Hi everyone, and welcome back to My Week Unwrapped, where I discuss all the games I’ve been playing over the last seven days. Netflix is the star of the show this week, with two new releases that are worth checking out. Aside from that, I checked out the Genshin-alike, Wuthering Waves and redid a walkthrough for one of the Adventure Escape games. There’s a lot to discuss, so let’s get started.

Paper Trail

I had been looking forward to Paper Trail for some time and was glad to hear that it would be coming to mobile at the same time as other platforms, thanks to Netflix. I’ve played quite a bit of it so far even though I only made a video for the first two chapters. The basic premise is that you need to get your character from one place to another, but there isn’t always a path available. That is, until you start folding the paper. You need to create paths by folding each scene from the top, bottom, sides or corners. But you can’t fold over your character and some other objects also get in the way. As you progress, you’ll encounter locked doors that require keys, buttons that need a rock or statue pushed onto them, and dominoes that you can’t walk on unless they’re next to a matching domino. There’s a lot going on and I admit it can get a bit overwhelming at times. That’s why I’ve chosen to play mostly on my own where I can just take my time and not worry about an audience. I’m not even sure I’ll bother with a walkthrough, but the bigger reason for that is the collectibles. As you make your way through each chapter, there are origami animals to collect. They involve going out of your way to pick them up instead of just focusing on moving forward. I didn’t even realize they were there at first and when I tried going back for earlier ones, I was immediately turned off. The problem is, when you revisit a world you completed, it puts you back at the final level and you have to make you way backwards to the beginning. That seems really ill thought-out and not something I’m willing to try. I also shouldn’t have to start a whole new save file to try to find what I missed. I hope they can rework that in an update. Another small niggle is that when you use two fingers to look at the other side of the paper, the game translates that as you tapping to move and sends you walking to where your finger landed. That, too, is hopefully something that can be fixed. Otherwise, I’m enjoying the game and think it’s worth checking out for any puzzle fans. Just take your time with it so it doesn’t wear out it’s welcome too fast.

Katana ZERO

Katana ZERO is another quality game that came to mobile through Netflix, though it’s not a puzzler. It’s actually an action game that requires fast reflexes to pull off moves and slay enemies before they touch you. If you get hit, you have to start the whole level over. It also has gorgeous pixel art and a great soundtrack. I was actually enjoying it for a while and was feeling proud of clearing a stage that was causing me trouble. But then, for some reason, it made me walk back through the level to get out. And I wasn’t paying attention and walked into a laser and died. It reset the whole level that I had already cleared! It felt like a really cheap death and I don’t see the point of making me replay the whole stage at that point when I already proved I can do it. So I ragequit and I doubt I’ll continue with it. I really don’t understand why the game is like that, but maybe there’s a specific audience that likes to be tormented this way. I don’t and therefore I’m bowing out here. But if you have a Netflix account, at least give it a try.

Wuthering Waves

As someone who’s been playing Genshin Impact for over three years now, I was curious what their competition, Wuthering Waves, might be like. I was enjoying myself to some degree in the first hour, even though most of the characters’ voices annoyed me and the story was boring me. The animations are slick and I like how you can absorb powers from enemies and then shapeshift into them in battle. The environments are not as breathtaking as Genshin‘s though, and have this grayish tone to them that’s kind of depressing. What grabbed me with Genshin early on was how gorgeous everything was and I just wanted to explore it all. I’m not getting that same feeling with Wuthering Waves. Still, I stuck with it a little longer and unlocked the ability to wish. Unfortunately, the story bogged me down and I’m completely turned off now. I wasn’t really looking for another live service game to have to log into every day anyway, but I might have been willing to if it blew me away. As is, I likely won’t be continuing with it, but you never know. I guess if you already caught up in Genshin Impact and need something else to fill the time, it’s not bad. But if you haven’t played Genshin, do that first.

Adventure Escape Mysteries – Hidden Ruins

This isn’t a new game, but the classic Haiku game, Hidden Ruins, was added to the Adventure Escape Mysteries app this week. Some things were changed, including one chapter being divided into two. So I decided to make a new walkthrough. You can find the old one here and the new one here.

Genshin Impact

And last, I continued with Genshin Impact. I finished up the Windtrace event and started a new battle-centric one. I also played through Cyno’s second story quest. I’m not sure why he got a quest right now, since he’s not even on the banners. But it was nice learning more backstory and where he got his powers. I still have to finish Sea of Bygone Eras and find the 14 hydroculi im missing, but I’m taking my time with it. Hopefully I’ll finish it before Natlan arrives so I can then focus on the new area.

And that’s everything I’ve been up to this week! I also finished Baby Reindeer, and I’m a bit perplexed now that I realized the story is based on the actor’s own personal experience. I’m not sure why anyone would want to relive that, but it’s still worth watching. I’m now in middle of Dead Boy Detectives, which ties into the Sandman universe. I also watched Ezra and Thanksgiving, two very different movies. Anyway, let me know in the comments section which games you’re playing and I’ll see you back here next time with more of My Week Unwrapped!