Backloggin’ the Year – Sam’s Sojourn, April to June 2025

Many adventures were had during April to June. While I spent time with many of my friends and family, my husband and I took a road trip to Gananoque and the Thousand Islands. For anyone who isn’t from Canada or New York, the Thousand Islands are a beautiful sight that stretches from the St. Lawrence River to Lake Ontario. While Ontario has its political problems, one thing I want to stress to people when they visit the province is to get in touch with nature. We have so many provincial and national parks, fresh bodies of water, and fresh air to take in.

My husband and I have had the pleasure of visiting three provincial parks over the past few months, and it’s amazing how being in nature can clear your mind and alleviate stress. I even have little badges for each of the parks I’ve been to, and I hope to collect more. Hiking has become something very important for both of us, and it has definitely become a big de-stressor for me. We’ve even done some rock climbing!

But I am sure my nature adventures are not why you read this quarterly column. You are here for video games, and video games I did play! As always, please check the links below for any reviews and similar longer-form content, as this column is for all the other nonsense that I’ve played within the past three months.

• Kabuto Park Review
• Maliki: Poison of the Past Review
• Peglin Review
• Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars Review
• Adventure Corner ~ Battlefield Waltz
• Adventure Corner ~ Café Enchanté
• Adventure Corner ~ Date Everything!

The Other RPGs I Played:

I smell fresh blood…

Vampyr (PS4): Unless it was a non-RPG or something I was reviewing for the site, I didn’t get to play many RPGs just for myself over the last three months. The only one I got to was Vampyr, which I’ve wanted to play since it released, and which I managed to pick up on sale for less than $6. I love Don’t Nod’s games, and given this is an action RPG, I was super intrigued by it. What I was given was a wonderfully campy game that takes its quite-laughable aspects almost too seriously, and I mean that with such love. Was the combat good? Not really. Was the story amazing? It was over-the-top, ridiculous, and fun, but also not mind-blowing.

I spent a lot of the game luring people into dark corners and draining them of their blood so I could be overpowered. I admit that. I recognize that Vampyr is much more challenging if players don’t eat the townsfolk, but what fun is the game at that point? I actually loved all the sidequest stories and problems that Jonathan was forced to solve throughout the story, and I will say that Don’t Nod did a fantastic job of making him such a morally grey character and someone that could be empathized with as the story rolls on. Overall, I had a goofy good ol’ time with Vampyr, and while I did not enjoy the combat, I found myself very engrossed in the story and hope that the developers revisit this world or its concept, which makes it a win in my book.

All the Non-RPG Goodness

I cried during this damn game.

Part of playing a lot of review games is often needing palate cleansers. I used to be someone who would play a lot of RPGs back-to-back, and while I have periods where that is still true, over the last few years, I have found myself moving out of my comfort zone and trying other types of games. One of my co-workers had been riding my ass about how I hadn’t played The Last of Us Part II, despite having loved and played the first game. I am glad I listened, because I have to agree with him that it may be one of the best games, especially narratively, that I have ever played. It’s one of those games that had me feeling so many different emotions throughout, and did a phenomenal job of taking two protagonists and giving them so many layers. Abby gets some of the best character growth I have ever seen in a video game, and I love her juxtaposition to Ellie, who intentionally could have ended up just like her. If you haven’t played this game, it’s a hell of a ride and worth any player’s time.

While The Last of Us Part II was my favourite of the non-RPGs I played over the last three months, I also played three other vastly different titles. I finally managed to play through Oxenfree II, which I immensely enjoyed my time with. I thought the story was way better than the first game, but I loved the way the connections were made between both titles. I think Riley was such a compelling character, and I love how one of the major spoilers of the game was revealed. I also love the way the Oxenfree games juggle between their humour and sinister tone.

A different game featuring sinister characters that I played was Read Only Memories: Neurodiver, which I have to admit was a bit of a disappointment. The story didn’t feel fully fleshed out, and while I liked the new characters, they were a bit difficult to connect with. Much like Oxenfree, I appreciate how the game works as a sequel to the first, but Neurodiver fails in that it felt like we, as the player, didn’t spend a lot of time investigating or building relationships with the game’s cast of characters. It was fine, but too short an experience. The last game I played was a cozy simulator called Minami Lane, which is a game where the player must build a beautiful high-traffic area to get denizens to spend money at. Players can add new services, buildings, and the goal is for the player to listen to the requests of the townspeople and cater to their tastes and wants. This is a great game for anyone who needs something cozy and quick to enjoy.

Whatcha Playing Now, Sam?

I WILL DEFEAT THE SOULLESS ARMY!