Operation Backlog Completion 2026

Control 2 Will Be an Action RPG

 Video games  1 Response »  Tagged with: ,
Nov 202024
 

Two years ago, we discussed the official announcement of Control 2, and last month I finally finished Control.

Now some new information has come out, although what it means isn’t quite clear yet.

Remedy made a few small announcements yesterday, including the detail that Control 2 will be an action RPG.

This made me pause when I first read it, because the first game already has some RPG elements despite being classified as an action-adventure game. You earn experience and unlock upgrades from a skill tree. It sounds like Control 2 will go even further in that direction (maybe something similar to how Alan Wake was a thriller with horror elements while Alan Wake 2 was survival horror). What that exactly means, however, hasn’t been explained.

Of course, it’s sparked all sorts of arguments about what defines an RPG. I usually focus on leveling up as the main criteria, but it’s definitely muddied by games with RPG elements. But if your definition of RPG excludes most JRPGs, I disagree there completely.

What I’m imagining for Control 2 right now is an expanded version of those systems so that you can customize your build and combat style, maybe with more types of equipment available, too.

Meanwhile, in a curious maybe-easter-egg-maybe-glitch, some Control players are reporting that a certain spoiler character has disappeared from their game. The discussion involves spoilers, so don’t click that link if you’re avoiding Control spoilers. There was a Control update after the release of Alan Wake 2’s Lake House DLC that this might be related to, but it’s still not entirely clear since not everyone has been able to replicate it. If it is an easter egg, however, that’s pretty neat.

I enjoyed Control despite how long it took me to finish it, and I’m planning to play Control 2. Although the multiplayer spin-off coming out in between doesn’t interest me, I’ll be looking forward to learning more about Control 2 and what its new RPG direction means.

Game Awards Nominees Announced, Infinite Wealth Has Two Nominations

 Video games  3 Responses »  Tagged with: , , ,
Nov 182024
 

The nominees for this years Game Awards have been announced, and there’s quite a few titles that interest me on the list.

The Game of the Year category, has been drawing the most attention, with Astro Bot, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Metaphor: ReFantazio being nominated.

Elden Ring is causing the greatest stir, because they said ahead of time that DLC is eligible to be nominated in any category. A lot of people are saying they changed the rules just so Erdtree could be nominated, but I don’t think this is a rule change. The Witcher 3’s Blood and Wine DLC won Best RPG back in 2016, so it seems to me DLC was always eligible for any category and they only emphasized it this year because it was a GOTY nominee specifically.

Anyway, I’ve started Metaphor and have Astro Bot and Rebirth in my backlog waiting for me. Will I finish any of them in time for the Game Awards show? We shall see. I actually played a good deal of Elden Ring when it came out, but I took a long break from it, so I’m nowhere near ready to even try Shadow of the Erdtree. Someday…

In the Best Game Direction category, the nominees are Astro Bot, Balatro, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Metaphor ReFantazio. Yes, it’s the same as the GOTY nominees.

Now for Best Narrative, we have Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, and Silent Hill 2.

That’s an excellent lineup of which I’ve finished none (although to be fair, I know the story of Silent Hill 2), but it does my heart good to see Infinite Wealth making the list. Like a Dragon is still a niche series compared to the big ones, and I thought Infinite Wealth might be skipped entirely. I still need to get back to my playthrough, but I’m happy to see it get a nomination.

Best Art Direction has Astro Bot, Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Neva as nominees. From what I’ve played so far of Metaphor, it deserves its spot here.

The nominees for Best Score and Music are Astro Bot, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Silent Hill 2, and Stellar Blade.

Metaphor has a great score from what I’ve heard so far, and I’m happy to see Silent Hill 2 on this list as well. Meanwhile, Stellar Blade is another game on my list to finish. It’s nice to see it get a nomination, although I haven’t played enough yet to really comment on the soundtrack. On the other hand, it’s also one of the nominees for Best Action Game, which I think it has a shot at.

I’m not going to go through every category, so jumping ahead to one of the categories nearest and dearest to my heart – Best RPG – where the nominees are Dragon’s Dogma II, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Now I might not have gotten far enough in Infinite Wealth to comment on the narrative yet, but it definitely felt like a solid RPG. It’s going up against some heavy-hitters, but maybe it has a chance.

There are plenty of other categories and nominees, which you can check out at the official site, so I’ll just mention that the Most Anticipated Game nominees are Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, Grand Theft Auto VI, Metroid Prime 4, and Monster Hunter Wilds, none of which would even crack my top 10 most anticipated games. It’s actually a bit startling to see so many games I was excited for and plan to play nominated for other categories, while none of my most anticipated games got nominated there.

Meanwhile, it says something dire about my backlog that there are so many games I planned/plan/want to play but still haven’t. Whoops.

Anyway, I’ll try hard to have at least finished a couple of these contenders so I can root for them properly. The Game Awards 2024 is set for December 12 at 4:30 PM PT / 7:30 PM ET, and I’ll tune in more for announcements than for anything else. How do you feel about this year’s Game Awards nominees?

Trails in the Sky SC is an Excellent Sequel

 Reviews, Video games  3 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Nov 152024
 

All the way back in 2018, I played and loved Trails in the Sky and was anxious to play the sequel.

It took me longer than I expected.

I don’t quite know how to explain why I waited this many years to finally get around to a game I was so eager to play. Different games just kept taking up my time, I suppose.

But my interest in the Trails series surged enough that I finally made it a priority this year.

Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter picks up immediately where the first game left off. The story has a faster pace this time around; while it still has some slow sections, there are a lot more exciting moments throughout.

The combat system is the same grid-style turn-based combat system as in its predecessor, and more powerful orbment setups allow for greater customization of the magic you can use. And while the first game has a revolving party, where characters come and go in each new chapter, the party here is much more flexible, with more permanent party members you can choose from for your active team.

Best of all, it is still the game for NPC dialogue. Having learned my lesson about missable side quests and their tiny windows of availability last time, I made a concerted effort to backtrack after every plot point in this game. NPC dialogue updates every single time, and it’s so much fun to see these minor background characters go through their own miniature stories. For example, one town included a married couple having trouble with their relationship, and I found myself strangely invested in their outcome as I checked back each time. This sort of thing really makes the world feel alive and real, and I love it.

It also seems to have a lot more sections where dialogue changes depending on your active party – at one point I had an all-female team and the characters referenced it in a conversation, and that’s just a minor example.

Now, Trails in the Sky is the first arc in a lengthy series, and it was especially interesting to see how that came into play here. Although SC tells a more conclusive story than the first game, it does so while dropping hints and details for things that are to come later. I was actually surprised to see how much it quietly sets up a larger series despite being such an early entry. It left me even more excited to move forward and see the rest.

Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter is an excellent game, and I had a lot of fun playing it. Since it took me over 90 hours, however, I’m going to take a break before diving into the next game – but this time, it won’t be a break that lasts for years.

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