These days, I’ve been playing a lot of video games. I would have never pegged myself as much of a gamer—even a casual one—but I can’t deny that games have been a pretty reliable source of pleasure for me recently. With everything that’s been going on around me (pandemic, politics and school), I am constantly in dire need of an escape.
Since I’m not in the mood to write anything introspective at the moment anyway, I decided to share my honest and kinda short thoughts on video games I’ve recently played. Enjoy!
My Child Lebensborn
4.4 out of 5
My Child Lebensborn made me feel ridiculous for being so invested in the well-being of a fictional child. It’s 1951 and the player has the choice between adopting a boy named Klaus or a girl named Karin whose daily needs require attention. This involves food, bathing, clothes, and emotional support, among others. The player’s choices impact how Klaus’ or Karin’s story ends.
The appeal of taking care of a virtual child was what motivated me to get the game in the first place. I was also charmed by the hand-drawn visuals, color palette, and historical influences. While some of the in-game days played out repetitively, and despite some bugs on the Switch, I’m giving this game a high score because of the emotional impact it left on me. My heart broke for my dear Klaus every time he came home from school looking absolutely dejected. It was a big relief when I got him a pretty positive ending.
My Child Lebensborn is available on the following platforms: Mobile, PlayStation 4, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
Life is Strange 2
3.8 out of 5
Life is Strange 2‘s premise was very promising. Two brothers have a heart-breaking encounter with a trigger-happy cop who, shortly after, dies in a bizarre blast. The brothers start a journey to Mexico, their father’s birthplace, to dodge the police and pursue new lives. Along the way, they find themselves in unordinary situations with strangers and estranged family members—all the while trying to keep the younger bro’s newly-discovered powers secret.
Honestly, I would have given Life is Strange 2 a lower rating if not for select scenes that genuinely moved me (including the ending I got for my first playthrough). As a fan of the first installment, I have to say I was pretty disappointed with this one. The graphics are wonderful and I appreciated the attempt at a more mature theme. Unfortunately, I found the actual gameplay mechanics unchallenging and bland. I’m seeing some pretty high praise from other players though so maybe it’s a matter of taste.
Life is Strange 2 is available on the following platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Overboard!
4.1 out of 5
Overboard! is a fun little game of deception. You play a former starlet who has just shoved her husband overboard a ship headed to America. The goal is to dodge suspicion and ensure that fellow passengers aboard the ship don’t find you guilty of your husband’s death before the ship docks to the land of the free. Juuuuicy.
Like most of the other games on this list, choices matter a lot. In fact, in Overboard!, you do nothing but make choices! Each playthrough lasts about 15 minutes so it can be a lot of fun trying to get every possible ending. The game has a time element and involves moving around the ship so there are a few different action combinations and routes the player can take. I have yet to complete all objectives and endings (I ran out of ideas welp) but I’m looking forward to playing this the next time I’m on a long plane ride.
Overboard! is available on the following platforms: Mobile, PC, Nintendo Switch
Road 96
5 out of 5
I couldn’t put my Switch down once I started playing Road 96. What. A. Ride. The player is put in charge of the fates of runaway teens on lengthy road trips in an attempt to flee a dictatorship. Each eventful journey is filled with interesting recurring characters with their own agenda and political beliefs. Your interactions with these characters, as well as with the environment, can significantly impact the final outcome you get.
This will sound hyperbolic but Road 96 is probably one of the best indie games I’ve ever played. I’m personally a fan of the graphics and I really enjoyed the side quests and chance encounters with the same set of characters. Sooo many scenes genuinely had my heart rate up, too! I will admit the political aspect of this game is a little on the nose for me, and the dialogue can get somewhat corny, but I could look past all of that because of how much fun I was having. Will 100% replay over and over again once I go through my backlog of games 👀
Road 96 is available on the following platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
Oxenfree
4.5 out of 5
A group of teens staying overnight in a little coastal town and experiencing eerie stuff sounds like my idea of a YA mess. Luckily, Oxenfree, despite its young set of characters, successfully keeps things fresh.
I’ve seen the trailer for this game ages ago but I was put off from buying it due to unfavorable reviews on Reddit. Because of this, I had fairly low expectations but ended up being pleasantly surprised very early on into the game! The graphics are a treat to the eyes, although I wish the characters were a tad bigger on my Switch’s minuscule screen. Character movement was also a bit too slow for my taste and I did get annoyed every time I got lost on the island (nothing Google couldn’t fix though!). But overall, Oxenfree, with its well-executed supernatural scenes, delivered an enjoyable gaming experience.
Oxenfree is available on the following platforms: PlayStation 4, Mobile, PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
Doki Doki Literature Club
3.9 out of 5
At first glance, the plot for Doki Doki Literature Club sounds fitting for a mindless dating sim: some guy (you) joins a literature club and gets the chance to win the heart of one of its members. To be honest, I didn’t even think I fit into the target demographic because of how unengaged I was with the ~cUtEsy~ exchanges within the first couple of hours. I personally felt the dialogue could’ve been much shorter or less corny—and my rating would’ve actually been a bit higher if it were.
Without giving too much away, just know that the story ends up taking some pret-ty twisted turns which simultaneously delighted and terrified me lol. The game was fun on the Switch but I imagine it’s a lot more “convincing” on PC (and you’ll see why once you play it yourself).
Doki Doki Literature Club is available on the following platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch
There ya go—my brief and honest thoughts on the games I’ve recently played! Hopefully, if you like to play the occasional video game yourself, I’ve given you some to check out.
I’m playing a couple of new games right now and have even more I have yet to start so stay tuned for more game reviews in the future!
Ferna’s interests include blogging, reading and learning all things digital media! She hopes to soon become a half-decent baker.
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