Next-Gen Witchering Ain't All it's Cracked Up to Be

I'm just not one of those people who care deeply about the most uber-graphics settings for my games, so the next-gen update to The Witcher 3 wasn't earthshattering news.  I finally decided to get around to checking it out to see what it has to offer.  True to form, it offers a whole smattering of fancy new graphics settings.  Last time I tried to change the settings (when it was first released), it crashed it right to desktop.  The initial release for the next-gen update was pretty rocky, but those issues have been fixed.  To tweak the settings to be "optimized," I decided to use the NVIDIA GeForce Experience to pick the best settings.  It, of course, opted to turn on ray tracing, which I would normally skip.  My poor GPU, which always ran smooth as silk, sounded a little bit strained under the new settings.  So, since I don't really care about the very slight difference in shadow quality and whatnot, I opted to turn the settings back down into a comfortable "medium" range of settings.  My GPU immediately thanked me, but I started to notice some weirdness that I've never experienced before.  Firstly, there are occasionally some weird sort of flashy, line-like visual disturbances near the bottom of my screen (possibly some light screen tearing).  It's annoying mostly.

Just leave poor Geralt alone!

The other thing I noticed after I lowered the settings was the fact that some textures seemed to not load.  I mostly noticed this during cutscenes in story missions.  Again, it's something I never experienced prior to this update, but was another documented technical issue with earlier versions of the next-gen update.

So, needless to say, I've been a bit disappointed with this "update."  I want my old, normal version of TW3 back--it worked perfectly fine and had no issues (for me).  I've also had a few crashes (which seem to have stopped now that I've lowered the settings).  Just be aware that if you're going to crank up the ol' graphics settings, you might have some problems you didn't have before.

The Powerwash/Witcher Combo

After finishing up all the available content for the fabulous Powerwash Simulator, I decided that it was finally time to check out the "next-gen" update to one of my faves, The Witcher 3.  Back in December, CD Projekt announced the release of a graphically revamped version.  Besides the updated graphics, they also promised a few other added goodies to draw players back into the massive world of The Witcher.  I've been spending some time with good ol' Geralt in an effort to see if all these new, improved features have actually changed much.

My new adventure didn't start off well as there were a slate of technical issues back when the update was first released.  I tried to turn on ray tracing and it immediately crashed to desktop (a common issue at the time).  After that, I decided that messing with the fancy graphics probably wasn't worth it and decided to wait awhile.  Several patches later and most of the performance issues seem to have been sorted out.  Honestly, I'm not really in it for the sparkly graphics updates, but the added and improved content.

What's new?

The new Valley of a Thousand Flowers armor set.

+ You can claim two bonus epic armor sets for Geralt.  Both sets are low-level and nicely fill the weird early game gap between leaving White Orchard and making progress through Velen.  My early level Geralts were always a bit scruffy between levels 5ish and level 11 when you can start crafting Witcher gear sets.  The new armor sets have a nice look--one is a black and white themed number while the other has a sort of samurai-style vibe.  It's a nice change to gearing up in the early game.

+FINALLY they have put a fast travel point in the actual keep part of Crow's Nest!  Here's the *but* though--it only appears after you've completed the main Velen storyline (which makes sense because of story reasons).  I would highly recommend knocking out the main story first to unlock the ability to use this very handy fast travel point.

+ Some changes to Gwent cards.  They've added a card for the best character, Roach!  Plus, there's also some updated artwork and a few changes to certain card abilities.  I haven't noticed a drastic difference in how the matches actually play out though, so it's nothing too crazy.

The new White Tiger of the West set.

+ There are ties to Netflix's The Witcher series (which, sadly, lost it's Henry Cavill, so I will no longer be watching).  I was pleasantly surprised when I was doing my location clearing sweep in Velen and discovered a new quest at the Devil's Pit.  This new side mission is a meaty one that offers up a dose of Church of the Eternal Fire wickedness and a new monster to fight.  The reward--potential designs for a Witcher Armor set inspired by the armor style from the Netflix series.  Of course, you have to wait until you can travel to Kaer Mohren to find the designs.

+ Photo mode!  Another FINALLY kind of thing!  I need to start grabbing some nice shots of Geralt because the lack of photo mode in the past has kept me from snapping pics.

If you haven't played The Witcher 3 in awhile, this update might be a great opportunity to start another epic adventure.

In other news, Powerwash Simulator released an update that offers up a few new bonus jobs as part of the "Muckingham Files."  There are three new locations to clean up--a massive satellite dish, a filthy food truck, and a strange solar installation.  They also released a roadmap for future development that indicates that there will be some paid DLC coming out at some point.  I'm extremely excited for the possibility of even more powerwashing!

A Graphical Revolution...Maybe?

The flaming hot news of the week was CyberPunk 2077's addition of a super fancy-shmancy new graphics mode:  ultra-super awesome fabulous mode!  Okay, it's not called that, but instead "Ray Tracing:  Overdrive Mode."  So, what exactly is it?  Well, unless you're one of the folks with a top of the line NVIDIA GPU, you ain't gonna find out--at least not in the game because this "uber" mode only works with 40 series GPU's.  Luckily, you can experience the shocking difference in quality by look at all the comparison screenshots being posted--such as this one of everyone's favorite ripper doc, Viktor Vektor.

Boring ol' RTX Viktor

Fancy-shmancy Viktor

Can you see the dramatic difference?  Yeah, me either.  It doesn't exactly make me want to run out and drop a large amount of cash on a new GPU so I can have...slightly more realistic lighting.  I was a bit miffed that I had to download a 20 gig patch for a feature that I can't even use.  Why couldn't it have been an optional patch for those who can actually use it?

Pam is right.

Even though I find this "technology preview" stuff to be ridiculous, I'll still defend the rest of the game--even with its non-ray-traced boring lighting.

To the Death! Defending "Bad" Games

Although I cannot find it now, I read a recent gaming piece where the author posited the question--what "bad" or hated games would you die on a hill for?  I think we all have at least one game that we love but which other people will sort of roll their eyes at.  It didn't even take me a second to think of mine--it'd have to be CyberPunk 2077.

There are plenty of reasons for people to hate CyberPunk with the chief one being the infamously disastrous release.  And, I agree, people had a completely valid reason to be upset at the buggy mess that the game was in its initial state.  I think many people then chose to completely walk away from the game and disregard it.  Eventually, some of them came back, but I think the release poisoned the experience for a lot of people.  Fortunately, I was not one of them and chose to wait until I started reading that it was stable and playable.

Another reason why I think some people dislike CyberPunk is due to some design choices and the way that people play the game.  I vaguely remember reading an article in the lead up to its release where CD Projekt specifically touted the fact that they were making the main CP storyline much shorter than in The Witcher 3 due to the fact that they had some sort of internal statistics that indicated that a surprisingly large number of people didn't finish it.  In another sort of opinion-y piece a gamer related to the fact that he hated CP because he played it the way that many gamers (apparently) do and just buzzed through the main storyline and ignored the side content.  I have to admit, if I had played CP that way, I wouldn't have liked it either--I found the main storyline to be short--I remember accidentally triggering the "point of no return" message and being shocked that it was already happening.  The endings and choices were a bit underwhelming (and I played through all of them--even the suicide mission one).

One of my many V's.

To me, the best parts of CP are found in outside of the main storyline.  It boggles my mind that someone wouldn't want to do the companion side quests and get to know the characters better--those are some of the best missions--diving with Judy in Laguna Bend, helping Panam steal a freakin' tank, tracking down a serial killer with River, or helping Kerry work through his midlife crisis.  It's from those missions that you get a much fuller picture of the characters and world, so skipping them would make you miss out on so much.  There are other great side missions too--racing with Claire or helping Jefferson Peralez with his "surveillance" issues.  Heck, even though there's an annoying number of them, the scanner jobs have some redeeming qualities when it comes to helping to explain the word of CP.

CyberPunk has been through a bit of a redemption arc and has seen its popularity surge thanks to CD Projekt's continuing effort to sort out the messy state of the game (it didn't deserve the "labor of love" award though--just sayin').  That poison taste in the mouths of so many seems to have dissipated and many are anticipating news of the Phantom Liberty DLC (supposedly being released this year).  Maybe the DLC will give CyberPunk a boost out of the "hated" category?  We will see.

PowerWash the World!

I've recently spent an embarrassingly large amount of time playing the new, zen-classic PowerWash Simulator--I've virtually power washed a stunning array of objects and feel like I've experienced the bulk of what the game has to offer.  For such a weirdly niche game, I've got to say, it's impressive.  There's still more for me to wash, but I figured I'd write up a review in case anyone else is desperately searching for a game about power washing (a huge audience, I'm sure).

What is it?

A FPPW (first-person powerwasher) where your goal is to grow your budding power washing business by taking jobs to clean up a variety of disgustingly dirty homes, vehicles, and other items/locations.  There are multiple gameplay modes (which I will explain) but the core of the game lies in career mode--a mode where you complete jobs, collect pay, and then unlock other jobs (of varying complexity).  The gameplay consists of literally spraying surfaces clean--the real challenge lies in the fact that many of the surfaces you clean are complex with all kinds of obnoxious nooks and crannies that must be lovingly squirted with pressurized water.  Each job is rated on a five star scale and earning all five stars can be a bit irritating, but is highly satisfactory.  As you complete jobs you earn money based on how thoroughly you cleaned (earning five stars pays the highest amount) and can upgrade your gear with more powerful washers, a set of extensions to help you reach even the tallest targets, and even an array of cosmetic items to upgrade your look (there's nothing more badass than a lightning-streaked sprayer, right?)

Pros:

+ A surprising amount of gameplay.  I figured it'd be fairly short--and sure, maybe if you just want to bust through jobs and not go for five stars it would play much quicker.  Besides career mode there's also other gameplay modes--there are bonus jobs that can be completed repeatedly (if you want to earn extra cash after you've finished career mode), there's a free-play mode where you can replay levels (for no pay though), and there's a challenge mode where players must attempt to complete levels with only a limited amount of water or as quickly as they can.

+ Fun locations with lots of variety.  A medieval-themed mini-golf course, a gnome themed fountain (I truly hate gnome fountain!), a supposedly haunted house...you aren't just cleaning the same generic places.

+ The overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam are warranted.  If you're looking for a relaxing, low-pressure kind of game, look no further.  On the surface, it sounds like a silly game, but there's something oddly satisfying about cleaning up all those mucky messes and then seeing the sparklingly clean product.  It's even more enjoyable when it's something that's vibrantly colored--like the playground level.

+ There's a bit of a story weaved throughout the jobs you do.  You unlock new jobs by completing jobs to a certain level and receive text messages from clients who need your cleaning expertise.  There's a cast of goofy characters who all need your help...and there's a missing cat who you can track through many of the different jobs.

Cleaning up the mayor's house is no joke.

+ You can upgrade your gear with more powerful washers, special extension tools, and soap sprayers.  There are also multiple cosmetic upgrades for your character (who you really can only see at the end of the level)--you can unlock a variety of colored gloves, suits, and skins for your washer.

+At the end of each level you can watch a brief gif that shows a time lapsed recording of your clean-up efforts.  It's fun!  It'd be even better if it was saved, but alas, it's not.

+ There's no music, so it's perfect for popping on your favorite tunes or podcasts.  I love throwing on a podcast and letting it be the background.

+ Auto-saves and the ability to play as much or little as you want with few worries.

+ Free DLC!  So far there have been two bonus locations added and, they have fun tie-ins to other video games.  One is Croft Manor (you know...of Lara Croft fame) and the other is Midgar themed (which I am unfamiliar with but apparently it's related to Final Fantasy).

+ The opportunity to participate in a video game research study--with some cosmetic perks!  Although this project just recently closed, I was able to participate and unlocked several unique cosmetic items.  Hopefully they offer up another opportunity for players who missed out on their chance.

+ You can co-op clean with a friend/spouse/random stranger!

Cons:

- Occasionally irritating to figure out exactly where the last little bit of dirt is to five-star a job.  There is an ability to briefly, visually toggle the visibility of dirt but finding the exact little nook or cranny can be enough to make you grit your teeth in an otherwise relaxing game.  There is a handy menu that shows you how clean each object in the level is, but sometimes when there are 22 objects labelled "timber beam" it will require you to traverse the entire level and analyze every beam in the level to look for the tiniest speck of dirt.  I guess that's the price you pay for perfectionism though.

- Rare, weird stuttering.  Every once in a great while my character will all of a sudden just jerk up toward the sky for no reason.  I've seen some complaints about stuttering, but have only experienced it a few times.

Recommendation:

If you are looking for an oddly enjoyable, low-pressure relaxing game, I would highly recommend PowerWash Simulator.  There's plenty of gameplay with tons of unique locations and objects to clean.  Cleaning in real-life is never this enjoyable.