We have recently time-traveled ala setting clocks ahead an hour and the extra sunlight is going to my brain. The series of chemical processes and sensations that drive me to squint, swear and close the blackout curtains ends in the same result regardless of season: enjoying games all day and night.
Before the reviews, let's get out of the way that there are free games for Playstation owners and fans, no PS+ necessary: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/play-at-home/
Go claim it! It's related to the first game I played.
Seeing Ratchet and Clank available for free was some instant inspiration to give the game a play through. I got the platinum in 2017, so this playthrough was one of those super casual ventures. These games have some really light platforming, but the gameplay is mostly blasting robots and space creatures away with a dozen different neat weapons. For example, the shotgun in this game pixelizes the enemies and instead of having a taser or freeze ray, the weapon that pacifies enemies is a discoball that makes the enemies dance. Even the bosses have their own unique animations for dancing and different reactions to the weapon. Bonus that the weapons themselves level up, too!
The writing is funny at points and the cutscenes are short enough to be worth watching on your first time through. The main quest will give you two objectives at once so the game is barely non-linear. As you blast from point to point, broken crates and robot parts go flying all around the screen in addition to bolts; the currency of the game that lets you buy new weapons. It's truly satisfying and addicting to just clean up a whole planet and level your guns along the way. Ratchet and Clank is probably the best and most accessible game of the Play at Home titles so far, but it's not the best title in the series. If you like this, there's a new one to be excited for later this year! Update: Insomniac released a patch that upgrades the game to 60FPS. This looks great in the higher framerate.
I went back to finish March's free PS5 title, Maquette. This puzzle game features a core mechanic of objects that change sizes, including your surroundings! I wonder if that's where the PS5's processing power is going, since the game isn't particularly showing off. When I wrote about this game a few weeks ago, I had just used a video to help me through the third level, which was quite obscure the first time. That chore of a level had me put it down for a week. The second half of this short game clicked with me and I ended up appreciating the overall design of this title. The game tells a story of a couple's relationship that influences the appearance of the levels but has no relation at all to what you're doing. The second half is different from the first and that's as much as I'll say. The handful of hours to play once is worth it if you like puzzle games.
Changing pace, I took a crack at Remnant: From the Ashes and couldn't get into it. It's a class-based shooter that looks two generations old. I was about to really come down on it, but I realized it's a smaller developer's take on a game style that's usually done by gigantic studios. I think I'll just quietly move on.
Saving the best for last is a game that pops up on every single PS Store sale for under $5. Given PS+ titles having great curation, I'm really surprised that Guacamelee hasn't been a pick! This side-scrolling exploratory platformer is oozing personality, built around Mexican wrestlers and the Day of the Dead. You play as an agave farmer named Juan who becomes a luchador to stop Calaca from turning the entire world into the World of the Dead. You'll see a multitude of references to other games. The music is absolutely wonderful, the writing cracked me up, the controls are solid and responsive, and the art direction is purposeful and beautiful.
In terms of gameplay, the objectives are pretty clearly marked on the map, but you'll see a lot of other places that require new abilities or some clever platforming to get. There's a steady drip of new abilities that eventually lead to dashing, punching and launching at walls and ledges, changing between the world of the living and the world of the dead on the fly--often mid-jump. Guacamelee's final dungeon is the best one I've played in a long time. Some games' last sections will have the hardest fights and jumps and usually display the hardest difficulty of the game. For example, Super Metroid's final area Turian litters the screen with objects that hurt you and hamper your progress to the final boss. However, at that point, you have a huge life bar and your reflexes and knowing enemy patterns will get you to the hard-ass final boss that'll try to murder you. Other games are like Guacamelee, where the final dungeon is a mastery of skills in how you combine them to progress. The result was me having the time of my life enjoying the music, flying through the puzzles and obstacles as I remembered all that I'd learned since starting.
The game has ample save points and you will die a lot, but the platforming challenges are incredibly fun and occasionally really hard, but only for short bits. Developer Drink Box knew when to back off my personal difficulty limit and I hope the game is a good fit for any of you readers who want to give it a try.
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