Getting the usual feature away before the main event; the last month and a half I've been working on a single enemy. Well, not really, it's actually two. Or more accurately eight. Or really, like...
Simply, it's less an enemy but a set of assets for a big chunk of the base enemies for the alternate form of gameplay the next game has. So instead of having only done one enemy within a month, I've actually done at least a third of all the enemies needed for that part of the game. Two base archetypes, available for all the factions in the game and available to be customized easily for as many variants as is needed for the levels.
2024 sucked for me personally, big time. What didn't suck were the games, though. Still sticking to the old generation of hardware for that year, this blog is almost all 'backlog GOTYs'. Heck, even though Petja has long since moved to next gen tech, even he is playing catch up this time.
But that doesn't make these games any less great. Let's dive in!
Seeing Vertical Reach's The Tartarus Key, I immediately fell in love with its perfectly replicated PS1 presentation and seeing it was horror, I had an idea what it would be like. However, I was very wrong about that, but in a good way.
It is basically a horror-themed escape-room style puzzle-game – think akin to The 7th Guest, but the guests aren't ghosts, at least unless you screw the puzzles up. See, though you aren't in much danger as the protagonist, the other characters very much are. Naturally, the ending depends on how many fellow captives you'll manage to save.
A truly atmospheric game with interesting characters and great puzzles.
Gori: Cuddly Carnage is an audiovisual feast the sonic side of the package is done by William Sahl. And it is a blast, much like the game itself, combining a wide range of influences into something very unique. Ranging from a cartoon-styled main theme and all the atmospheric electronic soundscapes to full blown industrial riffage that would make Mick Gordon proud, it is a perfect fit for the madness that is Gori.
There is no physical version of the OST as of writing this blog, but the digital version is available on Bandcamp.
Last year wasn't fun, in fact I'd call it the second worst I've personally experienced. And a situation like that calls for a heavy duty stress reliever. So how about a 2D metroidvania heavily inspired by The Thing? You know, except you are the Thing?
That's Carrion by Phobia Game Studio. A fantastic and utterly gorgeous pixel art reverse-horror gore feast, but not a brainless one. Well designed puzzles and progression combined with fantastic environmental storytelling make this a must. This ended up in my backlog and somehow I didn't get to it until now.
Speaking of games that have been in my backlog for ungodly long time, here's Darkwood by Acid Wizard Studio. I grabbed it immediately when the physical copy came available via Limited Run Games... in 2020. Its turn finally came during my annual October horror game marathon and I feel like punching myself repeatedly for not playing it sooner.
Less you know about it beforehand, the better, but as a spoiler free summary; you are trapped in an evil, unnaturally growing forest. During the day it is like a survival horror title – you try to survive exploration of your surroundings whilst you look for a way out. But when the darkness falls, it becomes The Evil Dead (the first one); you need to hunker down into your safehouse, board the windows and brace yourself for a night of unimaginable horrors.
Just go get it, if you love survival horror titles that stay with you for a long time, this is a must.
Not having played the original, I can't make a comparison. It features top quality action, even if it does have less horror than the two newer REs. Story, gameplay and atmosphere carried the game through well.
– Petja
Gori: Cuddly Carnage comes from by Angry Demon Studio and Wired Productions. You play as a sentient toy cat Gori. Who rides a sentient hoverboard with built-in weapons. And you adventure into a world where humans have been eliminated by a toy uprising, consisting mainly of evil unicorns.
As a game, it is almost exactly what would happen if you took most of my favourite games of all time, stuck them into a blender and the result was, against all the odds, damn good. It's basically a character action title akin to Devil May Cry (classic and DmC), with a lot of influence from DOOM Eternal and hoverboard platforming, at times reminding me of Jet Set Radio (of all things). Throw in vibes of American McGee's Alice and even Psychonauts and we're into some really wild territory.
What I'm trying to say is Gori: Cuddly Carnage was the most fun I've had in games since DOOM Eternal and features my favourite cast of new characters I've seen in a long time.
I love Gori and the gang – and Gori 2 needs to be at thing!
So many great games, so few awards. Here's more games I played last year that deserve attention!
DOOM + DOOM II (id Software / Nightdive Studios)
After the rather infamous Unity ports comes the KEX Engine powered juggernaut of a port by Nightdive Studios. Not only does the package feature every single canonical classic engine DOOM title ever made, it also features John Romero's Sigil and a whole new episode built by id Software, Machine Games and Nightdive. The latter comes complete with new weapons and monsters based on scrapped concepts that never made it in to the 1993 original.
Spice it up with Andrew Hulshult's IDKFA being given 'canonical remaster OST' status, it's a literal banger of a port.
Shame about the censorship, though. At least on PC you can just copy the original WADs from the GOG release and use those, but still. Nothing can be 100% perfect I guess.
Nuclear Blaze (Deepnight Games / Red Art Games)
In the backlog category, Nuclear Blaze was a fantastic concept study on how to make a frantic and thrilling 2D platformer shooter sans violence. You play as a sole firefighter who manages to get inside a mysterious research facility and stop it from burnign down, reactors and all. A brilliant blend of fast action and puzzle solving as you try to contain and extinguish the fires – and naturally try to figure out what the heck was going on in the facility.
There were some real bangers released this year, but I can't play (yet) mostly due to me sticking to PS4. Here are some I'm hyped for, so expect to see some of them next year in the Backlog feature.
There are several games I'm looking forward to.
Oh, and I think I forgot to mention DOOM: The Dark Ages.