Impressions of the Month - February 2024
The First Ever Impressions of the Month!
Welcome to the first of a new series of articles due out at the end of each month. I will go over what’s been happening with me, what I’ve been playing, game impressions, and my takes on any industry news. I’m excited about these because it’s a good way for me to tackle several things at once and get some quick hot takes out. So let’s get started.
Xbox Will NOT Be Going Multiplatform… Sort Of
This month hasn’t just been crazy for my health, it’s been crazy for the health of the Xbox brand as well. Several journalists started throwing out rumors that Xbox would be putting many of their exclusives on PS5 and Nintendo Switch. While it was one thing to hear a Hi-Fi Rush or Sea of Thieves would be appearing, it’s another to hear Gears of War or Halo Infinite would appear on PS5. Many Xbox influencers went into full freak-out mode. Some did overreact and were acting out of plastic box wars thinking, but there were others with legitimate concerns regarding their digital libraries and their investments into the Xbox ecosystem.
The Xbox’s big three executives (Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty) sat down with the Official Xbox Podcast to provide an “Xbox Business Update”. They pretty much confirmed that they would be releasing several games to other platforms, but not the big monster exclusives. So everyone freaking out was a waste of time. However, that doesn’t mean I didn’t find what Spencer said boring. Spencer gave us a peak behind the curtain and talked business.
I found Spencer’s analysis of dedicated game consoles reaching a ceiling interesting. This is not too far from Sony’s statement about the PS5 console’s limitations for growth. This tells me that Xbox still has a long-term goal to expand what a gaming platform is. So while they may not be putting those massive infamous Xbox franchise exclusives on competing consoles yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will never happen. Spencer also opened up about new hardware and plans to make the next Xbox the greatest technical leap in history.
I’m skeptical about the idea of a massive jump to the levels when we went from 2D to 3D or the jump to HD. The last two console generations have had the weakest jumps I’ve seen and we are reaching diminishing returns in graphic fidelity. However, it’s possible they meant the performance or intelligence of the system. I also read some comments from some that make good points that tools like AI and/or machine learning could touch up a game and make it look closer to real life. We will see in a few years, but I’ll remember Sarah Bond’s statement when the next box launches.
No Switch 2 This Year?!
We got an update from reliable insiders that Nintendo is now telling third-party developers that the Switch 2’s launch has been pushed to early next year. From a personal and admittedly selfish standpoint, this depressed me. But, I also can see what Nintendo is doing, IF these reports are true. For starters, Nintendo isn’t tied to seeing what Xbox or PlayStation are going to do. So they can launch their hardware whenever they want to. Also, they can wait to have an incredible exclusive lineup for the entire year and give multiple reasons to consumers why they need this new system. And lastly, Nintendo may have a legitimate shot at surpassing the PlayStation 2 to sell the most dedicated game consoles in history.
If the Switch’s successor is indeed next year, I hope Nintendo has a lineup to give us. Hopefully, the rumors of more remasters and remakes come true. I would be okay with getting Metroid Prime 2 and 3, the rumored F-Zero GX remake and more Zelda remasters. Put in a possible price drop, and I think Nintendo could give the iconic PS2 a run at its longstanding record.
Quick Review - Sea of Stars
Sabotage Studio - Switch, PS4, PS5, XBO, Xbox Series Consoles, PC
I already knew how I felt about this game when I released my best of 2023. I did need to do the final boss and was delayed by my COVID struggle. But once I started feeling better I went ahead and finished it last week. I ended up adoring this game. It’s not a perfect game, it does have its issues. I felt the story didn’t truly start til the middle of the game. The main two protagonists you control kind of lacked any personality for me to care about them compared to the awesome side characters that surround them. However, in the end, you end up with a solid game I would recommend to any RPG fan.
Sea of Stars is a great love letter to the 16-bit RPGs that feel lost to time. The gameplay makes you pay attention instead of just selecting moves and waiting. The cast of characters are relatable and have their own interesting background. The first major supporting character, Garl the Warrior Cook, is one of the best characters of 2023. The villains are cool, but outside of the Greek tragedy story for one of them, they could have been a bit more memorable. The world of the game is solid and I never got bored exploring it.
The game’s best attribute for me was the art style and graphics. It may be a retro-inspired 2D game, but it looks gorgeous. It feels like you’re playing a classic from the Super Nintendo era, which had some beautiful pixel sprite work with many of its RPGs. The soundtrack and sound design are also solid and it all comes together to give us such a memorable game. I was a bit disappointed that the game was shorter than I expected, and that is as someone who is getting critical about the length of games.
Overall, Sea of Stars is an incredible trip back in time to the golden age of 2D pixel RPG adventures. It delivers a solid experience with incredible characters, a beautiful world, and a soundtrack that gives you nostalgia chills. This was a great job by Sabotage Studio. Highly Recommended.
What I’ve Been Playing
In terms of what my game rotation looks like, first I have Starfield. I got a good amount of playtime with this one last year but then decided to take a pause and pick it up later. Now I’m picking it back up and hoping to finish it before Rise of the Ronin comes out. I still like a lot about this game, but it does have its weaknesses. I’m also playing Super Mario RPG which I’m almost done with. I really like this remake and it's one of those games that brings a smile to your face when you play it. The soundtrack alone is just amazing. High on Life is a game I always wanted to play and I’m adding to my rotation. I haven’t started it yet, but I will this week and I hope to come away with a good experience.
I also played Jusant for a bit, but I had to stop playing it. This wasn’t because I didn’t like it, it was just that the game’s gameplay loop was setting off my vertigo. I also just started watching a Let’s Play of Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden. I saw the reviews for it were much better than I think most expected, and I wanted to experience it in some way as my budget couldn’t fit it in.
And to end things off, I was planning to buy and play Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. However, when I got hit by COVID I had to do a couple of appointments and was charged for it, so it messed with my budget for the month. Rise of the Ronin is coming up and I already plan to play it, so I have to delay playing Infinite Wealth. I started to get hyped for the game the closer we got to its release. My hope is sometime in the summer I can give it a go.