When you write about games for a living, you rarely just sit down and write about a whole damn game. Even reviews, which some people think should be that, are hopefully something more focused and nuanced. Impressions of a game tend to involve the writer choosing a hook, an angle, something to peg their thoughts on before expanding on them over the course of an article.
It's why, for example, my Infinite Wealth "review" ended up as two separate pieces, or why I wrote about Assassin's Creed Shadows' ending specifically; it's easier for everyone, me and you, if we just find one thing to talk about in detail. And normally, that's pretty easy to do! I wrote about Shadows' ending because it really stood out, and the Yakuza posts were based on themes and impressions that became clear over my time with the game, which I thought were a lot more interesting than talking about "graphics" and "difficulty".
This week, though, I am having problems. I have been playing Clair Obscur non-stop, it's that good, but every time I go to write about it I find myself struggling to find that hook. Not because there's nothing good or interesting to write about, but because everything in Clair Obscur is good and interesting.
That's OK, maybe I can pivot to writing about stuff I don't like and...hrm. I guess traversing the levels can suck sometimes, if I have to name one thing I am not completely enamoured by. They can get a bit sprawly and repetitive at times, and you can get lost if you're not careful; they maybe need a map or clearer marker system or something. It gets a bit tedious. But like, that's it? I can't pad a whole post out into me complaining about that.
Everything else I cast my eyes, hands and ears over is just the best. The music rules. I love the art design. The battles have got me, someone who doesn't normally dabble in this genre outside of Persona and the odd Final Fantasy. The writing is great, the voice acting is great, the interlocking magic and abilities systems are surprisingly elegant.
I could write about any one of these things, sure, but every time I've tried I look over at everything else and it feels like I'm about to adopt only one kitten from an entire litter, and those left behind are looking at me with the biggest, saddest eyes. Awwww, character art, I love you, but I can't write about you and Charlie Cox, there are only so many hours in a day!
Though...ah. Maybe this is the hook. That the game is hookless. And that in my failed attempts to avoid writing about a whole game maybe I have to, just this once, if only to emphasise how fucking good it is.
