Link to OP
Beat this foursome of games while working on a few longer titles:
Sleeping Dogs: DE (PC), the OG
Ori & The Blind Forest (PC) and
IA/VT Colorful (PSV).
Game 28: Divekick: Addition Edition (PC)
Finished 3/12/16 (5pt)
Time to complete: 3.6 hours as per Steam
I know I'm super LTTP with this, but I've never really sat down with Divekick, having mostly experienced it as a couch game when friends come over. Gave it a solid shot over the weekend and it just doesn't get any more interesting... Yes, there's plenty of depth and strategy to be found, and it's always good for raucous fun when you have local players to enjoy it with, but as a solo or online multiplayer experience it just falls flat for me. After beating the game with five different characters I had enough.
I love everything else about it though... DK packed to the brim with FGC in-jokes and references, and you can even play as ex-Capcom lackey Seth Killian and former Mad Catz rep (and NeoGAF stud) MarkMan.
That said, Divekick would make a GREAT title for Street Fighter newbies who want to learn the basics of "footsies", as this game is basically that concept expanded into full game form.
Game 29: One Finger Death Punch (PC)
Finished 3/13/2016 (1pt)
Time to complete: 4.4 hours as per Steam
I originally got to try OFDP on my Android phone (and enjoyed what I played), but was turned off at the online check-in requirement before start-up - I hate it when non-online apps suck up data. Gave the Steam release another shot, and thoroughly enjoyed myself!
OFDP's basically a kung-fu action game where you only need two buttons to play - LMB/RMB or X/B on the 360 pad. Your stick figure martial artist hops from left to right (in the direction you choose), and pressing a button attacks in that direction. Pressing too late or too early causes you to get beaned or whiff (and then get beaned), respectively. Tougher enemies can dodge your attacks, forcing you to pull off button combos to take them out.
Game does a good job of mixing things up with lightsaber and nunchaku battles, defense tests where you deflect thrown knives, speed stages where accuracy <<< speed... still, you'll probably need to play another game between sessions, as prolonged exposure to OFDP will probably make you sick (and permanently damage your hands). Nice heartfelt message by the dev at the end, too, a charming personal touch.
Game 30: Pony Island (PC)
Finished 3/13/2016 (1pt)
Time to complete: 4.0 hours as per Steam
Heard many, many good things about Pony Island in the IndieGAF threads, and finally got around to playing it.
This game kicks ass! Can't really go into too much detail without spoiling shit, but does a great job of messing with your expectations, and is subversive in a NieR-ish sort of way (bears some similarities - not on the same level. Be cool, NieRGAF). I enjoyed the throwback "hacking" portions, and was very impressed by how a single developer could coax so much meat out of similar gameplay elements.
Game 31: Nihilumbra (PSV)
Finished 3/13/2016 (1pt, Story Mode)
Time to complete: Around 3 hours
I've been very lukewarm on Sony's recent Vita output on PS Plus, and was hoping that Nihilumbra would break the cycle, being a more "high profile" indie than most.
Sadly, I didn't enjoy it very much... I've always been bearish on puzzle-platformers (I hated Rochard, and don't have high hopes for my copy of Teslagrad), and this did little to change my view. Lots of tepid philosophical bullshit, and repetitive puzzle concepts had me praying for the game to end... and it soon did, being mercifully short. The "Void" campaign tacked on after the main storyline appears to be even more of a "trial and error" game, and upon seeing this I noped out and deleted it. Just not for me.
The soundtrack IS very nice though.