Tyler’s Save File: July 2026
The month of expansion.
I did a double-take when checking my recently played games this month. Apparently, I’ve played a ton—and it’s not even September yet! Uncharacteristically, I went hard on DLCs these past few weeks. Good news: they were both great. Bad news: now I have to collude with Jeff on GOTY shenanigans about what’s actually allowed to be counted.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
Elliot is a perfect example of “a good one of these.” In some ways, it should be even more so, since I enjoyed my time with it, whereas similar games—sorry, Link—never held my interest for more than a couple of hours. I’m not saying this experience is going to stay with me for all time [hah, pun], but the visuals, music, and movement were enjoyable enough that I hope Square Enix expands on this type of action-adventure game in the future [Another pun! Guys, it’s a time-traveling game.].
DOOM: The Dark Ages | Revelations
Okay, I admit that at the beginning, let’s say in the first hour, I wasn’t convinced. These nutty devs took what made The Dark Ages special and stripped it away. My brain couldn’t process it, and my fingers couldn’t keep up. Despite loving DOOM: Eternal, I had been converted to slower, more grounded combat. Now I’ve been… unconverted? The spear is dope. The dash is dope. The story is… well, let’s not get carried away. Seriously, though, they swung for the fences on this one, effectively merging everything awesome about this rebooted trilogy into one hell [hah, I’m on fire—DOUBLE HAH—today] of a last hurrah.
Oh, and there’s a big ol’ endgame to boot! Sheesh. DOOM IS BACK, BABY!
DAVE THE DIVER - In the Jungle Content Pack
Fun fact: While deciding which screenshot to include here, I realized that just about every screenshot I took was a spoiler in some form or fashion. Just like the main game, this DLC surprises and delights the whole way through. New characters, game mechanics, food, and restaurant staff; everything you love is here, just in a jungle this time. While the story is on par with the original narrative, it’s charming and a great vehicle for constantly unlocking new content. Some of the same-y mechanics felt a little trivial this time around since all my upgrades carried over, but that’s just a testament to how much time I put up front. As long as they’re going in expecting DLC and not a full-fledged sequel, anyone who loved Dave’s first go-round will not be disappointed here.
Bonus Games
It’s time to get a little personal. For whatever reason, this month really tested me, especially with a rambunctious 2-year-old and three cats. In particular, I realized I now live in never-ending clutter and mess. Maybe that’s why I found some solace in the following two games.
Cozy Cleaner
This game is literally about cats making huge messes and you cleaning them up. I chose to see it as a “could always be worse” kind of thing. Full disclosure, if my cats did an eighth of this damage, they’d be someone else’s cats. Or I’d be divorced.
Librarian: Tidy Up the Arcane Library!
Some jerk of a fairy absolutely destroyed this library, and it was up to me to make sure all 3,072 were put back correctly. It took me about 8 hours. Yes, I could’ve been cleaning my own house. I’m not proud of this one.
Let the collusion begin!