joshmille99
When Disneyland Adventures originally released on the Kinect for the Xbox 360 back in 2011, I had little urge to play it. First off, it was on the Kinect. Secondly, it seemed like a baby game that wouldn’t be any fun whatsoever.
Now it’s 2019. I have had two kids and this game was remastered for Windows and the Xbox One. Seeing it as an option on Game Pass, I shrugged my shoulders and installed it. Not so much for me, but mainly my little one who is three years old and loves Mickey Mouse.
Disneyland Adventures 2_19_2019 7_43_53 PM
He loves it. There’s not much to it, but he loves it. Mainly what you do is run around a re-creation of Disneyland helping the Disney characters with missions. Ariel needs some dinglehoppers. Alice needs her ribbon. Donald Duck lost his hat. Some are easily found in the park, others are done with the simple mini-games; but it’s all done with children in mind. And it works just fine in that regard.
The mini-games are pretty basic from what I have seen and are what one would expect from a website from a beloved cartoon station. An example would be shooting fireworks in the sky or sledding down a mountain collecting coins. The games themselves are overly long and not a ton of fun for an adult, but for the audience it shoots for, does the job.
Disneyland Adventures 2_19_2019 7_46_25 PM
The coins earned in the mini-games can also be found in the park itself. They are easy to spot as they bounce in place and not difficult to get, and can be spent in stores to purchase new clothes for your custom avatar, photo books or even autograph books. Those last two items are important as they give the player more to do in the park itself.
For instance, in each section of the park, there will be signs used for photos. The only way to take pictures here is to purchase a photo book from a shop in that section. Similarly, the autograph books allow an interaction with the Disney characters in the park to sign. But there are multiple photo books to purchase, so to get Cinderella to sign, you will need a princess autograph book. If you want Captain Hook, buy a villain one.
Disneyland Adventures 2_19_2019 6_50_44 PM
The characters were where my little one was the most attentive. Each character has four interactions with the player all of which are voiced. They each have a high five of sorts, they can dance, sign the appropriate photo book, and even hug. The hugs are adorable by the way. Outside of that, you can also have your avatar take a photo with the character as well and do a special pose.
Seeing my son enjoy Disneyland Adventures made it worth it. Watching him try to pose during the pictures was cute and he would hug me when the characters would hug each other. During pictures you can make your avatar wave and he would do the same. If you have a child who loves Disney, and they are on the younger side, this might be something worth trying with them.
Now it’s 2019. I have had two kids and this game was remastered for Windows and the Xbox One. Seeing it as an option on Game Pass, I shrugged my shoulders and installed it. Not so much for me, but mainly my little one who is three years old and loves Mickey Mouse.
Disneyland Adventures 2_19_2019 7_43_53 PM
He loves it. There’s not much to it, but he loves it. Mainly what you do is run around a re-creation of Disneyland helping the Disney characters with missions. Ariel needs some dinglehoppers. Alice needs her ribbon. Donald Duck lost his hat. Some are easily found in the park, others are done with the simple mini-games; but it’s all done with children in mind. And it works just fine in that regard.
The mini-games are pretty basic from what I have seen and are what one would expect from a website from a beloved cartoon station. An example would be shooting fireworks in the sky or sledding down a mountain collecting coins. The games themselves are overly long and not a ton of fun for an adult, but for the audience it shoots for, does the job.
Disneyland Adventures 2_19_2019 7_46_25 PM
The coins earned in the mini-games can also be found in the park itself. They are easy to spot as they bounce in place and not difficult to get, and can be spent in stores to purchase new clothes for your custom avatar, photo books or even autograph books. Those last two items are important as they give the player more to do in the park itself.
For instance, in each section of the park, there will be signs used for photos. The only way to take pictures here is to purchase a photo book from a shop in that section. Similarly, the autograph books allow an interaction with the Disney characters in the park to sign. But there are multiple photo books to purchase, so to get Cinderella to sign, you will need a princess autograph book. If you want Captain Hook, buy a villain one.
Disneyland Adventures 2_19_2019 6_50_44 PM
The characters were where my little one was the most attentive. Each character has four interactions with the player all of which are voiced. They each have a high five of sorts, they can dance, sign the appropriate photo book, and even hug. The hugs are adorable by the way. Outside of that, you can also have your avatar take a photo with the character as well and do a special pose.
Seeing my son enjoy Disneyland Adventures made it worth it. Watching him try to pose during the pictures was cute and he would hug me when the characters would hug each other. During pictures you can make your avatar wave and he would do the same. If you have a child who loves Disney, and they are on the younger side, this might be something worth trying with them.
2018
Moss has been lauded as a must-play VR game. At this time, maybe only an hour into it…I just don’t see why.
Don’t get me wrong, the platforming is mostly tight despite some missed jumps that felt like I should have had it, and having one of the most adorable mice I’ve ever seen in media with Quill; but as a VR game, I haven’t run across the “wow” factor yet.
As a game itself, Moss is good so far. The world is well realized and is the best part of the VR experience as the perspective brings you down closer to Quill’s level. The combat feels intuitive and the ways to platform through levels has wrinkles added in to change it up.
But as a VR experience, you just kind of sit there. You can move your head to try and peek behind structures, usually hiding a collectible, but that’s the extent of what VR has added to this game at the moment outside of adding an extra layer of depth. Perhaps later on in the game, they do more with the VR, but I’m not impressed so far.
In fact, as of right now, Moss feels like it was created more for the PlayStation Move than any type of VR. Oftentimes the movement of the controller is used to pickup Quill, move structures in the environment to proceed, or as a method to continue the story with flipping pages.
So to sum up: Moss seems like a decent game. I’m enjoying my time with it and I’ll finish the game for sure. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in the VR implementation with how talked up it was by various people and outlets. I’m hoping that will change though.
Don’t get me wrong, the platforming is mostly tight despite some missed jumps that felt like I should have had it, and having one of the most adorable mice I’ve ever seen in media with Quill; but as a VR game, I haven’t run across the “wow” factor yet.
As a game itself, Moss is good so far. The world is well realized and is the best part of the VR experience as the perspective brings you down closer to Quill’s level. The combat feels intuitive and the ways to platform through levels has wrinkles added in to change it up.
But as a VR experience, you just kind of sit there. You can move your head to try and peek behind structures, usually hiding a collectible, but that’s the extent of what VR has added to this game at the moment outside of adding an extra layer of depth. Perhaps later on in the game, they do more with the VR, but I’m not impressed so far.
In fact, as of right now, Moss feels like it was created more for the PlayStation Move than any type of VR. Oftentimes the movement of the controller is used to pickup Quill, move structures in the environment to proceed, or as a method to continue the story with flipping pages.
So to sum up: Moss seems like a decent game. I’m enjoying my time with it and I’ll finish the game for sure. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in the VR implementation with how talked up it was by various people and outlets. I’m hoping that will change though.
2016
I was waiting for the “right” price on The Witness, and even better, it was free on PS+. It received plenty of praise and Game of the Year accolades when it released, so I knew I wanted to play it eventually, but I’m not a puzzle guy. For this reason, I waited for it to drop.
Oh boy, this is hitting me in a way I didn’t expect. First off, what an absolutely stunning game in terms of look and design. I’m not sure how invested I will be in this puzzle world in terms of a potential plot ala Portal, but it at least gives vibes that there could be something under the surface that pulls me forward.
The puzzles so far are just right. They ease you in pretty well, but if you find one before you are ready, it will definitely leave you scratching your head. As eager as I am to run around the island solving its many mysteries, I’m afraid in running across something to big for my britches.
Jonathan Blow is a smart man. Whether you find him pretentious or not is another issue, but there is no denying his ability at game design along with interesting mechanics. I look forward to playing through The Witness in a way I didn’t think I would when I eventually bought it.
Oh boy, this is hitting me in a way I didn’t expect. First off, what an absolutely stunning game in terms of look and design. I’m not sure how invested I will be in this puzzle world in terms of a potential plot ala Portal, but it at least gives vibes that there could be something under the surface that pulls me forward.
The puzzles so far are just right. They ease you in pretty well, but if you find one before you are ready, it will definitely leave you scratching your head. As eager as I am to run around the island solving its many mysteries, I’m afraid in running across something to big for my britches.
Jonathan Blow is a smart man. Whether you find him pretentious or not is another issue, but there is no denying his ability at game design along with interesting mechanics. I look forward to playing through The Witness in a way I didn’t think I would when I eventually bought it.
2005
2015
2016
2014
Much like To The Moon, it’s very narrative based with even less interaction as a whole. Despite the similarities both in the narrative and how it plays, it’s the method of storytelling that is different. A Bird Story has ZERO dialogue. Everything plays out almost like a silent movie with certain instructions being given using arrows and prompts from the controls. When the game needs to direct you to a certain item, a speech bubble with a picture of what is needed or where you need to go will pop up. I can see many people disliking this approach, but the story still comes across very well.
A Bird Story won’t keep you busy for long. Clocking in at under an hour and a half, it’s a quick experience of emotion. It balances many of those emotions quite well though. The moments of whimsy don’t outweigh the humor and charm and there’s a touch of sadness in there as well. Being able to convey all of these without the use of voice or text, especially in a video game, is an achievement that the team at Freebird Games should be applauded for.
The actual plot is relatively simple and benign. A Bird Story is about a boy who seemingly has no friends. He is unhappy and lonely until he befriends an injured bird. The game is simply their friendship together while coming to terms with inevitable decisions he has to make. It isn’t groundbreaking in any fashion, but it is a sweet story that has me wondering how this feeds into Finding Paradise as the ending teases you for that game.
If you want a game to make you feel something emotionally, A Bird Story will do just that. There isn’t much to it as a whole, but its “show, don’t tell” approach works remarkably well and has me eager to see what the follow-up has in store for the main character.
A Bird Story won’t keep you busy for long. Clocking in at under an hour and a half, it’s a quick experience of emotion. It balances many of those emotions quite well though. The moments of whimsy don’t outweigh the humor and charm and there’s a touch of sadness in there as well. Being able to convey all of these without the use of voice or text, especially in a video game, is an achievement that the team at Freebird Games should be applauded for.
The actual plot is relatively simple and benign. A Bird Story is about a boy who seemingly has no friends. He is unhappy and lonely until he befriends an injured bird. The game is simply their friendship together while coming to terms with inevitable decisions he has to make. It isn’t groundbreaking in any fashion, but it is a sweet story that has me wondering how this feeds into Finding Paradise as the ending teases you for that game.
If you want a game to make you feel something emotionally, A Bird Story will do just that. There isn’t much to it as a whole, but its “show, don’t tell” approach works remarkably well and has me eager to see what the follow-up has in store for the main character.
2015
I saw Refunct recommended by others as a carefree platformer and that’s exactly what this is. It isn’t long running at roughly a half hour, but I enjoyed my time with it nonetheless.
In Refunct, you leap and bound from pillars that rise from the depths once you locate and hit a beam of light projecting from a button. That’s it. No real bells and whistles, just jumping around hitting buttons. None of them are particularly challenging (especially once you realize you can wall jump), but the mood is serene and relaxing making it that much more enjoyable.
There are collectibles to be found as well in the shape of Motherbox looking squares floating on platforms too. Inconsequential as they may be, it does provide another goal in this short game and seem to be where the achievements were stemming from mostly if that matters at all to you.
There really isn’t anything else to really say about Refunct. It’s a very chill game that one could use to break up the monotony of most major video game releases while not overstaying its welcome with the little there is in the game. If that sounds like a game you need in your life now or later, Refunct is a great pallet cleanser.
In Refunct, you leap and bound from pillars that rise from the depths once you locate and hit a beam of light projecting from a button. That’s it. No real bells and whistles, just jumping around hitting buttons. None of them are particularly challenging (especially once you realize you can wall jump), but the mood is serene and relaxing making it that much more enjoyable.
There are collectibles to be found as well in the shape of Motherbox looking squares floating on platforms too. Inconsequential as they may be, it does provide another goal in this short game and seem to be where the achievements were stemming from mostly if that matters at all to you.
There really isn’t anything else to really say about Refunct. It’s a very chill game that one could use to break up the monotony of most major video game releases while not overstaying its welcome with the little there is in the game. If that sounds like a game you need in your life now or later, Refunct is a great pallet cleanser.
2015
The plot itself is something from a cliche’ horror movie. Out on the internet is a site to download a game called “Bad End“. It is a myth among gamers that if you die in the video game, you die in real life. So of course a couple of the characters put this to the test and find out the truth.
The most interesting thing about the game itself is the “Choose Your Own Adventure” approach. The choices themselves don’t give enough details to sway your decision and instead give bland choices to randomly pick for no reason. For example, trying to escape something gives you an option to choose your path. Left, right or straight ahead. No descriptors to give you an idea of what makes these paths different and that is a shame when it’s the best thing in your game.
As I mentioned, there are multiple endings to the game. These usually came with wrong decisions to the choices you make. Thankfully, you are not required to start over and can instead load the game back to your last choice. Even if you make the mistake of starting over or choose to do so willingly, holding the left mouse button causes the text to breeze through quickly.
I wasn’t wowed with the story of Bad End and found it more of a time waster. For the price and length of time, I can’t complain too much. It wouldn’t be my first suggestion to anyone, but if someone wants some quick satisfaction come Halloween, this could satisfy them until they are up for investing into something longer and scarier like the Corpse Party games.
The most interesting thing about the game itself is the “Choose Your Own Adventure” approach. The choices themselves don’t give enough details to sway your decision and instead give bland choices to randomly pick for no reason. For example, trying to escape something gives you an option to choose your path. Left, right or straight ahead. No descriptors to give you an idea of what makes these paths different and that is a shame when it’s the best thing in your game.
As I mentioned, there are multiple endings to the game. These usually came with wrong decisions to the choices you make. Thankfully, you are not required to start over and can instead load the game back to your last choice. Even if you make the mistake of starting over or choose to do so willingly, holding the left mouse button causes the text to breeze through quickly.
I wasn’t wowed with the story of Bad End and found it more of a time waster. For the price and length of time, I can’t complain too much. It wouldn’t be my first suggestion to anyone, but if someone wants some quick satisfaction come Halloween, this could satisfy them until they are up for investing into something longer and scarier like the Corpse Party games.
If the title didn’t give it away, The Chronicles of Quiver Dick is not something your six year old should be playing. It is full of mature language albeit used in a comedic fashion. If that isn’t something you can get behind, then move on to the next game. If it doesn’t, then read on.
The Chronicles of Quiver Dick is about a grandfather telling the story of how he met his wife to his two grandchildren. While it is in a japanese role playing game format, there are not that many battles to be won or sweeping environments to explore. Instead it feels more like an adventure game with some RPG mechanics mixed in. Yes you will be in boss battles, but no, there aren’t any random encounters. Yes you can buy things from a merchant, but no, there aren’t any improvements to items as the game progresses.
Simply put, The Chronicles of Quiver Dick is a two hour short story where our young hero Quiver Dick (named Richard Longshlong in his youth) is a mostly straight-laced character just trying to make a living with the weird happenings and awkward strangers surrounding him. Unfortunately the world acts in mysterious ways, and it’s made even more troublesome when his older self narrates into trouble. No seriously, like, his older self will straight up be the reason fights begin because other characters hear him as well. It is these moments of dialogue that made me laugh on numerous occasions. Sometimes the language was used as a additional jab of humor, most times it wasn’t. So if that is a fear, you can tuck that away.
Now let me be honest – the world is small with not much to explore. The fights are basically and overly tedious. I did not have anybody join my party. The gold and experience gained could be of use, but in reality, this game could strip all of that and be purely an adventure game. It probably should. I did see at least one follow-up with another on the way, but I can’t say if this stuff is in. The bottom line is, don’t go into this game looking for an RPG because you will be disappointed. Go into it for a stress free time looking to laugh.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with The Chronicles of Quiver Dick. I thought the interactions between characters was great, certain events were clever, and I always appreciate nods to bands like Pantera. It’s only a few bucks and a couple of hours. So what do you really have to lose?
The Chronicles of Quiver Dick is about a grandfather telling the story of how he met his wife to his two grandchildren. While it is in a japanese role playing game format, there are not that many battles to be won or sweeping environments to explore. Instead it feels more like an adventure game with some RPG mechanics mixed in. Yes you will be in boss battles, but no, there aren’t any random encounters. Yes you can buy things from a merchant, but no, there aren’t any improvements to items as the game progresses.
Simply put, The Chronicles of Quiver Dick is a two hour short story where our young hero Quiver Dick (named Richard Longshlong in his youth) is a mostly straight-laced character just trying to make a living with the weird happenings and awkward strangers surrounding him. Unfortunately the world acts in mysterious ways, and it’s made even more troublesome when his older self narrates into trouble. No seriously, like, his older self will straight up be the reason fights begin because other characters hear him as well. It is these moments of dialogue that made me laugh on numerous occasions. Sometimes the language was used as a additional jab of humor, most times it wasn’t. So if that is a fear, you can tuck that away.
Now let me be honest – the world is small with not much to explore. The fights are basically and overly tedious. I did not have anybody join my party. The gold and experience gained could be of use, but in reality, this game could strip all of that and be purely an adventure game. It probably should. I did see at least one follow-up with another on the way, but I can’t say if this stuff is in. The bottom line is, don’t go into this game looking for an RPG because you will be disappointed. Go into it for a stress free time looking to laugh.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with The Chronicles of Quiver Dick. I thought the interactions between characters was great, certain events were clever, and I always appreciate nods to bands like Pantera. It’s only a few bucks and a couple of hours. So what do you really have to lose?
I thought all the talk about Astro Bot Rescue Mission was hyperbole when comparing it to Super Mario 64….but it’s not. Games like this are why VR should exist and it sells it wonderfully. I liked what I saw in the demo, and I love the full game.
The biggest knock against the game would be its simplicity. Astro Bot doesn’t have special moves outside of a spinning punch and his rocket boots, and the enemies rarely pose a threat. Even with this though, it doesn’t dampen the fun at all.
The player acting as a larger robot following Astro Bot is incredibly smart as you traverse levels to discover missing pieces of your friend and lost companions. This allows for wider views of the area and viewing angles you wouldn’t be able to if in the shoes of Astro Bot. I don’t have a ton of VR games under my belt, but this has felt the most natural and I would be shocked if copycats don’t pop up because of it.
Collecting coins throughout levels is another task that leads to additional perks in the form of home base. There, you can use your coins in the vending machine to purchase diorama pieces of levels and enemies to decorate the base. Then using Astro Bot, you can run around and play on these smaller pieces for fun. It doesn’t add a whole new dynamic or anything, but it’s a fun little side activity that gives purpose to something in the game.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission was the reason I wanted PlayStation VR. I wasn’t sure if it would live up to the hype (or the comparisons to an iconic game like Super Mario 64), but it does just that. If PlayStation VR is on your horizon, do not pass this game up. You’ll be hard pressed to find something better in my opinion.
The biggest knock against the game would be its simplicity. Astro Bot doesn’t have special moves outside of a spinning punch and his rocket boots, and the enemies rarely pose a threat. Even with this though, it doesn’t dampen the fun at all.
The player acting as a larger robot following Astro Bot is incredibly smart as you traverse levels to discover missing pieces of your friend and lost companions. This allows for wider views of the area and viewing angles you wouldn’t be able to if in the shoes of Astro Bot. I don’t have a ton of VR games under my belt, but this has felt the most natural and I would be shocked if copycats don’t pop up because of it.
Collecting coins throughout levels is another task that leads to additional perks in the form of home base. There, you can use your coins in the vending machine to purchase diorama pieces of levels and enemies to decorate the base. Then using Astro Bot, you can run around and play on these smaller pieces for fun. It doesn’t add a whole new dynamic or anything, but it’s a fun little side activity that gives purpose to something in the game.
Astro Bot Rescue Mission was the reason I wanted PlayStation VR. I wasn’t sure if it would live up to the hype (or the comparisons to an iconic game like Super Mario 64), but it does just that. If PlayStation VR is on your horizon, do not pass this game up. You’ll be hard pressed to find something better in my opinion.
2017
First and foremost, you can’t discuss Cuphead without reveling in the art style chosen for the game. It’s a brilliant throwback to the old-school cartoons of the 1930’s that no developer has done previously to my knowledge, and it hammers home the love and devotion as it was all hand-drawn. From the backgrounds to the animations to the transformations, everything looks and sounds great because of it. Easily one of my favorite aesthetics of all time in video games.
Cuphead itself is a very simple game. Shoot enemies and dodge their attacks. That proves difficult though as you are limited on health and attacks can come furiously. It’s likely you will die (and often), but it’s not punishing as you learn their different forms and attack patterns while keeping your upgrades.
The run-and-gun sections however didn’t do much for me. They do feel tacked on, and they kind of were due to the boss rush backlash, but they give coins you can use to purchase upgrades from the pig merchant. As someone who was hesitant about it being a boss rush game, that’s truly where it shines and the run-and-gun levels (though sparse) don’t add much to the overall experience.
While I really dig Cuphead, I have a feeling I’ll never complete it. That’s the trouble with games heavy on difficulty. Eventually I’ll give in to other games I want to play and never find my way back. I’m not sure if the two-player mode makes it any easier, but if so, then at least there’s hope. Only have to rope someone in to be my Mugman.
Cuphead itself is a very simple game. Shoot enemies and dodge their attacks. That proves difficult though as you are limited on health and attacks can come furiously. It’s likely you will die (and often), but it’s not punishing as you learn their different forms and attack patterns while keeping your upgrades.
The run-and-gun sections however didn’t do much for me. They do feel tacked on, and they kind of were due to the boss rush backlash, but they give coins you can use to purchase upgrades from the pig merchant. As someone who was hesitant about it being a boss rush game, that’s truly where it shines and the run-and-gun levels (though sparse) don’t add much to the overall experience.
While I really dig Cuphead, I have a feeling I’ll never complete it. That’s the trouble with games heavy on difficulty. Eventually I’ll give in to other games I want to play and never find my way back. I’m not sure if the two-player mode makes it any easier, but if so, then at least there’s hope. Only have to rope someone in to be my Mugman.
Well, I’m not going to discuss this game too much in an attempt to avoid spoilers. I knew things weren’t what they seemed with this visual novel, and it proved to be true.
At first I was doubtful I would care. The idea of reading poems and determining your own with a selection of words wasn’t something I really had any interest in. Fortunately, that game goes places, and does so fairly quickly.
I also wasn’t expecting multiple endings. I went ahead and watched those playthroughs online and the way to get those is incredibly clever. I don’t know if I would have figured it out without looking online, so I’m glad I did as they felt worth it.
For those unaware of what this game ends up being – good. The less you know the better. I can see how the visual novel aspect with girls to potentially romance could turn people off, but it’s so much more than that. If you haven’t tried Doki Doki Literature Club yet, do it. It’s fantastic, short, flips expectations, and an all-around wonderful experience.
At first I was doubtful I would care. The idea of reading poems and determining your own with a selection of words wasn’t something I really had any interest in. Fortunately, that game goes places, and does so fairly quickly.
I also wasn’t expecting multiple endings. I went ahead and watched those playthroughs online and the way to get those is incredibly clever. I don’t know if I would have figured it out without looking online, so I’m glad I did as they felt worth it.
For those unaware of what this game ends up being – good. The less you know the better. I can see how the visual novel aspect with girls to potentially romance could turn people off, but it’s so much more than that. If you haven’t tried Doki Doki Literature Club yet, do it. It’s fantastic, short, flips expectations, and an all-around wonderful experience.