A Beautiful Adventure--Gris

Video games are having their golden opportunity right now thanks to COVID-19 and everyone being instructed to stay at home.  So, if you're like everyone else, trapped indoors and looking for a way to spend all your quality social distancing time there's no better place to look than Steam or Game Pass.  With the looming uncertainty of the constantly changing guidelines and just general anxiety it's a good idea to seek out games that are relaxing.  One of those games that I recently had the pleasure of playing is the beautiful Gris.

Gris is a platformer along the more artistic vein--it's not the type of platformer that requires some leet timing and reflexes (think Celeste or Ori).  There's supposedly a story behind the character and situations but it's not explicitly clear in the game (something about grief and recovery).  The story takes place through a series of differing settings and is about restoring the color and normalcy to the world (thus helping the main character overcome her grief).

One of the levels in Gris.  

Pros:
+ Very artistic.  There has long been a debate about whether or not video games should be considered art and Gris is a game that confirms that idea.  The settings in the game are beautiful and vary based on your progress.  Part of the story involves restoring the color to the world and as you complete different areas new areas play on that specific color--you might have to navigate a green forest or rainy blue landscape.

+ Beautiful soundtrack.  The music is very relaxing and is the perfect accompaniment to the gameplay.  If you're someone who enjoys video game soundtracks and likes having some chill music, it's one to add to your playlists.

+ A casual story that is appropriate for any gamer.  There are some puzzle-like elements in each area and some "hidden" goals that provide some challenge (I didn't find all the special wisps/light things), but overall the story is meant to just be experienced and enjoyed.  It's perfect for just enjoying and not worrying about how many times you've died or how you're going to overcome a frustrating challenge--some of the obstacles that are frequent in many modern platformers.

+Some replayability.  100% completion requires recovering all the hidden wisps (bubbles?  glowy things?  I don't really know what they are) and those who are motivated could potentially play through the game several times to find them all.

Cons:
- It's short.  You're probably looking at 9-10 hours of gameplay...max, maybe?

Recommendation:
Gris is a visually striking game that deals with issues that everyone can identify with.  It's the type of game that offers a relaxing outlet for emotions.  I would recommend it to someone who is looking for a casual game that is very artistic in nature.  It's worth checking out on Game Pass, but I don't know if I would buy it.

Hack n' Slash for the Whole Family--Children of Morta

I've expressed my personal dislike of roguelikes before, but maybe, just maybe my mind is changing a tiny bit on that front.  I've been tooling around on Game Pass and stocking my wish list with games to check out and decided, based on many positive reviews, to take a chance on a game called Children of Morta.  Morta probably isn't a true roguelike, but the tags on the store page do identify it as a rogue-lite.  Regardless of how you would classify it, you can definitely classify it as a unique and fun game that is worth checking out.

Children of Morta tells the story of a family of talented fighters who are pitted against a dark phenomenon that threatens to overtake their idyllic world.  The story plays out over a series procedurally generated stages (*rogue-lite) and is interspersed with intermissions that allow players to return to the home of the heroes to spend gold on two different sets of upgrades (one set which is more oriented toward buffs and one that improves character stats).  The gameplay has a very ARPG feeling (but more hack n' slash) and is very addictive.

Pros:
+ Nice balance between gameplay and story elements.  Players start off at the home of the heroic Bergson family (a multi-generational family) where a narrator sets up the story.  The game then transitions players into the stages where combat takes place--each stage is procedurally generated and consists of anywhere from 2-5 different areas/levels.  To complete a stage, players must survive through the entire thing--dying means you must return home and start over.  The nice part about dying is that it gives you an opportunity to spend gold on upgrades and re-enter the level.  Almost every time you return home there is a new event in the story--you can click on special symbols to learn more about the Bergson's.

+ Gameplay is challenging, but fun.  The reality is that you're going to die and have to start stages over.  Fortunately, this isn't a drag, but instead allows you to swap out characters and try news strategies.  Each stage features certain areas that players can choose to complete--areas with a blue entrance usually indicate a challenge or quest that can be completed, these quests usually reward players with valuable relics (items which provide buffs) or powerful "graces" which are items with a cooldown period.  Entrances that feature a yellow-star will always contain a relic or grace, so it's worthwhile to fully explore each area to try to find this area.  There are also special wave-based or mini-boss challenge areas (indicated by a floor panel with a medusa-like face) that require defeating enemies to unlock relics, graces, or even to release special NPC's (merchants who sell goods) who will begin appearing at the end of certain levels.

Since it's a rogue-lite the levels change every time you have to start over--this keeps the gameplay fresh.  Players have to make decisions about how they want to complete each level--it is generally worthwhile to explore each level in its entirety to find as many relics and graces as you can so that you can prepare for the boss fight at the end of each stage.  Relics and graces are randomizes--some are more useful than others and they are found randomly.  Sometimes you find a bunch and sometimes you only are able to grab a few.

+Wide cast of characters to choose from.  At first only a few Bergson's are available to play, but as you progress the story introduces more characters.  Each character has their own style--sword and shield for a semi-defensive style of gameplay; bow and arrows for ranged damage; daggers for a fast and furious, stabby style--there are a ton of choices and some are more suited to certain bosses.  Learning how to play each character is very enjoyable and also helps provide variety.

+ Fun, pixel vibe.  Don't be deceived by the pixellated appearance, the game still manages to portray the story and characters in a fun way.

+Side events.  There are side quest-like events that are can be unlocked on certain stages.  These events can unlock special story-based characters or items.

+ Local co-op.  Two Bergson's are better than one!

+RPG-like elements.  Each character earns XP and can unlock different talents that can provide powerful abilities or stat upgrades.  It is worthwhile to play as various characters because as each character levels up and spends talent points the entire family benefits from buffs which are rewarded at certain point levels.

Cons:
- If you don't like dying a lot (you probably shouldn't play rogue-likes) you might get frustrated.  To complete an entire stage you have to survive through all the levels and complete the boss fight without dying.  It can be challenging and I had some moments of frustration at almost making it...only to die on the boss fight at the end.  Fortunately, the game is a lot of fun so setting it down for a little while and then starting over (usually choosing a character that might be better suited to the challenges of that particular boss fight) isn't a big deal.

Recommendation:
I absolutely loved Children of Morta and I usually get very frustrated with roguelikes.  The story and gameplay compliment each other very well and it manages to be challenging enough to push you without pushing you away.  Local co-op is a nice option if you have a partner to accompany you on your adventure.  I would heartily recommend it.

Darkness, Rats, and Brotherly Love--A Plague Tale: Innocence

After my dazzling adventures in post-apocalyptic Russia, I decided something with a lighter tone was in order.  Good thing I picked A Plague Tale:  Innocence, because it is chocked full of fun, laughter, and lightness.  The thing I just wrote...that's sarcasm--that's not to say that there aren't lighter elements in the game, but overall it is fairly dark.  Even though it was a bit of a dark adventure, it was still an enjoyable one.

When A Plague Tale released, I thought it looked interesting, but it also looked like the kind of game that I might play once and then shelve, so I held off on it despite the positive reviews.  I have to say that I went into the game knowing very little about it and expecting something a bit different--for some reason I expected a more TellTale-esque story and gameplay.  The gameplay is more adventure-focused--I want to say point-and-click, but that's not quite right.  The story in the game centers around the children of a noble family in a seim-fictional middle-ages setting.  Amicia is the big sister of the family and enjoys adventuring through the forests surrounding the family estate.  She's also a crack-shot with her handy sling.  While on a fun-filled trek through the forest with her father, Amicia encounters the first signs that something is about to seriously go wrong--her loyal dog Leon disappears.  She runs off into the forest following his barking...until the barking turns into pained yelping.  When she finds Leon he has partially been pulled into a hole--she watches as he disappears into the hole, pulled by some sort of insidious force (namely a lot of creepy looking rats).  Her father catches up and realizes that there is something seriously wrong and instructs Amicia to rush home.  Upon arriving back at the estate, the dynamics of the family are further revealed.  Amicia must find her mother, who spends much of her time caring for Amicia's sickly younger brother, Hugo.  It's very clear at the beginning of the story that Hugo is very sheltered due to his illness and that Amicia and Hugo don't spend much time together.  It's at this point that things start getting crazy--Amicia hears a ruckus and looks outside and witnesses a large group of heavily armed and armored men attack and kill her father.  They are at the estate for a reason--they are looking for Hugo!  Amicia's mother instructs Amicia to grab Hugo and run to a trusted family friend.  This is no easy task as the estate is crawling with hostile enemies seeking to snatch Hugo.  The story follows Amicia and Hugo as they attempt to reach safety...and things get much more complicated as the reasons why Hugo is being sought are revealed.

Amicia and Hugo are just two kids navigating a dangerous world.

Pros:
+ Nice graphics.  Overall, the game looks nice and the settings are varied.  There are some very beautiful settings and there are some absolutely creepy, rat-infested zones that will give you the heebie jeebies (especially if you don't like rats).  The game is set during the early middle-ages and the cities and locations reflect that era.

+ Intensity...and rats.  I found this game to have lots of very intense moments that are accentuated by clever gameplay mechanics.  The rats in the game are this constantly threatening swarm that wants nothing more than to devour everything in sight.  Fortunately, the rats are very sensitive to light and areas that seems impassable can be crossed by utilizing torches and braziers that are strategically located.  There's a puzzle aspect to figuring out exactly how to create a safe path for the children.  Often Amicia has to rely on burning sticks, which only burn for a short time, to very dangerously navigate to the next safe light source.  She also moves cripplingly slow while wielding these burning sticks...it's painful and intense to slowly guide her to the next area.  You will find yourself holding your breath a lot.

+ Stealth-light.  When Amicia and Hugo aren't dealing with rats, they are trying to avoid angry townspeople who blame them for the plague or the religious zealots from the Inquisition (the baddies who are trying to kidnap Hugo).  There is a stealth element to the game that also adds to the intensity.  Amicia and Hugo can hide in tall grass to avoid guards; they can utilize distraction to sneak past; or, as an absolute last resort (that is sometimes unavoidable) Amicia can kill a guard using her sling (this option is also dangerous because the sling makes noise which is detectable).  Many areas requires the player to make choices about how to proceed and remain undetected.

+ RPG-ish elements.  Each area is scattered with crafting supplies that can be collected to upgrade Amicia's gear.  Throughout the game different NPC's who Amicia and Hugo meet along the way will provide useful items to upgrade Amicia's loadout and give the player options.

+ Brother/sister relationship is well written.  Amicia and Hugo have a strange relationship because it appears that they haven't spent much time together due to Hugo's illness.  The need to flee from danger forces them together.  Amicia is protective of Hugo, but she has genuine moments of frustration at his behavior.  Hugo is a little kid and doesn't understand certain aspects of what is happening and he has also been sheltered for much of his life.  I thought the relationship felt very realistic.

+ Unique story.  Overall, I liked the story and characters.  The story felt original, but was somewhat predictable.

+ Puzzle elements.  There's nothing too extremely challenging, but players have to work to figure out various paths through areas swarming with rats or to figure out certain smaller puzzles throughout the game.

+ Collectibles.  There are various text items and collectible items scattered around the game.  I only found a few of them, so they are well hidden.  These items contribute to replayability and exploration of the various areas of the game.  I will admit that the due to the intensity of many of the areas that I didn't do a thorough job of exploring them.  I could definitely see myself replaying it to try to find more collectibles.

+ Gameplay that is not extremely difficult (there are several difficulty settings--I played on default), but has its challenges.  It's not exactly casual, but it's also not the kind of game that is frustrating.  If you like games that have a strong story and are lighter on the challenging gameplay, A Plague Tale is a perfect fit.

+ Playing as a kid is a different feeling.  Amicia isn't an invulnerable hero and has to rely on stealth for survival.  There is something horrible about watching Amicia get devoured by a swarm of rats when you mess up or to watch her get killed by a guard.  She's not totally defenseless, but she can't just run in headlong and always has to think about protecting her little brother.

Cons:
I don't really have any major cons--I found that I enjoyed A Plague Tale.  Sometimes the controls for ordering a companion to do something can be a bit weird, but it's not a major problem.  I don't think the game is for people looking for something hardcore or overly difficult.  My main con would be the price--it's a cool game, but I don't think I would pay $44.99 for it.  Try to grab it on sale.

Recommended for:
+ Gamers looking for a semi-casual adventure.
+ Gamers who want a good story and some challenge.

Not recommended for:
- Young kids.  Even though the game features kids as the main characters, it's a pretty dark and violent affair.  It might be more appropriate for older kids (teen).
- People who are afraid of rats.  They are super-creepy in this game.  You might be scarred for life.

Into the Light--Metro: Exodus

The Metro series exists in a bit of a weird place for me--I have enjoyed the games, but for some reason, I just don't think of them a lot.  There were parts of the game that I really liked and others that I don't enjoy as much (I used to enjoy horror/jump scare games, but not so much now).  One of the major titles that had made its way to Game Pass was Metro:  Exodus, the latest chapter in the Metro series.  Even though I was a little hesitant, I am happy to report that it's a great game and my personal favorite of the entire series.  If you have Game Pass it's definitely worth checking out (and the monster 70 gig download).

It had been quite awhile since I had played the previous games in the Metro series (Metro:  2033 and Metro:  Last Light).  I was a little bit hazy on the exact details of the previous games--I remembered the very dark and mutant infested tunnels of the Russian metro; I remembered that there were aspects of survival-oriented games--limited resources and the need to be cautious with them; and I remembered many creepy jump scares.  When it came to the story, that part was hazier.  I vaguely remember the main character Artyom, harboring an insane belief that life could potentially return to the supposedly uninhabitable surface.  There were also some sort of supernatural-like influences.

Even a swampy, ruined landscape manages to be beautiful.

The good news is that even if you have no experience with the previous games, it really doesn't matter.  Exodus keeps the mainstays of the gameplay from the previous games but moves the story out of the metro and across various environments scattered around Russia.  Early on, while on a routine patrol above ground, Artyom and his wife Anna encounter a hostile patrol from an opposing faction--they get captured and find themselves in a vehicle with two other people who inform them that they had been living several hundred kilometers outside of Moscow.  Life outside the city is possible!  The tutorial/intro sequence features Artyom escaping from his imprisonment by the Hansa.  He searches for Anna, finds her, and then discovers a train and an engineer who offers to help them escape.  In the Hansa base they also discover a huge secret--people have been living outside of Moscow for quite some time but Moscow has been jamming all radio signals into the city.  No one is supposed to know about the possibility of life outside the city, so the Hansa has been executing all outsiders.  After an intense sequence of fighting off guards, Artyom, Anna, and the engineer escape aboard the train.  Shortly thereafter they are boarded by some scary figures who turn out to be none other than the gruff Colonel Miller and the rest of the Spartans (Artyom's friends from the elite Metro fighting unit).  The gig is up and the crew can't return to Moscow, so they have no choice but to travel outside the confines of Moscow.  The story follows the crew as they attempt to find a safe place to settle down...which turns out to be much more difficult than they though due to both human and environmental factors.

Pros:
+ After two games of traversing through the claustrophobic, dark tunnels of the metro system, Exodus finally takes players into the beautiful, open-world.  This doesn't mean that there's not a serious creepy factor, but it's much more bearable.  The game takes place in several open-world locations, but also has several areas that are more linear.  I really loved the openness of the world and the added exploration aspect--there are various locations that players can choose to check out in each area.  While exploring is optional, it's recommended because most of the gear items I found were located in camps or other areas that were off the beaten path.

The rapidly drying Caspian Sea region.

+ The Metro series has always looked amazing, but Exodus is downright gorgeous.  Each area has its own unique type of beauty.  Even the darker, freakier parts of the game are perfectly crafted to convey a sense of foreboding.

+ Exodus has a great story that hinges on the crew trying to find someplace safe to settle.  They quickly learn that finding the right location is no easy task as there are plenty of human, mutant, and radiation related challenges that have spread around Russia.  The story sees the crew working to overcome these challenges (and others that I won't mention because of spoilers).

A peaceful moment in camp.

+ The Metro series has always done a great job of portraying everyday life in the apocalypse and showing very human moments in the stretches between missions.  Exodus continues this trend and builds on it.  Between missions you can spend time on your mobile base, a steam locomotive that the crew names the Aurora.  You can interact with the various crew members and hear their thoughts on the current situation or get some insight into their backstories.  There are also certain sidequests where crewmembers ask you to search for specific items which then appear on the train.  The train is also stocked with a workbench where you can customize your weapon and gear loadout.

+ The gameplay in the series hasn't changed drastically, it's still an interesting blend of stealth and shooting.  In many shooting games I absolutely hate it when they throw stealth into the formula.  In Metro, they've somehow managed to make it somewhat necessary (the survival aspect of the games has meant that you have limited resources and have to figure out the best way to conserve those resources--stealth kills require no resources, so are the best way to efficiently take out enemies) and also fun.  The good news is that there have been several items added to Artyoms loadout which are very handy--nightvision goggles help to brighten up the darker areas; various upgrades can be found and installed on Artyom's gauntlet--a compass to show the direction of the current objective, a metal detector to help find loot, or a motion detector to help with stealth.  One of the best improvements in the game is the fact that Artyom is equipped with a backpack that can turn into a mobile workbench--this means Artyom can swap out weapon parts on the fly and craft some consumable items (but not all items--ammo requires the use of an actual workbench).

+Survival aspects are still present.  Artyom doesn't get to cast off his handy (or annoying) gas mask--there are still lingering areas of radiation.  Gear also degrades with damage and exposure to the environment--the gas mask will spring cracks and eventually holes if not repaired.  In Exodus weapons also require periodic cleaning to function efficiently (which must be done at a workbench).  Dirty weapons frequently jam and can be a pain during intense periods of combat.  Keeping a stockpile of gas mask filters is also a constant need.

Anna enjoys some downtime on the Aurora.

+ Collectibles.  There are postcards scattered around the world.  They are small and very hard to find (I think I found 2 or maybe 3 and purely by luck).  If you're into collectibles and want a challenge, avoid looking up a guide and try to find them all on your own.

+Old and new foes.  The old, familiar mutants from the first two games make an appearance, but the various areas of the world are populated with other equally or more frightening foes.  The human population is also chocked full of bandits and other loonies to kill.  There are several very large and unique monsters (of the type that you should completely avoid).

Creepy....

+ Photo mode.  I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of having the ability to hide the ui, use unique filters, and pause to enjoy the beautifully crafted environments and moments in games.  Exodus features this ability and I snapped up several nice screenshots.

Cons:
- Crashes.  I played through the entire first (and possibly second if I am remembering the sequence correctly) area with no performance issues.  The game ran great and I was impressed with the graphical details.  The problems started with my arrival in the desert region of the game--I would periodically experience sudden lockups and crashes which began happening on a specific part of the main story but then were happening in the open world.  I Googled this issue and found that others had also had problems with crashing.  Apparently it is linked to DirectX12 (I had similar issues in Shadow of the Tomb Raider that were also linked to DX12).  The weird part about Game Pass is that there is no startup menu or option to switch the game into DX11 (I learned that DX11 is the "safe mode" that you will be prompted to use to start the game after a crash in the Game Pass version).  I didn't have issues in the DX11 version, but could only switch the version after a crash.  Oddly enough, I turned down motion blur (from high to medium) in DX12 and the crashing problem seemed to go away.

-Annoying loading screen upon startup/quitting.  It's a fun feature to make the loading screen change based on events taking place in the game.  It's not fun to have to sit through a slow loading screen just to wait for a screen that you will spend one minute or less on.  I found the "applying changes" screen obnoxious and wish it was gone.  I'm fine with one simple startup menu and don't need all the fanciness of a changing startup screen.  I also like to just be able to quit directly to desktop from the game and not having to go through the startup menu.

- I mentioned photo mode as a pro, but the con is that the Game Pass version (and, I think I read all PC versions) doesn't have a built-in capture button.  I had to use the Xbox overlay to snap my screenshots.  Maybe they intended that players use their own screenshot application, but I know that some players don't like using a bunch of overlays.

Recommendation:
I personally found Exodus to be the best game in the Metro series, which is sadly underrated.  If you have Game Pass I would definitely recommend putting it on your wishlist and checking it out (the remastered versions of the first two games are also on Game Pass if you want to play the whole series).  The open world of Exodus is a nice change to the series but it still manages to keep most of the core elements that are central to Metro.