All Hail the Lamb!

Thanks to some very nasty weather in my area (snow...and then several rounds of freezing rain that coated all that lovely snow and all the streets in a nice, thick layer of ice) I've had some unexpected free time.  The weather is so bad that staying in and tucking into a comfy game is the safest and best option for spending my time.  I decided it was the perfect opportunity to tick a game off of my wishlist (plus, it just so happened to coincide with payday, so extra bonus).  I decided to take a risk on a game with a decidedly quirky sounding premise--you play as a cute, lil' lamb...who's also a cult leader.  Not weird at all, right?  Cult of the Lamb offers up the perfect opportunity to be the cult leader you've always secretly wanted to be.

What is it?

Steam has it tagged with the following--action roguelike, roguelike, base building, and cute.  Cute is a bit of a curveball, but there's definitely something charming about the animal-like characters.  The premise is that your character, the lamb, is captured for sacrifice by an old god who is trying to break free from captivity brought about by four newer gods.  The poor lamb is sacrificed...but instead finds itself given a real devils bargain--the lamb can become the instrument of the old god, be reborn, and help destroy the "false" gods who are keeping it captive.  Not a bad deal, eh?

Before you can actually conquer any gods though, the lamb has to build up its strength through forming a cult to provide devotion.  The base building part of the gameplay revolves around creating a comfy cult settlement that provides for all the needs of a budding cult member--they need food, shelter, a place to worship, and a nice, clean environment.  Each day operates on a clock and the lamb can command cult members to take care of tasks around the base or to worship.  Worshipping at the central shrine provides devotion, which operates as a currency that can be used to unlock new buildings for the base.  Keeping your cult members happy and alive requires cooking meals, cleaning up after them (there's poop!), and building their faith through daily sermons and rituals.

That's only part of the gameplay though--the other part is where the roguelike elements kick in.  The four old gods that must be conquered are each locked in a dungeon full of enemies that must be defeated.  Each dungeon area has a sort of theme and a certain number of rooms that randomly spawn--most rooms contain enemies that must be defeated, but some rooms contain special characters who give the lamb buffs, new weapons, or other helpful opportunities.  The combat is surprisingly enjoyable--different weapons spawn at the start of the dungeon and sometimes can be swapped at random points throughout the dungeon.  Each dungeon area must be cleared multiple times before you can face off and try to defeat one of the old gods.

My full playthrough clocked in at 24 hours.  It's probably possible to have a playthrough be either longer or shorter depending on how much attention you decide to pay to follower requests and side tasks.  I usually opted to complete my follower requests, so it took some extra time.

Pros:

+ The gameplay loop is very fun and the way they divided it between fighting through the dungeons and managing your cult is genius.  In order to keep things balanced you have to figure out how to split your time between fighting through the dungeons and taking care of cult needs at the base.  It's easy to feel gung-ho about charging through a dungeon only to return to a base full of dissenting followers because you neglected their needs.  I suppose that some people may find the base management aspect a bit tedious, but it's worthwhile because of the combat buffs that you can unlock through member faith.

+ Multiple gameplay difficulties with unlockable permadeath mode upon completing a full playthrough.  I opted for the default difficulty ("balanced" I think) and found the combat challenging, but definitely doable.  It's one of the roguelikes where you can spend resources to upgrade things between dungeon runs--ever so slightly making things easier for the next run.

+ Run your cult how you want to.  You can choose to be a ruthless tyrant or a benevolent redeemer--it's all in the doctrine that you choose.

+ Okay, the "cute" label on Steam is somewhat deserved.  Your followers all take some kind of animal (or weird, demon-like) form.  The lamb itself is also pretty cute.  The gameplay and premise of the game is decidedly not "cute" though--you can sacrifice your own followers and be pretty nasty to them...if that's the vibe you're going for.

+ Managing your cult can be hilarious.  Your cult members live their lives while you're away--they age and can die; they get into fights; and, best of all...they poop!  It's completely possible to come back to base and find a pretty apocalyptic scene--poop everywhere!  Dead bodies rotting in the middle of the compound!  And sick cult members barfing all over the place from the lack of sanitation.  Luckily, all can be fixed with a little bit of time and effort.

If you don't keep your cult members happy they can dissent--basically they start speaking against you and they can turn other members against you.  If their level of dissent gets too high, they will eventually leave the cult (taking some of your hard earned resources with them).  They can also randomly reappear in a dungeon...and you have to fight and kill them.

For some weird reason my cult members kept requesting to eat poop.  This is something that you can do--cook a special poop dish and make them eat it.  Sure, it'll probably make them sick, but they asked for it, right?  To deny them would mean a loss of faith in your leadership...so who am I to keep them from eating poop?

The bonfire ritual is a flaming good time!

You can perform special rituals--some of them are more mundane, like a funeral for a dead member, but you can also make your followers trip on mushrooms; you can sacrifice followers (a possible solution for those dissenters--teehee); you can marry your followers (as many as you want!  It's your cult after all!); and many other funny and more serious options.  Some rituals raise faith and others will make it drop.

+ Discoverable cosmetic options to give your cult members a unique look.  Plans for special outfits drop in later dungeons and also when you do certain tasks in your base.  You can also purchase follower appearances which will make it possible to find many different types of animal/demon followers throughout the game.

+ It's still being updated.  Part of the reason I chose to grab it was because it was on sale thanks to a recent major gameplay update.  The update revolves around "sin" in your base and includes new buildings, events, and unlockable cosmetics.

+ The music fits the game well and doesn't get annoying at all.

+ Ran well.  I only had one issue where it randomly got stuck when I looted a certain relic.  Sadly I had to scrap the entire dungeon run and re-load, but it did only happen that once.

+ There are a few packs of cosmetic oriented DLC available for purchase.  They include new decorations for your base, new outfits, and possibly some new follower forms.

+ Discoverable items that drop in dungeons.  Each zone has a sort of theme and you can find a nice array of decorations to give your base the perfect vibe--be it bones or leafy wreaths.

+ Replayability factor is high.

+ You can pet the dog!  Some of your followers take a dog form (although, it can be a bit hard to tell) and you can pet them for a little extra loyalty.  If you see a dog shaped option when you speak to them, give 'em a pet!

Cons:

- Controller "recommended."  As soon as I started the game it prompted me that I needed a controller.  You can play with mouse and keyboard (something that I briefly considered), but it really wants you to use a controller.  I busted out my handy, Amazon Basics XBOX 360 controller and it worked like a charm.  Granted, I always am a little bit awkward with a controller at first.

- If you're someone who takes religion VERY seriously, this game might make you feel some...feelings of the negative sort.  It's not directly making fun of religion, but it's definitely incorporated certain aspects of religion that might make some people feel uncomfortable.  Overall, I found it to be very silly though.  If you're someone who has strong feelings about religion...maybe skip it.

Recommendation:

Cult of the Lamb is an absolute blast.  The base building and management aspect of the game perfectly combines with the combat to make for an A+ gaming experience.  Don't be fooled by the quirkiness; it's a real gem.  Highly recommend!

For Your Listening Pleasure

I'm a bit between games at the moment, so I thought that this week I would focus on something peripherally gaming related--what I like to listen to while I play.  Now, I don't play anything competitive, multiplayer, or probably even remotely "cool," so my personal preferences tend to veer into the decidedly casual realm.  I've posted before about my favorite video game soundtracks, but my favorite thing to listen to are podcasts.  Mostly I do this if I'm re-playing something--and really, it's only for casual, more management oriented games.  PowerWash Simulator does not have any in-game music, so it's one of my favorites for just chilling with a podcast.  Here are my top 5 recommendations for podcasts to listen to while you kick back and relax!

#5:  Love, Janessa

This is a fascinating story about the world of online romance scams--something that I had heard of, but knew very little about.  The reporting is great and it focuses on many aspects related to these scams--the people who fall for the scams, the scammers themselves, how the scams work, and most interestingly, one woman whose images have become synonymous with this particular scam.  The only downside is that it's a one season affair.  (Link: Love, Janessa)

#4:  The Dropout

Maybe I just like scam stories, but this is another great one.  It focuses on the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of an early 2000's Silicon Valley startup that claimed it was going to revolutionize the world of blood testing.  Holmes claimed that her company had created a device that could do full blood testing with only a single drop of blood.  Some very big name investors basically started throwing money at her company and she quickly became the face of "girl bossing."  Let's just say that claiming to have created a device and actually having a working device turned out to be a huge problem that eventually led to the downfall of Ms. Holmes.  The upside--Hulu made a series based on this story (with the same name), that's actually pretty good.  (Link:  The Dropout) 

#3:  Serial

Serial is the OG of the podcast genre and it deservedly has maintained its status as one of the best.  Each season focuses on a different, well reported story.  It originally began as an investigation into a murder case, but subsequent seasons focus on issues and stories related to suicide, cold cases, drug abuse, and personal relationships.  Some seasons are better than others, but most of the stories they do turn out to be interesting.  My personal favorite seasons are S-Town and The Retrievals.  (*S-Town does deal with suicide, so a note of caution there) (Link:  Serial)

#2:  Handsome

This is a new podcast hosted by three hilarious comedians--Fortune Feimster, Tig Notaro, and Mae Martin.  The premise is that each week a celebrity friend asks them a question that they will answer.  The celebrity questioner will also eventually answer, but that's not the focal point of the podcast.  The questions range from silly to fairly deep and reflective.  In reality, the three hosts spend about 10 minutes talking about the question and the other 50 or so just being their hilarious selves and talking about whatever they feel like.  Fortune Feimster is hilarious and does a lot of singing--you'll definitely find yourself chuckling throughout the episode.  It has a decidedly LGBTQ vibe, so if that's not your thing, maybe pick something else.  (Link:  Handsome)

#1:  Criminal

Don't let the name fool you--this isn't just another "true crime" podcast.  Criminal focuses on the stories around crime--the legal system, police, what should be considered a crime, funny stories of people breaking the law, and so many more.  The host, Phoebe Judge, has the perfect podcast hosting voice...it's shockingly good.  The best part--it has been around since 2014, so there is a big backlog of episodes and they're all very good.  One of my favorite, most thought provoking episodes dealt with a group of mostly older women who travel around the United States basically assisting suicides (again, a warning that some of the content might be upsetting for some folks--assisted suicide is something that's pretty controversial in the U.S.).  Other stories are much more lighthearted and fun.  (Link:  Criminal)

There are plenty of other good ones out there, but these five are some of my favorites.  The next time you're feeling a little bit tired of the in-game music or wanting to listen to something engaging while you play, consider picking one of them and giving it a go.  Happy podcasting!

A Fine Kettle of Fish--Dredge

Well, I finally took the bait and decided to make a purchase during the recent Steam Holiday Sale (be prepared for plenty of fishing metaphors/analogies).  I had seen many positive reviews for Dredge and even though it didn't look much like other games that I have played, I decided that it'd be worth checking out something different.  After a couple of fishing filled adventures, I've trawled a good chunk of the depths and am ready to write my review.

What is it?

Steam tags with the following labels--adventure, fishing, lovecraftian, and exploration.  It's a mostly casual game that involves solving a mystery through fishing.  The lovecraftian label comes from the ominous, mysteries of the deep type of vibes that permeate the game.  I've seen some label it as "horror" but there's nothing scary about it.

How long does a playthrough last?

Like most games it depends on whether you decide to just stick to the story or if you decide to explore, collect, etc.  I did a bit of both and my first playthrough clocked in at around 12 hours.  (I completed all the official side tasks but did skip a set of "hidden" puzzle type tasks that could undoubtedly add on a couple more hours of playtime)

A nice view of my boat and some whales.

Pros:

+ Oddly enjoyable gameplay loop.  The game operates on a 24 hour clock but time only passes if you're doing something--moving, fishing, dredging, etc.  You can choose how to spend your time during the day based on your goals--fishing is the main way to earn money, so you must navigate your boat to various shoals of fish scattered around the area.  You receive a creepy warning at the beginning of the game...you definitely want to make it back to the harbor before the fog rolls in.  Strange things happen in the fog....  Each day feels like it passes incredibly quickly, but the number of days you play doesn't seem to matter.

Keeping an eye on the clock is important and it's easy to lose track of time when you find something you really want to get.  There's always a need to balance your needs (money vs. upgrade items) with the amount of time you have each day.  You can always risk staying out a little bit long...but it may turn out to be a mistake.

+ There's a Tetris-like management aspect that can seem annoying, but winds up being fun.  You only have so many slots in your cargo hold and each fish, piece of dredge, or random treasure you find takes up a certain amount of space.  You can rotate items and try to fit them perfectly in the limited space you have.

+ Fishing is simplistic but fun.  To catch different fish there is a sort of timing-based challenge that might require you to land a ticking gauge within a certain highlighted portion.  The gauge might differ depending on the species of fish.

+ A mysterious story that you have to piece together from clues you find from exploring.  (No spoilers here.)

+ A large area to explore and find hidden areas and side tasks.  There are a number of side tasks that you can dedicate yourself to.

+ Cosmetic options to personalize your boat.  You can find special flags located in shipwrecks found around the map and can help the painter develop new shades of paint by bringing him various aberrated species of crab (and maybe some fish--this is one area of the game that I didn't do).

+ Collection type tasks.  There are a ton of different species of fish to catch--finding and fishing them up is a true challenge.

+ Photo mode.  You actually have to unlock it by completing a side task, but it's there.

+ Unlockable upgrades for your boat.  You can find a special resource that allows you to research new gear and you can unlock the ability to dredge for supplies like metal or lumber that can be used to upgrade your boat.  There are several different branches of upgrades, so you have lots of options.

+ Hidden tasks for people who like to puzzle things out and 100% games.  I told myself I wouldn't look up a guide and I don't have the patience to puzzle them out, so completed a few of the easy ones, but haven't done all of them.

+ Two different endings--there's basically a good one and a bad one.  I managed to get the bad one on my first playthrough and then did another one to get the good ending.

+ Ran well.  Requirements are low, so it's a good one if you're on the lower spec side of things.

+ Nice music.

Cons:

- I suppose that it's a bit on the short side, but I thought the length seemed just right for the story and tasks.

Recommendation:

I had a dandy time with Dredge and would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a casual game with a bit of a creepy mystery vibe.  It actually won the "Best on Steam Deck" award in the Steam Awards--I can totally see that it would be perfect for a handheld.  It's another great indie game with a fishing focus and it's great for anyone who has played the Dave the Diver crossover content and wondered about Dredge.

Father-Son Good Times in God of War

Just prior to the holiday sale I noticed that God of War was being offered up as the "weekend deal" for 50% off.  It was a very low risk proposition due to the fact that its reviews are "overwhelmingly positive" and it's one of those console staple franchises that seems to garner nothing but love.  After 49.3 hours of gameplay, I'm happy to report that the reviews and love are well warranted--it's a fabulous game.

What is it?

A singleplayer game listed on Steam with the following tags:  story-rich, action, adventure, and 3D (that one is a bit odd).  It is the PC release of the 2018 iteration of the popular PlayStation series.  You play as Kratos, a God with some rockin' combat abilities.  There's tons of fighting, but there's also a shockingly good story and world filled with all of our Norse mythology favorites (and more obscure characters too).

How long does a playthrough last?

It depends on how you choose to play--if you just play through the story probably 20+ hours.  If you decide to do side content and spend time on some of the optional realms and activities you're looking at 40+ (at least).  I did the story, re-visited a few zones to look for missing items, and messed around some in the optional realms (and also had some idle/paused time) and clocked in my full playthrough at 49.3.

Kratos--looking fierce in the Valkyrie armor.

Pros:

+ Undoubtedly, the best part of God of War is the combat/fighting.  It's got a sort of simplified fighting game style that is less about trying to remember which combination of keys does which move and more about timing based attacks.  The fighting moves feel good and learning how to flow them together into an absolute stream of destruction feels magically powerful.  There are tons of different enemies--ranging from simple, grunt type of units up to bosses who deploy a stunning array of attacks and require a tactical awareness about their specific attacks.  Luckily, there's tons of opportunities for fighting built into the story and world--you know it's good because it never gets old.

+ A large world to explore.  (I'm going to also say--it's not open world, which I view as a plus)  Each zone is filled with different tasks, collectibles, and special encounters.  Once you reach a certain point in the story you gain the ability to easily return to zones that you have previously explored--and, if you're going for total completion, you'll need to re-visit them because there are gated areas that cannot be opened until certain skills/weapons are unlocked.  One of the things that I particularly enjoyed was the fact that the world expands at different points in the story--don't be put off if you can't find something, just try to progress the story and it should become more apparent.

+ A Norse mythology inspired story and characters with a very cool aesthetic.  Temples, runes, longships, Odin and his cast of Godly figures...God of War fully embraces the known and the more obscure aspects.  Each realm has its own feel and look--it's fun visiting them all.

The story itself has tons of twists, turns, and totally unpredictable moments.  I was surprised by how good it actually was.  (*it actually won the Steam Award for "Best Story Rich Game" last year for the PC release)

+ Father-son fun times.  The story centers around Kratos and his son Atreus and focuses largely on their relationship and the complicated nature of Godhood.  Despite Kratos' harsh demeanor, there are some nice, father-son bonding type of moments that might appeal to anyone looking for a game depicting that type of relationship.  Granted, your Dad was probably not a God and carrying the baggage of one, but it's still nice to see a depiction in a game.

+ Tons of opportunities for side tasks.  Each area offers up a list of items that you have (or have not) discovered--there are collectibles (that can be sold for hacksilver), Odin's Ravens to banish, Valkyries to find and fight, chests to find, lore markers...basically, there's ton of stuff sprinkled throughout each area.  Fully completing a zone is no easy task (although--using guides will make it more straightforward).

+ Challenge zones for those who want to be challenged.  To unlock both zones you must first find the language ciphers (they are scattered through different areas of Midgard).  Musplheim offers up arena-style fighting challenges that vary in difficulty and offer up unique rewards to craft some pretty snazzy armor (and also resources that are needed to upgrade higher level armors).  Niflheim is more about grinding--it's filled with a deadly mist that will start to slowly deplete your health once a timer runs out.  The goal is to collect a special kind of resource that is scattered throughout chests in the zone in order to craft and also unlock special chests.  There are also special realm tears that require a ton of gathered resources to open and complete.  Basically, if you want to fully complete the tasks in Niflheim, you need to be prepared for quite a bit of grinding.  It resets with random enemies every time to re-start the area...and you lose your gathered resources if you die.  Both Musplheim and Niflheim are optional, but they provide an additional challenge for players who want to put their fighting skills to the test.

+ Different difficulties and New Game+ options.

+ A nifty photo mode for snapping some memorable moments during the adventures of Kratos and Atreus.

+ Ran well on my PC and had no issues.

+ The camera controls are shockingly good.  Usually I have issues with fighting style games and the camera moving into very irritating places and making things more difficult than they need to be.

+ Mouse & keyboard settings are actually good.  It also supports XBOX and PlayStation controllers if you prefer them (there's some manual aiming...something that I don't enjoy with a controller, so I decided to skip the controller play).

Cons:

- Graphics are a bit weird.  There's this sort of grainy appearance that I couldn't figure out how to get rid of.  I messed around a little with the settings and even if I put it on "high" it still had that sort of grainy look.  Overall, it looks good, but it was just something that bugged me a little bit.  I decided to just keep the settings on the default (which is "original").

- Please no more Norse mythology.  I feel like it has been done to death and that we need some fresh new mythology.  Maybe something inspired by Eastern cultures?  (I enjoyed the setting and theme in the game and this is just a general complaint)

Recommendation:

I greatly enjoyed God of War and found it to be a fabulous PC adaptation.  Even at its current full price ($49.99 on Steam), it would be well worth it.  The fighting, story, and optional activities make for a truly enjoyable experience.