My point, unlike what I imagine a lot of teams think is this: I think this was a pretty middling year. Or at least, it’s middling to my personal taste, and quite obnoxious at the best of times. Most of my top picks made it onto the calendar, but a few didn’t. One I didn’t play well until after the vote, what about the other? The other one is a flawed choice, but I can’t stop thinking about it.
Regardless, I hope you all had a peaceful Christmas and a vibrant New Year. I hope Santa has bought you some nice warm socks or chocolate oranges that you can play at your local golf club.
wind blows
Windblown is an early access roguelike game that I thought looked a little middling when it was first released. Then I tried it and it turned out I was completely wrong. It feels great, it’s smart, and you can play it with two friends for some crazy co-op gameplay. It’s a shame no one is really talking about it, so I’m here to correct the problem.
As one of the cute animals (salamander, bat, lizard, hamster, I’ve forgotten), you jump into a cannon and launch yourself into a giant spinning tornado. It’s within this tornado that a series of increasingly difficult stages are conveniently set, from the Mushroom Kingdom to rat towns and rusty mechas, all set atop giant floating rocks. You have to fight them and gradually become stronger. Upon death, you’ll return to base with some currency, which you can use to permanently boost your stats or unlock cool stuff for future runs.
You’ve probably heard of all these roguelike games before, but I’d say there’s something unique about Windblown. Dash is excellent – very snappy, very fast, very easy to spam. We love it. Combat feels awesome, encouraging you to switch between the two weapons and using the generous “press the swap button” window, letting you pull off some really cool combos, apply bleeds, or activate special moves. arms? OK power ups? Hard. It’s all very well thought out and the music is much more difficult than it needs to be.
Honestly, I love that it’s collaborative. It’s not often that you get to play a roguelike like this with friends, and it handles it very well. I played with Liam (the quiet RPS) and we were never really bothered or confused by each other’s affairs. One thing I will say is this: looting in co-op is a bit picky (e.g. it’s not immediately obvious who gets to see whose loot). That’s a minor complaint, though, otherwise Windblown does feel like it’s becoming something very special.
Xiaoxin: Baiyu Coal Town
Right now I’m listening to “1 hour of relaxing music by Shin chan: Shiro and Coal Town” on YouTube. In the picture, the naughty child Xiaoxin is fishing in a quiet stream, while his pet dog Xiaosi is wagging his tail and scratching behind his ears. The music is beautiful and lilting, and the backdrop is lush green – just part of the beautiful Akita countryside in northern Japan. I found that it really took me back to the summers I spent as a kid and I felt nostalgic and emotional. To be honest, it didn’t help me write this post.
We have to stick with it though, because that’s why it shows up in my select box in the first place. The plot of Coal Town didn’t quite work for me, as it’s a collectathon where you walk around a wonderful town collecting bugs and fish, and 99.9% of the missions are about gathering more materials. You do this every day (unlike Animal Crossing, where time pauses when you exit the game), and it feels like you’re ignoring all the cuteness in favor of carving a path to fill your backpack as quickly as possible.
Even though actually playing the game isn’t for me, I think it’s a wonderful space to exist in, and it has a lovely message (even if Shin-chan is a threat). Akita is presented through gorgeous, dreamy vignettes. Rice fields are illuminated by the glow of fireflies. The reflection of the stream bubbles beneath the quaint road. The chirping of cicadas accentuated everything. Throughout the story, the townspeople sit in hot tubs or chat on winding mountain roads, lamenting the fact that young people are leaving the city in search of better opportunities.
The overriding theme is that rural Japan is being forgotten, but it shouldn’t be. All of this is marked by the fact that when you collect and gather all these materials, this sickly, forgotten town comes alive and becomes a real center of happiness and industry. The game itself is a message to the next generation, and to anyone else, that there are opportunities in the countryside. These are better than the lackluster deals offered by companies in gray cities. Those who offer a richer life, marked by community and crystal blue skies.
