Xiri's Gaming Moments of 2024

With the release of HITM3 this year, I got to play some games, here are some highlights!

1 . killer7

After many years, I finally beat my lifelong fear of the anxiety inducing Heaven Smiles and finished killer7. The ending was both a closure and a beginning, a golden ending that opens itself with a big realisation. 



2 - Mysteries Under Lake Ophelia

This game showcase the importance of ambience, create an interesting place and just existing there will be fun. One of the eeriest memories this year has to be fishing on the lake and watching yourself trought the point of view of the lure as the night comes in. 

3 - Heisei Pistol Show

Have you ever wanted to play a game in the style of the bombastic movie Pistol Opera by Seijun Suzuki? Heisei Pistol Show by parun share the same colours and frenetic rhythm.  This 2008 RPGMaker game that recently got translated to English for the first time, tells the petty story of a revenge after a breakup. Sadly the author, parun, killed themself after two years of releasing the game. If you want to celebrate their work you can still mail his father here. Let's celebrate each other while we can. 



4 - Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid

The latest game by Kaz Ayabe, director of the Boku no Natsuyasumi series was officially released in English this year. You play as the child of a circus family travelling to the town where they'll perform next. There you have 30 days to roam along the island, catch bugs and spend time with the people. This game turns from a wholesome experience into a melancholic one with just a little detail, when you get your diary where you'll write about your days, you hear an old voice telling "Here is when I first got my diary". In this moment you understand that all the game is viewed trough the lenses of memory.


Also, this year I got to wash myself with a soap illustrated by Mineko Ueda, the artist that also illustrated Boku no Natsuyasumi. Super smooth skin after using it!

5 - Gitaroo Man

If you ever had trouble with a difficult game, let this be a reminder that emulation is your friend! Even in easy mode, I couldn't beat Stage 4 of Gitaroo Man, but playing it at 1/4th of the original speed made it possible to get to this scene, one of the most tender moments in a rhythm game. 

6 - CYBERIA VRChat

Wasei "JJ" Chikada, the voice of JJ in Serial Experiments Lain, has been hosting a weekly meeting in VRChat where he plays his DJ sets in a virtual Cyberia. Each friday you can go and spend time there. I'm looking forward to learn how to change my avatar to Nam so we can dance there like if we were in Blendie. Since the 20th anniversary of the series,  Wasei "JJ" Chikada has been releasing a new album each December with new artwork by yoshitoshiABe and new tracks with Kaori Shimizu, the voice of Lain, you can check them here.

7 - GNOSIA

Marvelous Soundtrack and beautiful art.

8 - Heal Slime

A really tender, personal tale about friendly slimes.

9 - Neyasnoe

I would like to end with what felt like the future of gaming. I discovered this game trough Hajime Kasai's interview and if you didn't know the game already, I would like you to introduce to it trough his words: It is not an ordinary walking simulator, but an experience of the quiet desperation of a young man living in the Russian suburbs. The experience was just like realistic contemporary literature or poetry, and this experience encouraged me to think, “There are still games that can do this".

For another year of gaming.

Big hugs,

Xiri