With Sonority, we’re checking out an indie title that we first spotted back in 2020. We’re also looking at new DLC content for both Furi and WWE 2K22 that was just released.
Sonority review (PC/Switch)
If you regularly follow our content then Sonority will sound familiar – we did a developer interview on the game back in 2020 when it was part of the first digital edition of Gamescom. Now, almost two years later, it’s out for PCs and being published by veteran publisher Application Systems Heidelberg. Update: a Switch version launched in December of 2022 as well – we played it and loved the ability to take this one of the go, as it looks and performs great even in handheld mode.
In Sonority, you play as Esther, who is looking to unlock the secrets of music in a magical and harmonious realm called Sonority, which is all about peace between the humans and animals who co-exist here. One of your friends is Batama, a bear who’d like you to find a long lost melody that will help cure sickness – which sets Esther off on a quest that quickly becomes far larger than it initially seems. Finding said melody requires meeting the ‘teachers of music’, and running into tons of musically-infused puzzles along the way.
We generally enjoy puzzle games, and have a soft spot for story-driven examples in the genre. Sonority is such a game, with a ton of charm coming from both the protagonist and her story as well as the world around her and the other characters you encounter. The art style and music and generally very pleasant as well, and although this game isn’t an audiovisual powerhouse it certainly has character of its own, with unique designs that bring Sonority to life.
You’ll gradually bring Sonority to life through gameplay as well, because there’s a nice layering of mechanics as you progress. Esther starts with a single instrument and note, but you’ll gain access to additional (musical) tools over time – thus also growing the complexity and richness of the puzzles. And while the early puzzles are often simple cases of “put this over there”, the fact that the music gets richer and richer over time ties in well with both the mechanics and the story.
While the music genre is filled with rhythm-based games, Sonority relies much more on melodies and harmonies and less on quick timing. It walks a nice middle ground between music- and puzzle-based gameplay, and is careful to not alienate fans of either. Hardcore puzzle enthusiasts might find the game to be too casual and easy-going, but they’ll have a very pleasant couple of hours on their journey through the game’s well-designed campaign – which is made all the better because of a charming story.
Furi gets new Onnamusha DLC
We reviewed Furi way back in 2016, so to see the developer (The Game Bakers) still releasing new content for it is great. Contrary to what you might expect, The Onnamusha DLC doesn’t add new foes to this boss rush action game, but rather gives you access to the Onnamusha Rider, a new protagonist who plays quite differently from the existing character.
In Onnamusha, you have access to two stances: Spark, which favors agility and speed, and Storm, which boosts your damage output. For optimal results, you’ll be alternating between the two in order to steer clear of damage while trying to take down the current boss. Dodging and evading is faster than in the game’s normal mode, but you deal very little damage when you hit – though engaging in combat can still be smart because a successful parry grants health.
You lose this ability when you switch to the Storm stance, but your offense is greatly boosted in this mode. With a decreased ability to evade you’re more likely to take damage though, so you have to become adept at switching stances mid-battle. This is a mechanic that we’ve seen in other games, but its addition to Furi makes this aging game feel fresh again.
We can see the price holding people back, but the base game is regularly on sale for under $5/€5, so that’s a great starting point if you didn’t pick up Furi yet. If you did, then Onnamusha is a great reason to dust it off again.
WWE 2K22 receives its second DLC pack
WWE 2K22 launched back in March to show us that the two year hiatus for the series was smart decision, finally providing the step forward for the franchise that has been missing for a while. 2K hasn’t been sitting still since then though, because they’ve already launched two content packs with additional wrestlers since then – which can be purchased separately or as part of a season pack, or are included in the higher tier versions of the base game that also include said season pack.
The first DLC pack was dubbed the Banzai pack, and features a nice mix of current and classic stars from the franchise. With the pack, you can play as Rikishi, “The Samoan Bulldozer” Umaga, Omos as well as upcoming star Kacy Catanzaro. The biggest draw for us, however, was the inclusion of Yokozuna, who appeared in a late generation NES wrestler called King of the Ring but who really rose to popularity among gamers though his part on the roster of Wrestlemania – The Arcade Game.
The headliner for the second DLC Pack, dubbed the “Most Wanted” pack, is Mick Foley’s Cactus Jack character – who is joined by Vader (no, not that one – the WCW champion), Boogeyman, Ilja Dragunov and Indi Hartwell. For those playing MyFaction you can also play as any of these new characters in that mode through EVO cards.
Further content drops are planned for June and July, and will include the likes of Ronda Rousey, Doink the Clown, Machine Gun Kelly and none other than Mr T., a veteran of the inaugural Wrestlemania event way back in 1985. WWE 2K22 already has a packed roster, but we can’t wait for some of these upcoming additions.
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