Typically at the end of the year we look back at the highlights, but given that 2020 has been so unrelentingly miserable, we've decided to look forward instead. Each of the DDNet team is going to list the five things (related to games) that they're looking forward to in 2021. Whether that be new games, announcements, events or experiences. Be sure to let us know what you're looking forward to on the rebound, too! We'd love to knock this year out with a wave of positivity.
Today's list comes to us from DDNet news editor, Lindsay!
A full release of Ooblets
The Early Access version of Ooblets launched in July for PC via Epic Games and Xbox One, and to say I've been obsessed with it since then would be a massive understatement. From what I've seen from other players, they average maybe 30 hours before running out of things to do and moving on. Not me! By my calculation, I've played 150 hours to date. Have I run out of new things to do? Yes. Does that stop me from trying to collect all my Ooblet buddies and preparing whatever I can for the updates expected next year? Absolutely not! I've saved up nearly a million gummies, and I'm currently aiming to have 1000 of every crop and related processed product collected by the time the full release is available. I've played so much that it's become muscle memory, and I've literally fallen asleep (multiple times) while running around Badgetown because it's become so soothing and familiar; I'll wake up a minute or two later and find my character stuck in a corner or up against a fence. I think I may need updates more than I think... good thing there are four more major ones planned prior to the launch goal of late 2021!
Swery's The Good Life
The Good Life is set in the rural English town of Rainy Woods. It sounds idyllic, no? It's even considered the happiest town in the world. Naomi is a reporter who comes to town to solve its mysteries, but she quickly uncovers something most unexpected: the residents of Rainy Woods transform into cats and dogs at night. Naomi ends up in town for long enough to need to earn a living other outside of her current quest for the truth, so she'll need to do photo commissions, social media posts, and part-time jobs. Her camera is actually quite important. She can also grow veggies, cook, explore, and socialise. And somewhere along the way, she too gains the ability to transform into a cat or dog at night, each with its own unique skills.
The Microsoft-exclusive As Dusk Falls
As Dusk Falls is anything but linear, and the player's choices will heavily impact the narrative direction. The game follows two families whose lives collide in an Arizona Desert in 1999. The story starts in the middle, and eventually encompasses multiple points of view over three decades. It explores how the past, present, and future can relate to a single event. Can you break free of toxicity? Can you start over? Can you overcome your past? Marchal describes what is fascinating about interactive stories in a Microsoft blog post, stating, "they give us insights about ourselves. When we play as a character, we experience their emotions and dilemmas from their point of view. But the choices we make for them remain very personal. By stepping into someone else’s shoes, we understand them better, and we learn about our true nature in the process. We grow, thanks to empathy."
More information about Project Ambrosia
So the big question: why am I so excited for a game when I know so little about it? I'm was introduced to FMV games with Barlow's Her Story back in 2015. I was interested because it was a crime-based mystery about digging through archival footage with no real direction, but I ended up falling in love with FMV as a whole. Whether or not Project Ambrosia is FMV doesn't make a lick of difference, though. What I trust above all else is Barlow's ability to weave narratives that aren't perfectly straightforward. Half Mermaid's Twitter account is full of thoughts and discussion about cinema, and based on what I've seen, I gather Project Ambrosio will be exciting in a way that reflects classic films, experimental films, and films that seem odd or outlandish unless you really dig into what it all means.
The Dark Side of the Moon
Aliens.
Yep, aliens. And that's where The Dark Side of the Moon comes in. No, it's not a Pink Floyd reference in any capacity. Dean is a single father to two children, who are taken from their beds despite the house being in the middle of nowhere. Dean now has to find out where his children are, and who exactly has taken them. Tayanna Studios' first title, Calm Waters, is a point-and-click game, and The Dark Side of the Moon combines those elements with FMV to create its new game. Oh, and the developer (Darren Hall) also stars in it as Dean, which is all the more fascinating for whatever reason. There will be two faces familiar to FMV fans: Anarosa De Eizaguirre Butler (The Shapeshifting Detective) and Rupert Booth (Contradiction, The Shapeshifting Detective). The Dark Side of the Moon has no set release date yet, but expect it next year.