These are our game recommendations for the month of January 2019. It’s our last post of 2018, and our first look into 2019. So to change things up for the new year… we will now be adding VR games on a monthly basis!
This is the Quiet Stories’ Book Club, a monthly series where we challenge you to beat at least one of the games on our list. We’ll have expansive and time consuming games, for gamers on a limited budget. We’ll have smaller, more digestible titles, for gamers with little spare time. We’ll showcase a variety of genres and platforms. We’ll recommend the newest, most talked about games, and some older titles that you probably heard about but didn’t give the time of day to. The point is, we’ll have something to cater to everyone’s needs. Hopefully you’ll end up trying something new or discover a hidden gem.
River City Ransom
- Platforms: Switch
- Estimated Time to Finish: 2 Hours
If you’ve got a Switch and want to see the origins of a beat-em-up brawler, grab yourself an online subscription and try out River City Ransom. It’s simple and straightforward but has a great legacy.
Braid
- Platforms: Xbox One and PC
- Estimated Time to Finish: 5 Hours
Braid is one of the forefathers of the indie movement. It takes the tropes of Mario and traditional platformers and turns them on their head with Jonathan Blow’s unique style of brain teasers. Grab this 360 classic for free on Game Pass.
Halo: Spartan Assault
- Platforms: Xbox One, PC and Mobile
- Estimated Time to Finish: 4 Hours
Similar to Housemarque’s Alienation, Spartan Assault is a top down shooter, which supplies all the weapons and vehicles of Halo in a more arcade-like setting. Objectives are a little too simple at points but it’s still an interesting change of pace for this universe.
Storm Boy
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC and Mobile
- Estimated Time to Finish: 30 Minutes
Storm Boy is quite a different experience for gamers. It is a short story about a boy and the relationship he forms with a bird. Storm Boy is light on gameplay, is the adaptation of a famous children’s book and yet still manages to sell an emotional tale.
South Park: TFBW’s Season Pass
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch and PC
- Estimated Time to Finish: 7 Hours
The Fractured But Whole’s DLC content provides a variety of new content, including costumes, super powers and party members, however its main components are the added story beats, From Dusk to Casa Bonita, and Bring the Crunch. Both feel like fantastic stand alone episodes of the classic show and are worth returning to.
Mega Man 11
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch and PC
- Estimated Time to Finish: 5 Hours
I’ve always admired the opinions of CLS’ Colin Moriarty, however his favorite series of all time, Mega Man, never truly clicked with me. Well Mega Man 11 is the game I’ve been waiting for. It’s true enough to its origins to feel like a traditional Mega Man game, but revamped enough to make sense in 2018.
Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC
- Estimated Time to Finish: 10 Hours
I’ve always been a massive fan of the Naruto manga and anime. There have been plenty of good video game adaptations in the past, but none that strayed from the core narrative. Shinobi Striker allows you to create your own ninja, learn the jutsu of legendary characters and take part in an entirely original story… AND you can play online with friends. Merry Christmas to me!
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC
- Estimated Time to Finish: 16 Hours
Road to Eden dropped in December and is a blend of traditional Xcom gameplay and Last of Us style scavenging and stealth. It’s grueling, it’s punishing but it’s different, really different. That alone is worth giving it a go. I mean where else can you play as a pig with a crossbow.
Wario’s Woods
- Platforms: Switch
- Estimated Time to Finish: 5 Hours
Most old school games don’t stand up so well, as technology has caused many genres to evolve for the best. However Nintendo’s 1980’s puzzle games are still fantastic. It isn’t quite Dr. Mario, but Wario’s Woods is still fun 30 years on.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (VR)
- Platforms: PlayStation VR
- Estimated Time to Finish: 5 Minutes
We want to start off 2019 by adding VR games to our monthly Book Club. They may not have the mainstream appeal of console games, but VR experiences are just as much worth your time. It may only be 5 minutes long, but practicing your web shooting and chasing after Vulture is truly amazing in this promotional experience. If PS4’s Spider-Man makes you truly feel like the Web Slinger, then this will blow your mind.
Quiet Stories 