Cosy, spooky, fun
Dead Island 2
Although DeepSilver’s hotly anticipated sequel received a middling reception, I found it good fun, especially once I perfected the art of switching off my critical thinking for a few hours. You travel through “Hell-A” as one of six preset slayers, trouble inevitably ensues as you fight to escape the zombie-infested city and find out what’s behind your immunity to the virus. This is all while being shadowed by a mysterious cult-like group of fellow immune people. I can’t speak to the other slayers, but rock chik Dani and motorcyclist Carla offered the same cheesy dialogue that I loved from the original game. The whole ofDead Island 2felt like a budget horror flick, complete with over-the-top drop kicks and nonsensical plot points.
Being honest, Dead Island 2’s story is mediocre and predictable, but I firmly believe that not everything has to be original or revolutionary. Sometimes you just want to sit back and hack at some zombies with buddies. On that note, Dead Island 2 does zombies extremely well, and perfects a “more of the same, please” design approach for a solid sequel. If you loved the originalDead Island, you’ll get a real kick out of this one. By that same token, if you didn’t, well, you’ll probably hate Dead Island 2.
At this point I may as well continue the horror train.The System Shock remakeleft many players overjoyed, and a few frustrated. I fell somewhere in between. Made on the blueprint of the original 1994 cult classic - which contributed to the popularisation of sci-fihorror gamesas a genre - the remake’s plot centres on defeating a rogue AI called Shodan. Shodan has taken control of a space station and transformed the crew into monstrous mutant-machine hybrids. As a hacker recruited by a shady tech corp, it’s your job to stop her and her nefarious plans for humanity.
It can get a little frustrating at times, mostly when trying to hack into cyberspace. During these sequences you go inside computer terminals and physically battle computer viruses, and while this sounds interesting, it quickly becomes tiresome after a few failed attempts. Perhaps I’m spoiled by modern game design, but I found myself just wanting to return to shooting mutants in space. Beyond that slight irk, the game offers a fun romp through space. If you never played the original, want to challenge yourself, and enjoy retro-feel games,System Shockis definitely worth a play.
Although I could talk about horror games all day, I do feel like I need to inject some much-needed cosiness back into Christmas.Disney Dreamlight Valleyis just the game to do that. I’m unashamed to say I’m a Disney fan, and that hasn’t changed in adulthood. In fact, it’s not uncommon to catch me singing my heart out toI’ll Make A Man Out Of You, TheBESTDisney song ever and I’ll hear no different.[This is correct, and furthermore I think Mulan is underappreciated as a film. Take, for example, how the track A Girl Worth Fighting For cuts out mid-line as the troops discover the scene of a battle, at which point the film ceases to be a musical and transitions into- -ed]
Due to this, the thought of my favourite characters from childhood living together in one valley fills me with joy. The game allows you to see bizarre cross-overs between different Disney stars, who are all suffering from amnesia thanks to a phenomenon called The Forgetting. It’s your job to restore their memories and slowly unlock new biomes for them to live in. As a Sims-like meets a life sim, you can also create your own avatar, build a home, garden, craft, cook and fulfil other activities you’d expect in a cosy game. All while using Disney-themed items from the catalogue of films!
I have, of course, completely broken the economy of the game by mass-farming onions and then selling them at a premium. Although I can now buy anything I want in the game, the frequent updates to add new areas, quests and characters make the game feel fresh, even after all the time it has spent in early access. If you’re a Disney fan then you can’t go wrong with Disney Dreamlight Valley, and if you’re a life sim fan then you shouldn’t turn your nose up straight away. Embrace it and become an onion farmer too.
