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edit: apparently it's even funnier - for some reason, Putinists went apeshit over this game and playing it is literally illegal in Russia. In reaction to this, Russian pirates have publicly declared they're not going to pirate it.
In other stuff, I learned that for Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster the opera scene got vocalized in all seven languages it's available in. It's always surprised me the dedication that part of the game got and keeps getting, considering it's mostly just comedic relief. Also it has its own Wikipedia page.
Though the end result is a truly beautiful scene so I can't complain.
Also I found this:
and oh neat the Opera scenario in FF6 has a Wikipedia page
though i certainly wouldn't call it a "level"
Was deciding between two bird-themed indie platformers -- Owlboy and Eagle Island. I'm pretty sure they're actually very different -- in Owlboy you play as...a boy who can fly around, while in Eagle Island you are a boy who has a creature who can fly around, from what I've seen. Also, the original Eagle Island is a roguelike, with a non-roguelike version called Eagle Island Twist.
Anyway, Owlboy.
It's a story-driven game about a boy who can fly around, and he lives in a village...that is floating in the sky. In fact all the land as far as the eye can see is made of various islands floating in the sky. And you're mute. And your teacher doesn't like you. But the villagers are mostly nicer. And you have a close friend among them. So goes your days in the village.
But there are pirates. Like, literal sky pirates in ships who go around marauding. You hope not to meet them, as they're pretty powerful, but other than them, life is pretty peaceful. But one day, stuff happens, and some troublemakers show up in your village, and you chase them down, and one thing leads to another, and plot happens.
The game uses pixel art and it is gorgeously beautiful. And detailed! The main character alone has so many different expressive poses. And on top of that, there's a day/night cycle, which I think is just cosmetic but that's because I haven't yet figured out if there's a secret tied to it, as there very well might be. There are a fair number of secrets scattered around, and the game really rewards exploring -- you get nice perks from it, but more importantly, some late-game secrets reveal more backstory -- and it's totally worth it, with some very emotional moments -- both touching and chilling ones. And the sound design really serves the atmosphere well -- yet it's not just atmospherics; the orchestral soundtrack is gorgeous and contributes many memorable tunes when appropriate. Basically everything about this game is beautiful.
The overall design of the game is similar to that of Cave Story -- it is roughly linear, mainly in service to the plot, but you can revisit locations to explore them, with a few exceptions. And I've found that the game seems to actually have no missable collectibles -- you can get everything in one playthrough, as I'm pretty sure I did, and you won't lose out on stuff because you got it too late.
Well, except some NPC dialogue I guess, if you aren't talking to everyone, which you should, because it's definitely worth it to get to know the setting and the characters. Some have multiple iterations of dialogue -- and it's definitely worth talking to them. It's even definitely worth stopping to camp and chat by the campfire!
I loved my time with this game. Definitely one of the best games I've played this year, alongside Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap.
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Games finished this year so far:
Owlboy
Ghost 1.0
National Park Girls - episode 1
Heroines of Swords and Spells
Rosenkreuzstilette
Wonder Boy: the Dragon's Trap
Way of the Red
Tower Hunter: Erza's Trial
Giral
Aggelos
Gato Roboto
drowning, drowning
New Super Mario Bros.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Radical Rescue
In other stuff, I learned that this exists:
https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_whispered_world_special_edition
As for me, new games finished this year would be... I dunno, Disco Elysium, Colony Ship, VirtuaWorld, and I don't remember at this point if anything else. Fifteen-minute indies don't count, I'd say.
(Edit: I also finished STALKER and Red Faction, but I don't remember if this year or the last one.)
I watched it, I can confirm that it did make me upset, though not as much as I expected. Still, poor Palworld.