Inflation, Inflation

Anyone who has to do any kind of shopping--especially grocery shopping--has undoubtedly been experiencing the frustration of rolling up to the checkout and getting slammed with a bill that is much higher than it used to be.  (Related note:  I listen to a daily news podcast by NPR and they do a shopping study at Wal-Mart each year where they buy the same items and then compare how much prices have changed--the latest number...23%!  So when we hear that inflation is only 7%...umm, maybe for the things that we don't buy all the time.  It's deeply frustrating--and I probably shouldn't complain, there are people in many other countries who deal with much higher rates of inflation).  So, even though my brain knows that everything basically costs more right now, I still had a very disarmed moment when I started seeing game prices at $69.99.  I suppose that costs could be rising for the companies producing out games...but it just feels like more pain in the ol' wallet and another thing to make you think twice about how much you really want a game.

You're gonna have to pay $69.99 for your Harry Potter action.

My first piece of advice to the gamers our there who are feeling the pinch--patience is a virtue.  The amount of time that you need to wait before that new hot game goes on sale seems to be drastically shorter than it was in the past.  Take Marvel's Midnight Suns--a game that I read many positive reviews about--it's already 40% off and it has only been out for 2 months.  It's also better to wait for the sake of performance--just take a quick minute to think about how many games are released in...let's just say in a  less than ideal playable state. Avoiding the frustration of early bugs and issues is well worth the wait--nowadays issues are generally patched relatively quickly.  I also think it's better to wait just to see if a game will be worth the money--I like to wait for player reviews to start rolling out.  Most of the time they are spot-on (there have been a few though that haven't panned out).

I can't wait for the day when prices start dropping--who knows exactly when or if that will happen, but seeing these $69.99 games is making me worried that maybe we're just seeing the beginning of this trend.  Let's all keep our fingers-crossed that these are just one-offs on highly anticipated triple-A titles.

Update:  Apparently I can't read, because it pretty clearly states that the $69.99 price is for the "deluxe" edition.  There actually is the plain ol' regular edition for $59.99!  In my defense though, I've only seen the "deluxe" edition pop up on my Epic Games store feed--never the regular edition.  It's irritating that they are pushing the pricier edition and not the base game.  I'd still wait for a sale--then maybe you can get your sweet hippogriff mount for 40% off.

It's Strange...

After wrapping up some joyous Nazi slaying in the Wolfenstein series I decided that I should try to work on my Epic Games backlog.  I do love snagging up free games....only for them to sit unplayed, which is a shame.  One of the highlights of the Epic giveaways is the fact that they tend to save the best for holidays--last year on Christmas day they gave away Grand Theft Auto V.  You might be thinking...who hasn't played GTAV, but the giveaway was so popular that the Rockstar log-in servers were a nightmare (and, yuck to having to use third-party log-ins/launchers).  In the most recent Christmas giveaway the game up for grabs was Death Stranding and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to snag it.  I am not familiar with Hideo Kojima games and had seen some of the buzz back when the game came out.  In the end though...it's free, so why not give it a try.  And try, I have--I've been having a strangely enjoyable time.

Sam and BB pose outside an outpost in Death Stranding.

It's hard to even know exactly how to classify Death Stranding--I've seen it jokingly referred to as a "walking simulator," but it's definitely deeper than than.  The core story revolves around the character Sam "Porter" Bridges (who is modeled and voiced by the actor Norman Reedus of The Walking Dead fame) who has the relatively simple job of basically being a delivery man.  It's not that simple though...the world has been semi-destroyed by a phenomenon known as the "Death Stranding" an apocalyptic event that has shattered the connections of the world and left people isolated.  It also introduced new dangers that make it virtually impossible for regular people to venture outside of their homes and shelters--strange monster-like beings called "BT's" are a serious threat.  BT's are invisible to most people and tend to appear in areas affected by another post-apocalyptic phenomenon...timefall.  It looks like regular rain, but it causes anything it falls on to age--this includes human skin.  Most people are forced to hunker down and are completely reliant on porters to deliver the supplies vital to survival.  (**There are a lot of other strange aspects to the story around death and how it has changed, but I'm still not completely sure about quite a bit of it--I'm hoping as I progress that I learn more)

Luckily, certain individuals are effected by a condition known as DOOM's (there hasn't been much explanation in the game about what exactly it is--a genetic condition?  A viral one?  Who knows!) that allows them to detect BT's (...and, depending on how deeply they are impacted by DOOM's can also give them other abilities).  Sam is one of those lucky individuals which gives him a leg up in the porter industry--he can avoid the nasties and safely deliver his packages.  His special abilities and talent as a porter find him summoned to see none other than the former president of the United States (well, sort of...the U.S. shattered when the Death Stranding happened and there hasn't been a unified system).  Players learn a bit about Sam's background (that I won't spoil here) and find him in the position of being requested to help aid in the process of reconnecting the shattered remnants of the United States.  He's perfect for the job thanks to his unique condition.  Even though he is reluctant, he agrees to the task.

Look--the story is very strange and it has just gotten weirder.  Sam is accompanied by an unborn baby in a special pod known as a "BB."  BB's are useful tools that can help with BT detection and are viewed as equipment...not human.  Sam's BB also causes Sam to have flashbacks from the BB's memory--the actor Mads Mikkelsen models and voices BB's father--and there's some indication that BB's father might still be alive somewhere.

The gameplay manages to be relatively simple, but also more complex.  After Sam has reconnected locations, his main task is to deliver items.  Each order consists of a certain number of items and carrying them over the sometimes challenging terrain can be difficult.  Sam's cargo has to be aligned well or else he can tumble to the ground...potentially damaging the items for delivery.  He also has to contend with a variety of dangers--BT's, whose creepy invisibility is deeply unnerving and MULE's--humans who are obsessed with stealing cargo and will freely attack and steal items if Sam ventures into their territory.  Some deliveries are straightforward, while others might require you to creep through a BT infested zone to collect lost items.

At first, I was very weirded out by Death Stranding--the story is just so bizarre and very little of it has been adequately explained.  The part that kept me playing was the gameplay--it's strangely enjoyable to figure out new, more efficient paths to deliver items or to escape from a near-miss encounter with BT's.  I'm not sure that Death Stranding will be everyone's cup of tea, but I've been having quite a bit of fun guiding Sam around the beautiful, scarred landscape in Death Stranding.

Working Through Ye Olde Backlog--Wolfenstein: The New Order

I have a habit of occasionally grabbing the Epic Games giveaway games--the titles up on offer are surprisingly good around the major sale dates.  Unfortunately this also means that I wind up with a decently sized backlog of games that wind up gathering dust.  Over the holiday break I finished playing the fantastic Pentiment and was looking for something new to play.  During one of the past sales I had grabbed Wolfenstein: The New Order on a whim and decided that indulging in some light Nazi slaying sounded pretty fun.  I'm not big into shooters, but I actually found myself having a dandy time with The New Order.

The faceless Nazi foot soldier of the New Order.

What is it?

A first-person shooter set in an alternate history timeline where the Nazis actually win World War II and have taken over the entire world.  You play as William "B.J." Blazkowicz, the square jawed, muscle bound, born Nazi killing machine.  There's actually a decent storyline and more than just slaying a bunch of Nazis.

How long does a playthrough take?

I was pleasantly surprised at the length of the game--I believe it clocked in around 14-18 hours.  I would try to find what collectibles I could, but I didn't spend a ton of time searching.  I expected it to be much shorter.

Pros:

+ The shooting and action in the game is a lot of fun.  The New Order was released in 2014, so it's not a shiny, new title, but it still looks good and plays well.  It's pretty standard FPS fare--it's not cover-based, you have health and armor and your goal is to mow down any Nazis that get in your way.

+ The environments offer up a view of the alternate Nazi-ruled world and the story plays out in a wide-variety of locations--huge castles/complexes, the cramped headquarters of the Kreisau resistance, a gigantic Nazi submarine...it's definitely fun to see where B.J. ends up.

+ Figuring out the best way to take out a commander--and even failing--was a lot of fun.  Commanders are unique NPC's who have the ability to trigger an alarm and call in backup squads if they are alerted.  Basically, if you don't want to fight a gaggle of Nazis you need to take them out quickly.  It's very satisfying to sneak around and kill them before they can trigger an alarm...but the chaos when they do trigger an alarm is almost more fun.

+ The cast of characters is surprisingly interesting.  There's Fergus, the bulletproof Scotsman; Caroline, the feisty leader of the resistance; Max Hass, a mentally disabled German giant who was rescued from the murder squads by a former Nazi (and fellow resistance member)...and many more.  I was surprised--most shooters offer up very little in terms of the story and characters.

+ Replayability.  There are numerous types of collectibles and gathering them all definitely requires multiple playthroughs (you know, unless you use guides).  It's very easy to go back and replay an area because the game does offer chapter selection.

+ There are a variety of Nazi baddies to fight and several challenging boss fights.  From the average foot soldier all the way up to the dreaded Super soldier.

Cons:

- Yes, there's a story and it's actually better than what I expected for a shooter, but there are some absolutely ridiculous aspects of that story.  I don't want to spoil anything (even though it is an almost 9 year old game), but you just sort of have tell yourself that it's a bit like watching an action movie--not everything is going to be realistic.  The Nazi leaders are comically evil.

- I disliked the weapon selection wheel and found it to be difficult to use.  It slows down gameplay and I would much rather mash the number keys to swap out guns.  There's also an option to dual-wield weapons--you have to sacrifice your mobility--that I did not enjoy.

Recommendation:

While it's no DOOM, The New Order does offer up a satisfying singleplayer-shooter experience.  The amount of gameplay was surprising and mostly enjoyable.  You just have to sort of scoff at the more ridiculous parts of the story and remember that in the end Wolfenstein is a game about shooting an almost endless number of Nazi baddies--and it does Nazi killing really well.  For a game that I received for free--but, also one that can be found on the very cheap during sales, it's a fun singleplayer shooter that will scratch that shooter itch that pops up from time to time.

It's Just so Good! Pentiment

Sure, I enjoy a good triple-A game just as much as the next person--there's nothing quite like sparkly graphics and fancy gameplay.  However, I don't often find myself walking away from triple-A game with a sense of wonder and that true "wow" feeling--you know, the one where you immediately want to start over and try to experience it all over again.  Recently, I experienced this feeling after finishing up the very excellent Pentiment.

What is it?

A choice-based, point-and-click game set in 16th century Bavaria.  The game is designed to look like a living, illuminated manuscript so it has a unique visual style.  You play as Andreas Maler, an artist who has taken a commission for artwork to appear in an illuminated manuscript.  The art of illuminated manuscripts is a dying one (largely thanks to the invention of the printing press), so Andreas has ended up in one of the last places that still has a working scriptorium--the abbey of Kiersau near the village of Tassing.  Unfortunately for Andreas, a tragic murder occurs and he finds himself pulled into the investigation and consequences related to it.  It's your job as the player to investigate the murder...and try to solve it.  This isn't a straightforward task and other events also start spinning out of control.  As you make choices, the consequences play out in the story.

How long does a playthrough take?

I would estimate around 20 hours.  I sort of messed up at the beginning of the game and didn't do as much exploring and talking to other folks as I should have--that might have added some playtime.

Pros:

+ The story is choice-based and very well-written.  There are many difficult choices to make and the consequences of your choices play out in the story.  It is text-based, so there's plenty to read, but, again, it's an engaging read.

+ It is designed to look like an illuminated manuscript and has a fun visual style.  If I has played it before the Steam Awards had happened, I definitely would've nominated it for the visual style award.

+ As a history teacher, I appreciated the fact that it was set in a specific historical period and that the events of the time were reflected in the game.  No, it's not a history game, but the village of Tassing definitely finds itself in the middle of the major events of the time--the Protestant Reformation has started and much of Europe is dealing with a huge religious schism that also impacts the social order of the day.  Peasants find themselves swept up in these changes and revolts break out across Europe.  It's definitely a tumultuous period, historically speaking.

+ Players get to choose Andreas' background and skills.  These choices allow Andreas to access certain knowledge--for example, I chose for Andreas to be interested in medicine and nature.  At one point in the story, Andreas was able to use his medical knowledge to try to defend someone against accusations of murder.  There are multiple backgrounds to choose and each offers up certain advantages that can impact the story.  It's also fun that you get to choose them throughout the story and not just at the beginning.

+ No quicksaves or manual saves.  The choices you make are final--there's no way to undo them unless you re-play the story.  This might be infuriating to some people, but I found it invigorating.  In way too many games it gets really easy to go back and undo a choice.  Every decision I made in Pentiment made me feel uneasy, and that's not a bad thing...there should be uncertainty about the consequences of your choices rather than a convenient quicksave to undo an outcome that you don't like.

+ The cast of characters in the game are interesting and fun to talk to.  Andreas, the main character throughout most of the story, is great--he's a bit listless and unsure of himself.  You learn more about his background and self-doubt through his dreams...where he finds himself having conversations with saints and historical figures from the time period.  Talking to the villagers, monks, and nuns is vital as you are able to find side missions and learn more about the events taking place.

+ The music in the game is pleasant and also reflects the historical period.  The cantor in the abbey has a beautiful voice and you shouldn't skip the opportunities to have him sing.

+ You can pet all the village and abbey dogs and cats!  There's even a chance that a choice you make has an outcome related to some of them.

You can pet the dog!  (And all the village cats too!)

Cons:

- If you're one of those "keep reading out of games" types, this one ain't for you.  There's no voice acting and you have to read all the dialogue.  Stick to Call of Duty.

- Your choices are final.  You're stuck with them.  I think some people won't like this feature, but I liked it.

Recommendation:

Pentiment is one of the games that you should believe the hype about.  I played through the story and then immediately wanted to start over (...mostly to see if I could make better choices, but also just because it's that good).  The story and characters are well-written and you really do find yourself invested in the outcome for the village of Tassing and its inhabitants.  I would pay full piece for this gem.