Be careful, different video video games, as a result of there’s a brand new GOTY contender on the town. At the least for my private style, that’s. The Case of the Golden Idol was my favourite recreation of 2022 — it’s a brief, haunting, supernatural thriller recreation made up of particular person chapters that every felt tremendous satisfying to resolve. Its sequel, The Rise of the Golden Idol, is seemingly popping out on Nov. 12. It’s coming to a bunch of platforms, together with on cell by way of Netflix; the announcement trailer additionally lists PC (by way of Steam), PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox, and Nintendo Swap.
You might have a month to atone for the unique recreation, which is loads of time, provided that it isn’t lengthy (6-8 hours, relying on how briskly you’re at fixing the mysteries). It’s, nonetheless, a recreation you’ll take into consideration eternally afterward and need you would scrub out of your reminiscence and play once more as a result of it’s so creepy and funky.
Right here’s the way it works: Every chapter of the sport depicts a distinct crime in progress, as rendered within the unusual and unsettling artwork fashion of this recreation. You don’t ever get to see all the crime play out; you simply see the occasions instantly beforehand, throughout, or after, depicted in a quick repeating cutscene that’s concerning the size of a typical animated gif. In that transient animation, you could have all of the clues it is advisable to perceive what occurred, and you’ve got a pocket book with a collection of phrases you possibly can choose to spell out what you assume that was. The mysteries begin out easy sufficient, however then they carry on getting stranger, every one stacking upon the subsequent to construct out a connective narrative throughline.
Watching this trailer for The Rise of the Golden Idol has me very excited as a result of, on the finish of the primary recreation, I had no concept the place the story may presumably go subsequent. It appeared like each unfastened finish had been defined and settled. This subsequent recreation appears to be like related, however the idol — this time, a stone monkey statue — appears to be like very completely different, as do the characters and occasions at hand. So I’m guessing this can be a collection of interlocking mysteries in an identical fashion, telling a distinct story a couple of completely different mystical object.
In case you like mysteries with a supernatural bent, otherwise you like word-based puzzle video games like Obra Dinn or Baba Is You, circle again and play Case of the Golden Idol and mark your calendar for its sequel when it drops subsequent month. There’s already a demo out now for The Rise of the Golden Idol that features a prologue and the primary thriller chapter, too.
