Console Catch-Up - July 2025 Monthly Recap

July has been... a difficult month. Hell... this whole year has been shockingly difficult.

I was given the 'pleasant' news at the start of the month that my entire department is no longer needed at my place of work. And just like that - poof - I am without a job. By 13:00 the same day, I had already received my termination letter. Charming.

So, for all of July, I have mostly been job hunting. I haven't put in any time on any games. The closest I got to any game time was loading up Balatro and reaching the main menu. But I am right now too stressed and demotivated to actually play anything for myself.

I have played a little of Blue Prince with my daughter, as that is currently our game, and we are gradually chipping our way through it. It's rather infuriating when we get close but get stopped short of the exit.

Also, sadly, I won't be finishing Dave the Diver any time soon, as I had hoped I would. Not because I don't have the time, though that was partly the reason. No, the reason would be my daughter decided to restart the game and overwrote not just the autosaves but also the manual save.

Every little setback this month - regardless of whether it was big or small - has felt extremely exhausting and punishing lately.

I'm okay though. I just need to keep walking forward until the storm passes.

In the meantime, so that I wouldn't post an empty end-of-month post, I thought I would add a bonus entry for a game that I love to share with anyone who ever asks me for games to recommend.

BONUS ENTRY:

Name: The Hex

Platform: Steam

Status: Released

I finished this game back on Aug 31, 2020, and it is one of those games that I would recommend to anyone without hesitation.

It is also, sadly, one of those games that I am unable to replay. And it's not because it is a bad game. If anything, the way the game incorporates different play styles from different genres for all the characters is amazing. Even more so, when you start seeing "steam pop-ups" with reviews and comments from your friend list.

The reason I cannot replay this game is because of a pivotal plot twist that, even to this day, is one I will never forget. The Hex seemed like it was just a story about six characters all talking about their experiences in their own games. But it all changes during one in-game moment. I normally pride myself in sensing when a twist is coming, even if my theories might be off. But with this game? It was a suckerpunch revelation, and I wish I could erase my memory just so that I could relive that moment again.

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And that is it for July. A little depressing, sure, since I had to prioritize other matters, but life is life. And until I have secured a job, there is a good chance that I won't be able to dedicate a lot of playtime. Even if I wanted a break to recharge, my motivation is too low to play something. Hopefully, though, I will breathe easy soon.