Couple small reviews on a couple of games
Been trying to get into the habit of writing something about whatever games I finish. Hasn't gone as well as I'd hoped so far (lack of time and energy, mostly), but I managed salvage these from some larger, messier drafts and posted them on Backloggd. Figured it would make sense to host them here as well:
Idols of Ash
Idols of Ash is a climbing game where you descend into a vast, underground megastructure in the hopes of seeing your lost love one more time. A lot of climbing games are focused on the increasing challenge of moving upward. The threat of falling is one of losing tons of progress or even starting from scratch all over again. Idols of Ash expressly being about downward mobility changes the dynamic by speeding up the pace. Falling lets you move farther than you can on foot, coaxing you to take risks to move faster and maintain a lead. It’s less punishing than some of it’s peers because you only end up reverting to a checkpoint on death instead of starting from scratch (unless you play the mode without checkpoints), but still difficult because you have to be constantly moving to avoid your pursuer.
Idols of Ash presents as a game that welcomes a slow, exploratory approach. The ruins invite close examinations between the unique architecture and scenes you come across. Statues arranged in spirals surrounding lights at the center, drawing you in to see if something rests at the core. There’s so much to see, tempting you to slow down and look at your surroundings beyond plotting your next move. But the relentless pursuit of the centipede prevents any chance at inspection. Lingering for even a second or two can be all it needs to catch you. No matter how much of a lead you’ve gained, it can always vanish in a flash.
Dosa Divas
Pretty light RPG about remedying messy relationships and connecting over cooking. The steady reveal of how Samara and Amani burned bridges with friends and family and confronting their fuck ups plays out how you would expect, but it’s good drama all the same. The resolution being one not of immediate total forgiveness but a start of trying to make things right after years of neglect and mistreatment is a good one. You can’t just fix a lifetime of problems in an instant, no matter how much you’d like to. But you can still try to make good with what time you have left.