May 2022 Channel Update - Absence of a Clever Title

Hi hi,

It’s been a whirlwind!! Hope you are well as always. My work has been extremely, extremely busy up until this week, but my boss is on vacation for a bit now so I finally have a little time to write this update LOL :^)

TL;DR

• Finished: Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe
• Ongoing: Horizon Forbidden West, TUNIC, VTM - Swansong
• Upcoming: The Quarry, AI: SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative

Finished Since Last Update

The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe (11 parts): How to describe this game!? A “walking simulator” of witty dialogue, over a dozen different endings, and occasionally existential crises. I did play the original game before but it was great fun to revisit, and the new content is all an amazing addition as well. Because of the topics the game brought up, I also got to talk about some stuff I don’t usually get a chance to (e.g. related to being a creator).

I also took a first look at:

Trek to Yomi: Side-scrolling samurai combat title paying homage to Kurosawa’s film style. Looks beautiful, but the general consensus (that I agree with) seems to be that the combat mechanics are lacking. There are certain overpowered moves you’ll never want to stop using, while other moves are too weak & are just not satisfying to pull off. Of the bit I played  beyond the first look, this hasn't stopped being the case.

Progress on Current Stuff

Horizon Forbidden West: I’m definitely in the last third of the story now and although things are still good, it does start feeling like running down a checklist of Stuff To Do. I’d really like to get around to some other projects so I will likely start condensing minor stuff and hopefully speed things up. (I also lost the recording lead I had before with how busy May’s been too, RIP 🥲)

TUNIC: I’m now at the back portion of the game where, without spoilers, things take a turn, and it’s become a lot more time + brain power consuming than just go-to-this-spot-kill-this-monster. TBH I feel some recording pressure from this now as there’re so many uncertainties every play session lol, but I’m doing my best!! I expect we are somewhat close to wrapping up though.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong: Like a Telltale game but in the VTM setting, by the devs of The Council. A few hours in, I predict the reception is just gonna be like with The Council: some people will have no problem overlooking the jankiness while it’s a complete dealbreaker for others. Personally I find the story engaging so far, especially with the rich VTM setting as the backdrop.

Upcoming Stuff

After some of the above wraps up, in June I am mainly looking to:

• 10th: The Quarry (by creators of Until Dawn)
• 24th: AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative (detective mystery visual novel – I had played the first AI a few years back)

To be honest, lately I’ve been kind of frustrated with the amount of stuff I want to get to but just don't have the time for. I mean I am always mad about this lmao but even moreso recently! Maybe because most (= ALL) of the stuff I’ve been playing are medium to long length, and it just doesn’t let me to do stuff like pick up a small 3-4 hour game on a whim. I have some ideas on how to get past this (ie. hyperfocus on fewer series, finish them faster, then move onto the next) but putting them into action is surprisingly difficult...

I appreciate your patience while I get all my ducks in a row! As always, thanks very much for being here, and feel free to lemme know any comments/suggestions on your mind.

Welonz