9th May
Hello and welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little about the games we’ve been playing. This week, Bertie plays with the Greek gods again; Victoria dies “a lot-lot”; Connor has a relentless need for bones; and Chris is talking in riddles.
What have you been playing this week?
Here’s another question: do you remember what you were playing last week? You don’t have to! The What We’ve Been Playing archive has you covered.
Hades 2, Switch 2
I’m a big fan of roguelike approachability. I don’t think I’d played Hades 2 since the end of January but I had a sudden hankering for it this past weekend so I dived back in. Within minutes, I was back on board; I’d worried my understanding of the game had faded but it hadn’t. Actually, I had my most successful runs yet, beating the boss down below, finally, and one of the big bosses up top.
What really struck me about the game, though, was seeing how much of it was hidden for later on. I’ve come to think of Hades 2 as an impossibly thick ‘pass the parcel’ present, in that however many turns around you seem to have, there’s always another layer of wrapping to take off, and another treat inside. Some characters are held back until what seems like dozens of hours into the game.
To me, this is really where the sequel excels versus the original. That’s not to say the first game is short by any measure, but there’s an accrued learning here, in Hades 2, in how Supergiant knew this time how persistent players would be, so it added extra layers for them. It’s brave, I think, and generous. Games often peter out as they extend into their mid to late games, but here, it doesn’t. As players study the games, so do game-makers study the players. It’s a beautiful symbiosis.
-Bertie
Saros, PS5
Remember last week when I said I was finding Replaced too slow? Well, I have found the antidote: Saros. Hot dang, this is one zippy game. I have spent the last few evenings dashing spectacularly through the game’s many coloured orbs while investigating the hostile planet of Carcosa, and having a rather splendid time doing so.
Be under no illusion: I have died a lot. Like, a lot-lot. But to be honest, I am finding that all part of the fun.
-Victoria
Old School RuneScape, PC
I’ve written about this a few times so I’ll keep it short and sweet! I’m staring down the barrel of hundreds of hours of grinds, having found myself firmly in the mid-game of Old School RuneScape. My current goal is this: the hard diary tasks for the Morytania region.
In basic terms, each major region of the game has achievements players can complete in order to unlock some incredibly useful bonuses. In Morytania, this gives you the Bone Crusher, an item that grinds up bones that drop from enemies for some handy Prayer experience. I want this – badly.
Most of these tasks are done already, but one of them evades me still. I need 70 Prayer levels to gain use of the Piety prayer, and must cast it at a particular spot. The problem is, I’m at 64 Prayer, and gaining these levels is proving time consuming.
This is because gaining Prayer levels requires bones – lots of bones. I’ve found I’m not the most keen PvE player at the moment, because I’ve been in a lovely zen mental space cutting trees and mining my days away. I’ve had to break away from this happy space, throwing myself at Slayer tasks and grabbing what bones I can.
You can bury them where they drop, saving inventory space, but for a fraction of the potential Prayer experience. Instead I am blessing these bones, grinding them up with fancy wine, and sacrificing them at a specific altar. I’m sure there’s probably a better way of doing this – I could probably just buy bones on the grand exchange – but I’m having a lot of fun gathering most items myself and figuring out things as I go along. So, in short, I’ve been stuck in the bone zone.
–Connor
Pokémon LeafGreen, Switch 2
Status report: I have reached Fuschia City. My Dratini is a Dragonair. I am trying to use a wider variety of Pokémon than usual. Porygon is enjoyably rubbish. Dodrio is a monster.
–Chris
