The Video Games You Should Play This Weekend – April 10

Pokémon Champions is an interesting, confusing game, because I’m having fun with it, but every decision it makes seems to be bad for one or both of its target audiences. It’s billed as the new hub for competitive Pokémon battling, but it’s also aiming to be an entry point for people interested in the scene. Its launch has limited the number of available Pokémon and held items, which is great if you don’t want to be overloaded with options, but disappointing if you’re hoping to use a specific team composition. You can build a team right there in the game, but it can be frustrating for a newcomer who has to spend resources to catch up to players who have had competitively viable monsters for months or years. And it’s also a free-to-play game, structured more like other microtransaction-laden Pokémon apps than a traditional online multiplayer experience, which isn’t really fun for anyone. There are vouchers, currencies, a monthly membership, a battle pass, cosmetic rewards, and plenty of mechanical incentives to spend money.

Despite all of that… Pokémon battles have always been, and remain, very fun. I like building a team, playing mind games, and climbing the ranked ladder. I enjoy the fact that I can get a relatively viable team with minimal time commitment, and it’s been especially fun to experiment in the lower ranks with other players (some of whom I’m sure are small children) who are just using the Pokémon they think are cool. All things considered, the $7 starter pack isn’t that big of a financial hurdle to get started, even if the principle of the purchase puts me off. Much of Pokémon Champion, for lack of a better term, gives me the ick, but my time with it has been enjoyable regardless.

Earlier this week, developer Iridium Studios alongside publisher Annapurna Interactive released People of Note. It’s a turn-based RPG (a genre that is experiencing a real renaissance right now) inspired by I would argue late-generation PlayStation RPGs like Final Fantasy IX. You could even throw a little Final Fantasy X in there, as well. The game takes place in a world built around music with locations themed around different genres and lots and lots of musical puns. Maybe too many.

But, my early impressions are positive! The protagonist is charming and motivated, the combat isn’t quite rhythm-based, but does have time-button pressing and it’s simple and satisfying. Also, it removes the random part of random battles by leaving the option to instigate combat whenever you want. Sure, there are plenty of required fights, but if you don’t random enemies jumping you while you’re just trying to solve a puzzle in a “dungeon” (the first dungeon is actually a K-pop dance club), then that’s totally up to you. It seems like a good system and lets you really take in the world and story at your leisure.

If you’re craving a classic turn-based RPG adventure filled color and so some so far fun music, take a look at People of Note. It’s available now on most platforms.

The early access version of this 3D roguelite has arrived, and playing a couple of hours suggests it could be a good fit for players looking for a fast, intense action game. Players control a melee warrior who dashes through gorgeous environments that change each time you make a run, battling enemies in brutal throwdowns where the end of your attempt can come with just a few little mistakes. The third-person combat is at first stylish, but familiar, and I might have dismissed the game as nothing new until an early moment turns things around. Your warrior encounters another warrior with different skills and weapons, absorbs their essence, and can subsequently shapeshift into that other battler at the touch of a button. This quickswitch functionality totally changes the feel of combat, and I can imagine it will only get more interesting as additional warriors are added to the mix. It’s early days on this one, but if you’ve been hungry for some high-octane melee combat, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with what’s already here to enjoy.

Samson comes from the mind of Christofer Sundberg and his new studio, Liquid Swords. Sundberg is one of the co-founders of Avalanche Studios and helped create the Just Cause series. The game follows the titular Samson as he tries to pay off his debts in the open-world city of Tyndalston. The game looks a lot like Grand Theft Auto IV, specifically, at a glance, looks like a smaller-scale take on the GTA franchise in general, which isn’t entirely wrong, but there are some interesting wrinkles. You have a certain amount of debt you have to pay off each day, and you only have so much time to do it. Every time you take a mission and complete it (or die trying), time moves forward. So, if you fail every mission in a given day, then you are not able to pay off that day’s debt; interest builds, and it’s a bad time.

Tyndalston is a grungy, well-realized city, but to be blunt, the game feels a bit… unfinished as it exists right now. Driving feels pretty good, but hand-to-hand combat is rough and doesn’t work very well. Pressing the counter button in particular feels like you’re offering up more of a suggestion than consistent input.

I am curious to see how Liquid Swords maintains the game and updates it over time because I think there are some interesting ideas here, and it’s nostalgic to be playing a GTA IV-like, but it was definitely pulled out of the oven too early.