FEBRUARY
THE WALKING DEAD: MICHONNE (1,000)
This is another episodic, graphic adventure game by Telltale based on The Walking Dead comics. It is a three episode mini series about a lady named Michonne during her time in the zombie apocalypse. Apparently she's also a character in the tv series as well as the comics but I've never seen it or read the comics so I don't know how it compares. I wasn't blown away by this game and I didn't really form much of a connection to Michonne's character either. The episodes felt like they went by pretty quickly and the many hallucination sequences that happened throughout the game, that gave a small back story to her, just spoiled the gameplay for me. It does have easy achievements so if you were wanting to boost your gamerscore than this is a good option for doing so.
LIFE IS STRANGE: BEFORE THE STORM* (1,000)
As we have probably well established already, I do love a good episodic graphic adventure game!This is the prequel to the first game: Life Is Strange and the second game of the series. You play as Chloe Price, who was introduced as the deuteragonist in the original game, whereas in this one she is the protagonist and the game focuses on her relationship with Rachel Amber and 3 years leading up to the events of the first game. I was a big fan of the original game (except the final episode), so I was looking forward to the arrival of this one. It was definitely less creepy than the original game (hello Max's Nightmare in 'Polarised') and told more of the story about the budding relationship between Chloe and Rachel. Story wise, it was a bit all over the place but I did enjoy the little plot twist at the end of the second episode. In the original game I was not a fan of Chloe at all, I know everyone seems to rate her and ship her and Max but I personally felt that their friendship/relationship was very toxic and Chloe was horrible, intimidating and manipulative towards her so I was unsure what I'd feel actually playing as her myself. Although she was still really annoying, she wasn't as annoying as she was in the first game. She was still very bitter and pissed off at the world and in that rebellious teen phase and there were some moments I just wanted to give her a shake. Especially towards wholesome Joyce, her caring mother who gets so much attitude thrown her way from Chloe. I know it's a game haha and she went through an awful time but as someone who has also went through a loss, I didn't take it out on the world like she does which is frustrating at times when playing her.
One thing I was particularly looking forward to was the introduction to the mysterious Rachel Amber from the first game. She plays a main part to the story of the first game and I was looking forward to seeing how she was portrayed in the prequel. I was pleasantly surprised by her character and that she had more depth to her. I was expecting her to be vain and bitchy but she comes across as a very genuine friend to Chloe and I really liked the dynamic of their relationship. They bring out different sides in each other. It also reunites us with old characters such as Nathan and Victoria as well as new characters like Mickey and Steph (loved these two btw!).Unlike the original game, where it focused on time travel, this game introduced a 'backtalk' element where Chloe can challenge people in her charming way to get herself out of certain situations. Or not if you accidentally get one wrong then it can cause more drama. It wasn't the best game by any means and was lacking a bit with the story line but it was still enjoyable to play. It also has easy achievements. Some are missable but chapter select allows you to go back and get any you missed.
BATMAN: THE TELLTALE SERIES* (1,000)
Random fact: I've already played this game previously on the Xbox 360 but I loved it so much I had to play it again on the Xbox One. It is an episodic, point-and-click, graphic adventure game which although is based on the Batman character, it isn't based on any previous adaptions of Batman films or other media. As usual with Telltale games, I really liked the art style and the sharp graphics, great voice acting, as well as the easy achievements you get just from playing through the story.
The story itself was one I really got into after watching other Youtubers play the game. I liked in particular that it didn't focus on the standard Batman story of him and the Joker which was refreshing to play through. The game mechanic where you have to link items up to progress the story I find the really tedious part of it as it slows down the story. I get they've probably done it to change up the pace throughout the game but I just personally didn't enjoy that aspect all that much, especially when you are starting to get somewhere in the story and then you suddenly hit this road block. I think it ruins the fluidity of the gameplay.
But overall I really enjoyed it due to the personalities of the characters, personal favourites are Bruce (obvz!), Alfred who is just adorable and sweet and must be protected at all costs and Gordon with an honourable mention to Selina.
OVERCOOKED! GOURMENT EDITION* (651/1,000)
Don't be fooled by this game! I was lured into a false sense of security of cute characters, fun gameplay and easy achievements. It is a cooking simulation game where you control a number of chefs (usually two), which you can play either solo or multiplayer, in a variety of kitchens set in different locations (artic, lava, etc) with different obstacles and hazards to prepare specific meals and gain points in under a time limit. However it should be said that if you are going for the achievements, you have to play solo to get them.
Ok, so the reality is pretty similar with a cute and quirky art style, a good, diverse selection of cute characters with incredibly fun gameplay with puzzle solving elements which is even more entertaining when played with friends with some achievements that are quite easy to gain. However I have yet to still get this game to 100% completion as it's one of those games, especially towards the last few levels I'm on, where you do need to use your brain a lot for the puzzle solving elements, which most days after work I just want to switch my brain off and not have to think too much so I have to be in the right mindset for it. Definitely do not recommend playing when you are feeling tired or half asleep, not thinking properly as sometimes you need to think outside the box. At times it can be an incredibly frustrating game to play and quite challenging when having to repeat levels in order to work out the best way to get 3 stars on a level. The biggest troll of the game is you get 1G at the beginning of the game and you need to get 3 stars on every level to get 199G. Despite all that, it is a game I will eventually go back to hopefully complete it one day and I will definitely be keeping the game as it is a great one to have when you've got friends over.
Read the rest of the Series:JANUARY
Thank you for reading! Have you played any of these games? Let me know your thoughts :)
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