “Cow Puncher, Bean
Slinger or Snake Oiler”. Which serve essentially the same functions but are a
hundred times more hilarious to play as. Why wouldn’t you want to carry around
a briefcase full of snakes and throw them into people’s faces?
Skills and traits are upgraded using experience points, but you can also discover new abilities by reading books (like the nerd you are) or meeting certain criteria. Want to increase your defence? Walk into cacti until your skin is mostly scabs. Want better resistance to heat, stench and cold damage? Stick your hand into various disgusting spittoons scattered around the west to permanently taint your hand with the remnants of other people’s spit. Delightful.
Hmm. Nothing seems abnormal here.
From busting ghosts and getting spooked by the ever present “Boo’s”
in the DLC, to facing down the demon clowns leader and trying not to wet
yourself when he throws knives at you in the main game, West of Loathing has so
much content that it’s impossible to find everything on just one playthrough.
Your choice of class, partner and even a few plot crucial decisions will set
you down unique paths filled with hilarity, unique encounters and EVEN MORE
SPITOONS. Word of warning though, the game will heavily judge you for digging
around the insides of these metal cesspools.
The writing in this game is excellent. Every line of dialogue, every action and every item description has had careful thought put into it. The passion the developers at Asymmetric Publications have for their game is clear to see and is a joy to experience first-hand. They are keenly aware of some of the pitfalls that games can fall into as well as common tropes and clichés that many developers put into their works and manage to tackle these with a sense of humour. Any references to other game series or media franchises, are done with care and subtlety, rather than beating you over the head with them (or a cow bone).
I relate to the guy on the left.
More than anything, I love this game because it makes me laugh. A genuine, full body laugh that hurts your chest after a while. Mental health issues and stressful times means that I don’t get to laugh like that as much as I should. Depression especially tends to sap the humour and joy out of things that would normally elicit laughter from us, replacing it with numbness and general lethargy. It’s something that I have combatted for many years, yet this is the first game that I’ve come across that can consistently bring a genuine smile to my face. Not a fake smile to avoid worrying others or a half-hearted smile to try and fit in, a genuine grin. It’s a refreshing sensation after so many years of monotony when it comes to humour.
That sign can’t stop me cause I can’t read.
Anyways, I’ve got a final-year project to work on and a production to prepare for so I’m going to end this week’s article here and I’ll be back soon! I’ve sent in an application for a press pass at EGX Rezzed in late March, so hopefully we get it and I’ll be able to provide more awesome content for you all at my favourite convention!
As my final term at university passes by, I often sit back
and reflect on how far I’ve come. From admitting I had mental health issues, to
starting medication, to starting Mind Games and preparing to go out into the
world as a fully-fledged adult – it’s been a hell of a journey. A big part of that
process has been the time I have spent with my friends. Since I don’t really
drink and the university clubbing scene is the definition of a panic attack for
me, I tend to stick to sober events. Watching films, playing video games,
chatting with friends and sucking at minigolf, I’ve done it all. My favourite
thing to do though, is play board games with those friends. Especially ones that
stay with you.
I’ve spoken before about Dungeons and Dragons on the site and anyone who follows my Twitter will know that I’m currently running a campaign for some friends. However, the world of tabletop gaming is not just D&D, much to the shock of many. Thanks in part to the afternoons I’ve spent in board game cafes with my friends from school, and to communities like Dicebreaker – I’ve gotten to explore the genre that I love, a bit more deeply. From Dead of Winter and Betrayal at The House on The Hill, to Call of Cthulhu and Band of Blades, there’s a massive range of games out there for you and more are being developed every single day.
If you read my Betrayal article, you’ll know what these are for.
One tabletop game that has really hit close to home for me
recently is the horror RPG, Ten Candles. There aren’t many games that can stun
my friends into silence for more than a few seconds, yet Ten Candles manages
it. Every decision that my players made were given an extensive level of
thought, detail and care, before committing to it. Considering these are the
same players that tend to throw fireballs first and ask questions later, it’s
an astounding difference to witness. So, what is Ten Candles? Why am I
committing an entire article to it? Why should you play it? Let me tell you.
Humans have always feared the dark. Though when you delve further into it, it’s more a fear of the unknown. We can cope with what we can see, what we know is there. It’s a quantifiable problem that we can take steps to combat. In the pitch black, you don’t know what’s there, what it’s doing or whether that prickling on the back of your neck is it creeping ever closer. Ten Candles is played mostly in the dark. Once you finish creating the characters you will tell the story with, you turn off any lights in the room. Your only illumination is by the ten candles sat in the centre of the table.
And we are alive.
The sky has gone dark. No sun, no satellites, no phones or GPS. Power grids have failed across the continents and the world you know has been plunged into darkness. Creatures known only as “They”, stalk the shadows, cutting down the last remnants of humanity as you struggle to survive in this post-apocalyptic world. “They” will claim your life in the end. That much is certain. Ten Candles isn’t about survival or “winning”. It’s a game about loss and hope, about finding light in the darkness and making your last moments of living worthwhile.
This is how to grab an audience’s attention.
There aren’t any overly complex rules or time-consuming preparations to make in order to enjoy Ten Candles. All you really need are candles, paper, pens, some regular dice (6-sided) and something to dispose of/burn the paper slips in. Time is marked by the extinguishing of candles. For each failed conflict (dictated by dice rolls), a candle is darkened. If you don’t fail any conflicts, a candle will go out eventually. The end comes for us all, eventually. When you have one final candle left, the Last Stand begins. This is the final scene of the game in which every character will die. It’s inevitable.
Once every character has perished, the final candle is blown
out. You sit, in complete darkness and listen to a recording your players recorded
as their characters at the start of the game. Their voices, speaking words of
hope and sorrow, are haunting, especially with their death scene ringing in
their ears. When the recording ends, you all sit there in the darkness – lost in
your own thoughts and reflecting on the dark journey they will have taken over
the past few hours.
Before the lights go out and the game begins, you must create your characters. Characters are made up of five characteristics – Virtues (positive trait), Vices (negative trait), Concepts (who are you), Moments and Brinks. Your Virtue, Vices and Brinks are made by the players either side of you – allowing totally unique characters to be made in every session. Your Concept and your Moment are entirely your choice. A Moment is a scenario in which your character can find hope. Be that reuniting with a lost family member, taking down one of “Them” or finding somewhere safe to stay the night, these Moments provide you with another dice in the Last Stand – increasing your chances of achieving something significant in your final moments.
As much as I didn’t discuss the Establishing Truths phase, these three lines are what stays with you.
Brinks are a bit different. A brink is what your character
is like when pushed to the edge. What do they do when faced with loss or grief?
Do they fly into a rage? Were they a murderer before this all began? The
possibilities are endless. As the players decide the Brink for the person on
their left, this means that the GM is also involved. The GM plays as “Them”,
and they have seen one of the players at their breaking point. This means the
players Brink is kept secret. Meanwhile the player to the right of the GM gets
to decide what form “They” take in the session. Do they worship the moon? Do
they shapeshift? Do they mimic voices? What powers do they have?
This story is not a happy one. It is a joint tale of hope, desperation, fear and co-operation in the darkness. Although the GM is there to lead the story, they are not in control of everything that happens. Sometimes, it is up to the players to narrate what happens. Everyone at the table works together to weave a story they deem worthy of telling. Their interactions, their moments of hope and loss, their eventual deaths – they all must have meaning and weight behind them. At the end of the world, you are what will be the difference between the light and the darkness.
We may be destined to die but it is up to you how it happens.
If you can, I’d suggest playing this yourself. You can get a
PDF of the rulebook or a paper-copy from cavalrygames.com to support the
creator Stephen Dewey – a very talented developer. It is an experience that I
feel will stay with you for a long time and bring your friends closer together.
Opening a game and immediately being told to choose between eight characters, is a tad daunting, to say the least. However, I am a sucker for story-driven RPG’s so I didn’t let it put me off and threw myself into the game, starting with H’aanit – because I saw she had a snow leopard as her best friend and I wanted in on that immediately. When you choose a character at the beginning, you are given a basic description of their personality, abilities and where their story is going to go. The eight you must choose from are:
H’aanit: A hunter, who can tame beasts to
help in your quest and is loyal to the balance of nature. Has a pet snow
leopard and is phenomenal with a bow. A good starting character for anyone
unsure of where to begin with this behemoth of a game.
Alfyn Greengrass: An apothecary, who
travels the land providing care and treatment to anyone who needs it. Can be
extremely powerful if you learn how to mix ingredients properly, but difficult
to master.
Primrose Alezhard: Her story line is not
for the fainthearted. After witnessing her father’s murder at a young age, she
grew up as an exotic dancer, trying to survive and searching for her father’s
killers. Proficient with a dagger and able to buff her teammates during battle,
she is not to be overlooked.
Cyrus Albright: He is a scholar, with
ridiculously powerful magic attacks that can affect multiple enemies at once.
I’d recommend making him a staple in your party, especially if you’re out
grinding levels for a weaker party member. Word of warning though, he’s a bit
of an idiot, which can cause you to cringe in response to his actions.
Ophilia Clement: The best darn healer in
the game. You want her in your party, always. ALWAYS. She is a kind, sweet girl
who deserves the world and I will MURDER ANYONE WHO HURTS HER. Anyways. She can
also inspire NPC’s to fight by her side, giving you that extra edge in battle.
Tressa Colozone: A merchant, whose appeal
doesn’t seem majorly obvious at first. Her storyline is about discovering
herself and improving her “merchant skills”, which isn’t that interesting but
her ability to pick up endless amounts of loose change from the ground is
essential for being able to afford those shiny new swords.
Olberic Eisenberg: A knight, who can
probably beat you to death with his little finger if he wanted to. He is a very
honourable man, seeking the truth behind his friend’s betrayal of the king they
served. A tad cliché but you can’t help but like him, he’s a good man and one
of the heaviest hitters in the game.
Therion: A thief, with the ability to steal anything off anyone (if the percentage gods are in your favour), and after a failed robbery, ends up on a mission to retrieve some valuable artefacts and track down his childhood friend. Not the best fighter but stealing is fun, right? Right?
H’aanit or Olberic are good starting characters, as they have a strong enough attack power on their own. Once you have one of them, go get Ophilia because lord knows you’ll need a good healer.
Whoever you choose to start the game with, is locked into
your party until you complete their storyline. However, you can still meet
every other character and experience their stories, coming back to your main
character’s tale when you think you are ready for it. Like most RPG’s, you can
have four character’s in your party at a time, meaning you can’t have all eight
of the adventurer’s at once and encourages you to switch out your companions to
suit the situation you are facing. You can switch characters at an inn, which
are present in every single town you come across – so you don’t have to run
across the entire world every time you want Ophilia in your party. The only
restrictions on who you can have in your party, is the character you chose to
start with and the character whose storyline you are attempting to follow
(because you can’t really follow Therion’s story if he isn’t there)
Octopath Traveller is a game more suited for handheld
systems like the Switch. Not because it is a short game, but because like any
RPG, you can get a bit fed up of it if you play for too long at a time. Boss
fights can take half an hour, so being able to work your way through a dungeon
to a boss, then take a break and come back to kick its butt, is quite relaxing.
Save points are frequent, normally right after you complete a section and are
always present right before a big fight, so you don’t need to trek all the way
back if the boss pounds you into a bloody pulp.
The first thing people will notice about Octopath, is that it is a beautiful game. Developed in a 2D-HD style, the world is mesmerising. Every place you go to is unique, no location looks like a replica of another, even dungeons can range from mansions to caves, to sewers and abandoned ruins. The sprites of your characters are expressive and a joy to watch, especially when executing new moves in combat. However, the best art in the game must go to the bosses. Typically, the enemy sprites are small, around your size or slightly bigger, depending on the monster. However, bosses, have gigantic unique sprites that are incredibly detailed and stun you for a moment when you first enter battle with them.
Who doesn’t want to attack a giant demon bird thing.
The soundtrack of a game often makes or breaks an
experience. After all, a game can be as stunning and interesting as you want,
but if the music is abrasive and irritating, you won’t want to play it as much.
Trust me when I say, the game’s music doesn’t disappoint. Every location and
character has their own unique theme. Tense cutscenes have dramatic music
playing underneath it, sadder scenes make use of piano chords to tug at your
heart strings whilst boss fights inspire you with kickass tunes (even when you
are getting beaten to a pulp).
It’s hard to put into words how much I love Octopath, even
though it’s story can be a bit weak in places (looking at you Tressa and
Therion). A lot of people’s criticism of it, is that the stories are quite
separate from one another. Excluding the “secret final dungeon” after you beat
all eight stories and some specific side quests, there is very little linking
the characters together. However, for me, this makes sense. We are all living
our own stories, walking our own paths. Sure, I may be sat in the same coffee
shop as about ten different people as I write this, but it doesn’t mean our
journeys through life are intertwined in any way.
I think if all eight characters were linked together by the story, the game would lose its impact. By having four chapters focused entirely around a character, you get to understand them on a deeper level. Having so many playable characters means that the amount of attention you can give each one, is limited. So being able to break the story down and follow one person’s tale at a time, results in good character writing and storytelling, rather than reducing some of your party members to boring, rushed NPC’s with a brief backstory.
H’aanit speaks in a very Old English style, which takes some getting used to but LOOK AT THE KITTY.
More than anything, Octopath is about travelling. Shocking,
I know. No matter who you are playing as, you get to experience the world built
by Square Enix with little concern for accidentally coming across story
spoilers. The game lets you know the rough level requirement for an area, so
you don’t walk into a level thirty forest when you are still only level twelve
(totally not talking from experience). There’s something calming and fulfilling
about Octopath. From the little interactions between your party members, to
getting to know every NPC you come across, to exploring the lush landscapes and
fighting everything you come across, this game is incredibly detailed and a lot
deeper than most people expect.
A big example of this, is the combat. Like most RPG’s it is
turn based, where depending on your character’s speed, each party member can
make an action each turn (or several depending on your perks, thank god for
H’aanit being able to attack twice). Enemies have a certain defence level that
can be broken by attacking them using weapons/magic that they are weak against.
Once their defence is broken, they are stunned, will not attack you for a turn
and take greater damage from your attacks. All generic enemies have set
weaknesses, that once discovered, will appear next to them in future encounters
– so you don’t have to recall every single enemies’ weakness. Bosses, can
change their weaknesses mid-fight, so be prepared to switch up your attacks and
have a good range within your party, otherwise you might be wiped across the
floor.
In summary, Octopath is probably one of my favourite RPG’s I’ve ever played. From the intricate combat system that forces you to think ahead and strategize, to the beautiful art style and haunting music, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with these characters and have sunk over a hundred hours into it, from the main storyline, to levelling up my weaker party members, to completing side quests and stealing everything I can (sorry not sorry). If you like RPG’s and want one you can really sink your teeth into, I cannot recommend it enough.
What’s yours is mine, what’s mine is mine.
What games do you recommend I try out? Which ones keep you
up at night? Let me know in the comments and maybe I’ll write my next article
on them! I’m currently thinking childhood nostalgia in the form of a certain
puzzle solving gentleman. Remember to comment below and subscribe to my site so
you get notified whenever I post a new article! If you want to keep up to date
on what’s going on, follow me on Twitter @OurMindGames .
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