VIDEO GAME: Cocoon (2023)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Cocoon Year: 2023 Rating: E Time Played: ~5 hours There’s something about a top-down third-person puzzle game that I truly enjoy. Maybe it’s the somewhat cozy feel, but I think it’s more about the ability to view all the pieces of the puzzle at once and control the tiny character that puts the solution into motion. It’s why I like games like Moss and Lego Builder’s Journey, and why I also liked Cocoon. Of course, Cocoon had another game mechanic that blew my mind and also stumped me a few times. Still, after taking a few breaks, I was able to finish this innovative puzzle game. The puzzles in Cocoon revolve around the ability of the player character to jump in and out of worlds that they carry to special spots that allow them to transition between the spaces. Each of the colored orbs has a world that has a certain aesthetic that matches its color, which only partly helped me to track where I...
Read More

VIDEO GAME: Toem (2021)

by benmweilertNo Comments
ToemYear: 2021Rating: ETime Played: 273 minutes / 4.55 hours As someone who enjoys photography and video games, Toem was the right fit for me. A game where you go around taking photographs for people scratched that itch by making the photography like a fetch quest—providing goals to meet with each picture. The aesthetic in Toem is charming and cozy, and the choice to be almost entirely in black-and-white was interesting but understandable (as black-and-white photography is still a thing). And while there were a few control issues I had problems with, the game was just long enough for me to be entertained and accomplish most of the missions. My only issue with Toem is the controls for the camera itself. Seeing as this is the core element of the gameplay, it was frustrating to encounter it every time I took a picture. Mostly, I found zooming in/out to be cumbersome as there wasn’t just a button to zoom in or out but...
Read More

VIDEO GAME: Spiritfarer (2020)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Spiritfarer Year: 2020 Rating: T Time Played: 2,036 minutes / 33.94 hours I remembered when I saw Spiritfarer on a Nintendo Direct (or other such showcase) and thought that it looked like a cute game with its hand-drawn art style. So I put it on my wishlist, picked it up on sale, and then never played it until recently. Once I finally found the time to play it, I was hooked. It provided that cozy vibe that I adored in Animal Crossing: New Horizons and had an exploration style similar to The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker that I also liked. That's not to say it didn't have its issues, but it was definitely worth my time and money. There's this nice niche of games between the hyper realistic AAA behemoths and the retro pixel art indie darlings that really appeal to me. The games that feel hand-drawn like Indivisible (or even Hollow Knight, to an extent) have this warmth to them that's difficult to...
Read More