Tag: Video games

Thoughts on Unwording

~ Kapodaco ~ Leave a comment

During my tenure with KeenGamer, I played a fair number of games from indie developers. Interestingly, many developers ended up being one-and-done, that is to say that someone created one game and didn’t do anything else afterwards. One of the few times where this didn’t occur was with Armaan Sandhu of Frostwood Interactive, whose second game Forgotten Fields ended up being a rare follow-up title from a developer I had experience with. Now, third time’s the charm.

Unwording is the latest attempt at harnessing an energy of positivity and hope often nestled at the core within Sandhu’s games. Specifically, it is bringing awareness to a concept known as cognitive distortions, or more simply “negative self-talk.” Through a combination of puzzle gameplay and a short, sentimental story, the intent is to make something both engaging and fun.

Continue reading “Thoughts on Unwording” →

Thoughts on Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series

~ Kapodaco ~ Leave a comment

Believe me when I say that the name “Klonoa” is one I’ve heard around the internet plenty of times over the years. A bonafide cult classic among those my age or older who happened upon the original titles from the late ’90s. An attempt at the ever-popular mascot platformer era of gaming that didn’t quite stick, but didn’t quite disappear, either. I imagine the announcement of this remastered collection had a certain niche of gamers very excited.

If you’ve been around this particular blog for a while, it would be easy to guess that this was, at least on the surface, adjusted to my tastes. Platformers are my comfort games, having grown up playing approximately seven-million Nintendo titles. An opportunity to understand why this series was so beloved made this an easy purchase… after a sale. Regardless, how much magic is there to this “dreamy” platformer series?

Continue reading “Thoughts on Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series” →

Top 10 Favorite Video Games I Played in 2022

~ Kapodaco ~ 3 Comments

Lookie here! I haven’t done one of these types of posts in a little while. Now that I am out of games journalism, I’m free to sort of peruse my way through whatever I care to try out at any given time. Even so, I didn’t play too many games this year—a little over twenty was the final count. Even so, there were more than enough titles played that I think are worth shouting out. And because content is content, this at-one-point-yearly list shall see life anew.

Disclaimer: Please note that this is not a traditional “Top 10 Best Video Games of [Year]” list. Rather, this is a list of the best video games I played in 2022, as in it did not have to be released this calendar year to make it, only that I had to have finished (a majority of) it in 2022.

Continue reading “Top 10 Favorite Video Games I Played in 2022” →

Dudunsparce Is Pokémon’s Greatest Joke

~ Kapodaco ~ 1 Comment

There comes a time in most players’ lives when a fellow connoisseur of gaming will inevitably ask you: “What is your favorite pokémon?” How can you not have one? Everyone’s at least heard of Pokémon, if not invested several years of their lives playing through the franchise’s long list of titles. As common as it is to have people proclaim that Charizard or Pikachu or the various evolutions of Eevee as their favorite, mine is a little more benign.

Dunsparce, my favorite pokémon ever, got an evolution in the latest generation of games in the franchise, Scarlet & Violet. Having learned this, I immediately grew very concerned. Yet my fear was short-lived—Dudunsparce is not only a great new creature to discover, but its existence cements Game Freak as a comedy powerhouse that will stop at nothing to amuse itself by dashing the hopes of fans everywhere.

Continue reading “Dudunsparce Is Pokémon’s Greatest Joke” →

Thoughts on In Stars And Time (Steam Next Fest Demo)

~ Kapodaco ~ Leave a comment

It truly is the era of quirky RPG games… and farming sims… and 2D collectathon platformers… Y’know, there is a lot from every type of genre if you think about it. Anyway, I came across this latest RPG adventure by chance while going through the #SteamNextFest tag on Twitter. In Stars And Time, as its title would suggest, has a lot to do with stars (the characters) and time (time-loop antics). Immediately taking to the expressive art style of the game, I decided to give the demo a go.

It truly is the era of… no, I won’t make the time-loop joke in text.

Continue reading “Thoughts on In Stars And Time (Steam Next Fest Demo)” →

Thoughts on Cassette Beasts (Steam Next Fest Demo)

~ Kapodaco ~ Leave a comment

It did not take much convincing from Cassette Beasts for me to be completely all-in on its synopsis. A turn-based RPG game where you explore a 2.5D world of monsters that you can collect and fuse? I’ve been wanting that in a mainline Pokémon title for years! All the better that the pixel artistry and promise of intense character customization drive home the uniquely expressive part of great RPG games.

Though I had no specific ranking for which game demos I was most excited for, this was one I was very intrigued by. Will it live up to the promise that its trailer showcased?

Continue reading “Thoughts on Cassette Beasts (Steam Next Fest Demo)” →

Thoughts on Vernal Edge (Steam Next Fest Demo)

~ Kapodaco ~ Leave a comment

Story time: Back in 2020, I was a games journalist for KeenGamer. One day in June, I decided, “Hey, I like giving some publicity to indie games. Let’s write a post on games I think are worth checking out on Kickstarter!” So I did. Among the games in that article was none other than Vernal Edge, which is, assuming you read the title, the subject of today’s post.

What was the point of that information? Just to showcase that I’ve known of this game’s existence for a couple years now. It’s been a long time coming, but I’m finally able to try it out for myself in demo form.

Continue reading “Thoughts on Vernal Edge (Steam Next Fest Demo)” →

Thoughts on Dewdrop Dynasty (Steam Next Fest Demo)

~ Kapodaco ~ Leave a comment

Prior to learning of the existence of Dewdrop Dynasty, I would have never imagined a scenario in which you play as a bee with a gun would fit well into the search-action (metroidvania) genre. Thankfully, the game’s demo has given me hope in a future in which the world’s worst insect carrying America’s most debated-upon tool can prove to be a fun venture. Have I mentioned that I despise bees?

Continue reading “Thoughts on Dewdrop Dynasty (Steam Next Fest Demo)” →

Thoughts on Cursed to Golf (Steam Next Fest 2022 Demo)

~ Kapodaco ~ 1 Comment

Let me tell you an objectively correct fact about life: Golf in real life is boring; golfing video games are awesome. My history with the Mario Golf franchise almost overtakes the time spent on mainline games, and other golf franchises like Everyone’s Golf and Outlaw Golf were favorites growing up. Around the start of Next Fest, I saw this on Twitter. How can I not include Cursed to Golf after such a splendid display?

Quick structure disclaimer: Given this (and all the others) is only a demo, I won’t be too in-depth with my coverage, and will only reflect on the good and the bad. No overly long personal history or filibuster. No nonsense. That said, I will provide a synopsis for the game below.

Continue reading “Thoughts on Cursed to Golf (Steam Next Fest 2022 Demo)” →