I recently got two games that are pretty much opposites: saira and bloody good time
I don't have much to say about saira. it's a lot like nifflas's other nonviolent explorational games, only more polished and set in outer space. the puzzles are really great, the planets are pretty cool and space travel was represented pretty effectively. my problem with the game is that it feels really short and incomplete compared to nifflas's earlier games, which are free (Saira is $10). also each planetary system has 2 landable planets or a planet and a moon or something like that, and they kind of lack character. so I think this game would have been loads if he'd have added a couple more planets to one or two planetary systems, or created a starting hub of a planetary system with multiple planets, like the solar system. in terms of character, c'mon, add a comet to land on and a binary star, go to the crab nebula. we love space, make the most out of that setting
bloody good time is pretty good to really good, I haven't decided yet. going by the trailers and premise I wasn't sure I'd like it at all, and I only bought it because it's by the same guys that made the ship. one of the main things I was worried about the violence, which is a huge part of the game and risked making it gross. but they opted for a sort of cartoon violence, and it actually works well.
I was also worried a bit about the style, because one of the main things that I liked about the ship was its 1920s style and old cruise ship aesthetic, and without that it wouldn't be a very notable game. bgt has its own thing going on though, and although they maybe could have done more with it in terms of level design, it works really well. they've embraced all the hollywood acting garbage, used it to create their own garbage acting scene, full of cheeseburgers, pizza and booze, bad-but-good music, and tacky sets. they've created another really great aesthetic from scratch, which leaves me ultra-optimistic about any future games they might release. this is something Outerlight can apparently do better than just about anyone else in the game making biz. it's awful that they might not get the chance to do it again, since they lost money with the ship and this is supposedly their last chance at staying afloat
one thing is, it's got a pretty rough learning curve. part of this is because it's so different from what most people, even the ship players, are expecting from a hunt-and-kill game. another part is because of the map design--I still don't fully know my way around the haunted house. the disco and conservatory are in the back on the ground floor, kitchen is to the left of the disco and that's all I know without looking. it might benefit new players to mostly stick to one map (preferably spring break, which might be the strongest one) or to walk around the maps on an empty server after playing a few introductory arcade mode rounds. once you get the gist of it, though, it can be pretty dang fun
if you think you'd be into this at all I'd say just buy it, it's definitely worth the five bucks. if enough people get it I think it'd be a pretty solid candidate for some sw netplay. you really can't help but to play this game casually, trying to be an expert isn't gonna get you anywhere. the fun of the game is coming up with ways to hunt and kill your quarry while taking care of your character, if you're set upon bunny-hopping up and down the map getting headshots with the magnum, you'd rather be playing a different game. besides I dunno how you could try to be cool when your character's gotta sit on a toilet and take a shit like everyone else
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