An Alternative Guide to Video Games
Try out these games before dropping two bills on a Switch. By Joel Vaughn
Well, the semester is almost over, it’s looking like we’ll still be indoors ‘till fall at the earliest and I’m sure many of you are going to be bored as hell, so here are some games I recommend from the Steam store.
Gato Roboto Gato Roboto goes back to the classics with its cutesy take on a Metroidvania. Since it’s so often taken for granted, I need to unpack the fairly esoteric genre term that is Metroidvania. For those not in the know, Metroidvania refers to side-scrolling (like Super Mario) exploration based action games that take inspiration from the mechanics and aesthetics of early Metroid or Castlevania games. Gato Roboto takes most of its cues specifically from Metroid II, but with the added Tom and Jerry twist of playing as a cat inside of a mechsuit facing off against a rat, also in mech-suit, as well as a variety of other animals unfortunately not in mech-suits. In standard Metroid-like fashion, you must make their way through the labyrinthian research facility, get upgrades to the robot, square off against bosses and escape the research facility with your owner Gary who’s conveniently trapped in his ship. There really isn’t much variation on the triedand-true Metroidvania formula here other than a few submarine segments. But god damn, that cat is adorable and that’s really what the appeal of the game comes down to.
20 Entertainment
Dropsy: A Point and Click Hugventure Game Dropsy is sad, Dropsy is beautiful, Dropsy just wants a hug, Dropsy is a point-and-click adventure game in the vein of LucasArts classics such as Grim Fandango, Sam & Max Hit the Road and The Secret of Monkey Island. You take on the role of Dropsy the clown and his various animal friends as they point and click through item-based puzzles, gain favor of the townspeople through hugs and save Dropsy’s sick dad from the evils of a forprofit healthcare system. Being a capital-A adventure game, most of your interaction with Dropsy’s world is from the end of a mouse cursor as you point then click to pick up items, search your inventory and follow contextual clues for everything from hugging forlorned homeless people to breaking into a supermarket to steal medication for your dying father. Despite and at times because of Dropsy’s dour underlying tone, the game is an incredibly heartwarming experience. The clown’s childlike wonder, the gorgeous pixel art, the favoring of symbols and contextual clues above written text and the fascinating game world all amount to a gloriously chill and heart string-pulling game to sit back and click away at. Cover photos from Steampowered.com
