Absence makes the heart grow fonder. That’s not news. Of course it isn’t. But what effect does absence have on games? Now that’s a question, Daniel.
A long haul flight was an excuse to revisit some PSP games of a 2005 vintage. How have they aged?
Wipeout Pure has formed a crusty shell. There’s nothing wrong with it, but after so long without attention, it’s virtually impossible to get in to. I’d really forgotten quite how harsh and unforgiving it is; it’s almost unbelievable that I was once half decent at it.
Conversely, Ridge Racer has retained it’s smooth characteristics. It’s an arcade game, so that’s hardly a surprise. Can we have a new one sometime please? It’s reminded me that racing games don’t have to be all serious and complicated.
Then there’s Lumines, which I still find rather complex and intimidating. It didn’t gel with me at the time, for reasons unknown, but on my first attempt I beat my previous best score. Which is intriguing. Maybe I should give it one final concerted effort. It’s supposed to be good, after all.