Now that it’s the new year and the holiday season is officially over, I can talk about the games I played during what we call the Holiday Gaming season. Every year between Thanksgiving and New Years is usually my highest video game playing days. With all the great titles that come out around this time, there is never a shortage of stuff to play. With that said, let’s take a deep dive into the titles I played this past season.
Links Awakening (Nintendo Switch)
I never played Link’s Awakening when it released for the Gameboy/Gameboy Color, so this was my first time playing this Zelda based game. I didn’t have high expectations of it, as it is a re-release of an older game on an older device, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
The game was not overly difficult, but it was a lot of fun to play and gave the nostalgia feeling of playing an old school Zelda game. I found myself getting losing “real world” time to the game. Meaning I would start playing at 9 a.m. and before I knew it, it was time for dinner.
Getting around the world (Hyrule?) was a little tough as you could only get to certain parts/areas a certain way (similar to the OG Legend of Zelda game). This at times was annoying, but not so much that it was completely frustrating. The controls were smooth and worked as they should, so there are no complaints about the handling of Link,
Where the game really shined though, was the story. While it was a bit childish and predictable, it was still fun. It wasn’t overly long either, as one could complete this game in less than a day or two.
If you’re looking for a quick fun RPG/Adventure game, this is a good pick and highly recommended.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Nintendo Switch)
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Next up was Luigi’s Mansion. Again, I have never played any game in this series but it came highly recommended by two people whose opinion on gaming I trust more than any others (Nerd Caster‘s own Justin and Danny). Like always, their recommendation didn’t disappoint.
While I have not completed this game yet, it is fun. The gameplay is good and you can’t beat a game starring the quintessential Mario characters that fans have come to know and love over the past 30 – 40 years. There are some very small issues I have with the game though.
The first is that the controls on Luigi take some getting used to. I am sure if you played other games in this series this isn’t much of a problem, but for someone who has never played a game in this series before it was troublesome. The vacuum seemed to not respond with where I wanted to point it.
The other issue is repeatability. It seems that every boss is essentially the same. They all look different but the way to defeat each boss is very similar. Once you figure out how to defeat one baddy the rest just fall into place rather easily. This all could be because this game is not made for an older generation like myself and that is understandable and I do not think less of the game because of it.
Currently, I am enjoying the game overall and like the puzzles throughout. Even though they are not overly difficult some do take a few minutes of thinking to get through them. I am not sure how long the full game play is, but I am hoping to finish it by the end of the weekend.
Witcher 3 (PS4)
The last game on this list is Witcher 3. I can not say that I played this game because I didn’t, my wife did. I just watched her play it. While she also has not finished this game, she is pretty deep into it.
The game is visually stunning and the dialog is on point. The game gives a more realistic feeling and it is because of how well the characters talk and the language they use. This game is definitely made for an older crowd as there is some foul language and minor sexual situations (so far).
The gameplay is no different from other games in this genre and can easily be compared to Dragon Age. While the feel of the game is similar and not too distant from others in that genre, it is still fun to play (and watch).
The game is long though, and this is definitely part of the reason I haven’t made it further in Luigi’s Mansion. This game is a good stay-cation game. I could see my wife and I easily play this game from morning till night over the course of a week and still not be done with it. If you like longer RPG style games, then this one will not disappoint.
The one standout thing from this game (that I need to mention) had to be the character, Johnny. Anyone who talks about having a good defecation is too funny.
The last game I intended to play was Star Wars: Fallen Jedi for the PS4. Unfortunately, with how time-consuming Witcher 3 is and with playing the other two games I was not able to get to it. It is next up on the list though and as soon as we finish The Witcher and Luigi’s Mansion, this is next.
What are some games you played this past season? What are some of your recommendations? Let us know over on Facebook.
