“Elemental Gimmick Gear” & “Parkwatcher 2” w/ Allahweh!

Elemental Gimmick Gear first released in the U.S. in December of 1999, not long after the Dreamcast made its debut. It was a game that always looked kind of cool to me, and certainly had an interesting title, but it was also one that I missed out on and then never got to play. Over the years, I would think about the game from time to time, but for one reason or another I just would not get into it.

Well, recently, I decided to take the plunge, fire up a copy of the game, and do a streaming series on it! The first ever episode here was streamed for the Ladies of the Round Table, and though it has its frustrating moments, it was certainly a good time. To me, the game feels like a semi-futuristic Zelda title in terms of gameplay, with its overhead perspective and focus on combat and puzzle-solving. The story is interesting, yet the NPCs so far don’t take themselves too terribly seriously. The game feels a bit like pixel art in the 2D portions (most of the game, really), but the 3D parts (boss fights) are decently well-done. The game seems a bit aged in places, but overall I’ve enjoyed it so far!

Part II should be available pretty soon!

Parkwatcher 2 is a game I came across on YouTube a bit ago that seemed interesting to me. If nothing else, I felt that it had an interesting, creepy-ish name. After doing a bit of research, I discovered that the first game really doesn’t have much to do with this one, and perhaps in ways this is more like an enhanced remake of the first.

In either case, the game starts when you wake up in the basement of some abandoned facility. It is really cold once you get away from any light or heat sources, so your exploration must be carefully planned as you look for a way out. The game has an emphasis on simple puzzle-solving, crafting, and atmosphere. Jump scares really don’t happen too much, but when they happen they do freak you out a bit. The game really depends on setting the right mood to keep you on edge as you explore the unknown. It is a bit odd that you can take ibuprofen in order to keep warm temporarily, but it is also weird that in my experience, you never really froze to death. In fact, I’m not sure what getting too cold actually does to you.

The crafting elements can be a little confusing and annoying until you figure them out (like that you needed to break down a plank of wood in the first room to make a stick to pick a lock), but once you get the gist of it the system really isn’t all that bad.

I didn’t realize that you were supposed to survive that last part of the video, which is why I act like I was ending the video but then all the sudden continue!

Snag a free copy of this game here from Game Jolt.

So…Stay tuned for Part 2 of Parkwatcher 2 soon!