Geek Kingdom: A Gamer's Wishlist

Liam Lavoie

My name is Liam Lavoie, and I’m here to bring you another issue of…

GEEK KINGDOM!


Now, the holidays are right around the corner, and I’m sure plenty of you love to spend time playing your favorite video games with all the spare time we have. If you’re lucky, you might even get the game of your dreams as a gift! So, in this issue, I’ll be listing all of the hot ticket gaming items right now so you can get some ideas for your…

GAMER’S WISHLIST 

ITEM 1: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet 

Pokemon fans rejoice because a new entry has just been released in the bestselling franchise, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It is the first entry in the series to have a fully open-world for you to explore, with a non-linear story and full multiplayer options, this is bound to be one amazing adventure! If you can look past the frame-rate issues and glitches that is. Yes, this game has been receiving a lot of negative feedback recently due to a copious number of bugs and performance issues. At the time of writing this, there has been no word of a patch to fix these bugs, but you can expect to have the game fixed around December to January at the latest. Yet, the game is still playable, and most of the bugs are harmless and quite funny. Aside from the glitchesIt has had favorable reviews by critics. If you’re not bothered by bugs (or if you’re a Skyrim junkie like me), and have always dreamed of an open world Pokemon game, then this is the game for you.

ITEM 2: Elden Ring 

This hotly-anticipated souls-like game was released a few months ago, yet still has a strong prevalence in the gaming community. Elden Ring is an open world action RPG, inspired heavily by Dark Souls, the brutally difficult origin of the popular souls-like genre. It has a sprawling open world, a deep combat system, brutally difficult boss fights and hours upon hours of content on your noble quest to repair the titular Elden Ring. If that isn’t enough to get you hooked, then perhaps the game's co-op mode is what you need. After all, what could be more entertaining than exploring a rich fantasy world with up to three of your friends on a snowy winter night?

ITEM 3: The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe 

After numerous delays, the definitive edition of the ultra popular game-but-not-a-game, The Stanley Parable, is finally available to play! The story is about a man named Stanley, who works at an office pushing buttons on a computer. Until one day he notices that his coworkers have mysteriously disappeared, so he sets out on a journey across the office to find out what the heck is going on, all while a narrator provides “insightful” commentary about Stanley’s mission. Saying any more would ruin the delightful surprise and jokes this wonderful experience has to offer. WIth multiple endings and plenty of secrets and Easter eggs to discover, now is the perfect time to jump into The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe. 

ITEM 4: TUNIC 

While this game might seem like a simple cutesy Zelda-riff, don’t be put off by its childish demeanor. Tunic is a complex game about critical thinking and solving problems that require more than simply pushing buttons. In Tunic, you play as a small fox who picks up a sword to fight baddies. Saying any more would reveal too much of this seemingly simple, yet deep, storyline that will push your brain to find all the secrets of Tunic’s large game world. The most unique part is that the game doesn’t tell you what to do. It’s up to you to find out where to go next, how to defeat the boss of the dungeon, and how to progress through the game's many puzzles.This may seem off putting for those who rely heavily on quest logs and waypoints like me, but if you put in the time and effort to discover how to continue the game, you will feel incredibly rewarded by this tremendous feat. So what are you waiting for? Grab your sword, and get going on your quest!

RUNNERS UP: 

Before I wrap up, here is a rapid-fire list of games that are worth checking out this holiday season, but didn’t quite make the cut:

Cult Of The Lamb: Play as a lamb who starts a dark cult in order to free their evil god.

Stray: As a cat, run around a cyberpunk city filled to the brim with sentient robots in this relaxing platforming experience.

Dune: Spice Wars: Try to capture and create as many spice mines as possible on the barren desert planet of Arrakis in this upcoming real time strategy game (or RTS for short), based on the popular movie of the same name.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Run through a ruined Earth as everyone’s favorite pink puffball, Kirby, in this expansive action platformer. 

CONCLUSION 

Overall, there are a LOT of new games that came out this year which are worth checking out. And with winter sales, you’re bound to pick some of these excellent games up at a bargain price. Put these games on your wish list and have an amazing holiday season from… 

GEEK KINGDOM! 


Page layout by Sara Rastin