18) Ghostwire Tokyo
Game is all over the place in terms of quality. The controls are very stiff and many of the mechanics just feel dated and rough around the edges. Like how many things can you possibly use the L2 button for before you step back a re-evaluate your control scheme. There's also a lot of busy work to be busy. Like the 2000 souls kof brought up? Some of them you have to hit L2 to initiate removing a blockage, then a shape is drawn on screen, then you draw the shape on the controller, then press L2 and R2 to remove the blockage, then you press L2 to finally absorb the souls. It's not done quick like a combo, it's slow and deliberate and just feels like steps for the sake of steps. Rain in this game looks like dogshit.
On the other hand, the layout of the city is pretty fucking rad and the aesthetic of the world and enemies is top notch. Wandering around and looking at the details is very enjoyable. Whenever you're in distortion or mirage state the game looks fucking amazing. There's one part where the world is rotating and these books and magazines are sliding around on the walls outlining doors and windows and if those exact visuals where in a CG movie you'd be impressed.
So yeah, probably a 6/10 but has some building blocks for what could be a really good follow up.
19) Exo One
Another Gamepass game. General idea is you take control of an alien spacecraft which can increase it's gravity or decrease and flatten to kind of sling shot yourself around worlds heading towards a teleporter thing. First level there's a lot of curved areas and it's easy to use gravity to pull yourself down into them, then release it at the bottom to shoot out the other side and the glide around until you can do it again on a bigger scale. Second level introduces some neat propulsion mechanics tied to either wind or structures you fly through. Third level introduces water which kind of uses buoyancy to pop you out and gain speed if you drag yourself in at the right angle.
Then every world after is just either cramped or more spread out in a way that just makes it slower, but never hard or challenging, just lame. Only take an hour or two, so not a big time sink.
Get high and finish it in a single sitting or just skip it.
20) Tinykin
If you like Pikmin even a little and you have gamepass, play this game.
It's basically Pikmin, inside a house, with platforming mechanics and the friendliest follower mechanics possible. They can't die (neither can you really) and the game auto selects the correct one for the situation so you can launch them around without negative consequence.
The whole house is populated by bugs, and when combined with the 2d design of all bugs and your player character, gives off a Bugs Tale vibe.
Highly recommended. If this was TNL 15 years ago we wouldn't be shutting up about this game.
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