Weekend Gaming Playlist

It’s been a busy summer of gaming so far! With the sequel to Atelier Ryza announced, I’ve decided to finally give up hopes of finding a decently-priced physical version and instead opted for the eShop sale. While I’m definitely biding my time until Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles HD Remaster launches, a few more digital titles can’t hurt to pad the wait. I am the kind of person that prefers to collect their RPGs in a physical format, but sometimes sacrifices must be made. As Ryza is actually my first-ever Atelier game, at least I don’t feel any emotional attachment to that physical copy in particular! Apart from the new acquisition, I’ve been dividing my time between CrossCode (review coming soon!) and Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. Take a look below for some information about each title:


Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout

Atelier Ryza is a beautiful adventure, with colorful and lush landscapes that can really take your breath away. Graphically impressive both in docked and handheld modes, the game does a great job at making the world feel open. I’m very new to the adventure, but Ryza is a likeable and spunky protagonist with an appetite for exploration and a near-magnetic attraction to trouble. With a very different take on the turn-based battle system, I’ve really enjoyed what I’ve seen of this game so far, and am excited to hopefully finish this to completion.

CrossCode

A game that does a great job at simulating the MMORPG in a single-player narrative, CrossCode has taken me back to the old days of .hack on the PlayStation 2. With communal hubs full of what appears to be other players, the NPCs roaming about the world really do make you feel like you’re sharing a server with hundreds of other actual people. CrossCode has a strange and dark story that quickly immerses the player, and while the combat can be a little tricky to get the hang of, there’s a really robust character customization system to support you in your endeavors. While I don’t think I will ever have enough time to do the full review of this game justice, I’m really hyped to sink more hours into the title and help Lea understand her past.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town

I spent hundreds of hours playing Harvest Moon: Back to Nature. I bought the GBA and later PSP ports and devoured them hungrily. Until Stardew Valley, no other farming simulator could seem to hold me like Back to Nature did. Hearing that there would be a Switch port in the form of an honest-to-goodness full remake made my heart soar with happiness. When you boot up the game, you’re greeted by the familiar dilapidated field and old farmhouse, and familiar faces pop up right away to say hello. Mineral Town has never looked better, and though the cutesy artstyle may be a source of annoyance for some, the added features and improvements to the older, outdated systems breathes fresh air into an old classic, bringing it up to speed with other games and allowing you to bask in the memories of your fields from yesteryear.


That’s it for my playlist this weekend! What will you be playing? Feel free to @me on Discord or Twitter to tell me what you’ve been up to, or join in the Pub Parties hosted every other Sunday in the Nintendo Switch RPG Fans Facebook group. I would love to hear about your favorites, or even what you’re looking forward to next!

Author

  • Elias

    Elias enjoys petting all the animals in a game, stealing food from the homes of unsuspecting NPC's, and sleeping. She can commonly be found curled up with a book, cat in lap.

Elias

Elias

Elias enjoys petting all the animals in a game, stealing food from the homes of unsuspecting NPC's, and sleeping. She can commonly be found curled up with a book, cat in lap.

Switch RPG