TFP has played some games recently: Too many games in February
Dang February, you only got 28 days, why you gotta be so packed with video games? Specifically four new ones that I am interested in. It even used to be five but then one of them got pushed to next month.
First off: Sid Meier's Civilization VII. I've enjoyed the series since I first played it around... let's say 2008? I think I was introduced to it from a Youtube LP series, then I tried out Civilization in Dosbox and had a great time, then ended up buying a physical copy of Civilization IV Complete the year after, back when you could buy physical PC games from a store. Civ 4 quickly became my favorite in the series, and probably still is, although the games past that do have their merits.
Civilization VII, despite having some pretty severe early problems, feels like an outstanding base to build on once the UI foibles and assorted other things get worked out. I love the progression through the ages, it makes each age feel more unique with different goals and challenges compared to past games where it felt more like a cosmetic thing. It also leads to interesting combinations of leaders and civilizations as the game progresses, I feel. The leader selection is also a strong point, I feel, with both classic Civilization leaders like Catherine the Great or Augustus Caesar, as well as interesting choices that weren't necessarily "leader of the country" but were definitely strong historical figures in their own right like Harriet Tubman, Confucius, or Niccolo Machiavelli. Harriet Tubman in particular, with her bonuses to espionage, is especially fun to play.
Following the stellar art deco Civilization V look and the navigational chart Civilization VI look, it's a little hard not to feel let down by VII's rather flat minimalistic look. There are also some things that feel like there should be ways to do, such as sorting towns and cities by their output on the resource screen, figuring out what active trade routes exist, or selecting which building to overbuild in a quarter that just don't exist. But, Firaxis has been active in updating things pretty quickly, so it feels like they'll make their way in sooner or later.
Next up: Avowed, on Game Pass. I'm not super far in Avowed, I've basically finished the story and all the sidequests of the first major area, but I think it's extremely neat. Obsidian, more than any other developer I feel, really has a grasp on what makes decisions in role playing games effective and fun. Especially in their dialogue systems, where I feel like they have the best implementation of "allowing skills to impact dialog options" this side of... I guess that recent Shadowrun trilogy? The way they allow building characters, at the very least for me, has allowed me to basically make exactly the character I want to make, as well as react in ways that I feel like they would react pretty consistently.
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is next. Yakuza/Like a Dragon is honestly, probably my favorite video game series out there. Ever since I played Yakuza 4 (what is it with me and 4th games in series I swear) I've been hooked on their blend of tightly plotted, high tension crime drama and the goofiest side content that has ever been seen by human eyes. Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is no different. It feels more closely related to Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, which I suppose makes sense as it is labelled as a Like a Dragon Gaiden game in Japan despite lacking the Gaiden sub-title in the US release.
What this means is that it's definitely a game built around a lot of side content with not the longest main story. But, like other games in the series, the main story is a fun treasure hunting tale mixed with the corruption of the underworld, and then in the side content you play Virtua Fighter 3 on stream with what I have to assume is a real Japanese streamer. Because of course.
I think the ship combat is unfortunately the weakest part. A lot of ship combat boils down to "Get up to main enemy ship as fast as possible, ram, dump machine guns into ship, spin, fire cannons, start drifting around to avoid shots, repeat." But, managing your crew is enjoyable and the ship boss fights that end with a crew vs. crew battle are really fun, as you get to fight alongside various side characters from the game, as well as a handful of characters from Judgment or classic characters like Gary Buster Holmes.
Monster Hunter Wilds is the next February game I'm excited for, but it comes out on Friday. Like I said: way too many games have released/are going to release in February. Hopefully the rest of the year isn't quite so packed.