Month: January 2017

2016 was… Difficult. I won’t go into detail here, I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing about how terrible and dreadful and no-good the last year was, so suffice to say, the tragic death of a beloved gorilla was the least bad thing that happened in the last 365 days. But hey, on the plus side, at least we got some pretty damn good retro games! The retro renaissance may have passed, but that still doesn’t mean we’re not going to get some titles which truly channel the spirit of the past or give modern concepts that good old 90s spin! I played a lot of retro-style games in 2016, and unfortunately a lot that I really liked (such as “Crypt of the NecroDancer” and “Darkest Dungeon”) didn’t quite make the cut, for one reason or another, but the three that I ended up picking are utterly fantastic! They’re classics such as:

3. Salt & Sanctuary

You love “Dark Souls”, right? Of course you do, who doesn’t like “Dark Souls”? Well, have you ever looked at “Dark Souls” and said to yourself “Hmm, yeah, I mean, this is pretty great, but you know what would make it better? If it was in 2D, with retro pixel graphics”? Well, the guys over at Ska Studios definitely did, and bless them for it! This game is often referred to on the Internet as a 2D “Dark Souls”, but its unique perspective provides a completely different style of gameplay which requires you to think in a very new way. And sure, it also has its fair share of challenges (the absence of a map, while not that noticeable in “Dark Souls”, can be very confusing in “Salt & Sanctuary” because of the lack of reference points), but honestly, if you like the brutal hack & slash series, you’ll like its 2D iteration too, and if for some completely unexplainable reason you don’t, then maybe all you need is a change of perspective!

2. Mother Russia Bleeds

I love this game. I love this game. I grew up on 2D brawlers like “Golden Axe”, “Streets of Rage” and “Maximum Carnage”, and as some of you may know, one of my most favorite games of all time is “Hotline Miami”, which I’m always ready to talk to you about. So the guys at “La Cartel Studios” were like “Screw it, let’s just combine these two and make all of Oliver the Retro Guy’s dreams come true!” And boy, am I glad they did. The game is exactly as awesome as it sounds! It’s delightfully messed up, with creepy, twisted and violent visuals that are able to remain dark while still being completely over the top. Its controls are tight and responsive, and when you die it’s always your own fault, not to mention the awesome new “Nekro” mechanic brings a whole new element that’s not found often in 2D brawlers. Add to that what’s probably the best soundtrack of the year and you’ve got a winner!

1. Stardew Valley

I fell in love with “Mother Russia Bleeds”. I really, really did. It’s one of my best games of the year, period. But… How could I not give the number 1 spot to “Stardew Valley”, a quiet, peaceful game about farming made by one person which, nonetheless, managed to capture the hearts of gamers worldwide? Don’t get me wrong, the game is fantastic – its writing is on-point (even though there’s no story to speak of), its atmosphere is spot-on for a relaxing game that will always bring a smile to your face, its mechanics are well-thought out and well-implemented, there’s a lot to do in the game already, with even more things already being added… But the fact that, on its own, “Stardew Valley” is fantastic isn’t the reason why it’s on the list. The reason why it’s there is because this game, which, again, was made by just one guy (Eric Barone), managed to top Steam’s charts and become the ONLY 2D game to make in the top 40 best-selling PC games of 2016. Wow. Despite starting out as a tribute to the classic farming series “Harvest Moon”, I think it’s fair to say that in many ways “Stardew Valley” surpasses it, and I can’t wait to see what else the developer has in store for us!