Week of 29 Jan 2025
“We’ve only known one another a few seconds and already you insult me.”
Achievements Earned In:
- Anuchard
- Bound by Flame
As it neared the end of the month, I figured I’d quickly knock out Anuchard before it left the Game Pass library. I didn’t know much about this one, but TrueAchievements estimates put it at around a 6-8 hour completion, so I figured I’d take my chances. This is kind of a 2D Zelda gameplay-wise, but it’s also a lot of puzzles. And so so much exposition and conversation! But, it’s easy, that’s for sure. So much so, that I didn’t even turn on the 100% damage reduction in the Accessibility menu. Ha! I think the part of the game that stuck out the most was the story, though, which asks some pretty interesting questions about human nature. I think I liked it, but it dragged a little near the end. And, luckily, no grinding to do.
Achievements unlocked: 18 (+18) | Completed
Me too, dude, me too.
It was time to try some more Xbox 360 titles, and I went with one I’d been putting off for a long time: Bound by Flame. Developed by Spiders, I’d been worried about starting it because the other RPGs they’d done that I’d completed (Mars: War Logs and Of Orcs and Men) had ticked me off beyond comprehension. Like, some of the angriest and most frustrated I’d been at any games. I’d bad about remembering details about games even a week after I’d finished them (one of the main reasons I started putting my thoughts to pape- er, screen) so I don’t recall exactly why it made me so mad… but it did. But this week I finally bit the bullet and decided to jump in. And, wow, this is not what I expected. It’s far more of an action game, almost akin to something like Dark Souls, which makes sense as that game had come out only a few years prior and it was the beginning of the “Souls-like” trend. It’s not quite as brutal but the gameplay relies a lot on parrying and dodging to stay alive, and tanking the damage just results in death. You have magic options to help, but it’s all minor, and the entire playthrough is a deadly, stressful dance of just trying to survive each encounter.
…Well, it would have been, but about halfway through Act I’s second chapter I found out you can essentially glitch the vendors to obtain infinite gold, which can then be converted to endless materials for potions, crossbow bolts, and the incredibly powerful traps. Yeah, a group of Deadwalkers are so dangerous when fighting them from all sides, but just spam traps on the ground and they fall like dominoes. It’s pretty great, and makes me far more ready to tackle the second, Captain (hard) playthrough. I’m also surprised how good the game looks and plays considering how old it is!
Achievements unlocked: 23 (+23) | Completion: 56%
Must channel the last of my mana into my pimp hand.
Highest ratio: 3.97
Firestarter (Bound by Flame)
Lowest ratio: 1.00
Talkative Farmer Returned! (Anuchard)
First steps (Bound by Flame)
