March is coming to an end, and it’s an opportunity for us to look back on our gaming experiences this month. We remind you that in this column, we are talking about the Xbox games that have marked us in recent weeks. It can be new releases, AAA, indies, Game Pass titles, and so on. All have their place here.
Dark Souls III (Ashaika)
For many years I have heard of Dark Souls III. After all, difficulty once attracted me when I spent hours and hours trying to bring down the Lich King on World of Warcraft. However, despite several attempts, I never got hooked on From Software’s games. Until this month. Following the hype Elden RingI had a long discussion with Bibi about the Souls-Like. And reinstalling DS3, I wasn’t sure I really wanted to dive back into it. But that’s it, the game finally clicked for me.
Indeed, I now enjoy fighting for every meter of land, to recover the souls I lost on my previous run. And I find these feelings that I had during the evenings of progress on wow. Death is no longer a failure. But the synonym of progress because I realized that each fight brings me something. And what satisfaction when I finally manage to defeat a boss, or even finally pass a specific location. I’m a long way from finishing it, and I don’t know if I will. But this month Dark Souls 3 is clearly the game that has marked me the most and from which I derive the most satisfaction, minute after minute.
The Outer Worlds (Koryah Siha)
Before The Outer Worlds, I can say that I had only glimpsed the talent of Obsidian. First RPG from the studio for me, it’s with Justin E. Bell’s OST in my ears that I remember my epic through Halcyon. Halcyon, this solar system so distant, colorful, leaving me enchanted by its panoramas so bewitching, and yet so depraved and inhospitable once the surface is scratched and the veil vanished. This deplorable human condition portrayed so candidly. So absurd that laughter is sometimes the only possible reaction/response.
I like the risk taken by Obsidian when it comes to storytelling. Basically, is this world so different from ours? This world where big companies make their laws and where employees are already killing themselves with the task… With more than 100 hours on the clock, The Outer Worlds became one of those games that I think about with nostalgia because the time spent on it marked me and a part of me clung to this story. I loved treading the soil of its planets, taking a liking to my companions (and these little “sprat” creatures), exchanging with its inhabitants who were so human, so tested, wondering if I was making the right choice. It is then that the name of the lost vessel takes on its full meaning. Hope. I had only one desire, to bring them a little justice, a little well-being, a little peace. Mission accomplished.
Tunic (Danxter)
A fox… A fox is cute. It’s brave too. Because here, no Ysengrin, it is alone that he will have to go to work! Fallen angel or demon in the making, as technical as it is cryptic, Tunic manages to intrigue as much as it surprises. Cunning in the service of exploration, unless it’s the other way around. Shield in leg, sword in the other, hammer in head, no path will be paved. And even less good intentions.
True incarnation of the monomyth, the goupil knows how to have fun with its codes without familiarity with caricature or banality. Its greatest noticeable closeness will be to its influences, concealed with less cunning than the animal has accustomed us to. It is through the mise en place that he deceives us, when the end comes, as fast as it is violent. Cutting radically with these pleasant images from the earliest childhood, the devious character of the enemies who attack our hero is all the more striking.
Without having the feeling ofElden Ring nor the aura of a Zeldathe recklessness of this adorable fox in the face of his destiny makes that, finally, at the end of the sending, he touches.
Biped (Jess Bond)
Always looking for games to do in cooperation, I started with JiTeuBey on Biped, a game where you play as a little robot who must solve puzzles to move forward. The particularity of the title is that to direct you, you must control the two joysticks, one per foot. If it can be complicated at first, we end up taking the hit relatively quickly and for our greatest pleasure!
Indeed, the game is a real treat to do for two and the slices of fun were clearly part of the game, between clumsiness and treacherous blows, there is no shortage of means to have a good time. And then the title atmosphere is a breath of fresh air, with its colorful and cute landscapes. Small downside, Biped is only playable in local co-op and not online. Apart from that, it’s clearly a good little title, also playable solo, but the fun is a little less present.
dreamscaper (Koryah Siha)
After The Outer Worlds, I found myself drained, too busy. And I had promised myself to leave on a work not requiring too much investment or time to give me time to digest. Only then, discovering a new style of play brings its share of charm. Real first roguelite experience, I find that dreamscaper is a great example of gameplay and level design working beautifully in a game.
Simple but not easy, I enjoy starting over and over again, testing and mastering each attack, weapon…; to sink deeper into the harrowing memories and stages of pain that Casssidy faces in the subconscious of her dreams. Being closely linked, dream and reality are one. Thus, the relationships forged during the waking phases are what help to strengthen oneself to overcome the world of nightmares.
Like I said, everything works very well in this game. The dream/reality system makes sense and that’s what appealed to me the most. It’s original and well done. The levels and the music are very nice, all sprinkled with challenges, bonuses and maluses, addictive fights, and sometimes thought-provoking conversations.
Agent Intercept (JiTeuBey)
I recently tested this title, and I really fell in love. We control the car of a secret agent, which has the particularity of being armed and able to transform into other vehicles. The chases are engaging and fun, and the scoring system encourages you to chain attempts. I may have finished the game, but I continue to play it to reach 100%.
And we must not forget this atmosphere worthy of the greatest action films and its catchy music. The game does not have a lot of levels, but offers many variations and objectives to prolong the fun. It is accessible to the greatest number and will make you have a great time, if we forget its price a bit high for a mobile portage…
This concludes our March selection. Do not hesitate to tell us, you too, what were your favorites this month. See you at the end of March for the next issue of our column.
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