Every month you can watch reviews and read our thoughts on the games we've been playing, old and new. Scott’s been too busy packing his life aways to play much this month (despite buying Death Stranding!) so it’s up to Joe to fill you in.
Zelda: Link’s Awakening
Joe Merrick
When’s the last time you felt super, super cosy? Like, 15 tog blanket watching Masterchef on the telly while it pelts down with rain outside and you’re drinking a big mug of Cadbury’s hot chocolate cosy? If it’s been a while, I urge you to play Link’s Awakening on the Switch. Whether you’ve played the original before on Game Boy or this is your first visit to Koholint Island, I guarantee you that you’ll be filled with a warm, fuzzy feeling that everything is alright with the world just by playing this game.
Of course, that feeling will slowly disappear when you realise what’s happening behind the scenes in Link’s Awakening. I won’t spoil anything here but make sure you really make the most of your time on the beach with Marin.
If Breath of the Wild felt like it chucked too much of the patented Zelda formula out (it didn’t) then rest assured that Link’s Awakening is a classic adventure full of exploration and discovery.
The map slowly opens up to reveal a multi-knotted maze of nooks and crannies, full of secrets and goodies to find using an ever-expanding arsenal of tools and weapons. The first few dungeons are simple affairs, holding your hand as you learn the Zelda basics, but before you know it Link is tested with fiendish multi-floor gauntlets that will test your spacial awareness and your combat skill.
From the release of Ocarina of Time onwards, Zelda combat changed focus to be more of a fencing simulator, parrying and dodging while waiting for an opening to attack. Link’s Awakening smartly retains an old-school arcade quality to fighting baddies; the screen fills with fireballs and projectiles to dodge, and you’ll be frantically swinging your sword and firing off arrows to fight back. It’s fast, it’s difficult and it’s a lot of fun.
The real magic of Link’s Awakening is in the world though.
Ask any long time Zelda fan where their favourite location is and there’s a high chance Koholint Island will be their answer, and there’s a good reason for that. Hyrule has the classical adventure storytelling, the stuff of legends. Termina had dark tragedy. But Koholint Island has magic, whimsy, darkness and sadness. It’s an island of long forgotten legends and cheery villagers; melancholy and beauty. There’s a big walrus you wake up with a song.
I was sceptical when Link’s Awakening’s remake was announced. I’m a big fan of the clean perfection of the original pixel art, and the purity of the original game’s design, and the first reveal of the new art style seemed a bit gimmicky. I was wrong. This game looks wonderful, and bright and colourful, and chunky and physical, and utterly charming. Link’s wee face when he catches a fish is enough to cement Link’s Awakening on anybody’s game of the year list.
Winter is setting in now. The weather is constantly minging and it’s hard tell what time it is because it’s always dark; at least up here in Scotland. What better time to make a visit to Koholint Island. Word of warning though: make the most of it. You’ll find out why soon enough.
Shenmue 3 (a not-quite review)
Joe Merrick
I’m not ready to talk about Shenmue 3, but I’ll try.
I’ve been waiting for this game for fifteen years, since I completed Shenmue 2 for the first time and left Ryo to wallow in his Guilin cave until he would be set free to track down Lan Di. As such, I’m savouring every moment with Shenmue 3. I’ve barely scratched the surface with this game, which is why this isn’t a review; I’ll try and get that done for next month.
Instead, I thought I’d just let you know everything I love so far in the picturesque Bailu Village - which I haven’t left yet despite playing for about twenty hours so far.
I love Ryo’s night-time chats with Shenhua. Ryo’s always been a bit of a blank slate but its great seeing him learn about Shenhua’s way of life in rural China, and recount details of his own life and the people he has met along the way.
I love opening the door each morning and walking past the Shenmue tree as the sun rises over the distant hills. There’s a feeling of genuine magic at work, and I refuse to engage in any area-skipping shenanigans; who would want to avoid this glorious sight?
I love the rhythm of life in Bailu; I always stop Ryo for some training at the dojo as he makes his way down the hill. There’s nothing quite link a one-inch punch in the morning sun to wake you up, after all.
I love talking to the locals, getting to know their names and their routines; learning who’s the best to ask when Ryo’s in a fix, and who best to ignore. A lot has been made of Shenmue’s cartoonish, stylised NPCs but when was the last time you played a game where every inhabitant was unique and memorable instead of just a randomly generated selection of faces, clothes and body types?
I love the amount of detail in everything surrounding Ryo. Every slab, every wooden plank, every bottle and fence post is worn and crooked and lived in. Bailu feels nothing like a big empty video game hub; it’s a densely packed world full of life and history.
I love all the wee mini games, and how they all connect to each other. These are simple, satisfying wee things; chopping wood and rolling dice and throwing rocks to earn money and win prizes. The most complex it gets is in old-school mechanical arcade games, the existence of which was at first disappointing - where’s my Outrun, Suzuki? But it feels somehow more genuine and fitting that these relics of a bygone age exist in Bailu. And that idea of everything being connected? It all leads back to earning, learning and mastering martial arts skill books.
And let me tell you folks, I love the fighting in this game. A lot has been made of the apparent simplicity of Shenmue 3’s new combat system. At first it’s a shock, especially compared to the Virtua Fighter-lite fights from Shenmue 1 & 2. There’s a lot more going on than it first seems though. While it’s a shame Shenmue 3’s small budget means Ryo’s iconic throws and holds are gone, along with some of the best counter techniques from the previous games, Shenmue 3’s fights are about space and taking advantage of your opponent leaving themselves open in brutal fashion.
Watch any real life karate match and you’ll see a similar rhythm - the shuffling around, the tentative punches, the luring of opponents into making critical mistakes.
And lastly, for now, I love the music. There’s a great mix of brand new pieces and remixes of older Shenmue tracks, and every one of them gives a sense of place, of peace, of pure Shenmue magic.
Those nighttime chats with Shenhua are made even more special with this slow, melancholic theme music in the background. It’s so good I never want it to end.
As I said, I’ve barely scratched the surface of Shenmue 3. Very little has happened in Ryo’s continuing quest to avenge his father because I’m playing at an even more glacial pace than Yu Suzuki probably intended. I can confidently say though that Shenmue 3 is exactly what I wanted and needed to play.
