The week of August 22 is a bit of a blur. Between Gamescom, new releases, and the usual backlog, it’s easy to miss a few beats here and there. Even with the extra hustle and bustle, this week’s new cycle sparked new ideas and still left time to stew on the old. In another roundup of our favorite features of the week published by yours truly at TheGamer, we’ve got a failed attempt at the time loop, reactions to the new Saints Row, and a failed attempt at loving Final Fantasy 14.
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That’s 12 Minutes Far Too Long
Time loops aren’t new plot devices, our weekly columnist Mike Drucker acknowledges as much, but video games have a history of being damn good at them. After the initial intrigue wears off, 12 Minutes quickly shares its biggest secret—the time loop is just bad. Drucker describes its shoddy implementation of the phenomenon as a way to “seem more complicated than it actually is.” There’s a lot to love about the idea, but 12 Minutes missed all the marks.
Out With The Old
TheGamer’s James Troughton is no stranger to the Saints Row series, and that’s why he sees a real future in the new reboot. After the reveal of fresh faces and an unfamiliar setting, Troughton wants you to know that ditching Johnny Gat and his crew was the best move the next game could make. The departure still remains divisive, but this isn’t the first time Saints Row has existed without Gat, and it certainly won’t be the last if Volition hits the highs of games before it.
There Was A Hole Here, It’s Konami Shaped Now
Regardless of your familiarity with horror, you still probably know what Silent Hill is. The beloved second entry to the series stands amongst other horror games as the genre’s best, and features editor Andy Kelly isn’t happy with how Konami has treated it. Kelly’s piece articulates the frustration of everyone who’s ever loved a Silent Hill game has felt. With a horror franchise so cherished by a generation of fans, he argues that Konami should hand it all over to modern masters of terror like Red Candle Games.
Relationship Status: Complicated
Final Fantasy 14’s A Realm Reborn is brilliant, but even the most devout Warrior of Light will argue that the game really hits its stride in the expansions to come. That’s not even what our lead features editor, Cian Maher, finds so daunting though. Completing all of Final Fantasy 14’s major story beats is practically its own full-time job, and when you’re a fresh sprout, that’s an incredibly tall order. With hundreds of hours of content, Maher can’t justify the commitment to an MMO, but he still admires the world and incredible tale its team has woven.
Please Reserve Your Judgment For Judgment’s PC Absence
There’s a little more than meets the eye when it comes to publishing Sega’s Lost Judgment on PC. In her piece, Unraveling The Mystery Behind Lost Judgment’s Struggle To Launch On PC, guides editor Meg Pelliccio explains how a disturbingly powerful entertainment company, Johnny & Associates, holds the likeness of its actors hostage. For Judgment fans feeling burned about the fate of the series, Pelliccio’s exploration into the why and how we got here brings a little more understanding.
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