We are back with a new article in the Game of the Month series where we highlight the most notable releases of the month. We shed light on the praised aspects by critics or players and the weaknesses in those games. Here, we reach the article for October 2024.
One of the standout games this month was the long-awaited remake of Silent Hill 2, a reimagining of the classic horror game released in 2001, the first main installment in the series since Silent Hill: Downpour 12 years ago. The Silent Hill 2 remake aims to deliver an experience that preserves the original game’s spirit and unique atmosphere while incorporating various enhancements including gameplay, puzzles, and an increased playtime compared to the original title.
One of the captivating aspects is the atmospheric setting of the town of Silent Hill, with its dense fog that obstructs visibility in open areas, immersing the player in a constant sense of fear and anxiety. The remake offers a larger space for exploration, redesigned familiar areas on a larger scale, and completely new areas where players can discover secrets, messages, ammunition, and various usable items.
While the story hasn’t undergone radical changes compared to the game released 23 years ago, the additional dialogues and subtle branching paths introduced by Bloober Team added depth and intrigue to the narrative based on mystery and psychological conflicts. The game still retains the same excitement and suspense, not to mention the newly included additional endings.
The remake also boasts a distinctive visual level that showcases the city details magnificently with performance and precision, and a fantastic sound performance including the soundtrack that enhances the horror atmosphere and the enemy sounds that make you hesitate before confronting them. The addition of open areas and entirely new locations has contributed to extending the game’s lifespan to at least 16 hours, double the duration of the original game, without feeling dull or repetitive.
Despite these features, the game faces criticism for the lack of enemy variety, as players encounter the same monsters consistently in every new area as if they were still in the early hours of the title. Boss battles lack unique encounters or different gameplay mechanics, relying solely on running and dodging repeatedly.
Another standout game this month that achieved unexpected success was Metaphor Refantazio, a role-playing game from the Persona team at Atlus. The game stood out for its diverse and deep combat system, one of the best in role-playing games ever released. The Archetypes system offers an indescribable depth and enjoyment since each Archetype offers something different and their development is seamlessly integrated with the game systems, with some requiring you to strengthen your relationships with specific characters or develop certain classes. Initially, I thought it was a system similar to Persona monsters, but as I progressed in the game, I found it to be completely different.
The game’s fantastical and innovative world and direction immerse players in intricate details from character designs to vehicles and buildings, with a unique design reminiscent of Studio Ghibli films. Despite its slow start, the game’s narrative reaches a peak that I consider one of the best stories of this generation, filled with surprises and thrills that defy description, with a superior love for villains and characters presented by the Atlus team.
However, there were some negatives in this game, such as the main character’s limited speech or actions, despite the director’s promises of a character different from the silent protagonists we are used to from the developer, which led to my frustration.
There are many elements that are easy to overlook, and the game does not clarify much on this aspect, especially considering the game’s lengthy duration. If you miss out on some of these elements, like certain secret cities or missions, you won’t have the chance to complete them unless you replay the game. You cannot fully experience the complete story before finishing the game multiple times, and the game’s length may be off-putting in replaying it multiple times.
Overall, Metaphor: Refantazio is a artistic masterpiece that will be admired by all RPG game enthusiasts and is one of the best offerings from Atlus studio, an essential experience that won’t be repeated.
Lastly, there is Dragon Ball Z Sparkling Zero, a competitive fighting game and a continuation of the Boudokai Tenkaishi series. The game’s content is massive and caters to all player demographics, featuring all Dragon Ball Z characters and transformations, with a strong narrative element in this game, including the Episodes mode that summarizes important anime events and lets you engage in battles with your favorite characters and learn their stories, or the Super Training mode that provides all the information you need to hone your skills.
The combat system is very fast-paced, requiring high skill and precise timing of attacks and defenses in the midst of battle chaos, making me feel like I’m controlling the anime battles themselves. The voices greatly enhance this experience, and the diverse finishing moves and the ki charge mechanic add a fun strategic element to the game.
However, criticism arose regarding the lack of clarity in unlocking characters and their randomness, such as getting some characters from completing specific tasks or progressing in the story or from the in-game store, but the lack of clarity made me puzzled and unaware of the real requirements to obtain some characters.
Those are the games we selected as the Game of the Month for October 2024. What is your game of the month? We are looking forward to your comments… And don’t forget to check out our other monthly article on the highlights of the annual gaming industry events in October 2024.
