These are our game recommendations for the month of February 2019!
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.
Mortal Kombat XL
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC
- Estimated Time to Finish: 5.5 Hours
- Developer: NetherRealm Studios (Mortal Kombat and Injustice)
Although I personally believe the Injustice series is superior, Mortal Kombat XL continues the wacky rebooted story line of this classic fighting series. Plus this edition comes with an array of awesome DLC fighters like the Predator and Alien.
10 Second Ninja X
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC
- Estimated Time to Finish: 2 Hours
- Developer: Four Circle Interactive and GameDesignDan
I initially brushed this game aside, due to its admittedly uninspired and generic visuals. However 10 Second Ninja X demands a level of accuracy that is akin to the likes of Super Meat Boy.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Platforms: Switch
- Estimated Time to Finish: 22 Hours
- Developer: Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Limited (Smash Bros.)
It’s not only my first Smash Brothers game, but it also seems like the only one i’ll ever need. An extremely extensive roster of Nintendo lineage means i’ll be playing this for a long time, despite how much of a let down World of Light was.
Subsurface Cicular
- Platforms: Switch, PC and Mobile
- Estimated Time to Finish: 2 Hours
- Developer: Mike Bithell Games (Volume and Thomas Was Alone)
I wasn’t a big fan of Thomas Was Alone and I was never enticed by Volume, but I’ve always respected Mike Bithell as a writer. I went into Subsurface Circular with low expectations, and couldn’t believe how charming it was. It’s one of the most well written and engaging experiences of 2018.
The First Tree
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch and PC
- Estimated Time to Finish: 2 Hours
- Developer: David Wehle
It isn’t perfect, but The First Tree is a leisurely tale about parents and life. It truly astounded me to discover this was all created by one man.
Lords of the Fallen
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Mobile
- Estimated Time to Finish: 15 Hours
- Developer: Deck13 Interactive and CI Games (The Surge and Sniper: Ghost Warrior)
Lords of the Fallen is very much an eager derivative of Dark Souls. But for players like me who find the Souls series too obtuse, Lords of the Fallen can in fact be a great entry point into the genre.
Astro Bot: Rescue Mission
- Platforms: PlayStation VR
- Estimated Time to Finish: 5 Hours
- Developer: SIE Japan Studio (LocoRoco and Puppeteer)
It isn’t unjust to say that Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is revolutionizing platformers. Much like Mario 64, it’s re-thinking how we play one of gaming’s most beloved genre’s.
The Playroom (VR)
- Platforms: PlayStation VR
- Estimated Time to Finish: 2 Hours
- Developer: SIE Japan Studio (Also Rain and Knack)
If you’re not ready to commit to Astro Bot: Rescue Mission, the same developer put out a series of mini games, set in the same universe… for free! Try several multiplayer mini games and a short introduction to what Astro Bot would become.
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Platforms: PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
- Estimated Time to Finish: 65 Hours
- Developer: Rockstar Studios (Grand Theft Auto and Bully)
Red Dead Redemption is my favorite game of all time, but it’s sequel left me confused. Parts of the game achieve such high levels of story telling, while others feel like an uneven tug of war between gameplay and cinema.
Ninja Gaiden (1988)
- Platforms: Switch and PC
- Estimated Time to Finish: 3 Hours
- Developer: Tecmo (Solomon’s Key and Nioh)
An old school classic from the NES days, besides Mario, the original Ninja Gaiden is one of the best platformers of the time and one of the few that still holds up.
Quiet Stories 