I’ve got a couple hundred games on Steam and Epic Game Store that sit unplayed, as most people who play games likely do. It’s time to change that.
Following the recommendation of several Youtubers, I created a list of all the game I have played less than an hour of. My goal: Whenever I want to relax alone, use a randomizer to pick a random game and play it for at least one hour. If I like the game, I may finish it. If not, an hour is enough.
I’m going to catalogue the games here, mostly because I have nowhere else to do so.
GAME #1: Dead Space
My randomizer picked a game I had already played a half hour of. It’s also a horror game, which isn’t my thing, although that may change after I play an hour of the ten or so horror games I own.
Not a great start, randomizer, for reasons I’ll get into.
I think Dead Space has a great opening. It pulls off a classic horror intro, using lighting and positioning to give you just the right view of the carnage as the horrors are introduced. With your crew screaming for you to run, hoping some will survive, you dash for an elevator. A creature follows, almost kills you straight up, then the elevator cuts it in half.
At the bottom of the elevator you get your first weapon, and it feels good to fire it. Through the next door, you see a grisly murder, and a recent message written in haste tells you to aim for the limbs.
I wish I had gotten the chance to do so. Dead Space PC is broken. That door opens, but I could not walk through it. I’m not hooked enough to look for the mods to fix the game. It’s a shame, as using weapons to rip the limbs from snarling alien monsters seems fun. Dead Space 2 is on my list, so maybe I’ll get another shot later.
Verdict – Broken.
GAME #2: Eliza
I had no idea what to expect with this. I don’t even remember where I got it.
Eliza is a visual novel about artificial intelligence and mental health, and the combination of the two. The visuals and acting are excellent, and it wasn’t hard to get pulled in. After my hour of play, I checked online to see how long the game was, and found that I had completed a good portion of the story. I went ahead and played it out.
This is not the type of visual novel you have to play half a dozen times. There are occasionally choices to be made in the dialogue, but nothing substantial until the last chapter of the game, which can then be accessed from the menu. It makes a great VN for those new to the genre.
I don’t want to spoil the story, but it deals artfully with modern issues and viewpoints, and from my perspective, handles mental health very well. I am not an expert regarding that, but I found the game very respectful and sympathetic toward people dealing with those issues.
This is exactly what I was looking for with this project, a game I would never otherwise play that was well worth playing.
Verdict – Finished it.
Kyle Adams 