Hi everyone, and welcome back to My Week Unwrapped, where I discuss all the games I’ve been playing over the last seven days. I’m still dealing with a semi-emergency with my cat, so please forgive me if I haven’t been recording as many videos as usual. It’s still been a busy week with some big releases, so there’s plenty to talk about.

Endling: Extinction is Forever

When Endling was first announced, I had hoped it might one day come to iOS. And then, surprisingly not that long after it released on other platforms, a mobile port was announced. It’s now out and I spent some time with it and learned that being a mother fox is not easy. That’s kind of the point of the game, though. It’s about a fox trying to raise her cubs in a world being destroyed by humans, and also avoid traps set by said humans. She’s also tracking down one of her cubs that was stolen. As an animal lover, I knew it would be emotionally tough to play, but I didn’t realize I would actually struggle to stay alive, too. So far, I failed to avoid a trapper and had to restart that day. Then I got stuck in an area because a human saw me and was blocking the exit. That part seemed like a bug to me, but I’m not 100% sure. In any case, this game is going to require some focus and the right head space for it, and I’m not sure I’m there right now with what I’m going through with my cat. I do want to play through it, but getting set back a full day at a time when I mess up is making it a bit hard to devote time to it. I still think it’s a very important and meaningful game, but just go in knowing that it’s not going to be a cakewalk and you do need to give it proper attention.

Myst Mobile

I tried playing the original Myst when I was younger, but I barely managed to do anything in it and I only remember the starting area — which is probably as far as I got. But with the new enhanced version arriving on mobile, I wanted to give it another try. I spent the first hour missing clues and making no progress once again. But after a bit more time with it, I actually managed to make it to a new area! That felt pretty good, except for the motion sickness it gives me. The game does look great, though, with it’s updated graphics. And I’m intrigued by the story as well. I’ll probably try to play more, but if the motion sickness becomes too much to manage, I might not make it to the end. I recommend giving the game a try for yourself, since there’s a free demo with an IAP to unlock the full game. And if you’ve played before, there’s even an option to randomize the puzzles so they still provide a challenge. So whether you’re an old fan or playing for the first time, Myst Mobile is definitely worth trying out.

Escape from Norwood

Escape from Norwood is a text adventure with a lot going on. The game is split into three screens, with dialogue happening at the top, interactivity in the middle, and the map at the bottom. So, for instance, you walk around the village on the map and can walk into, say, the blacksmith’s shop. Then in the center of the screen you can tap on underlined words like characters or items to learn more about them. You might be able to talk to a character and even get a quest from from, or pick up an item that will prove useful later. If you’re able to give it proper attention, there seems to be a solid game here with a lot to do. But it’s not the easiest to follow, since there’s dialogue scrolling at the top while you’re just tapping on things to see what happens. So it can be easy to miss things. Thankfully, you can scroll up to see what you missed. But this is definitely a game you want to sit down and focus on, not play while binging a Netflix series or waiting in line. I recommend watching some of my gameplay video below to get an idea of what it’s like before deciding whether to buy.

Forward: Escape the Fold

I mentioned Forward: Escape the Fold last week and have been spending a lot of time with it since then. I decided to start playing on my iPhone since it’s more convenient, and I got sucked in and beat the Classic mode with all the characters and all their powers. I started doing the same on my iPad so I could record videos of it, but I’m not sure I’ll continue with that. I’m already working on the Expert mode on my iPhone, and I’m not really enjoying trying to catch up on a second device. I am still enjoying the game quite a bit, and it’s great for when you have a few minutes to kill. I recommend playing on a phone, since it’s always at hand and the game was adapted perfectly to portrait mode. If you like card-based roguelikes, definitely give it a try. It’s only $1.99, so it’s not even much of a gamble.

Genshin Impact

And last, yep, I’m still playing Genshin Impact. The new update finally arrived with the best weapons banner ever, so I went all out on it to get both featured weapons. And I mean all out — I spent over 200 wishes to get them. But I had planned for it, so I had the wishes available. It still hurts, but it’s nice to be able to equip two of my favorite characters with their best weapons. Aside from that, I got Lisa’s new outfit from the event that started last week. And I also made more progress with the new world quest in Sumeru. And last, I managed to get all 9 stars on floor 12 of spiral abyss without having to change teams or restart. This was actually the first time I got all 36 stars against the triple Maguu Kenki, so that felt good. Again, if you haven’t tried Genshin yet, don’t be shy!

And that’s everything I’ve been up to this week, aside from taking care of my cat. I also started watching Bad Sisters, which is about four sisters who plan to murder the fifth sister’s husband because he’s just the absolute worst human on the planet. And I mean that — this character is so vile that I just want him to die already. I’m not sure yet whether I would recommend it. It’s a bit hard to watch because of how awful he is and they really do drag it out a bit. But I’ll stick with it. Anyway, let me know in the comments which games you’re enjoying and I’ll see you back here next time with more of My Week Unwrapped.