Fighting sleep in Exhausted Man and fighting as Noel in MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA [Now Gaming]

Publication date of the original Japanese article: 2021-10-03 15:36 (JST)
Translated by. Nick Mosier

Now Gaming is a weekly digest that provides a quick overview of what our writers had played or found interesting in the world of video games. Here we have the translated version of this week’s Japanese edition of Now Gaming.

A new title from the creators of Candleman

by. Taijiro Yamanaka

Steam Next Fest is underway, so I was able to give Exhausted Man a try. The main character is a guy who is so tired he doesn’t even have the strength to stand. He still has some things he needs to get done before going to sleep, though. The game takes place in a small room that the player moves around in while completing tasks such as placing objects in fixed locations. The tasks may be simple, but the main character is so exhausted that he can only manage to crawl around like some kind of limp caterpillar. And he can crawl up walls. Perhaps this guy is already asleep…?

At first, the room is mostly empty, but as you complete tasks, furniture is unlocked that can be placed as you please for a one-of-a-kind room. The game was initially announced 3 years ago and had more of an action focus where players crawled through stages. The concept of fighting sleep stayed the same, but there was a big change of direction along the way. And a visual upgrade too. I’m looking forward to when the game is completed.

Paimon, you cute rascal

by. Seiji Narita

I’ve been playing Genshin Impact, which is celebrating its one year anniversary. I played the game a tiny bit when it first launched, but I got busy with other things and haven’t touched it since, so this is basically my first time with the game. With all the excitement around the anniversary, I decided to jump back in and properly explore Teyvat this time around. As for my impressions upon returning, I wish I had been prying away at it over the course of the game’s first year.

Firstly, I really like Paimon. Paimon is a partner to the main character that loves to eat and manages to be both cute and rude at the same time. Along with Patalliro, a manga character that I love, I can’t help but think everything Paimon does is adorable. I also really enjoy powering up characters through the hack-and-slash gameplay and delving into the meta game by looking up builds and strategies online. Accumulation over time is an important part of Genshin Impact, so while I wish I had started earlier, I’m happy to have started at such an important time for the game.

In the shallows

by. Keiichi Yokoyama

This week I’ve been playing the fighting game MELTY BLOOD: TYPE LUMINA, and it’s been doing a good job of satiating the hunger I’ve felt since finishing Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- a month ago. While this game doesn’t have a big story like the previous MELTY BLOOD titles, I hear the boss rush mode’s story is a strong effort, so I’m looking forward to that.

I’ve been playing as Noel, who is a great character in Tsukihime. While the basic controls are easy to use, so is running out of ammo when throwing Black Keys at your opponent. Being able to throw as many as you wanted was awesome, right? I jumped into matches without really using the training mode and only having a grasp of the basics, but thanks to Rapid Beats, I can complete combos and have fun without much practice. Putting the deep stuff aside, the more shallow parts are pretty easy to get the hang of.

I love Frozen Hammer

by. Ayuo Kawase

I finished Tales of Arise, and my impression is that it’s a solid game with its feet firmly planted on the ground. The game builds on Tales of Berseria as it sets its sights on the next generation. While not as showy or grand, I felt that it avoided ever becoming a slog and never felt unpleasant as it tried to wholly convey the charm of the series.

One thing that really stuck out to me was how easy it was to play. The story, characters, battles, exploring, everything is superbly tuned to avoid being stressful to the player without going overboard. I think they set out to make a game that could be loved by everyone. On the flipside, there isn’t really anything that leaves a strong impact, so some players may find it lacking compared to the shock that past titles in the series delivered. But for me, I enjoyed the relative coherence of the story.

There are some points of concern here and there like strongly pushing the DLC, the steep difficulty curve in the late-game subquests, and allies getting in the way in battles against strong enemies, but above all of that, I was charmed by how carefully crafted the game was. I think making a long RPG that players won’t get bored of and put aside is no small feat.