QUARTERLY FAVES: 2024 Q1 GAME PICKS
- BEARD + CURLS GAMING
- Mar 31, 2024
- 14 min read
The games we've been coming back to from January-March.
MAR 31, 2024
We are back to talk about the games we have been enjoying this quarter. These are the games we kept reaching for between the months of January - March for various reasons, but typically because we can't get enough of them. While we have still been heavily playing Destiny 2, we did explore another Co-Op game this quarter, so let's dive into that first, shall we?
CO-OP TOP PICK
DIABLO IV (PS5)
WERE WE TOO 'BLOOD DRUNK' TO START ON WORLD TIER II
Diablo…the first time we played this dungeon crawler by Blizzard Entertainment, we were hooked on Diablo III - entangled in the endless loot and adventure that our play-through provided. Some time later and we now find ourselves diving back into the series with Diablo IV, the same new thrill of the game hitting us like a wave.
OVERALL GAMEPLAY MECHANICS
With a nice long break from Diablo for a few years, diving back into dungeon crawling feels fresh and well-paced. Diablo IV is more of the same of the Diablo we already know and love, with more quality of life improvements than ever before - things that just make sense. What could improve from the last? Inventory and loot drops for one - each player in multiplayer is assigned labeled armor and/or weapons found in the world, and regardless of which player picks up the item, that item will be placed into the correct player’s inventory. Genius! We cannot remember how many times this was a struggle in the previous title. Time after time, we would have to review our inventories to trade items that belonged to the other. This one small change solves all of this. It is the small things like the item pickup rework that end up making for a smoother gameplay experience.
Nothing is perfect, however. Upon hearing the stale, computerized voice reading every text item on screen, we immediately disabled it along with a few other minor texts. Needless to say, we were very happy to see that this was adjustable fairly early on in the game. We have noticed a jarring menu interruption happens when certain items are investigated or when one player speaks to an NPC, but this has not been too disruptive for us.
One major complaint that Victoria has had, and we discovered that she was not alone in this complaint, is the fact that there seems to be a delay upon reviving another player. To revive a player, one must hold "x", and the circle around the "x" prompt on the screen starts to fill. Once full, you would think that you completed it, and the character has now been revived. This is not a new game mechanic. Many games incorporate this concept. However, Diablo IV has apparently decided to add a little spice. One must hold the "x" button even longer because apparently the revive bar filling in the circle means nothing.
All in all, this game has one big thing we’ve always wanted in a cooperative dungeon crawling adventure- flawless transition to the character menu without lagging the other player mid-action. The menu navigation and opening is ridiculously smooth- definitely something we expect from a game like this, and Blizzard nailed it.
OUR GAMEPLAY
Zach decided to try out the Druid, a character class not available in Diablo III, and Victoria decided to return to the Sorcerer. While there may have been a slight bump in the road when Zach realized he may have spread his skills a little too thin at first, we have been enjoying our classes and the skills we have learned along the way. Thankfully, players have the option to refund all spent skill points at a gold cost - which means, players can change up their play style throughout the game. Zach was able to make use of this and restructure his build.
Now, we are not new to the world of Diablo, nor to dungeon crawlers. So, we said to ourselves, "let's do World Tier II to start." Spider boss, Broodguard, on World Tier II at the beginning of the game completely kicked us to the can and back, several times. You read that right. Several times because we ain't no quitters. That is, until Zach's frustration levels start to peak, and Victoria finally caves. So, we are not too embarrassed to say that we had to take that world tier down to World Tier I for a more manageable experience to start.
It seems like the game does not give any space for new characters to perform well in World Tier II or above. The later tiers offer greater loot and greater chances of obtaining legendary gear, but boy does it lay the difficulty on thick! There were other players suggesting to complete the main campaign of the game on World Tier I in order to get higher level gear before switching to World Tier II and going back to complete the dungeons. We did try this approach, but that was short lived because it sucked all the fun out of the game for us.
We have now been playing at a much easier going pace since switching tiers, and the bosses are actually taking appropriate amounts of damage and time to defeat! The bosses at a higher world tier with the low level gear we had to start with was painstakingly difficult, and the time it would take to attempt the victory that inevitably ended in failure became such a source of frustration, for Zach in particular. Do you ever feel like spicy food is SO spicy that you can’t actually enjoy a flavor? When content in a game is such a difficult hill to climb, with no hope of succeeding (especially with new characters with skills that make you feel as though you are shooting a boss with a water gun), gaming has lost its fun factor.
We enjoy a challenge. We are huge fans of FromSoftware games such as Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. A teeth grinding frustration when dealing with a tricky boss is understandable. At a certain point though, you either have to throw in the towel and play another time, or continue on if the game offers adjustable difficulty. The choice to switch the difficulty when we had hardly any skills and few choices of gear was a wise one. As our characters have leveled up and gained substantial abilities and gear, we feel more confident about tackling that second world tier again, with a vengeance!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, we have been enjoying Diablo IV. Gameplay is everything we had expected from a Diablo game, and more. All of the smaller quality of life changes with multiplayer have really affected our overall experience with the game in the best of ways! If you are someone who enjoys a grand adventure with a decent amount of story detail, insane amounts of dungeon crawling, and obtaining sweet loot - this game is for you! Try it out, and let us know what you think of Blizzard’s latest title in the Diablo series of games.
ZACH'S TOP PICK
FINAL FANTASY X (PS3)
A LONG TIME COMING
I did it! I can finally say that I have completed a game that has been lingering since my Playstation 2 early days. Final Fantasy X is a long and exciting journey through the world of Spira as a lost character from a past era that joins a group of guardians. These guardians have a duty - to help their Summoner along on his/her pilgrimage to temples around Spira. Each temple houses an Aeon - which is protected by a trial that tests the groups abilities to prove themselves worthy of the Aon’s assistance.
Every Aeon obtained will allow Yuna, the Summoner that is protected by this guardian group, to summon these powerful beings in battle to aid the Summoner due to her lack of offensive ability. The ultimate goal for every Summoner is to complete their pilgrimage to obtain enough Aons to defeat Sin - the most powerful fiend in the land of Spira. Vanquish Sin, and the land of Spira will enter a time of peace referred to as a “Calm”.
There is so much more to this game. The characters, their story, and the world of Spira offer a look at a different world than our own. Although the game is a work of fiction - the themes found within it are very relatable to moments in life such as purpose, doubt and redemption. It’s been a pleasure, Final Fantasy X, you have inspired me to reach for more games, not just for their gameplay, but also for their rich storytelling.
VICTORIA'S TOP PICK
NI NO KUNI II (PS4)
DOES IT CAPTIVATE ME LIKE THE FIRST
I am finally returning to the world of Ni No Kuni. A world I fell in love with back in 2018, or maybe 2019. Since beating the first game, I have been wanting to return to it in order to Platinum the game, if that gives you any clue as to how much I loved it. Now, at the beginning of 2024, I decided to finally dive back into this world, but this time in the second game. To say that I was looking forward to returning to a game world that I had fallen in love with due to the heavy influence of Studio Ghibli’s art style and had felt connected to the characters solely because of the storytelling would be an understatement.
My excitement to return to the kingdom of Ding Dong Dell was very short-lived as it was under attack and my character was forced to flee. I know NNKII takes place hundreds of years after the first game, and I am trying to keep in mind that I am only around 15 hours into the game. However, I am still waiting to see if there are any other connections to the previous game aside from the reference of Ding Dong Dell and the fact that Evan is a descendant of King Tom. The familiars from NNKI have seemingly disappeared from this world, replaced by Higgledies. There are now the additions of Kingmakers, and the Kingmaker Evan gets after escaping Ding Dong Dell seems to be similar to the fairies from NNKI. Is he a fairy?
After fleeing Ding Dong Dell, I was thrown into the overworld. Let’s just say, I was not quite ready for what I was about to see. As an artist myself and as one who adores Studio Ghibli’s art, in my opinion NNKII is lacking the spark that NNKI gave me. Nino Kuni I’s overworld was infused with a style that was more reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, whereas Ni No Kuni 2’s overworld seems to rely more on the standard digitization and rendering you see in many games.
Ni No Kunni II Overwold (left) compaired to Ni No Kuni I Overwold (right)
Where has the magic that was found in the art of Ni No Kuni I gone? It can only be found in certain cutscenes, but even those feel different from the first as everything feels more like 3D animation instead of 2D.
Evan from Ni No Kunni II (left) compaired to Oliver from Ni No Kuni I (right). Both are amazing, but feel very different.
At this point in the game, I am struggling to feel as connected with the characters as I did in the first. Are the characters and the storyline from the first just more memorable? I guess I will have to wait and find out. Right now, the story seems to be lacking. Roland seemed to easily accept the fact that he was pulled into another world - did he not have family or friends that he cares about getting back to? Does he think he is just having some crazy dream so he might as well let it play out? He’s an adult - an individual who happened to be the President back in the “real” world. I feel like any adult would be freaking out about the fact that they are in a completely different world - a world where there are cats and dogs and other creatures that are human-like that can talk and fight the monsters in this world, aside from the fact that magic exists here. And Evan seemed highly trusting of Roland after having experienced a coup in his kingdom and the murder of his father by his father’s trusted advisor. And don’t get me started on how Lofty seems to be devoid of personality and humor right now. Here’s to hoping that story gets better the more the game progresses.
GAMEPLAY
Here’s the thing, I don’t always like change. I know change is necessary, and I know that we all change as we go through life. I am fine with game changes that are a quality of life improvement, such as the Diablo IV change of item pickups or how Destiny 2 made the change of armor being a specific subclass. I can get behind those changes. I can get behind the change of the combat style in Ni No Kuni II not being as heavily reliant on MP in combat. But when a game completely changes an aspect, such as how Kingdom Hearts II adds in the aspect of Sora having specific suits that do specific things or how Tiny Tina’s Wonderland felt so different in play style from Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon’s Keep, I tend to struggle to enjoy the change. Which leads me into the aspect of skirmishes in Ni No Kuni II. I hate them. They irk me. Why? Just, why? They don’t seem to serve much of a purpose in driving the storyline. Skirmishes feel like a mechanic that you would see used in a mobile app game and feels rather gimmicky. I’m not here for it.
The change in how combat went from being heavily focused on MP in Ni No Kuni I with Oliver really only being able to use magic to then in Ni No Kuni II, Evan being able to use a sword for close combat and magic for range combat was huge. Zach immediately noticed the difference in the gameplay when he came home from work on the night that I decided to boot this game up. His first question was, “Is the combat style different?” The combat style in NNKI was a drag for Zach, but NNKII combat intrigued him with first impressions. The way combat works in NNKII feels smoother, more natural, and dare I say, easier than in NNKI; so much so that I increased the difficulty level early on because it was way too easy.
If I could take the combat style from NNKII, minus the skirmishes, and merge it with NNKI, I would do it at the drop of a hat. Maybe the world isn’t ready for that though. Maybe it would make Ni No Kuni I too amazing for this world to handle.
I know it sounds like I am simply bashing Ni No Kuni II. All of this is not to say that Ni No Kuni II isn’t a great game and that it’s not worth playing. I do believe that it’s a game worth playing. I simply don’t see this game capturing my love the same way that Ni No Kuni I did.
RETRO GAME TOP PICK
GOLDEN SUN (SWITCH)
A HIGHLY ANTICIPATED RERELEASE OF A TIMELESS CLASSIC
The day has finally arrived. What Nintendo promised players in 2023, finally came to fruition on January 17th, 2024. I predicted that the delay could only mean one thing-Nintendo realized that we cannot do with just the first title in the pair, that the only way to handle this delay was to release both Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age simultaneously. I could not be happier to be correct in this prediction, because as soon as I am done tearing through the first game, I will most definitely be hungry for the second.
Golden Sun along with its sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age, have a very special place in my memory as a gamer. Growing up with the Gameboy Advance handheld system plaus a huge factor in my gaming experience today. It just so happens that the characters in the game are all going through adolescence just as I and all of my friends were at the time. With so many fond memories of this game, I can go on and on and on, and on. But with this first title I would like to expand upon one aspect of the games - the turn based role-playing element; and also how this influenced me to try games of a similar profile.
You see, there are many turn-based RPGS (Role-playing games) out there, but none capture the essence that Golden Sun brings to the table. Djinn and Psynergy are two elements that are vital to the success of the player as they travel their band of young heroes across the continent. Djinn are the product of a catastrophic volcano eruption in Sol Sanctum, which resides near a village called Vale where our heroes hale from. In this sanctum, there are four elemental stars scattered throughout a vast opening of volcanic space. Not to spoil the story too much here - the stars are stolen and the volcano unleashes the Psynergy that was stored within, which is what the stars are protecting. All of the released spiritual energy disperses into the world, enraging monsters and awakening psynergistic abilities alike. Djinn are curious little creatures that are found throughout the land that the players can obtain through battle, puzzle, or a simple encounter. Djinn are powerful beings - each one obtained will provide more Psynergy spells to each character and form a bond with those characters.
The more the player uses the Djinn, the stronger they become, and the role playing elements become wild as combining the four elements (Mars-Fire, Jupiter- Wind, Mercury- Water, and Venus- Earth) will produce various classes that can be assigned to the characters. With characters having unique sets of Psynergy that not only unleash the power of Psynergy but also the power of the Djinn, each one has its own ability that can dish out serious damage, heal the party, or inflict status ailments on the enemy! What's more? Well, each Djinn used in battle will go into a rest period called "standby" mode. When Djinn are in standby, the player can use a unique battle move called "summon." Summoning will bring to the battle some seriously hard hitting entities, and the more Djinn that are in Standby means many more and more powerful summons that can decimate foes, which is really handy in a pinch against a tough boss! With three unique methods of dishing out damage, this game was my first RPG that introduced me to a greater amount of strategy within the turn based gameplay.
If you are interested in trying out a role playing game, or diving into this genre, there is honestly no better way to have the first dive be with Golden Sun.
TABLETOP GAME TOP PICK
LOST CITIES
WHO KNEW DISCOVERING LOST CITIES COULD BE SO FUN
We received this game as a Christmas gift, and Victoria immediately fell in love with this two player card game. At a time when the beginning of the year was hectic with traveling and long lists of to-do’s, this quick and easy to play game was a breath of fresh air. We could easily squeeze in a round or two in the morning while enjoying our coffee.
The game can easily be played within 10-15 minutes, making this an ideal two-player game when you are short on time. Easy to set up and easy to learn. Think along the lines of solitaire, but with two players, and you don’t need every card in a suit.
In Lost Cities: The Card Game, players are competing to gain the most points at the end of archaeological expeditions. How do you start an expedition? It’s simple. You play a card matching the suit of that expedition on your side of the board. Cards must be played in ascending order, but not consecutively. You could play a 2 then play a 5. You just can’t play the 3 or 4 after playing the 5. Each turn, a player must play a card from their hand. The player can either play a card to it’s matching suit expedition or to it’s matching suit discard pile. Then the player must draw a card either from the draw pile or from any of the suits’ discard piles. However, you cannot pick up a card you just discarded this round. The game ends when the draw pile runs out, at which point you tally up all your expedition points to see who won.
Sometimes we each would start expeditions in different suits, while other games we would be competing in a few of the same suits, waiting to see who would reign triumphant in that expedition by the end. This game relies a lot on the luck of the draw for the cards you are given, but that doesn’t mean the game lacks strategy. There were a few times where Victoria would strategize picking up cards from the discard pile instead of the draw pile towards the end of the game in order to get some of the higher value cards she had in her hand played to her expeditions. Other times, we would see that the other player was working on a specific expedition, and we would hold on to the cards we had of that suit so the other player wouldn’t be able to use them. Some of you might be thinking that doing that is way too mean, but we had fun.
If you are looking for a two-player game that doesn’t take up too much space, is easy to learn, is quick to play, and sometimes surprises you on who the actual winner is at the end - then you should add this game to your list of games to play.
So there you have it - the games we have been busy playing this first quarter of 2024. How many of these games have you played? What game(s) have been your go-to games lately? Let us know in the comments.
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