#oneaday Day 441: Is it actually impossible to recommend things to anyone any more?

I can't remember the last time I successfully recommended something to someone. Be it TV show, movie (not that I really watch movies any more), music or video game, it seems inordinately difficult to get anyone to give a shit about something you might feel quite passionately about — even if you're close with the person you're attempting to recommend something to.

I say this in the light of online Discourse™ right now being taken up almost entirely by breathless ejaculations in the direction of Hollow Knight: Silksong, which apparently now has a release date and everybody (except me) is enormously excited about to the exclusion of pretty much anything else in existence.

I've talked before, I think, about the phenomenon of "inverse hype", where the more something is talked up and talked up and talked up, the less I give a shit about it. It's happened with numerous things over the years for me: Star Wars, Mass Effect (I've still never even touched the third one despite quite enjoying the first two), Undertale (which I have since played and enjoyed) and now — and for the last seven years — Hollow Knight: Silksong.

It's the Internet's fault, of course. The seven-year long "joke" of responding to literally every video game announcement or livestream with "silksong when" quickly wore out its welcome and then proceeded to continue for nearly a decade. It's been so long now that I feel active antipathy towards Hollow Knight as a whole, despite it being a type of game I would typically rather enjoy. I don't want anything to do with Hollow Knight precisely because people will not shut the fuck up about it.

And part of that not shutting the fuck up also includes closing one's ears to any alternative possibilities. Already other developers are (perhaps wisely) moving their release dates so they don't "overlap" with Silksong when it eventually releases in early September.

The problem exemplified by Silksong, I think, is that apparently "The Community", whatever that actually means, is only capable of Giving A Shit about one Thing at a time. That Thing changes from moment to moment, but it's always something that has, for one reason or another, had both a lot of blanket coverage and a lot of speculation about it. And while that Thing is the Thing Of The Moment, no-one has any time whatsoever to even contemplate that other Things might exist, because if you're not "part of the conversation" while Thing is Thing Of The Moment, you might as well just kill yourself, you stupid, pointless, irrelevance, you.

It's probably a personal failing to be frustrated and resentful of this, but I've never really operated that way. There's the occasional thing that I enjoy jumping on board with to enjoy at the same time as everyone else — the last two were Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza — but other than that, I typically enjoy things at my own pace, sometimes a very long time after they were initially released. This often means that I "discover" something when it's outside of the mainstream public consciousness — if it was ever there in the first place, which in many cases for the things I personally enjoy, it wasn't.

Unfortunately, that lack of blanket coverage and generally mainstream "approval" is seemingly crucial for a lot of people, so if you recommend something that the person you're making the recommendation to hasn't heard of, typically, I find, you'll be dismissed or even ignored.

I suspect this ties in with the "well, why would I waste my time with a 65/100 game when I could be playing nothing but 95/100 games?" I'm sure many of you know my answer to this already — it's because the 65/100 games are, in many cases, more interesting and creative than the 95/100 games, and also because slapping numerical ratings on something unquantifiable is stupid. But too many times I've encountered the "well I read a review once that didn't like it" response to a personal recommendation — which I made because I knew the thing I was recommending would particularly appeal to the person I was recommending it to, if they'd give it a chance — and, at this point, it's just getting far too annoying to even attempt recommending anything any more.

The real problem at the heart of all this is doubtless that there are too many Things. The implication behind the "why should I waste my time with a 65/100 game" question is that an individual has a finite amount of time, and that time is somehow "wasted" if it is not spent "optimally", even if that time is being spent engaging with something that is entertaining, artistic, enriching. And "optimal" to a lot of people today means the mistaken assumption of the "objectively best" thing — a concept which doesn't actually exist.

Right now, while polishing off Donkey Kong Bananza, I'm also playing through Mystery Detective Archives: Rain Code, a game which came out in 2023. I'm willing to bet that I'm probably the only person playing that game right now, because two years ago might as well be the Dark Ages for some people.

Sigh. This really isn't worth getting worked up over, I know. It's just frustrating when you try and start a conversation and you feel like you're continually confronted with a blank wall with "silksong when" scrawled on it in crayon.

Want to read my thoughts on various video games, visual novels and other popular culture things? Stop by MoeGamer.net, my site for all things fun where I am generally a lot more cheerful. And if you fancy watching some vids on classic games, drop by my YouTube channel.

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#oneaday Day 143: You should consider a mini PC

I realised that I don't think I've talked about this on this 'ere blog before, so now's as good a time as any.

You should consider a mini PC. You know, those little square things that are much too small to put anything in and don't have graphics cards. Yeah, them. I got this one and it has completely taken over from "the gaming PC" (which is hooked up to the TV in the living room) as my daily driver for work, and also for video capture and streaming. (I still do video editing on the gaming PC, though, because having an actual graphics card is helpful there.)

I've been very pleasantly surprised how capable that thing is, even if I continually want to call its brand name "Beedrill" instead of "Beelink". (I had to look up my order to check.) It's a nippy little thing when running Windows 11 — which is nowhere near as bad as naysayers think, particularly when you turn off/forcibly remove all the AI shit — and for anything other than bang up to date graphically intensive polygonal games, it performs admirably. It is superb at emulation, for example.

Its small form factor makes it very portable — I now take it to the office when I have to go in, instead of a laptop — and it has plenty of connectivity, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. I've added a powered USB hub to mine just for maximum flexibility — I have a lot of things hooked up to it — but if all you need is a wired mouse and keyboard and maybe some additional USB storage, you're sorted with just the included ports.

I hadn't even considered mini PCs prior to picking this one up, but when I decided I wanted to move my day-to-day work from home out of the living room and up into my study, something made me give them a look. And I was surprised to read plenty of positivity about them — it seems these little things are quite fashionable at the moment. And, having now owned one since May of this year (it feels like longer already — it's a fixture now!) I am delighted with how it's performed and how flexible the damn thing is.

The only thing — besides triple-A gaming — that I've found it's not really up to is simultaneously running a reasonably modern game and recording/streaming it at the same time. It's fine doing this with emulation — my last few Atari ST videos were done on this machine — but when I thought about streaming UFO 50 a few weeks back, it wasn't quite up to the job. Which is a shame, but not the end of the world, because I also have an Elgato hooked up to it, so I can just stream/record from other devices such as the 400 Mini, Evercade VS and, soon, Switch — I've bought a second Switch dock specifically so I can dock my Switch and stream from it.

So if you're in the market for a new PC and you know that your uses aren't going to be super-demanding — and yes, this even includes games, so long as they're not, like, super-fancy ray-traced gubbins — I can confidently say a mini PC is a good investment. They're particularly ideal if you want to set up some sort of emulation box or a system primarily used for entertainment — video streaming, music, that sort of thing. They're small, compact, quiet and, best of all, cheap.

So yeah. That's my sales pitch. You should consider a mini PC. I'm glad I did!

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#oneaday Day 774: Non-Mainstream Games That You (And @starven) Should Play

Following yesterday's post, I was asked by the fine @starven to recommend some specific titles outside of the mainstream that were worth trying. So rather than doing it half-heartedly, I thought I'd do it properly, with categories, links and all that nonsense. These are the titles which sprang (almost) immediately to mind, but they should provide plenty of entertainment to get you started with. This list covers titles I've played, not just games I've heard are good.

Here we go then. Bear in mind some of these games are a little older, but that's actually a good thing, as it usually means they're 1) cheaper and 2) likely to run on almost anything. All prices will be in GBP because I can't remember the thing you put on the end of the Steam URL to show prices in dollars.

For further discussion of "underappreciated" games, be sure to drop by the Squadron of Shame and check out our podcast.

Adventure

Classic adventure games aren't dead by any means — the ludicrous amount of money that Double Fine raised on Kickstarter should be evidence of this. Here are a few adventure games that are most definitely worth your time. I've also lumped a couple of visual novels into this category since the adventure genre is arguably its closest cousin.

Ben There, Dan That!/Time Gentlemen, Please!

Platform: PC
Where to get it: Steam
Price: £2.99

A double-pack of point and click adventure games from Size Five Games (formerly Zombie Cow Studios) that have a deliciously British sense of humour. While neither have plots that could particularly be called "thrilling", the best thing about these two games is the humorous banter between protagonists Ben and Dan. These games are strongly reminiscent of "golden age" LucasArts titles such as Day of the Tentacle and Sam & Max Hit the Road.

The Longest Journey

Platform: PC
Where to get it: Steam, Good Old Games
Price: £5.99

A lengthy point and click adventure that isn't afraid to swear when necessary. Features an interesting "parallel dimension" story, a strong, attractive female protagonist, some truly memorable characters and only one infuriatingly stupid puzzle. Its sequel Dreamfall is good, but not as good as the original.

Digital: A Love Story

Platform: PC, Mac, Linux
Where to get it: Official site
Price: Free

Technically a "visual novel" rather than an adventure game per se, Digital: A Love Story takes place entirely on the virtual desktop of an '80s computer. To reveal too much more would spoil it completely.

Analogue: A Hate Story

Platform: PC, Mac, Linux
Where to get it: Official site
Price: $15

Follow-up to the above from the same author, Analogue: A Hate Story once again sees you interacting with the game via a virtual computer system, though this one is much more futuristic. There's a lot of reading in this one and it's initially bewildering, but the way in which you have to piece together the story yourself is fascinating.

To The Moon

Platform: PC
Where to get it: Official site
Price: £7.99

Freebird Games' retro-styled story left me an emotional wreck by the end thanks to its beautiful soundtrack, emotionally engaging narrative and good balance between storytelling and interactivity. Again, to reveal too much would be to spoil it completely.

Corpse Party

Platform: PSP/Vita
Where to get it: PSN Store
Price: £11.99

Corpse Party is, like To The Moon, an adventure/visual novel which chooses to tell most of its tale through the use of 16-bit style top-down RPG sprites. Rather than To The Moon's emotional tale, however, Corpse Party tells a horrifyingly gruesome ghost story that doesn't pull any punches.

Ghost Trick

Platform: Nintendo DS, iOS
Where to get it: App Store (iOS)
Price: Free demo, £6.99 for full version (iOS)

An excellent puzzle adventure from the creators of the Ace Attorney series (which you should also play if you haven't already). Ghost Trick spins a convoluted but entertaining tale about death, time travel, fate and the consequences of your actions. Notable for making use of some very unconventional game mechanics for the adventure genre.

RPG

Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale

Platform: PC
Where to get it: Steam
Price: £12.99

Combining elements of Animal Crossing and Diablo while lampooning every JRPG you've ever played along the way, the utterly charming Recettear is a fine way to spend at least 40 hours of your time. The gameplay is simple but addictive, but the true star of the show is the excellent translation job by Carpe Fulgur.

Dungeons of Dredmor

Platform: PC, Mac
Where to get it: Steam
Price: £3.49

If you've never played a roguelike, this is a good place to start, since it has several levels of difficulty and the option to switch off permadeath if you're a big wuss. It also features a delightfully offbeat sense of humour and enjoys excellent continuous support from the developer.

Cthulhu Saves the World/Breath of Death VII

Platform: Xbox 360, PC
Where to get it: Xbox Live Indie Games, Steam
Price: £1.99

Two short, retro-themed JRPG spoofs that are immensely entertaining to play. The creator is currently working on the third episode of Penny Arcade Adventures.

Dungeon Defenders

Platform: PC, Mac (soon), XBLA, PSN
Where to get it: Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, PSN Store
Price: £9.99

Combine Diablo with Gears of War's Horde mode and give it a charming cel-shaded coat of paint and this is what you get. Up to four players take on incoming hordes of monsters in a frantic blend of action RPG and tower defense. Best played online, and the PC version is the best option due to its mod support and regular free DLC promotions.

The Witcher

Platform: PC
Where to get it: Steam, Good Old Games
Price: £12.99

Arguably one of the best RPGs ever made thanks to its excellent story, memorable protagonist and uncompromisingly adult nature. The Witcher is all the better for the fact it focuses on a small geographical area rather than providing a globetrotting adventure. It's also notable for being a game which doesn't treat you like an idiot, with the consequences of your choices not falling into neat "good" or "evil" categories, and repercussions not necessarily becoming apparent until considerably later in the game.

The Witcher 2

Platform: PC
Where to get it: Steam, Good Old Games
Price: £24.99

A visually-stunning RPG with challenging Dark Souls-style combat, a mature story and a ton of replayability thanks to the narrative diverging into two completely different paths halfway through. Has enjoyed a bunch of post-release support from the developer, and all of these additions will be incorporated into the upcoming Xbox version.

Xenoblade Chronicles

Platform: Wii
Where to get it: US customers will have to bite the bullet and get this from GameStop
Price: No idea, released in the US later this month.

An open-world JRPG on a grand scale, taking the best bits of MMORPGs and combining them with an excellent combat system, memorable characters, a great plot and at least 100 hours of Fun Things To Do. Also features gorgeous environments and a kick-ass soundtrack. If you enjoyed Final Fantasy XII, you'll definitely get a kick out of this.

The Last Story

Platform: Wii
Where to get it: Not yet available in the US, coming later this year
Price: TBA

An RPG set in a small locale featuring brilliant characterisation and an unusual setpiece-based action combat system that blends RTS, character action and third person shooter elements. Also noteworthy for being over in 25 hours, making it ideal for fans of RPGs who can't commit to the long haul.

Persona 3

Platform: PS2, PSP
Where to get it: Probably easiest to get the PSP version from PSN
Price: Check PSN or your local game store

Persona 3 combines elements of visual novel/dating sim games with dungeon-crawling and JRPG combat and manages to produce one a truly memorable video game with a great story, a bizarre but awesome soundtrack and a shitload of stuff to do. Arguably superceded by its successor Persona 4 in some respects.

Persona 4

Platform: PS2, Vita
Where to get it: Check your local game store or get the Vita remake when it launches
Price: Variable

Everything already said about Persona 3 applies here, though some say the combat isn't quite as good. Great story and a lovable cast that you'll be sorry to leave behind at the end.

Rusty Hearts

Platform: PC
Where to get it: Steam
Price: Free

Perfect World's free to play brawler-RPG is great fun and never feels like it's conning you out of money. You can enjoy an immensely satisfying multiplayer brawler without spending a cent, or you can drop the devs a few quid to speed up your levelling or apply some visual customization to your character. Nothing game-breaking, though, and certainly not "pay to win".

Aquaria

Platform: PC
Where to get it: Steam
Price: £6.99

Not technically an RPG as such, but its Zelda/Metroidvania-style progression means it can be sort of lumped into this category. A sprawling 2D underwater adventure with a great soundtrack, gorgeous artwork and an unusual, interesting story.

Games That Involve Shooting Things In Various Ways

I'm lumping anything that involves shooting things into this category, including FPS, shmups and other Games With Guns In Them.

Beat Hazard Ultra

Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, iOS
Where to get it: Xbox Live Indie Games, PSN Store, Steam, App Store
Price: Variable

A brilliant twin-stick shooter that uses your own personal music collection (or Internet radio) to generate waves of enemies and psychedelic backdrops.

Gundemonium Recollection

Platform: PS3, PC
Where to get it: PSN Store, Steam
Price: £3.99

A simply marvellous bullet-hell shooter with an infectiously cheerful soundtrack and immensely challenging gameplay.

Jamestown

Platform: PC
Where to get it: Steam
Price: £6.99

A Western take on the bullet-hell shooter based on the concept of England being at war with Spain on Mars. Outstandingly epic soundtrack and gorgeous pixel-art visuals.

No More Room In Hell

Platform: PC
Where to get it: Desura
Price: Free (Half-Life 2 mod)

If Left 4 Dead is a little too silly for you, this realistic zombie survival mod for Half-Life 2 feels more like an old Resident Evil game in first-person. Limited ammo, panicked dashes away from zombie hordes and a real necessity to cooperate with other players to survive make this a unique and rewarding experience.

Privates

Platform: PC
Where to get it: Official site
Price: Free

A "sex-ed shooter" from the creator of Ben There, Dan That! that sees players invading willies, bums and fannies (the British meaning of the latter) in an effort to wipe out various forms of itchy scrot.

Frozen Synapse

Platform: PC, iPad (soon)
Where to get it: Steam
Price: £18.99

Technically a turn-based strategy game, this unusual title's game modes and structure actually have more in common with first-person shooters. Plan out your team's moves for the next five seconds while your opponent is doing the same, commit your plan, watch the carnage unfold. Very tense, very exciting — and offers asynchronous play for those with a busy lifestyle.

Racing

Blur

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Where to get it: Steam, your friendly local game store
Price: £14.99

The last game from Project Gotham developer Bizarre Creations before they were shuttered by Activision, and a fine example of what happens if you combine Mario Kart-style powerups with real cars in real locations. The answer: enjoyable mayhem. Features a top-class multiplayer mode with Call of Duty-style progression.

Split/Second: Velocity

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Where to get it: Gamesplanet (PC, possibly UK-only), your friendly local game store
Price: £9.99

Best described as a "cinematic racer", Split/Second combines ridiculous Burnout-style drift driving with the ability to detonate parts of the environment and bring them crashing down on your opponents' heads. It's an absolute spectacle to watch, and a thrilling rollercoaster ride to play, thanks in part to the amazing soundtrack.