Playstack finally put a date to what I firmly believe will be my personal 2024 Game of the Year. After drip-feeding ravenous fans across a few demos, The Rise of the Golden Idol comes out November 12, 2024. Now, it remains to be seen if the game will make it to the nebulous cutoff date to be considered for this year’s Game Awards. But when it’s in that arena, it’s going to knock all the other contenders out.
The Case of the Golden Idol is genuinely one of the best games I’ve ever played. It’s everything I love: captivating hand-drawn art, a gameplay loop that keeps you guessing, and an insane narrative that only gets better with every reveal and twist. When the game drops you into the initial mystery where you see one man angrily push another off a cliff and are tasked with finding out what happened, it’s all gas and no brakes from then on.
The only negative lies in the simple fact that after you play the game and reveal its tricks, you can never get that sense of wonder and discovery back through subsequent playthroughs. The solution to such a problem turned out to be a full-fledged sequel!
the game awards will crown a new indie king
I’ve refrained from playing any of the demos for Rise. I want a fresh, ignorant start in November. It takes place in the 1970s, and the art style has changed dramatically from the first game. Everyone looks grungy and “off” in a way that fits the title’s macabre nature. The story looks to be no less crazy, which is a minor fear I had with a “refined” sequel.
I won’t get into my personal plot-related theories in case you haven’t played the first game. If you have Game Pass, download and play The Case of the Golden Idol immediately (but you will have to buy the DLC separately). Don’t use hints, either. Somehow, I managed to fight the urge to peek at hints throughout my run.
If the sequel is even half as good as the original, it’s a wrap. Art Direction? Easy. Best Narrative? Locked in. …Okay, maybe it won’t win “Best Score and Music.” Even though the first game’s “Crowning Celebration” track does such a great job of telling you the story beneath the story. Now, the fight for the big GotY win will be an uphill battle. But I believe in you, Color Gray. You knocked it out of the park the first time, and I have zero doubts that you’ll make another masterpiece.
The post ‘The Rise of the Golden Idol’ Will Sweep The Game Awards appeared first on VICE.
The post ‘The Rise of the Golden Idol’ Will Sweep The Game Awards appeared first on VICE.
