Gaming In The Wild - Video Game Reviews

Many games are described as cinematic, but few have gone as far in that direction as Virginia. A BAFTA-winning 2016 narrative 'walking simulator', it's a surreal and fascinating game that recalls Silence of the Lambs as much as Firewatch, and it's the featured game of this week's episode. Also covered: the launch of the Gaming In The Wild Patreon (which you can join at http://www.patreon.com/gaminginthewild if you so desire!), a northern lights sighting as Iceland's dark season arrives, a difficult experience playing Ori & The Blind Forest, the latest No Man's Sky update, and more. You can follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, Twitch and YouTube via http://linktre.ee/gaminginthewild.  And, as always, thanks for listening! Articles mentioned in the episode: MCVUK interview: https://www.mcvuk.com/business-news/media-pr/variable-state-on-the-making-of-virginia/ One of Virginia's directors interviewed: http://playingcatchup.co.uk/interview-jonathan-burroughs-of-variable-state/

This week’s show has the novelty of being about actual new games! First, we dive into the forlorn underground of The Last Campfire, before engaging in some optical illusion trickery in the Portal-influenced Superliminal. Finally, there’s some chat about the PS5 and X-Box price reveals, and the ensuing Twitter flop-off from fans of each console. Find the show on Twitter, YouTube, Twitch and Instagram to let me know if you have any game suggestions, or dis/liked these games: http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. Hear The Last Campfire soundtrack by Paul Weir at: https://hellogames.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-campfire-soundtrack Find the lo-fi mix of the Superliminal soundtrack at: https://2mellomakes.bandcamp.com/album/superliminal-the-lo-fi-mix And thanks, as always, for listening!

This episode is about three games that all share a sense of wonder and fairytale mystery. First is The Unfinished Swan, a celebrated 2012 PS3 title that has just been released for iOS and Steam. Next up is Fujii, a mellow, nature-oriented VR journey. Then it's time for enigmatic dimension-shifting 2D puzzle game Gorogoa. We round things off with some chat about The Secret of Dank Mountain and Sky: Children of Light. Feel free to come say hi or find additional content relating to the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. Find The Unfinished Swan soundtrack at: https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP9000-NPUA30116_00-098202SNDTRACK01 Find the Fujii soundtrack at: https://normanbambi.bandcamp.com/album/fujii Find the Gorogoa soundtrack at https://store.steampowered.com/app/745160/Gorogoa__Original_Soundtrack/

This episode centres coincidentally on games featuring Chinese food: indie visual novel and family saga Road To Guangdong, and brawler-puzzler-anime-story Battle Chef Brigade. Also covered: surreal visual novel Far From Noise, and finally, easy going tactile puzzle game One Line Coloring. Follow the show on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube and Instagram via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. Thanks to Switch Indie Fix for providing a review copy of Road To Guangdong: look out for my review there soon. More thanks to Mythic Owl for providing a copy of One Line Coloring. And, as always, thanks to you, for listening.

This episode begins with two wonderful indie games: the BAFTA-winning minimalist platformer Thomas Was Alone, and jelly-legged capitalism dismantlement simulator Pikuniku. Then, it's a trip to Ancient Greece for big-budget blockbuster Assassin's Creed Odyssey, with a segment about how the game is being used as a communication tool by modern day historians. Finally, I run through some essential bargains in the current Nintendo Switch eShop sale.  You can also follow the show and see additional content on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild.  And as always, thanks for listening.

As summer ends and night returns to Iceland, this episode is about three dark games. Fe (pronounced, roughly, Fay-uh, from the Swedish for "fairy") is a mysterious exploration game about animals singing to each other in a forest ecosystem. Bleak Sword is an Apple Arcade title by Spanish solo dev More 8 Bit that will thoroughly test your swiping skills. Finally, A Dark Room is a compelling and creative text adventure that begins with lighting a fire, and takes some pleasantly and unexpected narrative swerves.    Follow the show on Twitter, Twitch, Instagram and Youtube here. http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. The episode is soundtracked by the gorgeous Fe OST, by Joel Bille. Buy it here: https://joelbille.bandcamp.com/album/fe-original-game-soundtrack.

This week I visited the picturesque Pacific Northwestern town of Bright Falls for a psychologically horrorifying and thrilling vacay via 'Alan Wake.' It was like a step back in time, not only in the town's atmosphere, but in terms of the console itself, because I borrowed an Xbox 360 solely to play this game. Sure, it's a lot of effort for one game... but the thing is, 'Alan Wake' is the only other game set in the Remedy universe that also contains 'Control' (see episode 2 for more on that). Alan Wake is a spiritual prequel to that game, and it was a lot of fun to talk it over. Also, the second part of the show covers my non-review of 'Bleak Sword', a chat about the wider Xbox 360 catalogue, and the story of my puppy-sitting travails. You can follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. The outro music is 'Possum Springs' from Night In The Woods - but it at https://infiniteammo.bandcamp.com. And as always, thanks for listening!

It's been a quiet spell for new games lately, so this episode takes on a few indie classics. Firewatch was on sale recently, so it's doing the rounds once more – I take a spoiler-free stroll through the beautiful Wyoming forest with main characters Henry and Delilah. Next up, some first impressions of Supergiant's Bastion and the Japanese-mythology-inspired action-adventure Okami. Finally, I round up some some DS and 3DS titles I've been enjoying, and talk about A Mortician's Tale from the recent Itch Bundle for the BLM movement, and recommend some other games podcasts. You can come say hi, recommend games, and follow the show on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and Twitch at http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. Thanks for listening!

Action-RPG-adventure game Hyper Light Drifter is something of a legendary indie game. It's a gorgeous pixel-art world, drenched in neon and pastel colour and soundtracked by a haunting ambient synth score. It's also famously difficult, with intense wave-based combat arenas and some hard-as-nails bosses, leading to a lot of understandable bounces and ragequits. We talk about all this and more in a spoiler-free half-hour look at a contemporary indie classic. Find the game on Switch, Steam, iOS, PS4 and Xbox. Soundtrack by Disasterpeace. Follow the show on Twitch, Twitter, Instagram and elsewhere: http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild.

This episode is about Fumito Ueda's The Last Guardian. Nine years in the making, it's the follow-up to Shadow of the Colossus – only this time, the colossus in question is Trico, a remarkable giant cat-dog-bird hybrid with a mind of its own. Playing as a young boy in a vast, abandoned, labyrinthine city, you must bond with this fascinating beast to solve puzzles, defeat enemies, and travel ever upwards towards the mysterious white tower at the city's peak. It's a game with glorious highs and regrettable lows, all of which are discussed in detail. There's a spoiler break around the 30 minute mark, after which some plot details are revealed. If you enjoy the show, feel free to come say hi on Twitter, Twitch, Youtube, Instagram and elsewhere via http://linktr.ee/gaminginthewild. Music by Takeshi Furukawa and the London Symphony Orchestra.