NXpress Nintendo Podcast #176: ‘Three Houses’ Wrap-up, ‘The Sinking City,’ and Indie World

From a packed house to a nearly empty one, this week sees Tim and Patrick carrying the gaming torch on their own, as they deliver finalized reviews of Fire Emblem: Three Houses and The Sinking City, as well as thoughts on the latest Nintendo indie showcase.

So, after 90-odd hours of battle, drama, comedy, tea time, fishing, lost-and-found, and vigorous recruitment, does Three Houses hold up all the way through to the end — or even beyond? Seeing as how Patrick basically hasn’t been able to put it down since he first picked it up, the short answer is probably yes. However, the guys go into more detail (though spoiler-free), discussing the gameplay differences between pre- and post-time skip, the difficulty for newcomers to the series, and whether it’s worth starting over to play other houses.

After that, we go through some of the bigger titles spotlighted in Nintendo’s Indie World, pick our standouts, and talk about how important it is for indie games to differentiate themselves from the growing mob of titles. Last, Tim reviews The Sinking City, a Lovecraftian detective story involving ancient gods in an atmospheric urban setting. Will fans of the author get more out of this? How do the puzzles work, and are they effective at making the player feel like they’ve solved a mystery? For all this and more, have a listen!

You can listen to our show on Stitcher, iTunes, Podbean, or simply click the play button below.

Playlist

LFXIV – NXpress Intro
Nintendosage: Catching up on Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Fire Emblem: Three Houses clip
Main Event: Indie World discussion
The Sinking City cutscene
Bonus Content: The Sinking City review
Fire Emblem: Three Houses Soundtrack

Contact us @ editor@goombastomp.com

Follow Ricky on Twitter
Follow Tim on Twitter
Follow Patrick on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Tumblr