Come join us from 4pm BST
It’s high time for anotherRPS Game Clubchat! This month we’ve been ponderingAperture Desk Job: a “playable short” Valve created as aSteam Deck accompaniment, yet still manages to squeeze in somedeliciously ironic character beatsand at least onemantis-based tragedy. We’ll be discussing it in the liveblog below from 4pm BST, and we want to know your thoughts too. Liked it? Loathed it? Have design feedback for the toilet turrets? We wanna hear ‘em, so join us by posting in the liveblog widget’s comments bit. See you in an hour, ish.
Our live coverage of this event has finished.
–James Archer
–Katharine Castle
–James Archer
–Katharine Castle
–James Archer
I think I’d probably want 1-2 hours for £5, maybe? ADJ certainly benefits from being completely free. I think £5 would feel a lot for 30 minutes… What do you think, James?
–Katharine Castle
Personally, not much. I think Valve made the right call in keeping ADJ free but I’d take an hour or so for a fiver.
–James Archer
–James Archer
–Katharine Castle
–Katharine Castle
Sick burn (and probably also true, I endorse this take).
–Katharine Castle
–James Archer
It’s so smart about how it lays out its tiny island map with winding trails, vertical cliffs and biomes to make it feel like a massive mountain. I love when games are clever with space - it’s something Valve are good at, too.
–James Archer
Good shout!
–James Archer
I have come to terms with the fact that I will never be able to use the trackpads effectively. Never played anything that requires a mic. Have used the gyroscope in a few shooters, though - I was kind of simultaneously sold on gyro controls by Desk Job andthis videoby TF2 YouTuber SolarLight.
–James Archer
I don’t think I’ve played anything on my Deck that needs them so far - and I think my tiny hands are too small to use the track pads effectively anyway - but I do still regularly use gyro controls on my Switch.
–Katharine Castle
Not gonna lie: steep. But rewarding if you’re not into thumbsticks!
–James Archer
–James Archer
I think people will always enjoy returning to that universe. It’s so beloved, and I think ADJ is a great example of building on that world and universe without it feeling like they’re flogging a dead horse with a stick.
–Katharine Castle
They’ve done a lot of Aperture-themed tech demos (like this, I guess) but I’d argue they’re niche enough to have a degree of burnout resistance. Especially stuff like Aperture Hand Lab, which needs even more specialist gear than Desk Job.
–James Archer
–James Archer
–Katharine Castle
–James Archer
–Katharine Castle
–James Archer
I’m always fascinated when big Hollywood actors end up in video games. I wonder how they perceive them - whether it’s just another project, or whether they’re a bit baffled by the whole thing, a la Mads Mikkelsen talking about Death Stranding:
–Katharine Castle
–James Archer
–Katharine Castle
–James Archer
That’s a call for vid bud Liam, who’s next on the Game Club Organisational Wheel of Responsibility.
–James Archer
Ah yes, the real victims of Aperture’s mismanagement.
–James Archer
Having faced several celebrity faces playing Death Stranding, I do agree that it’s jarring to see their exact likenesses in a game. Just voice work is much better, I think.
–Katharine Castle
–James Archer
–James Archer
–James Archer
Yeah! Four hours or so, I think?
–Katharine Castle
Well good news, because there’s this game called Starfield, right
–James Archer
–James Archer
Interesting! Do you think the effect would be the same if the original Portal was also more of an outright comedy?
–James Archer
–Katharine Castle
–James Archer
–Katharine Castle
