1. The Crimson Diamond
Mac & PC, Julia Minamata, 2024
The Crimson Diamond is a delightful point-and-click adventure made by solo developer, Julia Minamata. The game is about Nancy Maple’s quest to retrieve the titular jewel for The Royal Canadian Museum. Set in 1914 and wrought in pixel art with the very retro EGA (Enhanced Retro Adapter) color palette, The Crimson Diamond leverages multiple flavors of nostalgia. Those familiar with early point-and-click gaming will feel right at home in the game’s 2D vignettes, and newcomers to the genre will surely appreciate the turn-of-the-century pixel art setting constructed from earthy and neon bits. The world is at once painterly and minimal. Characters are depicted with personality and individuality, and various set pieces are summed up with just enough detail that they invite interaction and investigation through the text parser mechanic.
The story sees Nancy venturing by train to a lodge in Crimson, Ontario in hopes of verifying an exciting find: a local fisherman has discovered a large, octahedral diamond in the belly of his catch. Getting to the bottom of this will not be so simple, of course. Soon after arriving, Nancy meets a cast of characters, speaking with some directly while also listening-in on the conversations of others. Typing “eavesdrop” or “listen” into the parser while lurking just outside of a cracked door reveals that a more complex and nefarious mystery waits to be solved. Just how might the story of the diamond intertwine with the relationships among Margot, Evan, Corvus, and others?
2. Another Crab’s Treasure
PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Series S/X, PC, Aggro Crab, 2024
Another Crab’s Treasure is a quirky, colorful take on the Souls-like genre. Known for punishing combat, monstrous bosses, difficulty spikes, and the stark risk of losing in-game currency when venturing between checkpoints, these games reward persistence and grit. While there has been no shortage of titles like these to play in recent years, Another Crab’s Treasure offers a truly unique twist that highlights environmental disaster, litter and pollution, and a greedy oligarchy. Sound familiar?
The game begins with the protagonist, a hermit crab named Kril, as his shell is stolen from his back by some anonymous actor. This initiates Kril’s quest to retrieve his home, and he sets off to the undersea world of The Sands Between. Though primarily driven by his need to recover his stolen property, Kril soon becomes embroiled in an adventure that spans several biomes and investigates themes of capitalism, environmental abuse, and resistance to either. While the game employs a somewhat traditional economy, Kril utilizes microplastics as currency, cleansing the game world as he trades for pseudo-shells made from found objects. A soda can shell will offer a particular ability and level of protection compared to a teacup shell, for instance, and these litter-turned armor bits can be continually swapped to enjoy their benefits. Though Another Crab’s Treasure appears bright, shiny, and cartoonish on its surface, late game areas span the delightfully creepy to the tragic and abandoned.
3. Rise of the Rōnin
PlayStation 5, Team Ninja, 2024
Set in the mid-19th century, at the end of the Edo period in Yokohama, Japan, Rise of the Rōnin offers the fast and frenetic action gameplay for which developer Team Ninja is known. Tight, responsive combat can be expected, along with fluid and aesthetically striking character animations. Where the title differentiates itself from the studio’s previous outings, however, is through its grounded historical setting and open game world. Don’t expect to find monsters or demons, but real-life Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States Navy? Yes, he can be fought.
The final days of Japan’s isolationism become the backdrop of this historically rich action roleplaying game. Throughout, the game can be paused, and whatever events currently taking place, or characters currently involved, are elaborated upon and given historical context with detail and accuracy. The player does not simply traipse around Japan completing trivial tasks, they are instead an integral part of the resistance of western influence. Missions lead the player through a thoughtfully constructed game world dotted with villages, points of interest, and elevated invitations to utilize the exhilarating, hawk-shaped glider for traversal. Combine this with a grappling hook and trusty horse that is never out of earshot, satisfying movement in the gorgeous world may make fast travel the least-appealing option.
