Simulation Archives | Otaku No Culture

More Love Sim than S4U: Citypunk 2011 and Love Punch

Interpersonal relationships drive and define what players must engage in with S4U: CITYPUNK 2011 AND LOVE PUNCH. It’s less about being in front of the computer and more on what smelling the roses must mean in this unique indie video game.

To play through a video game that is more hypertext driven than graphical can be a hard sell these days. Although the graphics are few and far between in S4U: Citypunk 2011 And Love Punch, thankfully there is some when the avatar decides to leave the computer. Just what U0U Games‘ latest product represents is quaint and a test of patience since reading all the dialogue is important.

Technically, you’re interacting in an environment reminiscent of ICQ and those older chat programs before the coming of Facebook. The world is circa 2010, but I don’t remember the graphical user interface that dated. While navigating that old operating system took getting used to, memories of dealing with Windows 98 were once a nightmare! Although the retro elements are rather heartwarming, is it enough to keep me going?

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With Blockbuster Inc., You’re Making Movies Faster Than Building a Studio to Rent

Everything you want to know about how movies are made are revealed here in this videogame simulation simply known as Blockbuster Inc. But do you have what it takes to make the next hit? Hint: patience is required to understand how this game works.

blockbuster inc. title card — **Now availble to purchase on Steam (PC)**

Managing a movie studio isn’t easy, and for Blockbuster Inc. to emulate this in a sim city style video game, the production team at Super Sly Fox dived deep! In addition to getting an education about how movies are made, what’s offered in this product has a nostalgic charm. In fact, in my playtest, I started during the Golden Age of Hollywood. It’s a shame that due to copyright, that municipality’s name can’t be used.

Back then, everything followed a systematic approach to film production. In this virtual world, players have the power to manipulate everything. Here, I have an empty film lot to build onto. Although I find it odd that the movie sets are open air rather than warehouse, but to say all the world’s a stage is an understatement here. On the harder side of this game is all that micromanagement. That’s the role of a producer–to acquire the funds to expand the studio, hire additional staff and find the right actor for that movie.

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In Ghost Keeper, You Are The Lord and Master Everyone Needs To Be Afraid Of!

It’s rare to offer a videogame where you can be the bad guy, and Ghost Keeper is perfect to be that creature to rule them all!

Ghost Keeper Title Card Although I was not aware of the video game, Ghost Master, back when it was released back in 2003, to wait more than twenty years for a sequel feels unusual. BLUM Entertainment and Quest Craft‘s upcoming Ghost Keeper looks better than the original (after looking at YouTube gameplays), and the fact it’s set in 19th-century Victorian England is one way to catch my interest! I also get the feeling it’s also vibing on the tropes Disney’s Haunted Mansion made famous.

Here, the idea is to play the role of a mighty leader of the unknown. Players get to order spirits around and hopefully scare the bejesus out of those humans who’ve decided to make the mansion you control their home. The problem is that a few of them know a thing or two about the occult, and there’s even what looks like a ghostbuster who can ruin a player’s day.

I rather like the idea to play the role of the “bad guy,” and in this sim, the question of whether other ghosts will obey is a story I always wanted to see happen. There’s been variations of this idea in cinema, but it hasn’t been explored very well or hasn’t come across my radar just yet.

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With Spiders, Kill It With Fire VR Satisfies That Primal Urge

Perhaps it’s best not to listen to The Who’s “Boris the Spider” while playing Casey Donnellan Games’ Kill It With Fire VR.

Kill It With Fire VR TItle Card The only thing I like to see changed with Casey Donnellan Games and tinyBuild‘s Kill It With Fire VR is that it should’ve been customised to include proper room scale tracking. On the Meta Quest 2, it’s included, but is very limited. The PSVR version handles it differently. The option to move around the limited space by either pushing the navigation stick or pointing to where you want to go isn’t perfect, but it at least gets people standing–the best way to play this game. The game deals with the rest. Using the controller to move might induce motion sickness. But if you can handle the nausea, the thrill of the hunt is on!

The older version is still fun to play, but to have that virtual world sensation delivers a unique experience. It’s like when I’m hunting them for real; whenever I spot a spider, I chase after these critters with a slip of cardboard and a cup to catch for release outside. I’m not that cruel in real life. Although, the more of them you can flatten in-game, the more satisfying the experience is. And the virtual apartment you live in opens up! But the game doesn’t end there. It’ll take you outdoors too and into other environments.

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