What I've Been Playing: December 2018

Hey there, Gamers and Game Makers!

This week, we're going to be taking a look at some of the games I've been playing over the last month.

Spider-Man

Spider-Man is definitely among my top games of the year. Aside from having a fantastic story, the mechanics of the game are outstanding. Nothing feels as satisfying as swinging around a richly detailed New York city, fighting crime and uncovering secrets and easter eggs. Spider-Man is the type of game that's so fun to play that you'll keep coming back to it even after completing the story. It's the superhero game I've wanted for a long time.

Call of Cthulhu

I'm a massive fan of the works of HP Lovecraft. So, as you can imagine, I was very excited for a new game set in his universe of works. Especially as this particular game was inspired by the old school table-top Call of Cthulhu game. So, does Call of Cthulhu live up to expectations? Yes and no. The problem with any game based on the works of Lovecraft is the expectations are always going to be set high. Perhaps to high to ever actually meet. 

For me, the game didn't scare me at any point but actually you can say that's not a failing of the game as the works of Lovecraft are designed not to scare you right off the bat but, to rather unnerve you more and more as you progress over the course of the story. The game does well in parts to present the player with scenes of horror that would take a toll on their sanity. The game offers you multiple outcomes based on your choices but none of the variations alter the outcome drastically and thus there isn't much there to make you play again.

The game is not a bad interpretation of Lovecrafts works but it's also not a great one. The game has some interesting mechanics and the story is interesting enough to hold you throughout but I feel this is still not the Lovecraft game we've been waiting for.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is by far one of the most detailed games I've ever played. At the time of writing this, I'm actually not that far into the main story of the game. Simply because I keep getting distracted by all the things going on in the world. While the level of detail in both the world and mechanics is something to truly admire, I feel the detail on the mechanics can sometimes be perhaps a bit much. For example, the need to dress to mach the temperature of your current environment is an interesting mechanic, it can sometimes become annoying. Maintaining your cores can also feel a bit tedious at times. That said, that's a very small complaint that doesn't stop me enjoying all the game has to offer and I feel RDR2 is a game I'll be playing for a long time to come.

Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is a game I have a great amount of fun playing. The level of detail is insane in each mission. From the level design right down to the NPC routines and multiple unique ways to eliminate your targets. What I enjoy about playing Hitman 2 is it shows how bad of an assassin I can be. One minute, I'm in the middle of planning the most fiendish way of killing my target and the next, I'm rushing to hide the body of the random guy who saw me poisoning a drink while the cops are at the door and everything is spiraling out of control. Hitman 2 is also a game that really offers a lot of reasons to replay missions to find all the ways you can eliminate a target. Hitman 2 is easily up there with my favorite games of the year.

Until next time!