The Game of Life: What’s Next on Our Journey?

11th January

Hello there and Happy Saturday (if you find joy in such occasions)! I hope you’re enjoying a pleasant week!

Here’s our usual feature where we discuss some of the games we’ve been engaging with. This week, we found ourselves anxious in a snowy village, indulging in a well-loved series, and revisiting an old classic at a leisurely pace.

You can catch up on previous editions of this column in our What We’ve Been Playing archive.

Resident Evil Village, PS5 Edition

I may have played a few hours of Resident Evil 8 on Xbox, but then thought I’d switch to Steam Deck, only to stop as it was too intense. Fast forward to a few weeks ago with it running optimally on the latest consoles thanks to the PS5 Edition, and I’m back for a third attempt. I’m pleased to say that I’m really enjoying Village so far. The ambiance is stunning and having recently completed RE4 Remake, I’m finding this experience much more eerie.

I indulge in a fair number of horror titles, yet I can’t say I’ve developed any level of tolerance towards them. I get startled by the most insignificant things, like a sudden movement or a door shutting. Village’s portrayal of a small town that has been abandoned or ravaged is a chilling delight to witness, but it certainly has a plethora of doors (that close) and objects (that might swing).

At this point, I’m quite invested, and it will take more than a couple of dangling bits of meat to send me running to another game.

-Tom O

Yakuza: Like A Dragon, PS5

I’ve had Like A Dragon on my to-do list forever, ever since I finished Yakuza Kiwami years back and missed the rest of the series. I knew I would likely enjoy its quirky storytelling, turn-based combat, and RPG elements. However, I didn’t expect to enjoy them this much!

For those unfamiliar, Like A Dragon is the seventh installment in the series and transitions from an action game to an RPG homage, inspired by new hero Ichiban Kasuga’s love for Dragon Quest. Its turn-based combat is engaging, and I appreciate how RPG tropes are paralleled with real-world aspects of Japan: its job system includes everything from a homeless mage to a healing pop idol, while skills, equipment, and even pun-filled enemy types all resonate with familiar Japanese culture. It’s also downright hilarious, especially the side quests where I’ve assisted various eccentric characters in embarrassing predicaments: from urinating in public to an unusual obsession with diapers, and the inability to genuinely feel sadomasochistic pain. It’s utterly bizarre yet also a skillfully crafted satire of the genre.

I’m annoyed with myself for not diving in sooner, but I’m equally thrilled to be playing it now. I was fortunate enough to visit Japan last year and spent considerable time in the fictional city of Like A Dragon, recognizing the streets of Shinjuku (I stayed right there!) and the Yokohama Cosmo Clock 21 – it’s surprisingly authentic. This experience has allowed me to appreciate the game’s nuanced take on contemporary Japan much more.

My goal was to rush through this installment to get to last year’s Endless Wealth – and if it’s even half as good, it would undoubtedly make it onto my top games list for 2024. However, I’m enjoying Like A Dragon so thoroughly that I don’t want to rush it. I’m completely captivated.

-Ed

Rise of the Tomb Raider, Xbox Series X

When the weather outside is cold and often gloomy (let’s face it, this is Britain), it might be truly beneficial to play something set on a sunny beach, to counteract the chill of real life. For some reason, however, I haven’t chosen that route and instead, I’ve opted to spend the coldest season of the year playing Rise of the Tomb Raider.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is the second installment in the series’ reboot trilogy, and it certainly does not take place in the Cayman Islands. Rather, Lara is doing everything she can to find a fabled artifact known as the