Six Video Games to Pass The Time Playing This Week

Developed by: Nintendo
Published by: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch

If you are currently in lockdown with members of your family, then there may come the time where you are fighting over the television to watch movies, play games or tune in to some broadcast TV. If you find yourself in such a situation, then I strongly recommend you raise your voice and scream “FAMILY GAME NIGHT!”. Hopefully, that will set off some friendly competitive spirit as you perch on the couch and load up a game of choice.

There are many options for games, on the Nintendo Switch in particular. While games like Super Mario Party and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are good options, I wholeheartedly recommend picking up Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. An enhanced port of the Wii U classic, up to four members of your family at one time can pick an iconic Mario Bros character of their choice (or Mii), a Kart and race around the game’s 48 themed tracks.

Many, many hours can easily pass during a single play session of this game, supported by multiple kart speed options to meet your difficulty settings, an often underappreciated battle mode, and that joy of besting (or trolling) family members in each race. A personal highlight of mine is being able to playback summary videos of each race once completed, making up all sorts of narratives and calling out other family members for attacking one another.

Developed by: Square Enix
Published by: Square Enix, Bandai Namco Entertainment Australia (Regional Distributor)
Platform: PlayStation 4

The newest RPG offering from the team at Square Enix is Final Fantasy VII Remake. This is the first in a set of games which will remake and expand upon their renown 1997 PS1 RPG. Officially released on the PlayStation 4 as a timed console exclusive last week, what awaits is a 40ish hour experience which goes well beyond anything their previous Remasters have delivered.

On offer is much more depth to the storyline and character development given they haven’t crammed the entire in-depth storyline into one instalment, a fun active-time battle system, excellent visual quality and a stellar soundtrack.

I am currently in the process of playing through Final Fantasy VII Remake and am finding that it draws me in for many hours at a time. While its pacing might not be fantastic and can drag on at times, so far it is offering me an experience which highlights why this of all the Final Fantasy games, deserved the love and attention it has.

Expect a full review on The Otaku’s Study soon.

Developed by: Nintendo
Published by: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch

Want to venture around in the outside world? Do you dream of living on an island paradise where you get to do everything from decorating your island home, planting beautiful flowers, pulling weeds and falling into debt to a tanuki? Nintendo’s Animal Crossing franchise has been a staple in every generation of their consoles, and the Nintendo Switch is no exception.

Released last month, Animal Crossing New Horizons allows up to eight members of a household to reside on the one island, contributing in their own way to the island’s development. Slowly building up your island from a tent on vacant land, you will unlock new services, new villagers to meet and befriend and more. While it is less friendly as a multi-user game as only the first islander is able to perform many of the core gameplay actions, but working together to fill your museum or plan out your homes can be a fun, collaborative task.

Animal Crossing New Horizons is a fantastic way to spend time during this pandemic, as it delivers a very cathartic experience which few other games provide.

Expect a full review on The Otaku’s Study soon.

Developer: Rayark Games
Publisher: PM Studios
Platform: Nintendo Switch (-Reborn- version also available on PlayStation 4)

While you cannot go wrong with any of the Rayark Games collection on the Nintendo Switch, given a choice between any of them, I would recommend choosing Deemo. Deemo is a rhythm game which is complemented by a simplistic fantasy tale, beautiful imagery and a song list of more than 200 songs from Taiwanese and Japanese composers which has been expanded upon through free post-launch patches.

Rhythm games tend to be reasonably pick-up-and-play in general, with Deemo being no exception. While exploring the castle, you will step into the shoes of Alice, a little girl with no memory of what brought her to the castle, the rhythm game segments see you take control of the mysterious being Deemo as he plays each song on a piano. With options to play using the touch screen or simplified mechanics using a controller, a lot of the value in Deemo comes from getting comfortable and enjoying the songs on your Switch directly or on the television.

Plus the artwork for each track is super cute… which is another plus! If you want to take a look at other rhythm games from Rayark on the Nintendo Switch, other options include Voez and the recently released CYTUS Alpha.

Developed by: Square Enix
Published by: Square Enix
Platform: PC, PlayStation 4

Offering hundreds of hours worth of gameplay with players all around the world, now would be an excellent time to plop yourself in front of the PC or console of choice and pick up an MMORPG. There is no shortage of options from the classics such as World of Warcraft / World of Warcraft Classic to the brand new releases such as Phantasy Star Online 2. In essence, it is a matter of finding a game which suits your tastes in gameplay and community.

I would be remiss not to put forward the recommendation of the online game I play most – Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIV. Compiling content from its base game release (A Realm Reborn) and three expansion packs (Heavensward, Stormblood and Shadowbringers), you have hundreds if not thousands of hours of content to work your way through, complemented by many community features, a housing system and challenging endgame bosses.

If you are looking to get creative during the lockdown as well, Final Fantasy XIV Online offers an in-depth photography system.

Developed by: Arc System Works
Published by: XSEED Games (North America), Marvelous Entertainment (Europe)
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4

When it comes to newer IPs receiving arcade fighting game spin-off games, Arc System Works is behind some of the most memorable, having worked on titles such as Dragon Ball FighterZ and Persona 4 Arena (Ultimax) in the past. This is in addition to their ongoing offerings in the BlazBlue and Guilty Gear franchises. Smartdevice fantasy RPG Granblue Fantasy from Cygames is the latest to receive such an adaptation. Titled Granblue Fantasy Versus, this game is now available for purchase w/ dual-audio (English/Japanese) on the PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.

Offering an RPG story mode which draws elements from the original game, a varied roster of characters to choose from and all the mod cons you would expect from an Arc System Works game in this decade; many hours of fun can be had regardless of if you have played (or even have access) to the original game. Online play is also included, and with the game being newly released, there are many players ready to pit their skills against yours.

Expect a full review on The Otaku’s Study soon.