It’s that time of the month again, here’s five games that you may have missed in November 2019. Before we get started, I would like to thank all of the publishers who sent these games to me in order to make this video and, as usual, this list is in no particular order, so let’s jump right into it.
ECHORIA: Ancient Echoes
Alright, so technically this one came out right at the end of October, but it’s close enough. ECHORIA is story-based RPG that’s actually pretty neat for what appears to be an RPGMaker game. You play as a character by the name Aldus (a name you can change if you wish), whose world is forever changed by a hunting trip that goes sideways. An adventure results and you’re thrown into a world full of interesting characters, cool enemies, and detailed environments to explore.
The game has some pretty good art, both in world design and characters, some basic, yet satisfying turn-based combat similar to what you’d get from most JRPGs, and a story that’s not boring. I won’t say that the story is anything too spectacular, but it at least is better than what we usually see with these types of games. The fact that it’s combined with combat that’s actually fun is just an added bonus. If you’re into these types of RPGs, ECHORIA is definitely worth a look.
Ritual: Crown of Horns
So here we have a rather interesting mix. Ritual: Crown of Horns is a top-down shooter that is both a Western and a supernatural demon-slaying game, complete with gore and all. You take up the role of a bounty hunter who has been ambushed and killed, only to then be reincarnated by a witch to exact revenge on those that killed you. To do so, you’ll make use of a variety of weapons, abilities, and environmental hazards to mow down hordes of enemies.
In fact if you’ve ever played horde mode in Gears of War, this is pretty similar. The gameplay consists of levels where you’re faced with wave after wave of enemies until a timer runs out. Your goal is to make it to the end of that timer while protecting the very witch that reincarnated you. This sounds simple enough, but the gameplay can be pretty unforgiving at times and I was already failing levels after just the first couple. Regardless, it is a fun and fast-paced top-down shooter, one with enough variety (in weapons, abilities, enemies, etc.) to keep things from getting stale.
Still There
Still There is a game quite unlike anything I’ve played before. You play as a man by the name Karl Hamba, who is the sole operator of the Bento, a space lighthouse far from home. You complete work-related tasks as they come up while also maintaining your livelihood aboard the Bento. This includes everything from eating, to taking care of your pet, and just making sure everything stays intact. It isn’t until a mysterious radio transmission comes in that the actual story kicks in, a story full of mystery, emotion, and a whole bunch of psychological elements.
It’s technically a Point and click game, but is so much more involved than what is usually seen in that genre that I hesitate to label it as just another point and click game. You can interact with pretty much everything in your environment, down to the individual buttons and switches in your control center. This makes the puzzles a bit more difficult than in your traditional point and click, as there’s so much to interact with that you can’t just spam left click until something works, you have to actually put some thought into it. This, combined with the compelling storyline, make for a pretty unique experience, one I would definitely recommend for fans of puzzle-adventure games.
Fractured Minds
So this is a very different game compared to everything else on this list. Part of that is due to the fact that it’s only about twenty minutes long, but more so because it’s more of a work of art than a video game. Fractured Minds is a game that attempts to explore anxiety and mental health issues through a series of first-person levels. Some of these levels have light puzzles to them and some are simply walking simulators.
The goal is to show six different challenges associated with mental health issues, with one level covering isolation and another doing anxiety. Given this, the game is likely not going to be for everyone, but I found it to be a very interesting experience. It’s cool to see these problems demonstrated visually, in a manner that also fits within a video game. For a game created entirely by a single 17-year-old, it’s pretty impressive.
Lost Ember
And to close up this list we have another story-driven game. This time it takes the form of an atmospheric exploration game by the name Lost Ember. It’s a game where you take up the role of an unnamed wolf, a spirit wolf that has the ability to possess other animals. You can go from wolf, to duck, to fish, to even elephant if you want to. Each of these animals all has their own unique use, such as the fish being able to access tunnels underwater and the elephant being able to move through patches of bamboo.
Your goal is to slowly unravel how the world you now find yourself in came to be, how man came to its end and was replaced by nature. In doing so, you’ll explore beautiful environments, meet all sorts of different wildlife, and pick up bits and pieces of history along the way. It’s a story mainly told through flashbacks, but it’s done in a very cool way, one that doesn’t grow old over the game’s 3-4 hour runtime. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that the story does a great job drawing in players and delivering a powerful ending, one that honestly caught me off guard. For fans of exploration-based games (and especially for those that like visually-striking games), Lost Ember is definitely worth a look.
And that will wrap up the list for November. A couple less games than what I had last month, but still a solid list overall. As usual, I’ve included links to all of the games featured here in the description, so do check them out if you’re interested. And if you’re not subscribed already, consider doing so, it really helps out. Also let me know if I’ve perhaps missed a game that you really liked this past month in the comments down below, I’m always interested in taking a look at more games. Thanks for watching and see you guys in the next one.
cublikefoot 