Kristen and I played through this game in two days, which doesn’t seem like it would have a ton of content to it, but it would hard to play that game any longer. When I say it is like Veronica Mars, I mean it’s very like Veronica Mars, you are a high school student, Max, who finds out that things at her school aren’t quite as normal as had thought. When she witnesses a murder, she learns that she has the ability to turn back time and rewind and do things differently. That is where the decision making comes in, sometimes you can choose to rewind a decision or action that allows you to progress forward, and sometimes it is a decision that you have two different choices and you can play through both for their immediate aftermath and see what happens. This really allows you to tailor Max into the character you want her to be.

The story is very intense, so I would recommend playing it with someone, Kristen and I had plenty to talk about with it as it touches on a number of issues that don’t show up often in video games or at least that aren’t handled well. In this case they handle the sensitive issues with a great deal of respect and rarely misstep treating issues with the respect that they deserve. The couple of cases where they do are very jarring because of how well they handle everything else. The only other slight criticism of this game that I would have is that they take away some choices that they really should give you and it feels a bit like you are railroaded through a scene. In my case, my version of Max was a timid and compassionate and there is a scene where she gets handed a gun, and there was no way for me to decline that even though it didn’t make sense with how I played her. But for the most part you don’t even notice that in the story as they handled it so well. Like I said about them handling most things tactfully, when you don’t get a choice, ,it is jarring.

Overall this is an engrossing game and a very heavy game. Even though it is tough and difficult with the decisions that you have to make, and even though it’s fairly linear in terms of that the story will always have the same major plot points and twists and turns, it is a game that you can play more than once. I would say that it is a game that I won’t play again often, but there are different choices that you can always make, and for that reason I’ll want to play it again sometime. This is a game for gamers and non-gamers alike, and is on a variety of platforms. It’s also only the first season, though the second season won’t have the same characters, so the development company says, but it should still be interesting if they keep it the same style of story.

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This is another one of Peder’s and my favorite finds for our Xbox One so far. Like Monkey Island 2, LiaDS is free with an Xbox Live account (as of this month!), and also like MI2, it’s way more fun than a free game has any right to be. It’s a simple, sweet little game with a fun, cutesy aesthetic — but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s easy! You’ll need every bit of your teamwork skills to make your way through this game.

As the name suggests, LiaDS is set in a cartoony space world. As the game begins, an adorable bunny tells you that though the universe is full of love, a bunch of monsters have come to spread a mysterious and dark power known as anti-love throughout the galaxy, imprisoning the galaxy’s adorable denizens in the process. It’s your job, as the lovers, to defeat these monsters and stop the spread of anti-love so that love can fill the universe once again!

As I mentioned, the gameplay in LiaDS is deceptively simple. You (and up to three fellow players, if you choose) control a round spaceship that has four guns, a shield, and other interchangeable features. You must fly your ship through the galaxy to free the cute creatures that the (also cute, tbh) monsters have trapped so that they can create portals that will take you to fight the next boss monster. After defeating each progressive challenge, you reduce the threat of anti-love, and you strengthen the power of love — and, most likely, your ability to work together with your fellow players.

You can play LiaDS by yourself, or with up to three friends. Peder and I have only tried the two-player version (naturally), so we can’t speak to any of the other configurations, but we find the two-player version to be a nice balance of challenge and fun.

LiaDS is one of those games that anyone who considers themselves a gamer of any variety will enjoy. It’s great when you want something fun and not too stressful, and is also a wonderful choice when you’re looking for a co-op game that gives all players involved a chance to shine. Add in adorable moments, fun and colorful backdrops, and ridiculously cute characters, and you’ve got a game that just about anyone is sure to love!

Have you played Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime? Did you enjoy it as much as we do? What are some other great co-op video games you’ve played and loved?

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