Weekend Gaming Playlist

It’s August, and in case you haven’t noticed, the Switch is currently under assault from independent developers. There’s a slew of excellent titles on their way to the system this month, and while I’m already sampling a few, I feel like I should take over Weekend Gaming Playlist for the entire month in order to highlight this incredible lineup. While I prepare a eulogy for my wallet, here are some of the games I have lined up for the weekend.

Dreamscaper

To be a digitally-distributed roguelite these days is a risky venture, as so many have claimed the space with unique and novel mechanics. But a compelling hook is all you need to burrow your way into your audience’s head, and Dreamscaper luckily has several to offer. As Cassidy, you plunge into the world of dreams every evening only plagued by every gamer’s worst nightmare: an action-combat roguelike.

Featuring tight dodging mechanics and a precision mastery system for melee, ranged, and shielding attacks, the equipment grind alone would be worth the price of entry, but this game also has strong relationship-building mechanics that drive home the central theme of the game: sometimes, all you need is a strong support system to help you conquer those nightmares.

We’ll have more coverage of Dreamscaper in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled!

Trigger Witch

I’m a sucker for Zelda with a twist. Despite games in- and inspired by- the series not-being RPGs, there’s something delightful about the cycle of dungeon-delving, finding items, and solving puzzles. When I saw Rainbite, the developer of the Maori-inspired Zelda-like Reverie, drop their latest title on the eShop, my curiosity was piqued.

Playing as Colette, you’ll tackle the intricacies of her own, open-world fantasy realm in the most controversial way possible: blowing them apart with assault-grade weaponry. In many other cases, I would likely balk at the prospect, but the absurdity of the action and silliness of the concept was more than enough to sell me. Plus, it’s a co-op affair, which is an appealing way to coerce unwilling victims into a murderous killing spree.

Fates of Ort

Fates of Ort is a surprisingly charming, open-ended RPG that is deceptively-marketed and enjoyable for newcomers and veterans alike. With visuals that hearken back to earlier console generations, a user interface that screams “retro-RPG,” and a fairly non-linear and accessible narrative, the eShop page pushes the risk-reward magic system over its completely unique and utterly neat time mechanic.

For those of us who enjoy action RPGs but wish they weren’t so hectic, Fates of Ort features a realm where time only moves when the player does. This results in action-packed battles that play out at your own pace and account for strategic positioning. With multiple endings and loads of quests and characters to encounter, the game begs to be explored, and there’s plenty of depth present for more than one playthrough.

We’ll have a review for Fates of Ort up soon, so stay tuned for our final thoughts.

That’s all I’m at liberty to discuss at the moment, but this is as good a start as any to my weekend. I hope you’re all enjoying the end of summer, especially if you’re like me and are looking forward to a whole bunch of August releases! What are you playing? Please share it with us in the comments below