Borderlands Excitement!

After several years of waiting (4?), it appears that we will finally be getting a new Borderlands game!  This week two new trailers were released--a theatrical trailer announcing the game and a gameplay trailer.  I was very excited to view the theatrical trailer and see which direction the new game is taking.  It appears that we will get a proper sequel to Borderlands 2 as opposed to a spinoff like The Pre-Sequel.  Here is the trailer--give it a gander:

I was a bit surprised to read somewhat mixed assessments of the trailer.  Fans of the series (like me) reacted with joy, but I did see at least one news outlet that panned it as appearing to be "more of the same" and needing something fresh.  I can't fully disagree with that viewpoint--I think the series could use some improvement--but I saw plenty in the trailer to be excited about.

One of my first impressions was joy at seeing the old crew from Borderlands 2 and several other familiar faces.  For me, the highlight of the series has always been the whacky characters and learning about the various vault hunters.  From the trailer, it looks like Lillith, Brick, and Mordecai will be back (to me, it looks like they will most likely be NPC's who are tied in with the story). 

We also get a glimpse at the characters who I am assuming will be our future set of playable vault hunters.  On that front, I do see some similarities to the character classes of the past--there appears to be a siren (a very ripped siren!) who possibly has some melee abilities (six arms for massive punching!); a character with summonable abilities--it looks like he can summon a wide variety of robotic turrets, suits, etc.; there's a character who gives me a very Zer0 feeling--like he's an alien in a suit; and of course, there seems to be a traditional, soldier-like character.

The highlight of the trailer for me, is the premise that the game will stretch over many different worlds.  Tales From the Borderlands revealed a universe wide system of vaults, which is the perfect setup for creating a massive, open world full of new environments.  My major hope is that a big part of the story will be locating vaults and raiding them.  The vault aspect of the game has always been one of its bigger disappointments.

The video also introduces us to two characters who appear to be the new villains of the game--a scarred, floppy-haired guy and a white-haired, evil looking lady.  They look like quite the duo.  I hope they can measure up to the maniacal evil of Handsome Jack.  The video also boasts of new enemies to slay and there looks to be several varieties.

I am also excited to see several notable side characters make an appearance in the video.  We get a brief glimpse of a building that says "Ellie's Scrapyard" and there is a shot of Tiny Tina (only she's not so tiny anymore!).  There's even a shot of Rhys from Tales From the Borderlands!  It's going to be very cool to see what role they play in the new game (and maybe Fiona and Sasha too--I can hope).

And, of course, there's the mention of OVER A BILLION different guns!  What's not to like about that?  And really, why aren't there more guns with legs?  C'mon!

Overall, I'm feeling excited at the prospect of a new game even though I've always had some mixed feelings about Borderlands.  I love the series for its quirky characters and macabre, bizarre sense of humor, but the gameplay can get a bit dull.  Maybe the critics are right to be a bit underwhelmed at the new trailer--it does appear that there are a lot of very familiar aspects--or maybe the critics are just being overly critical?  It remains to be seen.  One of my major fears for the series is that the obsession with making everything "BATTLE ROYALE!!!!" will spill over into the new game.

Another piece of exciting news accompanied the trailer--owners of the previous games will be getting a free, remastered version of all three!  The remaster will add in improved graphics for all three games, but will see the most changes coming to the original Borderlands.  The first game will get some of the better features of the later games--swappable character heads and skins, a better inventory system (with easy flagging for selling items and favorites), a minimap, and golden key chests.  These new features should make playing the first game, which is the weakest, more enjoyable.

The remastered games release on Steam on April 3rd, so mark your calendars and get ready for some lootin' shootin' fun!

Royally Cursed

I haven't had a ton of time to play this week, so I'm still trying to finish up my most recent revisit of The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine DLC.  I would highly recommend Blood and Wine to anyone (is there really anyone who hasn't played Blood and Wine?  I certainly hope not, but if that person is you, BUY IT!) who maybe bought a copy of TW3 and didn't grab the DLC.  I'm currently facing one of the biggest dilemmas of the DLC--what to do about Syanna?  (There will be definite spoilers.  The three of you who haven't played it yet--don't read ahead!)

First, I wanted to talk about some other exciting non-Witcher related news.  A few weeks ago it was announced that some new DLC was on the way for Two Point Hospital!  The Pebberley Island DLC looks to add three new hospital scenarios in tropical locales.  There are a bunch of whacky new diseases to treat and some unique settings (ancient ruins and unwalled hospital areas).  I, for one, did the naughty and pre-ordered it almost the second it appeared on Steam.  It releases on Monday (3/18) and I'm very excited to spend even more time managing hospitals.  If you've been on the fence about Two Point Hospital or simply would like to check it out, now is the perfect time!  It is currently having a free weekend on Steam and even features a unique infestation of headcrabs from the classic Half-Life series.  Here is the trailer for Pebberley Island:

Back to TW3:  Blood and Wine!

One of the toughest decisions of Blood and Wine surrounds duchess Anna Henrietta's estranged sister, Syanna.  Throughout the early part of the DLC, Geralt spends much of his time tracking down the monstrous murdered known as "The Beast," and learns that he is, in fact, a higher vampire.  Geralt's vampiric buddy Regis shows up and sheds some light on the issue of Detlaff van der Eretain.  Part of the puzzle is figuring out why he would commit the murders in the first place.  As Geralt progresses through the main storyline, it is revealed that someone has blackmailed Detlaff by kidnapping a human woman who he has fallen in love with and is using him to kill high-ranking members of the duchess's court.  A different thread of the main storyline reveals that Annarietta has an estranged sister who could possibly be back in Touissant...for some reason.  Geralt slowly unravels the mystery and it is revealed that the blackmailer is none other than Syanna herself.

Syanna is one of the more interesting characters in Blood and Wine.  According to what Annarietta tells Geralt, Syanna was born with the "curse of the black sun"--essentially she was born during an unfavorable lunar (solar? eclipse, maybe?) phase.  Witcher lore holds that people born during that phase are cruel, horrible people.  Syanna, it appears, has many of the characteristics of the curse.   The fact that she cruelly used Detlaff to brutally murder members of the royal court who had mistreated her, doesn't paint her in a favorable light.

The issue of Syanna might seem fairly straightforward, but it's really not.  Geralt informs Anarietta that Syanna was behind the blackmailing of "the beast," but the duchess will have none of it.  She demands that Geralt kill Detlaff and bring her his head.  She also demands that Syanna not be harmed--after all, she is still her sister.  Basically, you have a situation where Detlaff is the injured party and Syanna, the cruel abuser of his feelings, isn't to be harmed.  It's at this point that Detlaff loses patience and uses his power over lesser vampires to launch a brutal attack on the city of Beauclair.  Geralt has to choose exactly how he wants to deal with Detlaff--find Syanna and bring her to him so that they can hopefully work out their differences?  Or, find a more powerful vampire, known as a "hidden one," who can force Detlaff to stop his attack?  The second scenario means that Detlaff isn't going to be happy with the fact that he didn't get to confront Syanna.  A fight seems highly likely.  I decided to opt for finding Syanna (I know how both scenarios work out...).

One of the best parts of the main storyline in Blood and Wine is entering the "Land of a Thousand Fables;" an amazing illusion created by a powerful mage for the young duchesses.  The storybook inspired land features characters from classic children's stories--the wicked witch, Jack and the Beanstalk, the Three Little Pigs, and more!  In true Witcher style, the illusion has started to degrade and the denizens aren't very friendly towards Geralt.  He manages to track Syanna down inside the illusion and fight off attacks from various characters who aren't thrilled about his appearance.  Syanna reveals that the only way to escape the illusion is by finding the magical beans (which Annarietta has ordered scattered and hidden through the illusion) to create a beanstalk that will lead to the exit.

There are many opportunities to allow Syanna to tell her story throughout the time Geralt spends tracking down the beans.  Her story reveals the complicated nature of her relationship with the royal family of Toussaint;  she was treated as an outcast from the moment she was born.  She was abandoned by her own family--forcibly rounded up and abused by the group of knights ordered to take her by force and abandon her in a neighboring realm...as a child (and yes, the very knights who she had Detlaff hunt down and kill).  Her biggest crime is simply being born.

Syanna's story is very sad and you can't help but feel sorry for her...and yet, there's a definite streak of cruelty within her.  There's the fact that she has cruelly blackmailed Detlaff and used his feelings for her own purposes; the way that she deals with the characters in the Land of a Thousand Fables is none too gentle and they appear to be genuinely frightened of her;  she reveals that she was rescued by a group of bloodthirsty, robbing bandits in Nazair and rose through the ranks to become their leader.

If you've played through the scenario several times, you know that your choices around Syanna determine whether she lives or dies at the hands of Detlaff.  In the Land of a Thousand Fables, Geralt can purchase (or win a game of Gwent) a magical hair ribbon from Flint, the vendor.  Unbeknownst to Geralt, this hair ribbon provides magical protection for Syanna and can prevent her from being harmed by Detlaff.  Regardless of which you choose, you will be forced to face down Detlaff.  Within that fight there's another option--do you kill Detlaff or let him go?  Either option has potentially favorable or unfavorable outcomes (you just can't win!  It's one of the best parts of The Witcher 3).

The happiest ending.  It's not without its shortcomings though.

In letting Syanna live, Geralt learns that her murderous plans still seem to be in motion...and that they are particularly devious--she is targeting her own sister!  Saving her appears to have been a huge mistake.  With some skillful maneuvering involving dialogue, Geralt can convince Syanna to forgive Annarietta.  Both sisters live...granted, they aren't on the best terms and their relationship is now completely ruined for good.

In choosing to let Detlaff kill Syanna there are also multiple outcomes.  The best outcome is that Geralt can choose to let Detlaff flee (after all, he was used).  Annarietta is furious that you allowed her sister to be killed and that you let Detlaff flee.  She orders Geralt to be imprisoned for treason (luckily, Geralt is too skilled to wind up there for long.  He's definitely not going to be able to stay in Toussaint though). 

There's also a scenario where Geralt can let Syanna live AND let her carry out her murder of Annarietta.  Syanna gets her sweet revenge, but winds up being killed by Damien and the guards.  This option seems particularly brutal.

I Can't Stop Witchering

I still haven't finished Guacamelee! 2 despite the fact that I've probably played through 80-90% of the game.  I've been feeling like I'm a little in a "game hole" where I just can't settle on what I want to play.  The crazy part about this feeling is that the bulk of the time I end up settling on an old favorite that I've played a billion times.  This time around, that game is The Witcher 3.

What can I say about The Witcher 3 that I haven't already said?  It turns out that after 700 hours I can still gush about its magic.  Last summer I had begun my annual effort to replay the entire trilogy and had managed to play mostly through the series--I completed the main campaign in TW3, completed Hearts of Stone, and then had barely begun Blood and Wine--then, I got sidetracked by a new graphics card and a few new games.  Now, I've found myself gravitating back to Geralt's quest to solve the mystery of the "Beast" in the beautiful, sunny world of Toussaint.

I absolutely adore Blood and Wine as a DLC.  I love the fact that they created an environment that is decidedly less bleak and depressing than many of the others in the game.  The main storyline is fabulous and I've always enjoyed seeing Geralt reunite with his unlikely friend/higher vampire, Regis.  To me, Blood and Wine is TW3 equivalent of what the Citadel DLC was to Mass Effect 3--a lighthearted, fun way for fans to spend some quality time with their favorite heroes before saying goodbye.

One of the best features of Blood and Wine is the ability to acquire the rundown estate of Corvo Bianco.  With a bit of coin and some time, players can help Geralt restore the estate to its shining glory.  There aren't a ton of options for personalization, but players can choose paintings to hang throughout the residence.  Personally, I firmly believe that the following paintings should always be hung:

1.) Iris and Olgierd.  You can acquire this painting while finishing the main storyline in Hearts of Stone.  It's a great reminder of the tragic and heartbreaking story that is at the center of that DLC and looking at it makes me smile.

2.) Cranky Ciri.  There is a vendor in Beauclair (located near the grandmaster armorer) who mostly sells junk, but also sells a wide selection of paintings--one of those paintings is a copy that you see earlier in the game when interacting with Emhyr var Emreis--the painting depicts a young Ciri with a decidedly sour expression on her face (in my head, I imagine Ciri being cranky over being forced to wear a ridiculous dress and pose for the portrait).

3.) The White Wolf.  This painting is given to Geralt as a reward after completing the quest called Big Game Hunter.  As a side quest, I've always enjoyed Big Game Hunter--at first, it seems a little whacky that some rich guy wants Geralt to escort him around while he uses his magical photo box to snap pictures of wildlife. After you finish the quest line and agree to meet the Count to see the finished products from the expedition, you learn that his project is a very sweet mission to help his handicapped daughter experience the wider world.

4.) Hierarch Hemmelfart.  This painting is one that can be easy to lose due to the fact that you acquire it early in the game.  As part of the main storyline to track down Ciri, Geralt has to rescue Dandelion while he's being transported to jail.  After a brief chase, Dandelion hides out in a small, isolated cabin in the woods.  Once inside the cabin, Geralt runs across paint splatters and obvious signs of some sort of artistic endeavor.  After rescuing Dandelion, Geralt finds the occupants of the cabin waiting outside--a dwarf and a halfling who come clean about using the cabin to produce and sell illegal forgeries of paintings.  In exchange for Geralt's silence about their enterprise, they provide a copy of their bestselling work--the painting of Hierarch Hemmelfart.

5.) Portrait of the Witcher as an Old Man.  This painting is acquired after completing a quest line that can be randomly discovered while strolling through Beauclair.  Geralt is propositioned by a painter who tells him that he's the perfect subject for a painting--he then agrees to meet the painter so that they can find the ideal location and light for the creation of the work.  One of the fun parts of this quest is that Geralt can choose his pose--in the past, I've always opted to give Geralt a very heroic pose; atop a mount, brandishing a sword.  This time, I wanted to try something silly, so I chose to have Geralt reclining on the ground.  The quest involves the interruption of the painting session by a random griffin attack.  Once the griffin has been slain, Geralt can agree to have it painted into the portrait.  The end result of my new choice is this stunning portrait, which makes me giggle every time I look at it--it's absolutely ridiculous and perfect for the bedroom of Corvo Bianco.

One of the other goals of my numerous playthroughs is to find things that I've missed.  I recently stumbled across another piece of Corvo Bianco that I've missed ALL THESE TIMES!  If you pay attention to the doorway outside the entrance to the hidden alchemy lab, you will notice a small pedestal.  If you pay even closer attention, you will notice that the the "use" message will pop-up.  I has an idea what it was probably for...and I was right!  If you complete the side quest called Great Balls of Granite (which, like the painting mission I usually stumble upon while walking through Beauclair) you are rewarded with a smaller version of the statue that you are tasked with repairing.  Unfortunately for me, I had already sold the statue and it was long gone.  Here is a picture of the pedestal and its location:

Here is what the statue actually looks like when placed:

I hope you have as much fun decorating your new witcher pad as I always do :)

Classic Remastered

It has been a bit of a weird week for me--thanks to an extreme inundation of snow I had many extra hours to spend gaming.  Rather than actually finish Guacamelee! 2 (le sigh), I found myself thinking about StarCraft.  A couple of years ago Blizzard gave away free copies of the 1998 RTS classic as a way to promote the newly remastered version that was soon to be released.  For some odd reason, this fact popped into my head and I decided to fire up my Battle.net account (and endure the oodles of updates) and see what the deal was.  Since the remastered version was only $15.99, I decided to give it a whirl.  Since then, I've been bungling my way through the campaign and realizing that I'm truly horrible at RTS games.  I'm making progress, but it definitely feels like my incompetence is making things more difficult.

I can't even remember the last time I played StarCraft.  There's no way that it was way back in 1998...but it's very possible.  The remaster has remained true to the general story arc in campaign mode, but I keep getting the creeping feeling that there are some definite differences--some missions feel more fleshed out and tied in with the bigger story that expands throughout the three parts of the StarCraft 2 campaigns.  There are many familiar faces that represent the main characters in the series--James Raynor, Sarah Kerrigan, and Zeratul namely--but there are others that I absolutely do not remember--Zasz and Daggoth are two Zerg cerebrates who help give voice to the Zerg storyline; Tassadar and Fenix are two Protoss characters who also feel new to me.

The loading screen features some of the updated characters and models
that appear in the remaster.

I've also noted that some of the missions feel new or at least unfamiliar.  An added bonus is that they have included some units that were not part of the original game--as I played through the Zerg campaign I realized that they had added in Nydus canals which were introduced in SC2.  There are other aesthetic differences that players will immediately note--Kerrigan has been updated to look more like the character from SC2 and also like the Queen of Blades--a reference that was never in the original SC.  There's also more dialogue during missions which helps to shed light on the overall story.

Not everything is new and improved though--notably, the cutscenes have remained the same and still have a very 1998 feel.  Since Blizzard cutscenes have always been some of my favorites, I was really hoping that they would be updated to reflect the changes in SC2.  Maybe it's a good thing that they kept some of the flavor of the original.

The nice thing about the remaster is that it also includes the Brood War expansion.  I'm still not completely through the original campaign and have quite a bit left to play.  Overall, my impressions of the remaster have been positive and make me feel excited about the upcoming Warcraft:  Reforged which is supposed to be out this year.  One of the other nice options is that if you're not feeling the remaster you can change the settings to have the game remain in the original 1998 version.

It has been sad hearing about the layoffs at Blizzard and playing StarCraft has been a nice reminder of the magic they have created.  I can't imagine a gaming world that doesn't include Blizzard.  I hope they regain their mojo.