Welcome to The Playfield, a weekly column about the games we’re currently playing here at The A.V. Club. Every Saturday our games writers Garrett Martin and Elijah Gonzalez will look at whatever they’ve been digging their thumbs into that week, from video games to pinball to the tabletop, with a weekly rotation of our regular freelancers joining them. And who knows, other A.V Club staffers and contributors might pop up from time to time, too. We’re not just interested in what we’re playing, though; we want to know what’s on your docket, as well, so consider this an open comments thread for games talk of any stripe.
This week’s guest: Games contributor Moises Taveras.
Lovish
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox Series X|S
Sometimes you simply want to hop around in a platformer inspired by the straightforward fun of 8-bit gaming, but without the part where you lose your last life on Bowser’s bridge and it takes all your willpower not to chuck your NES controller through a CRT (reminder, these old games sort of hated you). Despite being framed as a light parody of that era, Lovish largely delivers on that front. You play as a sanctimonious turd named Sir Solomon, who is out to “rescue” a princess from the Devil Lord (she seems to be doing fine with her demonic BF). The game’s framing is tongue-in-cheek, but thankfully, its 2D platforming is the real deal. The main twist here is that this adventure is divided into single-screen microlevels that begin easy before quickly ratcheting up with traps, dancing clowns, and boss fights that require at least a bit of brain power. The beginning toolset is simple (in two-button style, you can jump and slash), but you quickly unlock items that offer alternate ways to hop and weave through these little dungeons. Basically, it combines the more straightforward fun of traditional platformers with Super Meat Boy’s manic pacing as you tear through dozens of levels at a rapid clip. If you want to slow down and take in the sights, there are certainly rewards for that, too, in the form of pacifism challenges and hidden treasures. Or you can rip through it all in an afternoon. While the game’s sense of humor is hit-or-miss and its protagonist is a bit insufferable (although intentional, it’s still a lot), Lovish nails the most important part of games from this era: it’s a blast to hack and slash through cartoon bad guys. [Elijah Gonzalez]
Dosa Divas
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S
The best part of Dosa Divas, Outlerloop Games’ latest RPG, is the family dynamic at its heart—particularly how screwed up the whole thing is. Playable video game leads, especially in this genre, are typically affable, which Samara and Amani are, but they also continue the studio’s history of complex protagonists. Before long, Dosa Divas reveals that its heroes are just as messed up as their sister-turned-villain Lina, who has stamped out cooking across their homeland for very personal reasons pertaining to her troubled upbringing and the ways in which Samara and Amani specifically mistreated her.
Sometimes, the antagonist in one’s life is the last person they expected. Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is just sit down and admit the ways you’ve hurt your loved ones. Or even just accept an apology through gritted teeth. Dosa Divas is adept at wringing the absolute bitterness out of this rich setup and cast full of broken characters, and watching them collide with one another is the highlight of this adventure. That you can see it through to its end within a few sessions makes Dosa Divas an easy weekend recommendation. [Moises Taveras]
Raiden Fighters Remix Collection
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch
This collection of three Seibu Kaihatsu arcade shoot ’em ups from the ’90s—Raiden Fighters, Raiden Fighters 2, and Raiden Fighters Jet—has been roundly disowned by hardcore shmup-heads; their logic is sound and hard to disagree with, but also the kind of deep-in-the-weeds technical concerns that a non-expert would never notice. Yes, this is a relatively barebones and cheaply assembled compilation, especially compared to the fantastic work M2 does with its Shot Triggers line. (It’s not even as good as the Xbox 360 collection of these same games, Raiden Fighters Aces, which came out almost 20 years ago.) And yes, it’s unforgivable to those who know that developer MOSS Co. only included a 60 frames per second option in the collection, which means the games (designed for 54 FPS) run at the wrong speed. That makes them artificially faster, which makes them harder, but, more importantly, fundamentally discards the original intent of their creators. That is all undeniably bad. BUT! If you’re a casual fan of old-school scrolling shooters, and just want to get a jolt of the speed and action the genre is known for, Raiden Fighters Remix Collection gets the job done. (Also, MOSS reports that they’re working on an update that would add a 54 FPS option.) The three games here—originally released between 1996 and 1998, one per year—are all better-than-average examples of the form, from an era in which the once-mainstream genre was growing harder, faster, and more complex while also receding from the spotlight. If you’re a diehard, avoid this one. If you’re a dabbler, there are way better places to start. If you’re a Raiden completionist and can’t access the 360 collection, or somehow wound up with a copy of this and have no other shmups on hand, it’s a perfectly enjoyable selection of well-made shooters, quietly distorted outside their ideal shape. [Garrett Martin]
But enough about what we’re playing; what are you playing?
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