By Ronald Gordon

Hello once again and welcome back to the Roundup, an article written for the sole purpose of highlighting the works of our NYVGCC members and interns alike! October seems to be a great month for game releases as we’ve got not only the new Silent Hill 2 Remake that came out, but also Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, Frostpunk 2, and a whole bunch of great titles, some of which are featured in this article! Let’s take a look at stories featuring the newest game from the developers of Gris, thoughts on Zenless Zone Zero and its change to the Gacha game format, A documentary made around the struggle of developing S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2, the news on Nintendo Alarmo’s functionality, the newest Mario & Luigi game, and plenty more! 

Before we begin, I’d like to talk about the Circle’s amazing games writing class returning to middle schools for this fall semester! Starting back at the beginning of October, members such as myself, Executive Director Ryan O’ Callaghan, Founder Harold Goldberg, and mentor Isaac Espinosa, have been teaching the essence of writing for and about games in the Laboratory School of Finance and Technology in the Bronx. Each week is a different lesson, and each lesson is met with curiosity from the various students that attend, each one of them eager to learn more about gaming through journalism and creative writing. 

There’s no shortage of Souls-like indie games out there, with Blasphemous and Dead Cells being some of the most renowned games. Yet our intern Aeth Finch wants to add another fantastic game to the list of wonderful Souls-Likes out there, that being the rotten plant covered Perennial Order from SOEDESCOE. Writes, Aeth, “The developers describe it as a plant-based boss rush game. You are a perennial knight, a knight made of bone and plant with only a small amount of flesh and rusted armor alongside you. You don’t know why or how you were created, but you’re here due to an order from an unseen voice to kill the multiple beasts like the Fallen Rider and Towering Dyad. These are destroying the once glorious and peaceful world that was created originally. ” Blending lore and gameplay is a staple for all Souls-like games, as the original Souls Series was all about making sure the lore played a major part in how the player experienced their journey. Perennial Order does the same in a strange way, blending the melancholic nature of being made of fragile things into a challenging bit of gameplay: “With only a sword in hand, the controls for the game are pretty simple. Because you are made out of only plant and bone, the most hits that you can take is, well, one. The easy controls flow with the high risk gameplay perfectly, yet there is no room for error. And with all the different ways the bosses try to attack you, you might suffer 100s of deaths along the way. But that’s part of the experience. You shouldn’t expect to be able to defeat all bosses quickly. They do pack a punch at times and can feel very unfair. You reward is defeating them when others, well, will give up.” 

Theresa Afful had a lot to say about the new Until Dawn PS5 remaster, especially since it showed her just how important any choice in a horror game can be. With it being one of the best horror games to come out of 2015, Until Dawn made itself known through its branching narratives and Butterfly Effect mechanic, which made each playthrough all the more horrifying as any choice could lead the characters down a dark road. Says Theresa, “I continually appreciated the fact that every single decision you make could affect the characters and story. A main theme of the game is the butterfly effect – every choice you make can have far-reaching consequences. I also loved how before a chapter you would be taken to an interactive scene where you talk to a therapist. As you keep proceeding with the game and chapters, you can see a change in his demeanor and a change in his office.” 

In her thoughtful Neva review, Karoline Castillo-Troncoso writes, “From the creators of Gris, Neva is a completely captivating offering developed by Nomada Studio and published by Devolver Digital. “Neva follows the thrilling escapade of the protagonist as she forges a profound bond with an extraordinary wolf. Navigating a world becoming engulfed by oncoming darkness, they are the catalyst that ignites the light and revive scenes that were formerly unfruitful.” Karoline writes about gorgeous art style, too. “The 2D platformer advances through seasons (or chapters) and provides an immersive, colorful, and cinematic experience for players, followed by sounds and music that seamlessly complement and enhance every scenario. Throughout the game’s plotline, modulation, and subtle nuances enrich the plot, showcasing the developer’s meticulous attention to detail.” 

Isaac Espinosa believes that Zenless Zone Zero is the coming of a new age for HoYoverse, and Gacha games as a whole! HoYoverse is known for their “Gacha” games, having taken the internet hostage time and again with ads for Honkai Star Rail, Genshin Impact, and most recently Zenless Zone Zero. Yet Isaac believes that Zenless has strengthened their game development chops, especially when it comes to combat! Isaac sounds enthused when he writes, “In addition to its astonishing appearance, I can confidently say that Zenless has better gameplay than any of HoYoverse’s other games. The main reason for this is the sense of satisfaction you get from creating an optimal and efficient squad that comes together in battle. During combat, your objective is simply to take down any foe that’s in your way. You can do this with any of the Agents in your arsenal, whether they be Attack or Anomaly agents suited toward inflicting the maximum damage per second, or Support and Defense agents designed to buff the rest of the team. You have the ability to parry attacks, dodge, and swap between agents mid combo, which all feels responsive and clean.”

“Going into War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, I found myself captivated by the film’s premise. Before the documentary, I had never heard of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series or GSC. As such, I figured it would most likely just be a piece about a Ukrainian indie studio developing a game during the Russian invasion, which in itself was interesting. However, the longer I watched the more I realized how impactful the message of the film is truly going to be.” West Coast intern Jatin Gundara wasn’t a S.T.A.L.K.E.R fan before watching the S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 Documentary War Game. But after watching he understood that sometimes a game is more than just a good time or a stress reliever; it could also be a life saver. S.T.A.L.K.E.R is a cult classic game to many, and GSC wasn’t about to let the newest game in the series be interrupted by conflict. Writes Jatin, “However, the vivid descriptions and visceral emotions of the GSC team members truly impacted me. War Game evokes a sense of sympathy and understanding from its viewer that’s hard not to feel. With videos shot on mobile phones of missiles exploding buildings, recordings showing Russian troops marching through the streets of Kyiv, and eerie clips of air raid sirens warning of oncoming attack, it can become hard to remember at times that War Game isn’t actually a documentary solely about war, but rather about the perseverance of those subjected to it.” 

Harold Goldberg brings is a New York Times column to fit the holiday as he gathered 5 horror games to play for Halloween Week. Starting his article with a tone setter, Harold writes, “You’re utterly alone. Blood drips onto snow. A fanged entity slashes your significant other. A monstrous chase ends in death. Just in time for Halloween, five affecting horror games are full of harrowing alienation and loneliness.” Recounting games from the aforementioned Until Dawn Remaster to the unnerving Mouthwashing, Harold speaks about which chilling games you should play before the screams are all silent. A surprising addition to the article is Life is Strange: Double Exposure, about which Harold writes, “Forget the jump scares in the narrative-rich Life Is Strange: Double Exposure. Not exclusively a horror story, this L.G.T.B.Q.-friendly supernatural thriller presents unsettling moments from the get-go.” 

“Part of the territory that comes with a video game writing job is that you occasionally have to subject the people you live with to very silly things.” Giovanni Colantonio had a strange time with the new Nintendo Alarmo, which is full of noises from various beloved games. Nintendo can do a lot of things, but making alarm clocks may not be their strong suit. “On the first day, we were not woken up by the gentle twinkle of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s piano score or Mario’s chipper voice; the sounds of Ring Fit Adventure flooded the room instead. I say “sounds” instead of music because the Alarmo doesn’t just play game tunes as a scene plays out on the round clock face. It plays jarring sound effects too. We woke to a high-pitched voice telling us it was time to row a boat. Neither of us had any idea what was going on as we came to.” 

Shannon Liao, member of the Circle and writer/editor for Inverse, talks about the newest Mario & Luigi: Brothership game, and how it heightens the Mario brothers, but at a curious cost, that being Princess Peach’s autonomy. While it may be exciting to see a new Mario Bros RPG title come about, it’s unfortunately to see Princess Peach’s solo development be rewound into being yet another damsel in distress, or as Shannon details in her article, “Months after Princess Peach finally got a Nintendo Switch game of her own in Princess Peach: Showtime! (and even Zelda received a heroine’s welcome in Echoes of Wisdom) Brothership places Peach back in the well-trodden damsel-in-distress role again. The classic trope could date what otherwise looks to be a fairly modern, well-animated romp across the sea.” The characterization of Princess Peach, and many other princesses within long standing paragons like Mario, can be a tricky topic, especially when such great work like Princess Peach: Showtime! gave fans a glimpse at what Peach could do when she’s given the spotlight. 

Beyond the Circle

In other news, a brand-new mobile game from Warner Bros, Genvid Entertainment & DC is said to hit the app stores soon! This new game, titled DC Heroes United, will be a lot bigger than any run of the mill app, featuring a diverse and growing cast of DC Comics oriented characters, a deeply detailed storyline with weekly decisions made by the audience and fans, and roguelite game elements that allow for not only narrative exploration but diverse combat as well. It definitely sounds like an ambitious undertaking from Genvid, Warner Bros. and DC, but a much-needed endeavor as this may just be the push for content outside of movies that DC fans have wanted! 

Ronald Gordon is a New York Videogame Critics Circle Member & Mentor. He was the first of our writers – or any intern anywhere – to complete an internship at Rockstar Games.

---