Console Catch-Up - August Monthly Recap

Another month crossed off the list. I honestly cannot wait for Autumn and Winter. The Summer season here, while a good reason to go to the beach, can be unbearably hot. Especially when working in a small room where the AC doesn't reach it.

At least I can definitely say that this has been a fruitful Summer. Enough activities had been packed into it to make it memorable for the family. But yes... bring on the hot chocolate weather.

In the meantime, I continue to chip away at the latest A to Z run. BioShock Remastered, Citizens of Earth, and Dark Seed 2 are all completed. There are some upcoming titles that I am definitely looking forward to, but for now, I need to be patient. I also have my eye on a couple of upcoming releases, namely Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

While I patiently wait and get through the A to Z round, I have also put in some time on the PS5. I only completed one title again this month, so I will add some that I completed back in February.

Name: Rise of the Tomb Raider Date Completed: 04/08/2024

Back when I was younger, I did try to get into the original Tomb Raider games, however, I could not master the controls and it put me off. I then attempted to revisit the franchise with Tomb Raider and The Angel of Darkness. Maybe it wasn't the best one to attempt it with. The need to complete actions to strengthen Lara to be able to progress felt out of place. Though, now that I am older, I may re-attempt the title.

My first proper entry into the franchise would be with the Survivor series. I played the first game back on the PS3 but took a while before getting around to this one. I still remember details from the first game, so I was able to compare the sequel quite easily. I found the game to be just as good, if not better in most parts. I was grateful they toned down the snuff scenes when you failed. They were still present in Rise of the Tomb Raider but it didn't feel as gruesome compared to the first game. One thing which I was slightly disappointed about, was the supernatural enemies. In the first game, the Stormguard are revealed (but not introduced) early on and they have an eerie presence to them. The Deathless however, while mentioned, are only revealed and introduced in the later part of the game, and they didn't feel as intimidating as the Stormguard. By the time I was confronting them, there was no proper build-up and the tension was all gone. Especially as they were easily dispatched as their human counterparts. Still at some point, I will pick up Shadow of the Tomb Raider to complete the set.

Name: A Plague's Tale: Requiem

Date Completed: 08/02/2024

In February, I had the pleasure of completing A Plague's Tale: Requiem. I had played the first game back on PC and the story had me hooked. Initially, I was skeptical about playing the game, but I wanted to try it because it wasn't a horror title. This is a good thing because I discovered the play style was similar to The Last of Us and it gave me the motivation to play and beat that one (on the PS3). When it came to playing Requiem I was met with the same high level of storytelling. It had me gripped from beginning to end. And I savored the level of tension throughout. As the levels progressed, I kept wanting to learn more, even if what the story revealed wasn't always pleasant.

And, a bit of a funny story, the short musical notes that heralded the arrival of the rats, left a lasting impression on me. Why do I say that? Because after completing the game, I happened to be at a local supermarket that was situated close to a stone-cutting company. One of their machines was working that day, and it's sound eerily sounded like those notes, so much so, I froze half expecting rats to come bursting out. Good thing there wasn't a third title in the franchise, I don't think I could have handled it then.

Name: Bramble: The Mountain King

Date Completed: 11/02/2024

I came across this game by sheer chance from one of the many Facebook videos that randomly plague my phone. It immediately reminded me of the game Little Nightmares (which is a game I need to get back to and finish at some point).

After looking it up, I felt confident that I would enjoy it, and I had been looking for a good platformer. And the game did not disappoint. I finished the game in a couple of sittings because I could not get enough of it. It was gruesome and eerie - so much so, there were points I had to make sure my daughter was not around. The parts that really stood out were the boss scenes. The depiction of the Nordic mythological creatures/beings was impressive. And nightmare-inducing if you are an 8-year-old sneakily watching from the corridor when she should be in bed.

Name: Rollerdome

Date Completed: 21/02/2024

This game... was... hard! Trying to juggle the shooting and executing the roller skating tricks was no easy task for me. And it's not like you could ignore the tricks and just focus on staying alive. No, you need to perform tricks because that's how you replenish your ammo and the accumulative points unlock the next map.

After a very rocky start, I had to adjust the settings to give myself a fighting chance, otherwise, I was going to end up rage-quitting.

There was one element of the game, which I found rather unnecessary, or at least wasted. In between matches, you would find yourself in a room (either a locker room or a transport vehicle) which you can explore. Here you would often find exposition to understand what is going on in the background. But you don't do anything with the information you find. It would have been nice if it had an impact on the overall story. The way it currently is, it felt like an unnecessary filler.

Name: A Hat in Time

Date Completed: 22/02/2024

I had heard about this game for quite some time and I was looking forward to playing it, especially when I was in the mood for a platformer. It looked like the sort of game that would remind me of some of my childhood classics like Super Mario 64.

The truth was though, that I was very disappointed in it. It was not what I expected at all. While the levels/chapters were okay (some better than others), I struggled to engage with them. Additionally, the powers you unlocked were uninteresting. Excluding the moments you needed a power-up to access an area, I barely used them overall. In the end, I simply wanted to just finish the game as quickly as possible just so that I could move on to the next.

Name: Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China

Date Completed: 24/02/2024

Because of my disappointment with A Hat in Time, I was still itching for a platformer. Originally this was not my primary choice, but because it was not an open-world game like others in the franchise, I thought I would give it a go.

Immediately, the game reminded me of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (Another game that I need to get back to....)

I enjoyed the simplicity of the game, while it still maintained the core elements of the open-world variants. And I also liked how you weren't forced to take on specific approaches. Depending on my play style, I could be a complete assassin; or I could sneak past them unseen; or distract and knock out the enemies. While some approaches were more favorable than others in some areas, it was down to you to choose. And the platform elements weren't bad either. Most were simple, especially during the chase/escape levels, but some needed some planning, especially to circumvent the guards. After playing this, I was looking forward to the other two, but I intended to play them as palate cleansers after completing a bigger/longer game.

That was all for August, as well as February. I'm not going to have many more backdated months to fall back on soon, as I have practically caught up now. But I am certain I will still have titles to add to this post. Currently, I hope to finish Detroit: Become Human by next month.