Your Gaming Diary 2023

[drahkon]

Quick and dirty new thread for 2023.

My first game of the year:

Abzû

Beautiful exploration game (similar to Journey - which is no surprise given it's from the same team). The music is exceptional, too.
Highly recommended if you want to wind down and relax.

And first Platinum of the year goes to:

Seasons after Fall

Enjoyed it, but it was a tad too long, in my opinion.

 

Started playing Devil May Cry 4 in preparation for the sequel which I should be able to pick up next week.
Also been playing Chasm on PSVita but man...it drags when you go for 100% completion. It's a pretty small Metroidvania, but even after a patch it received in 2020 which was supposed to improve backtracking, it's still tedious. This game will take me a while. Only playing 15-20 minutes per day (if at all)

Waiting for my mate to pick up his copy of Far Cry 6 so we can indulge in some good old co-op gaming.

Edit: Speaking of Far Cry 6. Did some stuff alone in order to unlock co-op and this happened:

Spoiler

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by drahkon

[drahkon]

Devil May Cry 4

Oh boy, what an unfinished mess this is.

First the good:

• fighting baddies is awesome - it's Devil May Cry, so it's great
• it doesn't look too bad considering its age
• music is great

Now the bad:

• camera sucks ass - sometimes the walls become your greatest enemies because they block the view
• the audio mix - dialogue is too quite, same goes for music (which sounds a bit weak, too - a shame because there are some cool tracks in this one)

And finally: The ugly, which I'm gonna put in spoilers because I'm gonna talk about the half-way point and the end.

Spoiler

After about half of the missions you switch characters, which is pretty cool, but also kinda sucks because you've just gotten used to playing as Nero and then Dante gets thrown into the mix.

What's so ugly about this? The fact that you backtrack through all previous missions as Dante. And no, dear devs, adding stuff like poison gas and occasional new enemies doesn't miraculously make this good. You also fight the same bosses again.

But that's not even the worst part. No no no. That is the final to last mission...you get to play a fucking dice board game (which you played once) a few times and every time you reach the goal you fight one of the bosses again.

It's a one-and-done game for me, which is a shame as I've played the previous entries of the series a couple of times (except DMC2, since it's supposed to be complete and utter trash and I will never ever play it).

Edited January 5, 2023 by drahkon

[drahkon]

The Solitaire Conspiracy

A wonderful twist on the good old Solitaire mechanics.
The trophy list isn't too challenging, but the countdown mode was pretty intense. Didn't expect my heart to race this much during wave 14

Highly recommended, especially for the current price of 1.19€ (on PSN, not sure about other platforms)

[Dcubed]

Hey hey hey! Take one last look back at 2022 before going any further!

I did a thing.

[drahkon]

Devil May Cry 5

Almost perfect.

It's way better than its predecessor, but having to play as different characters and the fact that Dante's moveset changes slightly at a certain paint takes one point away. Whenever you start to feel comfortable with a character the game just says "nope, time for something else". Sure, that means variety, but in this case I'd have preferred just one character with an expanding arsenal of weapons and moves, not 3.

I really hope that the next game will focus on only one character, but given how this one ends it's highly unlikely.

Still, wonderful game and I'll keep my Vergil playthrough for some other time.

[drahkon]

9 Monkeys of Shaolin

An ok side-scrolling beat 'em up. Nothing more, nothing less

[nekunando]

 

[WackerJr]

Chase: Cold Case Investigations ~Distant Memories~ (3DS)

A download-only game that will be lost after March.  I got this for free years ago through My Nintendo, and I have to say that playing it now I'm so relieved I didn't pay anything for it!

It's an incredibly short visual novel crime mystery where you read a few short interviews between detectives and a few people involved in an explosion a few years prior.  Occasionally you choose an answer to a question, but getting them wrong isn't really punished as a 'Game Over' reverts you to the start of the conversation.

One short case later and that's it.  Where the likes of Phoenix Wright have enigmatic characters, the few here are really devoid of personality.  I despised the lead detective, who spends most of his time shutting down and insulting his colleague, belittling her with comments such as "idiot" and insulting her in front of others.

This was apparently made from some of the Hotel Dusk developers and you can see their fingerprints on it (despite appearances the detective is not Kyle Hyde!), and the writers clearly understand how to write a crime story, but the whole presentation of it and lack of gameplay makes this all feel like a one-hour pilot or a demo to try and create a larger game or series.  Why this was released as an actual game I'm not sure.  

Spoiler

 

 

[Aneres11]

KIRBY AND THE FORGOTTEN LAND 

Bought this just after Christmas. I tried the demo when the game came out and liked it so thought I’d take the plunge. 
 

I’ve never really played a lot of Kirby games in the past. I played the drawing one on DS which I enjoyed, but that’s about it from memory. 
I enjoyed it, but do feel like the game really started to outstay it’s welcome towards the end. I got really fatigued seeing the same mini bosses (and main bosses) again and again and again and it really took the shine off some of the levels when yet again, I had the same boss thrown my way. 
 

The abilities were cool, but I had real issues with the games controls. I thought Kirby’s jump was practically pointless and felt very slow and lethargic. It didn’t really add anything to the game other than let you get back to a ledge if you fell off. But jumping was slow and the abilities Kirby had were often hampered by jumping. The dragon fire one, for example, you activate fire wings and can burst at high speed if you jump and press B. But sometimes I didn’t want to do that. And it often hurtled me off a ledge and knocked chunks off my health. It would have been better as you level the abilities up, to have a different button for the second ‘attack’. The bomb ability another good example. You can’t aim a bomb unless you’re stood still. So if you’re moving even the tiniest bit it’ll just throw a bomb in front. Infuriating. 
 

The levels were all pretty good, no complaints on the settings or level design. I liked some of the star levels but often found myself wanting to smash the controller up because of how annoying they were.   

There’s no way I will be going for a 100% file. I’ve just got to the last boss and done the two lion stages and then lo and behold here we are again with a third boss. Just fucking end already. 
I think I will give it another go and try to properly finish the game, but I’m pretty much done and feel I’ve seen all I need to. 
 

One thing I didn’t love is that the abilities (whilst able to be powered up) didn’t really add any additional game play elements. They just increased the power of Kirby’s attack, which was welcome later on, but I’d have liked to have seen more locked down paths in levels that needed specific improved abilities to open up. Alas never happened, so I often sought out the ability I enjoyed using the most rather than use whatever was available in the level. 
 

Sounds like I’m hating on the game, but I did enjoy it. I just found it a bit of a slog towards the end and a little bit devoid of ambition. 
Onto the next! 

[Jonnas]

On 15/01/2023 at 9:42 AM, WackerJr said:

the whole presentation of it and lack of gameplay makes this all feel like a one-hour pilot or a demo to try and create a larger game or series.

I felt the same way, back when I played it. It's a shame, I was actually enjoying the gritty crime drama with the rough detective, but it clearly wasn't a full game.

[Cube]

Ghost of Tsushima

I loved to to the point that I explored the map to find everything. Combat was a lot of fun and the story was fun (even if some moments made no sense). The game looks absolutely beautiful and the setting is wonderful. 

[WackerJr]

It Takes Two (played on PS5)

I played this through with my wife and really enjoyed it!

It initially seemed a questionable decision to put ourselves in the shoes as a bickering couple who are getting a divorce, but thankfully it all ended well and we're still together!

The fantasy scenario where the main characters are shrunk down and objects in the house take on anthropomorphic forms isn't new, but allows for a lot of very creative levels.  I liked that there was a lot of variety in this adventure game.  One minute you might be playing as a typical 3D platformer, the next you're both given a different type of gun, then a racing game, then an on-rails shooter, etc.  Each level boasts it's own gameplay style and while a couple last maybe a little too long, the variety and way it works in the need to play cooperatively really helps the game.

I thought they did a good job of making the boss battles seem harder than they were.  Lots of elements would be thrown at you to make players panic, but when you understood what to do then most seemed intense, but were easier (although not easy mind!) then they initially appeared.

The length was about right, and I know there are the obvious restrictions of being forced to play with another person, but I wish there were more couch co-op games adventure games like this.

Spoiler

 

 

Edited February 7, 2023 by WackerJr
Additional blank rows removed.

[Jimbob]

Might have taken me 5 years (with my last save file from 2020 (i've got a seriously bad habit of starting games, putting them down and forgetting about it for a long time)), but can safely say i've beaten The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Switch.  Would say i've done everything, but there are some side quests left and plenty of Korok seeds.  But done the main (including all 4 Divine Beasts), plenty of side missions, the Trial of Sword, Ballard of Champions and a fair portion of Shrines

[Julius]

Right, while I still want to catch up on last year's diary in some form or another, figured it was a good idea to start off with what's fresh in my mind and kick off my 2023 diary. 

But before I dive into that - while probably a month or so late to ask! - does anyone else have any 2023 gaming resolutions? I think I've narrowed mine down to three core resolutions. 

1. To buy fewer games at launch by being more purposeful with my purchases. I have a stupidly long backlog of games, an ungodly number of them taking up space on my shelves, and barely enough time to truly make a dent in those...and the pile of games in my backlog continues to grow when I pick up games at launch that I have every intent to play, but ultimately end up steering away from, for one reason or another. There's an edge of guilt to some of these purchases as a result, but perhaps worse than that, it's probably one of the few corners of my spending where I would stand to save quite a bit if I was either more patient about picking these games up or avoided picking them up for the sake of doing so altogether. So, my general rule of thumb for buying at launch in 2023 is that if I buy a game at launch, I am committing to playing that game next. 

2. To make a reasonable dent in my backlog. I spent about an hour a few weeks ago going through all of the physical games on my shelf I have yet to start (or, in one or two cases, complete), and not wanting to plan my own demise by committing to getting through 50+ games on my shelf this year, my aim is going to be to put as much of a dent as I can in what I am considering my "priority backlog" - 26 games I want to get through most this year, which on average would mean completing a game every other week if I did get through all of them (...if I started in Jan, starting in Feb kind of mucks the numbers up a bit, but you get the idea). Now, to be very clear for my future self here: the aim is not to get through all 26 of these games in 2023, nor does it mean I can't pick up new games I desire enough to play at launch (as outlined above) or that I can't play other games I own physically if I'm in the mood for them (feel like this could apply to sequels of games in the list in particular), and this is only a collection of physical games - there are no doubt games I own digitally that I'll want to check out at some point this year too; no, the aim is simply to come back to this "priority backlog" and put as much of a dent in it as I can. 

To help visualise this - and potential spoilers for what I plan to play this year, in a way? - here are the 26 games I have in my priority backlog:

Spoiler

1. inFamous
2. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
3. Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
4. Puppeteer
5. Resistance: Fall of Man
6. Bloodborne (+ Old Hunters DLC)
7. Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss DLC
8. Final Fantasy X
9. Final Fantasy XV
10. Gravity Rush Remastered
11. Yakuza: Like A Dragon (note: got about 30 hours into this last year, but still got a long way to go once I pick it back up!)
12. Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes
13. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
14. NieR Replicant Ver 1.whatever
15. Ni No Kuni
16. The Last Guardian
17. Lost Judgment
18. resident evil 4 Wii Edition (why is RE in lower case on the case? Anywho...)
19. Super Mario Galaxy 2
20. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
21. Super Mario Odyssey
22. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019)
23. Dragon Quest IV: The Chapters of The Chosen
24. Dragon Quest V: The Hand of The Heavenly Bride
25. Metroid: Samus Returns
26. Pokémon White 2 (got two hours into this at the start of COVID lockdowns in March 2020...before it was swiftly dropped in favour of Final Fantasy VI)

3. To post in the Gaming Diary thread more frequently. Look, I love writing about and talking about games, and while last year was a bit of a wild one for me personally where I needed to take a break, my aim this year is to provide frequent updates in this thread about what I've been playing. How frequent? No clue! And no doubt there'll be asymmetrical gaps between posts depending on game length, what I'm busy with in my personal life (or not, in some cases - I'm actually going on holiday this year!), and I'm sure plenty of other unknowns too, but this is my aim. This is a place I love to post, and games are a passion and interest of mine, so I'm going to try my damned best to stick at it. Thinking back to earlier posts I've made in previous threads and I think I set a high bar for myself with some of my favourite write-ups (namely Chrono Trigger, Metal Gear Solid 2, Suikoden, and Suikoden II), and I think I somehow internalised some pressure over this and felt a need to take excessive notes when playing, planning to write War and Peace for every game I played, when sometimes the flow to my writing isn't there, or sometimes there simply isn't that much to say, which resulted in procrastinating, which meant burdening myself with totally unnecessary stress and in a lot of cases just not posting in here - in recognising that it's okay to not write my magnum opus each time, while I'm sure there'll be a handful of games this year I truly want to dive deep into when talking about them in this thread, I'm also not going to hold myself to any real standard other than being honest and purposeful with what I have to say about the games I play this year. 

And now, with that all out of the way - and hopefully inviting some people to talk about their own 2023 gaming resolutions, or come up with ones to commit to if they haven't already! - it's time to dive into talking about the first game I completed in 2023. 

 

Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss | 2012

So, while I completed Dark Souls for the first time back in 2021 - a gruelling but awesome second dive into a modern From Software title, after playing through Demon's Souls in 2020 - I was more than done with my playthrough by the time I was ready to face off against the game's final boss and roll credits. I kept a manual save of my character - a pretty standard sword-and-board, STR/VIT-focused melee build fella - resting at Firelink Shrine prior to the final fight, with my intention to come back to complete the game's DLC as and when I pleased. 

Diving back in, I walked around a bit before heading over to the start of the DLC - with items I'd gathered and interactions I'd already triggered during my playthrough, thankfully, because boy is accessing this DLC anything but straightforward! - and quickly found that I was very much overlevelled and over-equipped for the DLC. What level did I think I was? Late 60s, maybe early 70s. What level was I actually? 91  that, combined with me having a Black Knight Halberd+5 to hand (a notoriously strong weapon in the game which requires a bit of RNG good fortune and is normally what you'll see in the game's fastest speedruns) meant that the DLC was, both fortunately and unfortunately, a relative breeze: I could tank pretty much any attack thrown my way, and hit back much harder. That's not to say it was easy, mind, as I died a few times to standard enemies out in the world. For those wondering how I fared with the bosses? Sanctuary Guardian I beat on my first try; the titular Artorias I beat on my fourth try; Kalameet I beat on my first try; and Manus I beat on my sixth try. 

Now, despite this being a relative stepdown in challenge from what I expected going in and compared with my experience of a solid chunk of the main game, Artorias of the Abyss is a fantastic piece of DLC.

All four of the boss fights feel so unique when contrasted with the boss fights in the main game, and the titular Artorias is, in my opinion, the standout, with a frantic and almost savage-like moveset which sees him wailing on you again and again, flipping and leaping around you, a massive change-up from the main game considering that after going back to this game following my time with Elden Ring last year...Dark Souls is SLOW, and Artorias is anything but. His music throughout the boss fight, the way he's introduced - both hinted at in the main game but also his introductory cutscene ahead of his boss fight here - and the way the game pays off besting this legendary knight really made it a fight that's hard to forget. 

Further yet, exploring Oolacile, a land being swallowed by the darkness emanating from Manus below, is just brilliant. In terms of size and structure, this DLC felt like a much larger and enhanced take on the Painted World of Ariamis, in both how it is separate from the main game, but also just how much it brilliantly builds its own atmosphere and lore, as well as feeling like something of a soft reset in terms of what you should expect from this game. The level design is brilliant here, because while it's maybe not as vast, twisting and far-reaching as it is in the main game, there are plenty of shortcuts, hidden characters and experiences, and great enemy compositions to face here. 

My greatest bit of praise for this DLC is that I regret not playing it alongside the main game in 2021; if you haven't played Dark Souls yet - well, firstly, what are you doing?! - this DLC is must-play as far as I'm concerned, just as much as the main game itself. 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Julius

[drahkon]

5 hours ago, Julius said:

does anyone else have any 2023 gaming resolutions?

Only one: Stay thrifty with gaming. Last year I "only" spent 175€ on gaming (most if which was for the PS+ sub) and this year I'll try not to exceed that number by much.
I'm already at 115€ not even two months in, though, (another year of PS+ Premium has been purchased ) and there are some games on the horizon that I will most likely buy, so I'll definitely spend more this year. However, staying below 250€ might be possible.

5 hours ago, Julius said:

To make a reasonable dent in my backlog.

I tried this last year, but felt at times that gaming has become an "obligation". "You have to finish a game from your backlog now!".
Took a bit of enjoyment out of my hobby, which is why I decided to stop doing that This year it's all about: "Look at your collection, see if you want to play a game, try it and either play it if it's fun or stop and forget about it forever".

5 hours ago, Julius said:

To post in the Gaming Diary thread more frequently.

Looking forward to it Always love reading your posts

This is the thread I'll most likely stick to in general when it comes to posting stuff.
The other console forums have become a miserable place where positive discussions are rarely possible (which is why I took a break from this place for a month) and Nintendo's offerings don't interest me (latest direct was pretty boring for me) so the gaming diary has to make due.

[Jonnas]

Real life events have drastically reduced my gaming time. Not sure what kind of gaming resolution I'd like to make for 2023, honestly, beyond "buy very few games".

Ok, I have one: there are 2023 games I'm excited about. If I do buy them, I'll play them. Maybe I can get my rhythm back if I commit to that.

[Dcubed]

I guess if I have a resolution to make this year, it's to finally get through at least some of the lengthy RPGs that are stuffing up my backlog.  It was only really around the middle of last year that I managed to get myself playing RPGs again (after being left sick of them for so long), but I finally played through Octopath Traveller and FE Shadows of Valentia at least, and am currently tackling Xenoblade 2 at long last (Probably about 1/3 of the way through thus far).

Of course, there's plenty more still on the back-burner.  Including Bravely Default, Bravely Second, Bravely Default 2, Octopath Traveller 2, Triangle Strategy, Live A Live, Fire Emblem Engage, Fire Emblem Fates Special Edition (Oh God, that's THREE games in one; PLUS DLC!?), Lunar 1 & 2 (Both SEGA CD and PS1 Remake versions!), Fire Emblem Three Houses (Honestly don't really want to play this one...), Final Fantasy 7 Remake (@Glen-i is currently doing the honours for that one right now), Xenoblade 3 (Can't play until I've finished Xenoblade 2 though... that's honestly what's keeping me going with XB2 right now lol), and I'm sure there's a few others I'm forgetting.

These RPGs are all just so damn long though! (Ok, maybe not the Lunar games.  They'll probably come next after I beat XB2 actually!)

[Jimbob]

On 10/02/2023 at 2:48 AM, Julius said:

But before I dive into that - while probably a month or so late to ask! - does anyone else have any 2023 gaming resolutions? I think I've narrowed mine down to three core resolutions. 

Two resolutions.

1. Try to buy less games at launch.

I guess this will be an ongoing debate.  So far, i've only bought 1 game being Hogwarts Legacy.  Been considering getting the Metroid Prime Remake, but that'll depend on how my next resolution goes.

2. Clear through my extensive backlog

With this one, i can add two more games cleared.  Yoshi's Crafted World and Link's Awakening (2019).  The plan is to clear a few games off before buying any others.  There will be some exceptions, for example Tears of the Kingdom is a cert purchase.

[nekunando]

 

 

[drahkon]

Haven't played a lot these past few weeks thanks to some troubles.

Managed to finish a few quick ones in January and February:

• Crown Trick
• Vampire Survivors: Legacy of Moonspell DLC
• Super Stardust Portable
• No Thing
• YS VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (not really a "quick" one, but I rushed through it - not worth the time, in case you're thinking about giving it a go)
• Dungeon Top
• Streets of Rogue

So far in March it's only been:

• Outriders
• Roguebook

Didn't expect to enjoy Outriders as much as I did. It's quite repetitive but you eventually become pretty powerful and the shooting + skills are very satisfying. Currently playing this again with a mate and it's even more fun in coop.

Roguebook is a lovely deck-building roguelite. But, just as many other games of that genre, it suffers from horrible controls. It seems only Slay the Spire managed to get it right on consoles.

Besides the coop run through Outriders I'm playing Monster Hunter: Rise. The village quests have been piss easy so far, which is quite disappointing. Gonna leave the hub quests for some coop sessions when a mate finds some more free time.
I'm enjoying the game, but Monster Hunter World is much better.

Hoping to get into a gaming groove again. Once I'm done with the village quests in MH:R I'm going to give Scarlet Nexus a go.

[Jimbob]

Working through my backlog still.

With that said, i can tick Death Stranding off that list.  A game made by the great Hideo Kojima, it's definitely got the weird and the wonderful all encapsulated into one showcase.  Interesting story, once it got going.  Didn't fully understand it going in, nor still do I fully understand it now.

Over my adventures of Postal Delivery with Norman Reedus, I left the world a little easier to get around at least for other players.  That's one good feature of this game, and one that is optional as well.

There's still bits to do, but I think I'll leave it for now

 

 

[Glen-i]

I really should write about the handful of games I finished off last year, but I can't be bothered. Xenoblade 3 was my GOTY then, followed by Bayonetta 3.

I'll start this post by listing off Metroid Fusion, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, WarioWare inc: Mega Microgames, and The Legend of Zelda: Minish Cap courtesy of the NSO Expansion Pack. All great games that I've no doubt talked about before.

Today, I want to talk about...

Pepsiman 2 Uh, I mean, Fire Emblem Engage is a strategy RPG and the latest Fire Emblem game. It released back in January and is developed by Intelligent Systems.

The game follows Alear (Who I renamed PepsiBoy, because, I mean, come on, if you're gonna give your main character that hair, I'm not gonna take him seriously), a Divine Dragon who has just woken up from a 1,000 year nap, only to find the continent of Elyos is under attack by the forces of the Fell Dragon, Sombron, that half-dragon, half-cobra dude in the pic above (No joke, that's one of the coolest dragon concepts this series has come up with). Alear is tasked with taking his very small army on a quest to gather the Emblem Rings, pieces of bling that allow Divine and Fell Dragons to summon Emblems, recreations of heroes from previous Fire Emblem games, such as Marth and Lyn.

The story is well, a bit rubbish, it basically boils down to "Evil Dragon bad, go stab". If you were going in expecting political intrigue like in Three Houses, you won't find it here, do yourself a favour and play Triangle Strategy instead. If you're here for some solid gameplay though, then look no further. The Emblems allow for some great mix and matching with the various roles characters will have along the way. They may seem overpowered at first, but as you progress, you'll soon realise that you really need these bits of jewelery, as the odds are supremely stacked against you later on. So much so, that my scrub self lowered the difficutly to Normal half way through (Appreciate the option being there)

I mean, really!?

Anyway, that video above shows the Break mechanic. When you initiate an attack with a weapon that has an advantage over the enemy weapon, you "break" them. This means that they can't counterattack against the next unit that attacks them, which can be devastating, so you need to be really careful with who you send to the front lines, especially if you have permadeath mode on.

In between battles, you have the option to explore the Somniel, you can talk to the units you've recruited, give them gifts, go fishing, etc. It's a stripped down version of what Three Houses did, but not mandatory like it was in that game. The social aspect is suitably stripped down as well, which is what turned me off from Three Houses. I want to play Fire Emblem, not Persona.

Game looks gorgeous, if you haven't noticed already. It's bright and colourful, a great game to christen the Switch OLED I got for Christmas. The music is noticably a step up too. The Solm battle music is a particular favourite of mine.

All in all, a very enjoyable FE game. Probably my second favourite after Shadows of Valentia. There's still the extra campaign that the DLC promises, so I'll be revisiting this at some point.

Spoiler

Fire Emblem Engage
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgames
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Metroid Fusion

 

Edited March 23, 2023 by Glen-i

[Ike]

I got hit with a 8% hit rate twice in a row. But can I hit a single 83% chance? No.

[Jimbob]

Two more games completed this past week.

A Memoir Blue - Short and sweet interactive poem-esq game (about an hour to play through 1st time).  Recommended by some, so thought i'd give it a go before it left Gamepass.

Gears of War 4 - Been on my Gamepass list for a while.  More of what makes Gears as it is, with some nice additions.  I did notice though that it seemed to end abruptly, was expecting another chapter or two.

 

[Glen-i]

Add Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins to my list of games I recently beat on NSO, but have no desire to talk about again.

I was gonna write up about Octopath Traveler II this week, but then something far more important got shadowdropped.

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog is a visual novel that, at the time of writing, got released just a few hours ago to coincide with April Fool's Day. The thing is, it's completely real and free on Steam right now.

You play as a random civilian in the world of Sonic who just scored a gig working on a luxury train that caters events for customers and such. It's your first day, and you'll be helping to staff a birthday party for one Amy Rose, and 8 of her friends. They're celebrating her birthday by playing a murder mystery game. Something goes wrong though, and well...

And here I thought nothing could off him after Sonic '06

Your job is to find out what the hell happened by gathering evidence, and interrogating everyone on the train to whittle down the possibilities.

Suffice to say, the concept of the whole ridiculous affair is played for laughs, and it's very well written. There are some good running jokes, and it is a joy to see a more text based adventure with Sonic characters that isn't trapped in a certain RPG that I despise to my very core. There's quite a number of references for you Sonic nerds out there, and a couple of wider Sega IP nods as well. One particular joke was so "funny because it's true", it was actually painful.
Plus, Vector the Crocodile is quite prominent in this, and we all know the quality of a Sonic game can be reliably measured by how much he features in it.

The game plays quite similarly to the investigation sections in Ace Attorney games, as you click your way around the place looking for clues and chatting to Sonic's friends to slowly piece together what finished off the blue blur.
Instead of courtroom scenes, you're presented with auto running style gameplay now and again, much in the vein of the Special Stages that are quite prominent in old school Sonic games. It's a decent little pace changer from the copious amounts of reading you will have to do, but if that's not your thing, there are accessibility options to make these sections easier.

Finally, someone has made tracks to bring Omochao to justice!

The visuals are great. The game sports a hand drawn art style, and time has proven that Sonic looks great when hand drawn. The soundtrack is pretty good too, but then again, it's a Sonic game, good soundtracks are pretty common here.

It's sounds like a such a dumb joke, and well, it is. But the real punchline is that, it's actually quite decent! It likely has no right to be this good, but I would pay good money for a more fleshed out game in this style. It's on Steam, it's around 2 hours long, and more importantly, it's free. Give it a go.

Sega really has knocked their April Fool's prank out of the park. Everyone else is going to be hard pressed to top this.

Spoiler

Fire Emblem Engage
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgames
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Metroid Fusion
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
The Murder of Sonic The Hedgehog

 

Edited March 31, 2023 by Glen-i