gaming & geekery

[achievunlock]

Ghost of Tsushima is so incredible!

It's been over a year since I finished the game, but it doesn't feel like that at all. Throughout this year I've been popping in for a while here any there to continue my second playthrough.

I started the second playthought as soon as I finished the game, because I wasn't ready to part with it yet. I fell in love with the world, the visuals, the UI and overall quality of the game.

Yesterday I went back to playing it and played a pretty long chunk. I was shocked how much everything still felt intuitive and I was able to jump right in. I had some slips and died silly deaths. My figers still remembered the buttons and pacing of combat.

I love the tutorial reminders for returning players who haven't played it for a while.

Almost instantly I fell right into that feeling of awe at how amazing this game is 🤩. While it's not completely new feeling relatively few games make me feel this way.

After over a year I think I've hear enough break to be able to immerse myself in that world and story. I don't remember all that much, I am kind of learning some things all over again (duels...). Not I have this new-found appreciation for the craft. I dissect especially the UI, which is one of my absolute favorite UIs in games because of its simplicity, balance and attention to detail.

[achievunlock]

That weird emptiness after completion

Yesterday, after over 270 hours throughout last 8 months, I finished Elden Ring. And it feels weird. It's bittersweet.

To begin with, it was never even a game I intended to play. My boyfriend challenged me to try to see how I would play, and reluctantly I tried. I happened to find a playstyle that worked for me, and in all the places where he struggled I breezed through. And that god me hooked. I felt proficient, I could choose my battles, I controlled my pace. It got to the point where I sprang way ahead of him at his game (which wasn't very appreciated), so I slowed down and took a break for a few weeks.

Every time I though I was done with the game, he would nudge me back to it, and again reluctantly I would. It's always so hard to get back to open world games, where you have to remember what all the stuff in your inventory does, where to go next, who had a quest for you etc. And in many ways Elden Ring makes that harder than other games without any quest log. But also it's smart, because it conditions us to remember, as any unfinished tasks stays in our memory, and especially if it's not written down anywhere. So even during my times off from Elden Ring I would still remember the quests and people I needed to talk to and continue.

Before I knew I fell in love with the game world, that epic sense of scale, the unique environments that I have never seen anywhere else. Most of those 270 hours I spent just exploring, running through the grassy and snowy plains to first discover Sites of Grace and map parts, without engaging with the enemies, and then re-running them when I was ready for combat.

At first I really wanted to avoid the "legacy dungeons" (again seeing my partner's many deaths and struggles in those). In the end I got to love those too, with Leyndell and Haligtree becoming my favorites.

I never actually thought I'd finish the game. I thought it would get too hard and I would not manage. And yes, it was hard at times (looking at you, Rennala), but I always managed, and it felt good to finally have that win after so many failures.

As I was approaching the end and struggling a lot against Maliketh and Malenia, I realized how much those fights reminded me of my struggles (and eventual victories) against bosses in Devil May Cry 3. I remember counting over 30 tries in a row on some of the bosses there. Elden Ring made me feel like I did those many years ago - willing to give up, but still pushing through, because I was emotionally invested in a tragic story that I wanted to see through to the end.

So now I'm done. And it feels so empty. Back in the day I would just start over another run of DMC3 and another until I've beaten the hardest difficulty, and then again, to improve my ratings and finish with as many S and SS rankings as I could. But Elden Ring is different. I am not ready for another 100+ hours run, and there's no point just running around a completed game.

Because Elden Ring was never on my to play list, I've been wanting to finish it just to be able to move on, but for now I can't move on - it just doesn't feel right. I don't wanna leave that world.

So me and my partner created new characters, to deal with that weird state of grief after completion. Again, I do not commit to completing the game. Only time will tell. I will dabble a bit, try out a completely different style of combat. Until the DLC comes, and then we will be back!

This experience made me reflect on how it's so similar with other large open world games. Earlier this year I completed Hogwarts Legacy - and it felt just as empty. As I approached the end I created 2 new characters to start the game over. After completion I sped-run the last part with one of the characters and that kinda did it. I felt I was done. Before that I completed Ghost of Tsushima which I also fell in love with. As soon as I finished the game I started NG+, I played half-way and got tired, I was ready to move on. Elden Ring though it's slightly different, because you can make each playthrough pretty unique, and it's so long that by the time you finish you don't really remember how it was in the beginning.

Let's see how far I get on this new character, but I hope I can move on soon, and finally get to the games I've been planning to play for a while, before Elden Ring.

[achievunlock]

Many games update

Here's a bullet point since last time I was around here. Games finished: - God of War - it was amazing! so much better than I expected! I had no clue that it was a soft reboot) - Guacamelee - also so much more fun than expected! I was worried it might be too hard but it was just right, looking forward to the sequel) - Trine 2 - this one was actually less fun than what I remember from playing Trine 1. Still have DLC levels to finish and collectibles to pick up but not too motivated)

Started but forgotten: - Thomas was Alone - it's truly amazing! Totally lives up to its reputation. I just keep forgetting about my Switch. - The Gardens Beyond - It's interesting but easy to get stuck. Kinda simplistic, but it has good moments, and the graphics are pretty. - Grim Fandango - yep, still not finished. Very forgotten. Not picking up my computer to play games.

Currently playing: - Ookami - on the Switch. I can see the age of the game especially in the way the camera works, somewhat annoying. - Fallout New Vegas - big return after something like two years! With listening to so much war news recently I felt like going back to Fallout matches that mood. Slowly pushing forward. - Harry Potter Lego - I actually enjoy this one the most right now, just mindless collecting of coins. Perfect after a tiring day or tiring week.

Also picked up a few new board games to test on weekends, and even weekdays!

[achievunlock]

I've played through My Brother Rabbit this week, and I just wanted to leave here some screenshots from the game.

It was so cozy to sit with this game curled up on the couch with my Switch and take in all that amazing art.

It was also really nice to see a different type of story from Artifex Mundi this time - more emotional, little flashes between the levels without cringy script and voice over.

[achievunlock]

Updates and upcoming reviews

It's been a while since the last post and while I still haven't picked up a new game to immerse myself in, there were a few I played since. Most notably Detroit: Become Human, it's such a great game! I've finished it now and I definitely want to write a review for it. Currently I'm slowly replaying it to see other endings and scenarios. Quite a while back I played Neocab's demo and while I usually don't play visual novel type games this one was different and grabbed my attention. Would love to rite a review for this one as well. Beside that I have been slowly continuing Grim Fadango, completed Unravel 2, surprised myself to play some Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and played TFT during the weekdays somewhat regularly.

Next on my list is still Horizon Zero Dawn, but I'm waiting for the time I can fully dive into that world.

[achievunlock]

I decided to not pick up another bigger game recently to focus on my portfolio etc.

I also went back to playing Mortal Kombat 11. I got the story extension and the extra characters. It’s a game that comes and goes, so I can play it as a filler.

I really enjoy the Krypt, it’s my favorite part. I think once I clear that I might stop playing. It’s strange, since it’s just a additional mode but it’s the one that motivates me most :D

I didn’t get much further in a Grim Fandango, it requires patience...

And also my boyfriend started Resident Evil 7 yesterday, so now I’m watching, sometimes. It’s scary, definitely wouldn’t play it myself.

[achievunlock]

After listening to a podcast with Tim Schafer I decided to finally play Grim Fandango. It's one of those games that I heard about a lot, I own it on Steam, and keep never finding time to play.

So far I love the dialogues and voice acting! This type of humor really resonates with me.

[achievunlock]

Finished Before the Storm, it was good! It was really good! It was meaningful.

To me, at least. That’s what counts.

I loved playing as Chloe, trying to make choices as if I didn’t need to worry about being polite to others even if I didn’t want to. I tried to rile play as her as much as I could, and she’s all about externalizing all the inner turmoil, all the messiness of grief and loneliness.

Maybe the plot and mechanics weren’t as strong as the original Life is Strange but the story felt more personal and impactful for me. I’m glad this game was made. I’m glad I bought it. I hope I’ll remember this experience.

[achievunlock]

Before the Storm is really sad, but in a very refreshing way. I can really feel Chloe’s loneliness. While my teenage years weren’t necessarily rebellious there was that angst and loneliness. In fact it’s still here, and playing this game, revealing the story just feels really good. Even though situations are different I can empathize with the characters and it somehow feels comforting.

[achievunlock]

Around halfway through Murdered Soul Suspect and I’m really enjoying it! There’s more dialogue between characters now and I really enjoy the snarky comments characters make. even if it might be a simplistic writing.

I really enjoy the puzzles and collectibles without the action. And the game seems to really be based on a narrative, rather than narrative being just a setting.

[achievunlock]

Sooo... my PS+ sub expired and I can’t continue Control. But tbh I think I wasn’t quite ready for it, turned out to be scarier than I expected. I’ll pick it up again later. Instead I started Murdered: Soul Suspect. I like the calmer more puzzle based gameplay so far.

[achievunlock]

Last Day of June Review

I wrote this review nearly a year ago and wanted to post it here.

This game is super beautiful with a very unique stylistic. The whole game is about loss and grief and changing the turn of event by going into different memories to prevent a traumatic event from happening. It's played from the point of view of a character in a wheelchair, who lost his fiance in a car crash which also left him handicapped.

It's surprisingly empowering to play as that character on the wheelchair. And there's plenty of interesting mechanical blocks like stairs and curbs that other charter can use but not him. Yet that intense drive to dive into the mystical vortexes into the memories to undo things is inspiring. Also this is the first time I've seen a game featuring a handicapped person. Even navigating in the wheelchair feels different from walking.

Aside from that one character, there's a cast of a few others who can be controlled within the memories. Each of them has their own story of  hardships, which can be discovered as memory tokens in the world and are presented in the game in the form of simple images/photographs. Each of those characters are also wonderfully quirky and funny in their own ways. Each of them walks and runs in a very unique way.

The whole game has no words, everything that the characters communicate is done just through hums, that the player can interpret, but it's again showing how powerful just the tone of voice with a story context is and that words are not necessary. And despite the topic being heavy and sad the different behaviors of the characters really lighten up the mood. Overall its really easy to empathize with these characters, and especially with the main character. It’s heartbreaking to watch the car crash over and over again, trying to change it, failing, seeing it again, and so on. It's a good representation of what a person feeling guilty for killing someone else might be going though, this constant repetition and drive for this to never happen, even if it wasn't really their fault. And that's also what the game is showing, that there were other external factors, beyond the control of the affected.

Another cool review on youtube.

[achievunlock]

I really want to like Cyberpunk 2077 but it’s hard

Cyberpunk 2077 is really difficult to get into... soon after I started Watch Dogs I went back to play a mission in Cyberpunk, I wanted to see if the games are as similar as it feels, but then it was so confusing... I did some side quest which ended up in an all out gunfight. I completed it but it discouraged me.

I decided to give it another try. I played for maybe 2 hours. Same thing: so much confusion. I desperately want to like the game, I want to play it, but every time I try I have to fight with this horrible UI (which it clearly not designed for consoles) and with the information overload. I managed to complete a side mission again, this time I figured out a way to do it stealthily, but in the end the effect is the same - I don’t feel like playing more, and it’s mainly because of the UI and overall cognitive overload.

I play a lot of games, maybe not as many RPGs but I’d say normally I can get into understanding and memorizing the controls and UI navigation quite quickly. Watch Dogs made me spend more time getting used to the UI, but man, Cyberpunk is a different category altogether. I’m having serious issues with it.

There’s no d-pad/shoulder buttons section control on the main menu screen. It always opens on this list instead of just one of the pages (e.g. Borderlands does that). Skill trees can’t be switched with shoulder buttons for easy comparison, but require navigating with a analogue stick to the right tab. Inventory and character are 2 tabs away, same as map and quest list.

I have a feeling that UX was completely pushed to the side while developing it. And some of these “mistakes” could have been avoided with good UX design from the start. Or they just run out of time for controller support in the menu?

[achievunlock]

Control > first impressions

I started Control, so far it’s intriguing. I’m not quite sure what’s going on, but I love the unsettling vibe of 1984 so far. A crafted modern dystopian feel. The look of the FBC building reminds me a lot of the Umbrella Academy what-was-it-called bureau.

Also I’m really appreciating the art direction. I’m in love with the look of the main character, definitely one of the things that made me interested in the game - i love female protagonists.

Also that bit of tutorial area reminded me a lot of the extra levels (DLC) for Assassins Creed Revelations.

[achievunlock]

Finished Watch Dogs

So many mixed feelings about this game. Overall, I’m glad it’s over. Ever since I passed a halfway point I just hoped it would end so that I can move on to a next game. I don’t like leaving games unfinished. And it wasn’t bad to the point of actually quitting. But I didn’t enjoy it either, for the most part.

The game’s structure is boring. It’s extremely repetitive: enter a restricted area - participate in a car chase - enter another restricted area - solve a hacking puzzle - participate in a car chase. Most games have some sort of repetitive structure, but this game stood out more than others. Maybe because the constant car chases made me want to rage quit so many times. I don’t like driving in games. I don’t like games about cars. I wanted a game about hacking, not a game about assassinating people and escaping or chasing someone in a car. On top of that make one mistake and you die in a matter of seconds - but I guess that’s good for game realism, and maybe getting some sense of the character as a perfectionist.

But mechanics aside (Far Cry is similar, but I didn’t have that much issue with it), the story was equally as boring.  It was good to try a game that’s outside of my preference list, and where I’m definitely not the target audience. Only towards the end it got better, when the main character started questioning his action. It feels like such a wasted potential. I see what the creators wanted to do, but they didn’t dare to fully go for it, and packaged it all in a most bro game I have ever played. And it gts highlighted in some reviews like this one on polygon.

I started searching for criticism of the game, as I noticed the social dynamics just rubbing me the wrong way. Several comments pointing out racism and sexism came up, and I couldn't agree more. That’s what it is: a super bro game made with a “single audience in mind: white men”. Ultimately the game is really about fulfilling male power fantasies: having access to everything and everyone, getting fancy fast cars, looking into people's houses to see cheap perverted scenes play out, believing in a “noble cause” while leaving a trail of corpses.

There were parts that were good about it. Primarily I enjoyed infiltrating the enemy areas by jumping between security cameras, with an occasional puzzle. Some of the side missions, like finding QR codes or investigating the serial killer were really fun (so much so that I finished them before starting act 2). Surprisingly, I also enjoyed the mini-games.

I also didn’t really mind that the main character was “bland” but I minded that he was a sociopath. Visually it had its “OMG SO PRETTY” moments in a few places, and some unique locations were cool too, even though not featured in the main missions. The ending was decent. And I’m appreciating it was more of a “family story” rather than “protect the babe” story.

It was good to try a game that’s outside of my “comfort zone”, and where I’m definitely not the target audience. I’m glad that it’s over though. I definitely disagree with the 80 score on metacritic, because of how empty and repetitive the game was. And the ending, while decent is not good enough to be a redeeming feature. I might do a quick sweep for a few easy trophies at the end, and probably retire the interest in the franchise for the future.

[achievunlock]

I’ve been playing Watch Dogs (2013) for about 2 weeks. While I like the idea of running and hacking the game is really not that fun...

It’s the most bro game I ever played, constant car chases, voyeurism, gun fights. I hoped I can stealth through hacking, but much of the main quest is not set up that way, forcing obligatory gun fights. Especially the car chases make me want to rage quit every time >_<

I ended up finding all possible collectibles before even getting halfway Act 2. The side missions and collectibles are far more interesting as they allow calmer pacing. I even got a chance to enjoy some scenery!

A stark contrast with all the explosions present in the main missions. Except, the one for finding generators to power the bunker.

Sometimes it can be really beautiful, but mostly so far the experience is frustrating and lackluster. On the other hand it’s interesting to play a game that’s not my type.

[achievunlock]

Quick adventure with Sayonara Wild Hearts

I started Sayonara Wild Hearts 2 weeks ago, and just finished tonight. Despite not being my type of game (I’m horrendous at it), so much is great about it!

First of all I really appreciate the achievement approach - riddles that give hints for specific actions that only “hardcore” players will care to get. Especially for a short game like this, it makes a lot of sense.

The super short levels with extremely frequent checkpoints made it a manageable experience for me. I never used the “skip section” option but I enjoyed that they added it

Also really good article about the game here