Fourth lets a randomizer choose his next game

[Marty McFourth]

Back 4 Blood is a decent enough game although I definitely feel as though it's missing some of the charm and replay value that Left 4 Dead had with its characters, level design and world. It doesn't quite reach those heights. I think if you had a solid core group of friends to coordinate with, it would really bump up the enjoyment of this game by a significant amount. It was tough playing with randoms. That being said, It's pretty fun to play, just maybe don't set your expectations too high. I thought the combat felt pretty good and the enemy design is great.

Next game up is The Artful Escape but I'm not actually sure when I'll get around to it, it may be a while. I'm not really playing games at the moment. From some research it looks to be quite a short game in the 4-5 hours range.

The Artful Escape is a platform game, where the player controls Francis in moving him across a musical-infused landscape. Besides running and jumping, Francis has a guitar which he can play to create various effects, such as interacting with the scenery or facing boss characters.

 

[Marty McFourth]

The Artful Escape was a really dope experience. It reminded me of like playing Abzu for the first time and just being captivated by the world it creates. The OST is really nice and it's worth journeying through it alone just to hear the music. I've been playing a lot of action heavy games lately so playing something a lot more chill and lowkey was a nice change of pace. Visually it's really awesome, I loved the psychedelic vibes. I'd definitely recommend it even if it's on the shorter side and lacks a little on the gameplay side of things, I loved my time with it.

Next game up is Just Cause 4: Reloaded. I've not really played this series for a while but more than likely I think I'll enjoy this. Kinda one of those games you just shut your brain off and have fun with. Crazier GTA basically. Tons of shooty stuff and explosions.

Just Cause 4 is a 2018 action-adventure game developed by Avalanche Studios and published by Square Enix. It is the fourth game in the Just Cause series and the sequel to 2015's Just Cause 3 and was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on 4 December 2018. In the game, the player assumes the role of series protagonist Rico Rodríguez who arrives in the fictional nation of Solís to take down The Black Hand, the world's biggest private military.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Just Cause 4 is about what you'd expect really. Whilst these games won't blow your mind with the storyline or leave any sort of lasting impression, it more than makes up for it with the gameplay which is just balls to the wall chaos. It's a series that excels at mindless action, shut you brain off type of stuff. Which I do enjoy playing every now and then, sometimes you just want to run around doing missions and shoot stuff feeling like an action hero without having to get too invested in the story.

Next game up is Payday 2. I've heard mixed things about this but I've always wanted to try it out at least. So this is my opportunity. We'll see how I feel about it. Might try to play it with others for the true experience but I think you can play Solo with NPC's too.

PAYDAY is an action-packed, four-player co-op shooter where you rob banks and get paid. The Crimewave edition includes an enhanced graphic engine.

 

[Marty McFourth]

So it's pretty tough to review Payday 2 as I don't feel I've really got the full experience from it. I'll just say I can see the appeal, but it hasn't really caught on me with yet in the few hours I tried it. I really think you need a solid group of people to play with, as I personally feel as though the gunplay of the game is a bit lacking and it'd probably be more fun to stealth the Heists. Going loud and guns blazing definitely has fun moments though.

I'll be putting the random games on pause for a bit as my PS Plus is about due to run out and I think I'm going to focus on finishing some games I bought on sale for a couple months. So far I've really enjoyed doing this, I've played a lot of games I likely wouldn't have got around to otherwise.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Finally can bring this back again for a few months, I just got my Premium back up and running for Plus. Looking forward to diving in to a lot of random games again. First up is a game called Unpacking. It looks pretty cozy and cute, I can see myself enjoying it. It's as the title suggests a puzzle type game about unpacking boxes with the narrative being told through the items, which sounds incredibly unique and relaxing. This feels like it could be a good game to play whilst I zen out to a podcast or some music. I'll get it installed tonight.

Unpacking is a puzzle video game developed by Witch Beam and published by Humble Bundle for Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. The game received positive reviews, two BAFTA Game Awards, was chosen as game of the year by Eurogamer.

The game is divided into stages named by the years in which they take place: 1997, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018. The gameplay in each stage comprises unpacking a female character's possessions from boxes into a new dwelling, representing significant life events. The player is tasked with fitting each unpacked item into the living space, learning the protagonist's life story through her items and the places she lives.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Unpacking is such a wonderful game. It's so relaxing to play and I love how it conveys a story through the items and surroundings of the room. The game actually made me feel a little emotional in a way, because it really reminds me of when I moved out of my parent's house for the first time. I remember the feeling of unpacking all of my things and some of the memories attached to those items. Something about the game is super charming, simple but nice.

 

[Marty McFourth]

After a few hours with Unpacking I definitely would recommend it. If you're lookng for a more easy going, chilled experience then it will really fill that slot well. It's also a good puzzle game for people who don't really like puzzles or aren't good at the genre (I fit this bill). I tend to get frustrated at games with a puzzle theme but this was perfect. It's just about placing things in the right spots really. Simple but feels nice to play.

Next up we have AVICII Invector. Not a game I'd normally play but it's always fun to get something more out of my wheelhouse. Interested to give it a try.

Avicii Invector allows the player to journey across six different worlds. The player has to race through the music track and is tasked with matching the "musical beat". The game features 25 of Avicii's songs.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Avicii Invector has really surprised me a lot. I wasn't really sure what to expect from it but it's very fun to play and of course the tracks themselves are amazing to listen to, Avicii created plenty of great songs. It's satisfying when you get in the rythm of playing it with the music. It's a really nice tribute to him and his career, I'd definitely recommend it to people who are fans of his music. You'll love it, they've got some of his best tracks in there. These are the kind of games that make glad I have Plus as I'd never would have tried it otherwise, which would have been a shame, it's a real diamond in the rough.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Next one up is Two Point Hospital. I used to be a big fan of tycoon games back in the day, I played a lot on PC. Especially the rollercoaster ones. Interested to give this a go as it has seemed like a pretty promising game on the surface. I usually find these to be quite addictive if you get in the groove of playing them.

A spiritual successor to Bullfrog Productions' 1997 game Theme Hospital, players are tasked with constructing and operating an empire of hospitals in the fictional Two Point County, with the goal of curing patients of fictitious, comical ailments.

 

[Chris]

Next one up is Two Point Hospital. I used to be a big fan of tycoon games back in the day, I played a lot on PC. Especially the rollercoaster ones. Interested to give this a go as it has seemed like a pretty promising game on the surface. I usually find these to be quite addictive if you get in the groove of playing them.

This game RULES I spent like a week on it not long ago before I had to quit bc I was spending too much time lmao

 

[Marty McFourth]

Two Point Hospital is everything I was hoping for, it really takes me back to playing the original Theme Hospital games on PC. Very nostalgic. The art style is wonderful and I always enjoyed the vibe of these games, the comical nature of them is fun. It's definitely a very addictive experience. One of those games you get lost in and have that 'just one more thing' feeling about it. The challenge of it feels just right too, it's not to the point where I feel frustrated by it.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Next game up is Journey To The Savage Planet. It looks pretty interesting, I'm getting a bit of a Slime Rancher vibe from some of the screenshots.

Journey to the Savage Planet is an adventure game played from a first-person perspective. In the game, players are tasked to explore ARY-26, a colorful planet inhabited by various alien lifeforms such as Pufferbird, Barfer, and Floopsnoot. The player's main task is to catalogue various alien flora and fauna, and collect the resources needed to craft new items and upgrades, such as jetpacks and grappling hooks, which enable the players to reach previously inaccessible areas. Players will encounter various hostile lifeforms, which can be defeated using weapons such as laser guns and throwable items such as acid grenades. The game can be played cooperatively with another player.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Journey to the Savage Planet is really great. Whilst initially I thought it would be like Slime Rancher, it's very different. I would actually compare it more to Borderlands, the art style and humor in the game feels very close to it. Even though they are totally different genres, I do think that fans of that series would enjoy some of the world building and vibe of the game itself. I also felt that it gave me some vibes of The Outer Worlds. So if you like either of those games it might be worth giving it a look. Tons of great exploration to do, fun upgrades and the combat is quite fun, I wasn't expecting it to be so robust. I thought this was going to be mainly one of those walking around kind of games. Even though I do personally feel bad killing the little alien creatures. They are so cute.

 

[Marty McFourth]

Next up we have Hotline Miami. I think I did actually try this at one point but not for very long. I seem to recall having a lot of trouble with the difficulty of the game. It's no slouch that's for sure. I'm going to give it a proper chance this time as I really did like the visual 80's art style and the soundtrack I remember being a highlight too. I think I just have to get used to dying a lot, as I think it's expected in this game.

Hotline Miami is a 2012 top-down shooter game developed by Dennaton Games and published by Devolver Digital for Windows. The game is set in 1989 Miami, and revolves primarily around an unnamed silent protagonist—dubbed "Jacket" by fans—receiving coded messages on his answering machine instructing him to commit massacres against the local Russian mafia. The gameplay blends a top-down perspective with stealth, and the story features extreme violence and surreal storytelling, along with a soundtrack and visuals inspired by 1980s culture.

 

[Canadian Dragon]

Next up we have Hotline Miami. I think I did actually try this at one point but not for very long. I seem to recall having a lot of trouble with the difficulty of the game. It's no slouch that's for sure. I'm going to give it a proper chance this time as I really did like the visual 80's art style and the soundtrack I remember being a highlight too. I think I just have to get used to dying a lot, as I think it's expected in this game.

Fun as heck, extremely hard I found