What we've been playing
A few of the games that have us hooked at the moment.
11th November 2022
Hello! Welcome back to our regular feature where we write a little bit about some of the games we've found ourselves playing over the last few days. This time: rats, gods and cards.
If you fancy catching up on some of the older editions of What We've Been Playing, here's our archive.
Vermintide 2, PC
Vermintide 2 was free last week and my friends decided to give it a go. It's safe to say they enjoyed it! From the different classes to the wildness of co-op, it was a blast to mow down rats and Chaos Troops - especially the giant angry refridgerator bosses.
There is a certain charm to games such as these. My friends are even considering getting the 40K equivalent, Darktide. If you've been having doubts about picking this game up, or its 40K counterpart, this is the sign that you have been waiting for.
Paolo Balmes
God of War: Ragnarök, PS5
It’s refreshing to be playing a linear game again. When so many games go open world and smother their maps with icons to hoover up, God of War: Ragnarök instead offers a tightly choreographed thrill ride. There are flashy setpieces, there are quiet moments of character, and it’s all seamlessly held together with a family soap opera drama wrapped up in Norse mythology.
The breadth of the game and its sense of gargantuan scale is impressive, but so too are the smaller mythological details stuffed away in the codex. Every brutish smash of Kratos’ axe has heft, but even he is rendered tiny compared to the grandest mythical beasts in the nine realms. The art direction is truly exceptional, offering a fresh take on Norse mythology when so many games mine it for inspiration. Each new beat offers a feast for the eyes.
The biggest criticism of the game has been its pacing, and I have to agree there are issues there. I think there are two reasons. In part it’s because so much is crammed into the game - plenty to immerse yourself in, but some slower moments that drag on. But it’s also due to that continuous single shot. Unless the level design is circular, you know each dead end means turning back and retracing steps. That choice might be cinematic, but a cut wouldn’t go amiss.
Ragnarök is a typical Sony first-party game. It’s a powerhouse release that runs beautifully on the new console, and a feelgood blockbuster for everyone - especially with its accessibility options. But it’s also conservative, offering no revolutionary gameplay. Still, this is a thrill ride I don’t want to get off.
Ed Nightingale
Marvel Snap, iOS
Argh, so sorry - still playing Marvel Snap. I know the point is coming where I'll be completely overwhelmed by players who understand the meta and have built better decks, but so far I'm still having fun.
I like the surprisingly wildness of this game, I think. You can do stuff with combos of card and location that lead to weird outcomes. Last night, I put Odin in Bar Sinister and created an accidental Odin loop.
Bar Sinister fills the location with copies of the card you put into it. I chose Odin because he has 8 power, but I forgot that he also activates the On Reveal abilities of all other cards at that location. As the copies of Odin started to appear, each one triggered and retriggered the On Reveal abilities of the other Odins, who then triggered the abilities in turn. It went on for about a minute and a half, which is quite a long time in a game as quick as this.
It was beautiful and slightly unnerving to watch. I still lost, though.
Chris Donlan