Nintendo has been pretty quiet about games announcements this year, probably almost entirely due to the good ol’ coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, we’ve still been getting little bits of info here and there. One such bit is today’s Indie World Showcase – what I’m sure will be an extended sizzle reel of indie games that I’ll think look neat and then completely forget about because they’ll get no marketing at all after this.
That said, let’s go ahead and see which of these games may get lucky enough to get placed on my wishlist!
Hades – Supergiant’s other games that I’ve played, Bastion and Transistor, were good and I can see why they have a following, but they didn’t really turn my crank. And this is a roguelike dungeon crawler? Ehhh, I dunno about that. The animation they showed looked great, but it’s kind of irrelevant. The brief glance at gameplay looks just like the previously mentioned games but with a different coat of paint. I’ll definitely pick it up when it inevitably goes on sale for $3, but probably not before then.
Hypnospace Outlaw – Cute, but I really have no interest in a game about browsing a fictionalized version of the internet. Even if it is based on the 1990’s internet, when the internet was at it’s weirdest.
Spiritfarer – Another really pretty animated opening, but that’s really burying the lead, guys. You’re trying to sell me a game, not a movie. I’d watch this movie, but I don’t know about the game. I like what it’s doing, especially since you get to build a homebase aboard a boat, but it hasn’t stoked the fires of excitement within me. I might wait for some reviews to pop up for this one, though. It’s got potential.
Garden Story – This is intriguing. The art style is totes adorbs, and it’s maybe a cross between Stardew Valley and 2D Zelda? It’s a 2021 release though, so I can’t help but feel that it’ll fall off my radar long before then. Still, I’ve never played a game where the main character is a grape, and I find that concept absolutely fascinating.
Subnautica – I’ve heard of this, I think. Metroid Prime, but you’re a diver instead of a space bounty hunter? I like it. Maybe something that I need to keep a closer eye on. As for the sequel, well… obviously I’m not going to jump into that before I play the original game.
Takeshi and Hiroshi – A game about making an RPG for your little brother. That’s neat. I could see myself getting into this one, and I’m super into the combination of claymation and pixel art styles. I have this sinking feeling that it’s going to end with one of the brothers dying, though.
Raji – Straight-up, this one looks awesome. Like, the game looks super fun and the visuals are astounding. I don’t think I’ve ever played a game that is genuinely inspired by Indian culture. And it’s releasing today, you say? I’m gonna go pop into the eShop right quick to take a peek at the… Thirty bucks, eh? Looks worth it, but I’m going to have to think on it for a bit.
Bear and Breakfast – B&B simulator, with the twist that you play as a bear. Aside from the bear part, nothing about this appeals to me. Except maybe that it seems to have a potentially interesting narrative.
A Short Hike – I watched a speedrun of this that took under five minutes. That was enough for me. Next!
Card Shark – The unique visual style is incredible, but I’m not at all interested in “a game about cheating at cards”. Maybe watch a professional run at some point because the story seems mildly interesting.
Torchlight III – How have I not been playing Torchlight games? I don’t know about the previous games, but this one looks right up my alley. Like Gauntlet but more manic and with a Fortnite-lookin’ paint job. And you can hire a dog to adventure with you! A dog!! This is absolutely going on the watch list.
Manifold Garden – Coming hot off The Talos Principle, I’m a little first-person puzzled out at the moment. But once I’m back in that headspace, yes, I definitely want to play this one. It looks a heck of a lot like Antichamber, and I really liked Antichamber. I really get a kick out of these brain-bending games.
Evergate – And switching gears completely, I just feel totally worn out on these indie puzzle platformers. I don’t know why. Just looking at them makes me feel weary and a little stressed-out. So… yeah, I can confidently say that I won’t be thinking about this one at all after this paragraph.
And then there was a sizzle reel, with some really cool-looking games. But if Nintendo didn’t feel like they were important enough to really highlight, why would I? (Actually I’m just too lazy to go back through the video to catch all the titles.) Also there’s a multiplayer update for Untitled Goose Game around the corner. I really don’t care because the internet over-memed Untitled Goose Game and now I really don’t want to have anything to do with it. Damn internet.
Today’s verdict: I don’t think there’s ever been an Indie World Showcase that had quite so many games that I actually want to play in it. And so many of them are releasing today, too… It’s just too bad that we live in an age of too many video games, because I already have a huge collection of unplayed games, and I’d rather not add to the pile. Anyway, it was a really cool show! I’d like to tell these developers that their games look really great! Maybe I’ll go on Twitter and do that… and just leave out the part where I won’t actually be buying said games because I just ain’t got the time to play ’em.