Gaming In The Wild - Video Game Reviews

This week's episode is about Meg's Monster, a patron recommendation that turned out to be delightful. It's a simple, short & sweet pixel art adventure, that distinguishes itself from the pack with some enjoyable writing, and an emotional story that'll tug at your heartstrings. There's also a book review in this episode. "Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow" by Gabrielle Zevin is an engrossing piece of literary fiction located in the world of game development, that might be of some interest to gamers. In the roundup: Killsquad, Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, Adore, Kentucky Route Zero. And many thanks to the show’s 46 patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

Venba is a striking visual novel that sensitively explores the experience of an young Indian couple emigrating to Canada, and the life events that follow. It has excellent audio-visual presentation and rich subject matter, but the compressed narrative seems to skip key events, before an abrupt ending. In the roundup: Pikmin 4, Luigi’s Mansion 3, and Stray's arrival on Xbox. And many thanks to the show’s 46 patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

This week's episode is a mixed bag roundup about high-octane retro Doom-like shooter Prodeus (and Doom 64), cult Metroidvania Axiom Verge, some Nintendo classics, and more. In the roundup: August releases including Armored Core VI, Sea of Stars, Blasphemous 2, Shotgun King, Book of Hours, A Guidebook Of Babel, Wrestlequest, Stray Gods, and lots more. Links from the episode: The original Cloud Gardens review episode: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gaminginthewild/episodes/72-Cloud-Gardens-e173rqj/a-a6g869e⁠  The Panzer Dragoon Remake episode: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gaminginthewild/episodes/152-Panzer-Dragoon-Remake-e20m8gt/a-a9h0vu8⁠  The Video Game History Foundation’s Essay on game preservation: ⁠https://gamehistory.org/87percent/⁠  The game jam browser game "BlockBusters!": ⁠https://dotbigbang.com/game/0c4038a5fe064711ba339b1e1c2bbd74/dbb-summer-jam-2023---blockbusters⁠  And many thanks to all the show’s patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

Have a Nice Death is an enjoyable roguelike with slick and satisfying moment-to-moment gameplay, top notch combat, and pinpoint platforming. As a roguelike, though, its various systems are oddly named, ill-explained, and muddled-seeming. In the roundup: Cyberpunk 2077 (again!), Grimoire Groves, The Last Worker, Dave The Diver, Koa & The Five Pirates Of Mara. And many thanks to the show’s latest patrons: Reid, Chris & Ahti. If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

Seven years in the making, Lost Signals is Night School's difficult second album. It starts strong by playing the hits, and shines in its atmosphere and dialogue system, but fades where it should crescendo. In the roundup: ASUS ROG Ally, Dead Space 2023, FFXIII, Venba, Dave The Diver. And many thanks to the show’s latest patron, Arti! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so for $1, $3 or $5 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, and it helps make the show better! If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

Final Fantasy XVI is a dark fantasy action adventure that tells its epic story via impressively cinematic cut-scenes, sleek, kinetic combat, and spectacular set pieces. Some poor quest design made the story drag, but the characters and combat never got old. In the roundup: Final Fantasy XIII, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Dave The Diver. The Digital Foundry FFXVI review I mention in the show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Oyjldkh5kE   And the Kyle Bosman video I mention: https://youtu.be/C74y9Uu5QyQ  And many thanks to the show’s latest patron, Rscar! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

Coffee Golf is an improbably compelling and addictive daily phone game. Each day, you get a new five-hole golf course. It takes luck, skill, and strategy to get around the course, and whittle down your stroke count to get the best possible score. Also, for bonus fun – listen out for a 4.2 earthquake that happened while I was recording! Also in this episode: a July indie game roundup, including Synapse, GYLT, Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, Venba, Viewfinder, The Wandering Village, Immortals of Avium, Crime O'Clock, and more. And many thanks to all the show's 46 patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. Also, please do come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - and some of the new ones like Bluesky and Threads, if you want – find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

Gerda: A Flame in Winter is an excellent choice-based story game set in Nazi-occupied Denmark towards the end of WWII. The compelling story is packed with ethical quandaries that have real impact on the story, and the stakes are high as your moment-to-moment decisions can have life or death consequences. In the roundup: Annapurna Showcase – Lorelei & The Laser Eyes, Cocoon, To a T, Lushfoil Photography Sim , Thirsty Suitors, Flock, Ghostbike, Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth. And many thanks to the show’s latest patron, Matthew! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

This week's review is a short, beautiful game that tells a compact, emotional story. Its watercolored visual style and ambience are breathtaking, and perfectly capture the feeling of loosely-remembered childhood summers. But the gameplay is often a chore—sometimes literally. In the roundup: FFXVI, Nintendo Direct, Super Mario Bros Wonder, Gerda: A Flame In Winter. And many thanks to all the show’s patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild. All proceeds go into covering costs, and making the podcast better. Also: come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com—and check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Finally: thanks for listening :) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie is an ambitious and substantial visual novel that plays with a broad spectrum of ideas about hope, chaos, capitalism, community, mysticism, and the power of collective belief. However, the story succeeds despite the game's structure, as I'll go into in the episode. In the roundup: FFXVI and Viewfinder demos, Tales of Arise, and my picks from Tribeca Games Fest, Xbox Showcase, Wholesome Direct, PC Gaming Show, and all the others. Including: A Highland Song, Nightcape, Despelote, Station To Station, Jusant, Grimoire Groves, Botany Manor, Starfield, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Harold Halibut, Dread Pilot, Exo Rally Championship, Star Wars Outlaws, and a few strays and extras. Thanks to the show's 46 patrons! If you'd like to join them in supporting the show on Patreon, you can do so from $1 per month at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. Patrons get access to a catalogue of bonus episodes, and an invite to the show’s lovely Discord community. You can also send a one-off tip via Ko-Fi at http://ko-fi.com/gaminginthewild.  All proceeds go into the podcast, covering things like equipment, games, music, editing apps, and so forth. I really appreciate the support, it helps make the show better. If you enjoy the show, you can come say hi on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch - find all the links at http://gaminginthewild.com. And check out this Steam curator page made by podcast supporter DovetailTrue: https://store.steampowered.com/curator/43457463-Gaming-in-the-Wild-%2528unofficial%2529/   Thanks for listening! Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/gaming-in-the-wild-video-game-reviews/donations