Nothing about the gameplay of Scorn appeals to me. I don't wanna solve obscure puzzles, and the lack of much dialogue makes for a narrative that I don't think will stick with me for any time at all. But the visual art of this game is so utterly fascinating that I'm still compelled to play more than the few minutes I've put into it. Scorn is so disgusting and gross in ways that seem innovative and new. I want to see its sights, and I know I'm willing to go through whatever physical motions to see them. But perhaps it's those less savory aspects that have kept me from seeing the game to the end. But one of these days, I will knuckle up and let myself be swept away into this strange world.

I've been pretty adamant about how much I adore the vibe of games from the PS3/360 era. (Watch this video for a whole lot more on why: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWLKc9LJ__A&t=1201s&pp=ygUUbXlzdGVyaW91cyBwczMgZ2FtZXM%3D)
So, if I'm the type of guy that sees artistic value in something like Fracture (2008), then Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin seems like a game made for me. I had to get over the fact that I've never played a Final Fantasy game, but eventually, I did pick up the game and enjoyed its satisfyingly difficult parry-based combat. But, for reasons that are beyond my understanding, I never came back to it. I truly was enjoying it, but I will make sure to return to it, if only for the meme of it all.

This is absolutely not my kind of game at all. There's almost no action or really gripping narrative to speak of. But after trying a demo for the game out in a past Steam Next Fest, I found myself thinking about it a lot afterward. Mixing potions, discovering their effects, and trying to sell them for the best prices possible is a fun and engaging gameplay loop and I could see so many new potion types and customer needs to brew for down the line. But this is another game that, despite how well it plays on Steam Deck, I just didn't make the time for it.

If New Super Lucky's Tale or Astrobo Rescue Mission is any indication, I love 3D platformers. The vibrant artstyle and chain-swinging movement of Hell Pie immediately. What caught me off guard is how gross and juvenile it actually is. That hasn't deterred me, and seeing just how well the game plays on Steam Deck got me even more excited to play more of it, but I just never got around to it. Hope I do sometime in 2023!

I've made it clear that I didn't love God of War (2018) as much as everyone else. That mixed with the fact that the first few hours of Ragnarok lack any clear end goal to work up to means I haven't had much motivation to come back to this, even after 4 months or so. I still want to see how it answers all the questions it aggressively frontloads at the first half of the journey, but it'll be a while before I am able to see what its main fans see in this game.