Triple-A Minesweeper

• Genre: Sweeper-like
• Spoiler Free Review: I tried my best not spoil it, but there may be some implications in my screenshot and descriptions of my experience.
• Time Played: 10 Minutes, but honestly I could probably put a 1000 hours in it easy. It has infinite replayability.
• Too Short/Long: Considering the near indefinite time you could play this game for, but the fact you can end it any time, it's perfect.
• Did I cry: More than any game that game before it.
• Soundtrack: Just absolutely stunning. It perfectly fit the mood. Every beat just resonated with my soul.
• Why I played: Because AAA games are the best types of games to play.
• Jank: What jank? This is a AAA game. AAA games are jank free.
• Difficulty: Whew, it was pretty tough. Thankfully they had handy way points to help me know where to sweep the mines, but it was still pretty challenging to sweep one, and then have to sweep another.
• Something I liked: I liked sweeping the mines most of all, but jeez, it's more like - what didn't I like? Absolutely nothing. Every aspect of this game is gold.
• Pleased/Disappointed: Please beyond belief, I'll tell you what. I don't know if I'll be able to stop thinking about this for the rest of the year.
• Recommend to others: I would absolutely recommend literally everyone see this game all the way through. There is nothing quite like it and I think it's an instant classic that will not soon be forgotten.
  

Triple-A Minesweeper is the type of game all other strive to be. From it's resonating score, to crisp clean art direction, emotional breadth of the storytelling, and truly just smooth engaging gameplay. You really feel like YOU are the Minesweeper. I never truly understood what it meant to be immersed in a game until I played Triple-A Minesweeper. I forgot what my name was for a brief period and when Clyde called out for Sweeper I went "Huh, what?" out loud. I almost entirely forgot I was playing a video game. I was just completely immersed in an experience.

I can't be without criticism, even though this game doesn't really deserve any criticism. It's a AAA game, and I'd have to say it's missing a couple things core to the experience. First off, the lack of tutorials - I really struggled figuring out what to do at first, that said - I guess that could be why it felt so immersive. Just like Minesweeper waking up in a daze thrown right into the action - so was I. The other thing, and I know, it's a single play offline game, but the lack of any cosmetic microtransactions is a true disappointment. I mean, thankfully I fit into the exact niche of character Minesweeper is, so I didn't feel the need to personalize him, but I truly just love giving AAA games more money for arbitrary things I'm not going to use. They deserve every dime they can squeeze out of me. Other than those very minor complaints, it's an absolutely perfect game.

It was no cake-walk though, as we've come to expect from sweeper-likes. I almost gave up at the 8th swept mine, but I knew I had to push through, and oh boy the payout of the twist the story takes from there was just worth more than anything money can buy. This is why you play AAA games. No other medium, no small indie studio, no retro game is going to be able to provide an experience like this.