Just finished Raft. The building and survival elements of the game outshone the sometimes tedious storyline that could have been more closely integrated with the core gameplay loop. Building my beautiful raft, sailing through storm and starlight: I'm sure that will bring me back to this game again sometime in the future. It's certainly worth the experience if you love the genre. There's nothing like looking back from some newly conquered island peak at your floating world that you've cobbled together from the refuse of the sea... Solid A- gaming.

Just finished (12.20.2024) Total War: Pharaoh, Ramesses short victory. I've played every historical Total War and as far as I'm concerned this might be the apotheosis of the form. The Bronze Age collapse is very cool as a concept, but I wondered if it would translate into an epic campaign. Also, Egypt never really spoke to me. But by the end of my Ramesses campaign I was ready to bathe in the sacred Nile. This game is an excellent balance between epic battle, customizable victory paths, actually functional and fun diplomatic options, meaningful family trees. This represents the finest historical sandbox we've yet seen with vast maps, diverse cultures, different royal traditions, sacred homelands, "pillar" settlements... The outpost system is really fun. The game was 95% stable, and the art, voice acting and map design were superb. A masterful entry in the franchise: laurels to CA Sofia. A grade gaming (A+ once you get the hang of it).

Just finished Gorogoa. Overrated. Uneven puzzler that's not really based on logic but on your ability to click and swipe until you find something that moves. Once you identify which pieces move/separate, the puzzles aren't really very puzzling. Meaning that for some puzzles until you identify the interface element (not an actual puzzle) you can't progress. And the art style wasn't my vibe. I got a sense that the hazy frame narrative was hinting at something new-agey that ultimately didn't gel. B-.

Finished the AoM Fall of the Trident campaign for the first time in decades. Age of Mythology mostly stands the test of time as one of the great RTS. Somewhat repetitive gameplay is made up for by the asymmetric factions and myth units, the still lovely graphics and finely tuned RTS combat. Well worth a revisit. A- gaming.

Just finished Mirror's Edge, a game that is by now likely to be of greater interest to gaming historians than current thrill-seekers. Mirror's Edge unfolds over 9 well crafted-levels that provide progressive run-and-gun challenges, despite the game's reputation as strictly parkour. The surreal art style and spare ambient score are worth experiencing: there are certainly worse ways to game than solving parkour puzzles in a visually appealing and occasionally spectacular setting. The pacing of the game is occasionally jarring, and the narrative light, but overall the game stands up as a highly-polished and enjoyable genre piece. It's good at what it does, and doesn't take longer than it needs: B+.

Just finished the Carthage military victory. Sometimes the pieces just don't come together. This isn't a bad game, I mean, it's still a Total War title, and it is Imperial Rome. It's just that the ingredients never seem to gel. From the somewhat drab color scheme (seriously, the legionaries armor looks brown), to the uninspiring character portraits, to the progressively tedious gameplay, there's something about Rome II that doesn't spark joy. My Carthage campaign on N/N was a feat of endurance rather than a labor of love. I wanted this game to be an overlooked gem. It's not. Pick it up on sale and prove me wrong. But if you want to actually have fun, pick up Attila (with AoC, preferably) or Warhammer II and knock yourself out. At best B- gaming from a franchise of literal legends.