Games

Spiral Slides are for Suckers

Categories Games, Parkitect

I recently picked up Parkitect with my good friend, Realeo, what also has a couple of posts here. The game is everything you want from a park simulator with the thing you didn’t know you did: multiplayer. Building alongside a person-person who is just as clueless as you are about how things work is a joy. It also works well as a quiet group activity at times when your both sweating through figuring out how to finish a ride or why people are not buying your bubble tea. I recently got into diving into the numbers, clicking on each ride and looking at the statistics, and this has led me to a discovery. Spiral Slides are for suckers.

Spiral slides are these cool lighthouse looking rides, where a visitor queues up for the chance to climb to the top and slide down in a spiral to much pixelated joy. But this is no happy lighthouse as it appears. It is a sad lighthouse. It is Nickel Creeks’s Lighthouse. The only thing being dashed against the rocks here though are profits.

Read more

Slime Rancher: Final Thoughts

Categories Games

I won’t get into too heavy of specifics but there is spoileryness, even while I am as vague as I can be.

In the literal ruins of Hobson’s past, I learned that I can look to his advice but I cannot live in his footsteps. The lesson of the game was that of choice. Hobson imparted knowledge throughout my adventure but, ultimately, taught me that the choices my own through a carefully measured pace of notes that blended with the tasks I found myself choosing to do. There were a lot of decisions to be made as Beatrix, but for every door I chose, another closed. I think we are all choosing doors every single day; what is life if not a series of doors and a mixture of emotions about the ones we did and did not go through?

Slime Rancher let me break convention by allowing me to fly over locked doors, choosing how I approached the world around me. With freedom abound, it is beautiful that they did not take away the culminating final choice. So many games end in a this-or-that scenario masked as decision making that is supposed to be reflective of the person playing. Slime Rancher, while more constrained in overall scope, is so much more. Consequently, Instead, I am now sitting here in my chair, and I am exploring my mixed emotions.

I recommend you play Slime Rancher, or not. The choice is yours.

Read more

Just a Reminder that Crown Crates are Garbage

Categories Elder Scrolls Online, Games

I usually do so well to avoid crates. The last time I bought big into crates was the in 2019 when Xanmeer Crates were available. Well, here I am again, a sucker once more for Xanmeer Crates. I cannot even believe you can get a Craglorn Welwa four times in a row. Meanwhile I have only gotten a single ouchie-plant out of the three available. So there is not much to this post, just a reminder that Crown Crates are a scam. If I could, I would just pay some stupid number annually to know I can get what I want. I am not adverse to paying to support the game, but it would be nice to not feel like I have been fleeced so often. As of now, I only stick my head out every handful of years to learn my lesson again.

Well played, ZoS.

A Friend on the Inside

Categories Elder Scrolls Online, Games

Since 2014, I have played exclusively argonians and have no intention of changing. Khajiiti have come close but, while I respect heir laid back lifestyle and abundance of substances, the marshes and dark places of Murkmire have always felt at home for my light adverse soul.

Elder Scrolls Online just added a new premium home to its shop. Nestled away in Blackwood, Willowpond Haven is stunning for several reasons. Just look at it. The rain, the hanging trees, a central body of water, and in the back is a cave! I love caves!

Read more

The Battle of White Gloves: Super Mario Bros. Wonder Vs. Sonic Superstars

Categories Games, Mario, Sonic

Growing up in the 90’s, I was in an exclusive relationship with Sega. The courting was short, as my father brought home the Sega Genesis and it was unexpected but welcomed love. At the time, Nintendo never entered my mind. I spent my evening with Sonic, Hook, and many other adventures. The years however tired my relationship with Sega, and I found myself hoping for the Corporation that I once knew to return to loving form. One can only wait so long though, as I began to look elsewhere, as I began to look at Nintendo.

On October 17th, I invited myself to fall again, I purchased Sonic Superstars and the possibility of renewed interest felt real! I have wanted so badly to fall in love with Sonic again, and this was my chance. Nothing is ever so simple though, and two days later Super Mario Bros. Wonder showed up at my door looking like a delicious dish.

Read more

The Elder Scrolls Online: Fauns in Peril

Categories Elder Scrolls Online, Games

The colorful landscape of Galen and the fauns that fill it brought me joy at first sight. Reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and visiting Ohio has instilled an instinctual desire in me to want to make friends with all fauns.

Fauns dancing in Galen.

Sadly, the fauns until this point had not seemed keen on the idea. They dance, but never extended an invitation. In fact, they were downright hostile. I doubted I would ever meet a faun friend, but then I found two striking individuals.

Read more

The Very Old Age of Conan: Part 1

Categories Age of Conan, Games

There was a time when I was set on playing Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. In 2008, I was excited for an MMORPG that was unbound by embracing its visceral combat, unbound by the promise of relentless PvP, and unbound by articles of clothing to maintain any modesty.

Yet Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning came out the same year and with its blitz of marketing, it caught me and I became a cheerleader for another team. I forgot about Conan and embraced WAR. I would go on to play Warhammer Online on and off until its early demise (and then again with its rebirth, but that is for another time).

I never stopped hearing positive things about the initial experience of Age of Conan, that it is well voiced and well put together but also drops off hard in quality after its introduction. I accepted this and decided I would right a wrong, I would finally enter Hyboria!

Read more

Future Nostalgia: It Takes Two

Categories Games, It Takes Two

Every so often I play a game that touches something new inside of me and gets me hyped about games all over again. I know that once it happens, I won’t get it in the same way again.

It Takes Two has reached inside of me and grabbed hold of a mix of wonderment and concern. It is mechanically diverse, emotionally gigantic, and overwhelmingly good vibes.

The game only plays as a two player experience, so a partner is mandatory. I think it would be easy to call forced cooperation brave on the part of the developers but I think it was the only choice for the game they wanted to make. I cannot imagine this game being what it is without the two in It Takes Two, and no NPC could fill the space where the party of two are reading each other just as much as the game.

My journey is not yet done, I have not finished the game. It has become our regular meetup a few times a week, my player-two and I, to see what May and Cody will do next. They still have a lot to learn, and so do we.

Welcome

Welcome, dear guest, to Verse and Vermin. I did not want my first post to be just an introduction but an acknowledgement also feels polite. This is my corner where I mix interest and imagination, a bit of what you have read already. If your eyes find anything to like, I hope that you will stick around and say hello. If you yourself have a blog, please share it here.

Thank you, and I hope you have a delightful day.