Playlist (November 2020) (Patreon)

Hello! This month, your playlist is a PlayStation 5 special. I've been really enjoying this new console, and it's kinda reignited my love of games. And so I've been slightly obsessed with PS5 games since I got the system. Here's a quick run-down of three games I've been playing on it. Watch it above, or read on...

Demon's Souls (PS5)

First up is Demon's Souls, which is a remake of the very first Souls game - before Dark Souls and Bloodborne and Sekiro.

Now, I never played the PS3 original back in 2009, so I can't compare this as a remake. But as a Souls game it is, well, about what you'd expect. Exacting combat, a slightly confusing RPG system, cryptic dialogue, big bosses, hints from other players, and - of course - a punishing difficulty level.

This is the sort of game where I basically rage quit a boss, declared that I would never play this stupid game again, and then came back the next day and beat it. Souls games are like abusive relationships - but, you know, in a good way.

One of the biggest differences between this and other Souls games is the world layout. There are five major areas, including a quarry and a prison, and you can visit them in any order you like. This is great because you can get stuck in one area, and instead of just beating your head against the wall you can go explore somewhere else! And you might even find a useful item that will totally help you on the first problem! Dark Souls's interconnected Metroidvania world is still the best, but I like this a lot too. The super quick load times on PS5 help, of course.

The change I really don't like is how health recovery works. In Dark Souls you recover health by drinking from an Estus flask - and that flask automatically tops back up when you die. Demon's Souls is more like Bloodborne, you find healing items and once they're gone, they're gone. This is a bit of a pain: let's say you attempt a boss 10 times and use a couple healing items each time, you'll eventually run out. This has the effect of the game getting harder, the worse you perform - which I don't like. The only solution is to farm for healing items or souls, which is just tedious busy work.

But anyway - if you've liked one of the Souls games and never tried this one… hey, you're in luck. It's another spooky, tricky, mysterious, adventurous epic to work through. Top stuff.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS4, PS5)

Okay, full disclosure before I start on this one. I was asked by Sony and Sumo to consult on the development of this game. Which means I can't talk about it very objectively, and you should take this with a big pinch of salt.

Anyway, so this is a 3D platformer, very much in the vain of Super Mario 3D World. It's got four player co-op, the same zoomed out camera, and that familiar four step level design. And it's clearly made by platformer fans, as Sackboy has a robust moveset, which is perfect for speedrunning through levels.

The game is packed with clever ideas, and one-off moments, and mechanics that get twisted and evolved over the course of a stage. And each level is presented in a glorious patchwork craft style, with platforms made from all sorts of everyday objects and hand drawn graphics. Though, the colours can be a tad muted.

I haven't played a huge amount. Well, I did finish an early build of the game, but I'm now playing through the final version in co-op with my partner. And we're enjoying ourselves - it's not quite Mario-tier, but it's close! In fact, my girlfriend said she preferred this to Mario, which is like… maybe I should reconsider the marriage.

Just kidding, love you!

Astro's Playroom (PS5)

Finally, a quick chat about one of the best free pack-in games ever made: Astro's Playroom.

A brief history of Astro Bot. Sony made a free pack-in game for the PlayStation VR to show off some of its cool features, and it included a cute Mario-like platformer mini game. Everyone agreed that Sony should turn it into a full game and… they did! It was called Astro Bot Rescue Mission and it's awesome. And now, Astro Bot is back in a quick adventure to show off the new features of the PS5.

And I mean, literally. Because not only does the game really make use of the new controller gimmicks - including the highly detailed rumble and the triggers that resist your fingers - but the game is actually set inside your PS5, with levels based inside the SSD, or GPU, or cooling fan.

And if that wasn't meta enough, the whole thing is a trippy museum of PlayStation references. The collectibles are all PlayStation hardware like a PS2 memory card or a PSP camera. And there are loads of cameo easter eggs of PlayStation games, like little robots cosplaying as Nathan Drake or Lara Croft or Dante from Devil May Cry.

It's just a joyful experience from start to finish. I would have happily paid for this, but the fact it comes free with the console is just icing on the cake. If Sony wants to make Astro Bot its mascot, I'm all in.

That's your lot! Thanks for reading - chat next month, when I'll be looking at my games of the year.