Blogging the experience of gameplayhttp://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7979Première session : arrivée sur l'île et disparition de Ann (40 min) Malgré une vingtaine d'année depuis sa sortie, King Kong the Official Game of the Movie (KKOGM) parvient rapidement à poser une ambiance aussi angoissante que merveilleuse. Grâce à une introduction courte mais efficace, montée à partir des images du film, nous embarquons dans ce récit d'exploration. Récit : Dans les années 1930, à New York, un réalisateur en quête de son grand oeuvre, Carl Denham tente un coup de poker pour produire son plus grand film. Il achète une carte mystérieuse, embauche un équipage, quelques acteurs et navigue vers une île jamais cartographiée. L'arrivée sur l'île se fait dans le désastre le plus total : les membres de l'équipage sont séparés du fait des courants violents, tandis que d'autres perdent la vie avec d'atteindre la côte. Une fois sur l'île, notre avatar, Jack Driscoll, prend en main la survie du petit groupe restant, composé de Jack, Ann, Hayes et Carl, le réalisateur dérangé et coupé du monde. Avec des dialogues constants, nous dressons rapîdement le portrait des différents personnages. Accompagné des rescapés, nous découvrons bien vite que cette île est plus cauchemardesque que paradisiaque : des crabes gigantesques, des scolopendres immenses, des scorpions géants, des rapaces ailés anthropophages, etc. Tout semble avoir grandi dans la démesure et développé un instinct de prédation. Plus perturbant encore, une civilisation semble avoir vécu (vivre?) sur cette île, en témoigne des mécanismes de facture humaine suffisamment bien entretenus. Nous perdons rapidement la sécurité du groupe pour nous retrouver scindés : Hayes et Carl, Jack et Ann. Dans un moment de vulnérabilité total, notre avatar se retrouve face à face avec les étranges habitants de l'île. Pas de dialogue ici, uniquement un coup violent sur le crâne et un évanouissement en prime. A notre réveil, nous sommes attachés face à un gouffre immense, les cris de Ann nous sortent de notre torpeur : elle est maintenue captive sur ce qui ressemble à un autel sacrificiel. Des tambours résonnent. Un choeur s'emballe. Scande un même mot "Kong". Surgit alors de la jungle un singe immense qui s'approche d'Ann effrayée. Il la saisit et s'enfuit plus profondément dans l'île. Commence alors un voyage pour la rejoindre. Jouabilité : Transmission sans HUD, scriptage du regard, survie et efficacité, alliés et dialogue. La jouabilité (sur PC) accuse toutefois le poids des années, il semble que les conventions du genre FPS n'étaient pas encore complètement établie; il faut ainsi presser la barre espace pour sortir son arme, puis presser le clic droit pour viser, il en résulte des contorsions sur le clavier, auxquelles on finit bien par s'habituer. Toutefois, il faut reconnaître une grande efficacité de cette jouabilité une fois prise en main. La possibilité de posséder une arme à feu et de saisir une lance à tout moment nous place dans une tension constante entre le moyen le plus efficace et celui le plus économe dans la pure veine du Survival Horror. Notons une absence total d'ATH (interface) en jeu, ce qui renforce encore une fois notre attention à l'ambiance et à notre environnement. Pour palier ce manque d'informations, notre personnage énonce régulièrement les actions nécessaires et imminentes : nombre de balles restantes, nombre de chargeurs restants, nécessité de recharger. Mention spéciale pour le doublage français de Jack qui retranscrit parfaitement la tension vécue. Le jeu propose quelques puzzles (chercher des leviers) qui se résolvent rapidement et nous forcent généralement à déclencher des scripts. Il est possible de centrer la caméra sur un allié pour s'informer de son état ou pour échanger une arme avec lui. Cette mécanique, aussi simple qu'elle soit, donne une consistance aux membres du groupe. Grâce à cette mécanique, nous portons notre attention sur nos alliés, non plus seulement pour les secourir, mais aussi dans une logique stratégique et affective. Enfin, lors de certaines séquences, le jeu nous force à prendre un point de vue (parallèle intéressant avec le film de de Carl). En tournant des leviers, notre regard croise une horde en approche. Pour protéger Ann, nous découvrons que les scolopendres surgissent des failles et interstices. Musique et effets sonores : La musique du jeu est en retrait, voire absente durant la majorité de l'expérience. Remarquons la poussée d'un chant dramatique à l'approche de la mort de notre personnage (synchronisée avec un brouillage de l'écran). Les effets sonores participent ici encore au sentiment de malaise et d'angoisse que procurent Skull Island. Nous entendons les fougères s'écarter, des scolopendres grouiller. Constamment sur le qui-vive, nous écontons chaque son, qui deviennent porteur d'informations ludiques. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Tue, 24 Feb 2026 10:59:22.)Gabin BTue, 24 Feb 2026 10:51:32 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7979&iddiary=13486http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7978Ranking the three short games about mental health I played this afternoon, this is the bottom. It started off interesting, trying to get out of a room with tons of keys but only one works, figuring out how to progress through a room with a birthday party. But you realize that the solutions are all trial-and-error and that it doesn't have anything too deep to say about mental health / depression / anxiety. It's basically a little PSA. Other games tackle this theme far better. Also I got nausea while playing, so add this to the list with Ghostrunner, Far Cry...3?...and a few others! I feel like I'm going to barf...ugh. dkirschnerMon, 23 Feb 2026 16:49:37 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7978&iddiary=13485http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7977Played just after the first one. This one adds a little bit of production value. Now we get some animated scenes, some clearer visuals, some more variety in the music and sound effects, and it's about 4 times as long. Story continues where the first one leaves off. It's still weird, more surreal, more horror-ish, and more to the point about taking anti-psychotics (or not). You play, again, as the character's inner voice, which can be rational, empathetic, and/or cruel to her. She can't sleep, she hallucinates, she goes on and off her meds. She's lonely. Her mom is perhaps violent toward her. Unclear, as she is obviously an unreliable narrator. She also exhibits symptoms of OCD, and is perhaps on the spectrum. It gives a glimpse inside the mind of someone with a variety of disordered thoughts. Not sure exactly what it's trying to "say," but it was interesting to play through.dkirschnerMon, 23 Feb 2026 16:16:25 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7977&iddiary=13484http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7976This is a very short little horror/visual novel about mental illness. You go to the store to get a bag of milk, but it takes 20 minutes and you spiral while doing so. Interesting little snippet of a game. I played the sequel immediately afterward...dkirschnerMon, 23 Feb 2026 16:05:23 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7976&iddiary=13483http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7975Not my usual cup of tea. But, I'm playing simulator games this semester and I picked this one for the list. A real positive surprise - I would call this an accessible driving game - yes, it's a giant truck, but you (I) could get by without having to do a million tutorials because there's all kinds of settings you can turn on/off to make it more or less realistic as a simulation of driving a truck. The game starts in California, Arizona and Nevada - more places unlocked via DLC, which was a bit of a disappointment. But, this was mostly because I was really hoping to drive a truck in Utah. That being said, parts of Nevada (I chose to start in Elko) were basically like Utah... The game has a really interesting time/space compression thing going on. Drives that are 4 hours in real-life take a lot less, but you never really notice when it scales down the space/time. I think that when you're on the highway/big roads time moves faster (and the distance counts for more miles), but when you're going slow in a town - it seems to go by 1:1.. It's a really cleverly designed system that gives you the experience of having along drive - but without getting bored or tired. I wasn't expecting an entire business-sim as well, though it's arguably lighter on this end? You take on jobs- get money, eventually buy your own truck. Then more trucks and end up hiring more people who also drive for you..and so on. But, I didn't get that far - there's also a levelling/XP system for you, which for the most part just unlocks perks that make it more profitable/easier to drive. Not in the gameplay/mechanics sense, but rather in that you earn more money, use less gass. So, not like "+1 to top speed" or other unrealisitic stuff.. just unrealistic stuff like "now you can do trips that are longer". For really long trips you need to plan ahead for where you'll re-fuel as well as stopping to sleep! This was way more fun and interesting than I expected and it made me think that games where you're supposed to drive from A to B, follow roads and laws, are...a rare type of game? I couldn't think of any that weren't truck simulator games... everything seems to either be a race or an openworld exploration sort of thing. Weird, huh?jpWed, 04 Feb 2026 23:07:13 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7975&iddiary=13482http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7961Still playing! At this point I beat the game...but it took so much longer than I expected. This was almost entirely because I was significantly under-leveled, but...I practiced the real-time side of combat and, with a bit of patience, I basically went in and beat the final boss despite being 20+ levels under. I was level 49 or so...and the final boss was 62? And the final, final boss was 72. Or thereabouts. This was 40 hours and I was getting to the point of bailing because "I just can't be bothered", but I stuck it through (without levelling up, just by getting better at the game). Weirdly, I now want to go back and keep playing because my kingdom isn't levelled up enough! I guess I'll decide if I do or not the next time I can sit down and play for a bit....jpWed, 04 Feb 2026 22:53:48 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7961&iddiary=13481http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7974Session 1 : Reprise parodique du système de jeu de GTA (premiers opus) dans un contexte médiéval. Le système de jeu repose sur deux grands modes : à pied, à cheval. Le monde ouvert propose plusieurs activités : quêtes annexes, tournois, courses hippiques, collectibles, etc. L'ambiance est intéressante, le mélange de la culture urbaine avec le médiéval propose des idées amusantes, incongrues et originales. Je regrette pour le moment une histoire très creuse, aucun personnage marquant (le doublage marmonné n'aide pas), des quêtes oubliables. Mais surtout une parodie de GTA qui perd la critique sociale, la satire et les enjeux derrière l'expérience irrévérencieuse. -------------- A parodic take on the GTA gameplay system (early entries) transposed into a medieval setting. The game system is built around two main modes of play: on foot and on horseback. The open world offers a range of activities: side quests, tournaments, horse races, collectibles, and so on. The atmosphere is interesting; the blend of urban culture with medieval aesthetics generates amusing, incongruous, and original ideas. For now, I regret the very shallow story, the lack of memorable characters (the mumbled voice acting doesn’t help), and largely forgettable quests. Above all, this GTA parody loses the social critique, satire, and underlying stakes that give meaning to the irreverent experience. (This entry has been edited2 times. It was last edited on Fri, 23 Jan 2026 14:52:44.)Gabin BFri, 23 Jan 2026 14:45:29 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7974&iddiary=13480http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7973I really enjoyed Okomotive's first game, Far: Lone Sails, but then really disliked the sequel, Changing Tides. So I decided to give this one a chance. I wasn't sure based on the reviews, but I saw a lot of them saying that it was more like Lone Sails than Changing Tides. Turns out to be true. Herdling is another atmospheric game about a journey that revolves around one core mechanic, herding creatures that look kind of like yaks. You are a kid and you find some kind of magical herding stick that lets you control where the yak-things go, and then for whatever reason, you start herding the yak-things toward a distant, snowy mountain. The herding mechanic is simple. You press RT to command the yak-things to move ahead, and the direction they move is based on where you are in relation to the herd. They move 180 degrees in front of where you are facing (so straight ahead). That means if you want the herd to go left, you need to move behind them to the right, and vice versa. That's pretty much it. You will guide them through various levels and environments, avoid obstacles, solve the occasional easy puzzle, and proceed toward the mountain. On the way, you find and tame more of the creatures. I really liked doing this because the game encourages building a connection with each one, firstly, because you can name them. So of course I named them after the dog we are fostering (Noodle), our cats (Baby and Teddy), Sasha's mom's dogs, my mom's cat, my stepmom's cat, and some of our friends' pets. It turns out that the creatures can be killed, so there was a Teddy II in my herd (and the ghost, it turns out, of original Teddy, stuck around). You can feed them, clean them, pet them, play fetch with them, and adorn their antlers with trinkets. It's all very cute. The "bad guys" are these fierce owl creatures that are feared on the mountain (according to the cave art), and they occasionally harass your herd. Your herd can die from owls, falling off cliffs, falling into chasms, and probably a couple more ways. Teddy is the only one of mine who died, so I feel like a pretty successful herder. The story is...? Maybe examining the wall art would reveal more, but it's one of those wordless journeys. You take the herd to the mountain and...everyone lives happily ever after? You fulfill the prophecy? The herd lives to graze another season? Who knows. There's not much of a climax, but the moment-to-moment gameplay was thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable. Not a necessary game to play, even if you are into these kinds of experiences, but managing the herd was calming. Oh, and "stampeding" is fun and can put you in a flow state. The game breaks out into these wide open spaces where the herd can run. Move them through fields of blue flowers and they can stampede, going really fast, so finding the winding paths through bunches of blue flowers, hearing the music swell, watching the pretty landscapes go past, was engrossing. I saw that their next game is a pinball deckbuilding roguelite. Iiiiiinteresting!dkirschnerMon, 19 Jan 2026 19:45:09 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7973&iddiary=13479http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7971This is the latest Double Fine game. I was expecting a creative, artistic, narrative game. I got creative and artistic, but not so much narrative. Turns out that's fine. The game's got plenty of charm from the detailed artwork. You play as a...stay with me here...lighthouse. Or rather, you are the light (and you happen to be atop a lighthouse). The game starts out slowly. The lighthouse is wobbly and all it can do is crawl around and shine a light. You basically press forward until you encounter an obstacle, shine the light to get past it, and continue pressing forward. Eventually, you get some simple puzzles, and finally, you reach the end of the lighthouse part and the game starts to get more fun. I forget what happens, but your lighthouse is destroyed and the light ends up on a boat. The levels open up, the puzzles get more complicated, and movement is faster and smoother. I thoroughly enjoyed being a boat. I enjoyed the next metamorphosis even more. Then the final one is another "press forward" situation, but that's the end of the game, so it's okay. At the end (the last two transformations), you get a neat boss fight and some seriously trippy levels. Keeper is pretty to look at. Oh, and you also have a couple bird companions because...I guess...a light would be pretty boring on its own? I'd recommend for something artistic and chill. It gets better as it goes on, and the third (of four) transformations was my favorite. I'd probably say three, two, four, one. Wonder what the Double Fine folks will cook up next!dkirschnerSun, 18 Jan 2026 00:56:35 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7971&iddiary=13478http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7972Short and sweet. Hotline Miami / Superhot vibes. Cool narrative presentation with a good story and solid voice acting. Levels are either time-based (complete objectives as fast as possible) or wave-based (survive waves of enemies). In both, you get more points for skill-shots and creative kills (e.g., shooting hornets' nests down on top of enemies, getting multi-kills with claymore mines, etc.). More points = higher rank. There are also two challenges in every level, such as "kill x enemies with hornets nests/throwing knives/explosive barrels/etc.", "melee only", "don't pick up any health", and so on. Those were fun to aim for during replays, which you will have to do because the game gatekeeps levels from time to time (get A rank on x number of levels, get S rank on one level, complete x challenges, etc.). It's not terribly deep, but it does what it does well. The whole thing took me under 3.5 hours. I saw there are additional challenge levels, DLC with story levels, and some super hard (apparently) levels that the game warns you, "you may not be able to beat a single level." My Game Pass month is almost over (and it was completely derailed!), but if I had time, I would try the story DLC. dkirschnerThu, 15 Jan 2026 16:19:04 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=7972&iddiary=13477