My Favorite Video Game Romances

In honor of Valentine's Day I decided to reflect on my favorite video game romances.  Having the ability to form fictional romantic attachments in video games might not be something that all gamers seek out or enjoy, but I'll fully admit that it's something I enjoy (and it seems like many people do enjoy given the number of gripes/complaints about romantic options that I see online).

#3: V and Judy Alvarez in CyberPunk 2077

There's just something about Judy...

I've always enjoyed Judy Alvarez as a character--she's a great example of CD Projekt's ability to write flawed, but still engaging characters.  Judy's idealism is her biggest flaw--she feels a fierce sense of protection for all the dolls/sex workers and winds up involving V in a crazy plot to take on a powerful gang that controls a local sex club in order to replace the leadership with Judy's very untrustworthy ex (who, of course, has her own plans).  The entire plan backfires and nothing turns out the way it was planned. For me, part of Judy's allure is her blind idealism--she's passionate about her closest friends (who happen to be mostly dolls/sex workers) and is willing to go to the mat for them...even if it means potentially catastrophic consequences.

#2: Geralt of Rivia and Triss Merigold in The Witcher series

I'm fully aware that this is a bit of a hot take and that there's plenty of good reason to shun Triss as an option (the main reason being that Triss basically takes advantage of the fact that Geralt has amnesia to pursue a relationship with him).  With that said though, I've always found Triss to be so much sweeter and more affable than the haughty, self-serving (but still smokin' hot) Yennefer of Vengerberg.  I've always highly enjoyed the masquerade quest in The Witcher 3 and the ability to opt to kiss Triss and share a highly romantic moment.  There's always that inkling of doom lurking in the background though--the Rose of Remembrance that Geralt gives to Triss is supposed to permanently bloom as long as there is love between the giver and recipient.  When Geralt finds the rose early on in TW3 it is wilted and dying, so there's that though.

#1: FemShep and Liara in Mass Effect

Liara is another character that I read many complaints about.  Many gamers feel like BioWare sort of automatically angles you toward her (although let's be real...your options in the original game are very limited to begin with).  Personally, I also feel like the Asari species was designed to be mush more appealing--who wouldn't want to romance a species of beautiful, blue alien ladies?  I still find Liara to be an enjoyable character to get to know and watch grow throughout the course of the three games.  She starts off as a very awkward academic type who has spent much of her life on digsites and is just learning to interact with other aliens.  When she finally appears in the second game, as an information broker in Ilium, she immediately demonstrates how much her confidence and skills have grown as she implores Shep & Co. to go after one of the most illusive and powerful entities in the galaxy--the Shadow Broker.  By the third game she has proven herself to be a confident and capable leader who is still vulnerable about her own family issues (a mom that betrayed the galaxy to help the Reapers--that's a real bummer) while using her influence as the new Shadow Broker to help build a super weapon that could save the galaxy.  I just find Liara to be another likable and well written character who has some of the best animated glances in video gaming.

Whether your romances happen in the digital world or real life, I hope everyone has an enjoyable Valentine's Day.  Even if it's not your favorite holiday, at least it's a good excuse to eat some heart-shaped candy.

Frosty Cult Leading in the Woolhaven DLC

I am a big fan of the oddball cult leading adventures in Cult of the Lamb so was excited when a new DLC was announced.  Just this last week I finished up the "Woolhaven" DLC, so it's time to talk about it.  Should you shell out the ol' buckaroonies for some more sheepy cult leading fun times?

What is it?

A "full-length" DLC for the base Cult of the Lamb game.  It introduces a brand new area, called Woolhaven, and sets our beloved lamb on an adventure to uncover the story of a new goddess known as Yngya.

How much playtime can I expect?

Depending on your playstyle (someone who just focuses on the main story vs. a completionist who does it all), I'd estimate that it adds somewhere around ~10-20 hours.

Pros:

+ Two new combat zones.  The main story involves completing a path (similar to the combat areas in the base game) through a zone known as the Rot or Ewefall.  Similar to the base game you navigate a series of rooms and get to choose your path through various challenges at the end of each area.  There are new mini-bosses and new weapons.  The Rot is a sort of disgusting, mutated goo-filled region that is tied to events in the main story.  Ewefall is more aligned with the winter theme of the DLC and you face off against new enemies in the form of various wolven baddies.

+ New weapons and curses.  There's a new flail but also a series of "legendary" weapons that can be unlocked as part of quests found in Woolhaven.

+ Winter is coming.  Woolhaven introduces the winter seasonal shift to the base game.  When winter arrives you need to build a special furnace that is fueled by rot (a resource you collect in the Rot) in order to keep your cultists from freezing.  If your cultists freeze, they can be unfrozen using a special new baptismal font (that requires items from the Ewefall zones).  If you don't unfreeze them, they stay frozen throughout the duration of the entire winter season (they don't do jobs or worship...they're just frozen).  Your crops freeze and farming is limited during the winter.  Basically, it throws a bit of a survival wrench into the base game.  The winter season only lasts so long though and eventually things thaw out and its back to business as usual.

As you progress through the game the winter season gets harsher and periodically blizzards roll through.  During a blizzard your cultists will stay in their shelters and do no work until it's over.  You can grow chili peppers which let you cook a hot dish that can keep your cultists from freezing.

+ Introduction of a new cult activity--ranching.  You can now build a ranch where you can raise a number of different critters that provide a new resource, wool.  Wool is used to unlock special buildings and events in Woolhaven.  It is harvest from fuzzy critters that you raise on your ranch.  You can also raise critters that provide basic resources (seeds, crystals, and spider silk).  Ranching involves keeping your animals alive by feeding them and raising their level by petting and walking them.

The New Woolhaven zone adds lots of new quests and content.

+ Tons of stuff to do in Woolhaven.  Besides the base story there are also special quest givers that have several quest chains.  One of those buildings unlocks a new silly game (similar to the dice game) where you face off against different foes to unlock special game pieces.  There are also the graves of various lamb-y heroes from the past which require different amounts of wool to unlock and reward new capes for the lamb (so far they don't have any special abilities though--they're just cosmetic).

+ New follower forms and types.  You can find "rotten" followers as you navigate the Rot.  These followers only live for a short time but they provide special rewards and resources (their poop is highly useful!)  There are also several different new animal forms such as a snow leopard.

+ New winter themed doctrines.  

+ New winter themed decorations for your home base.  This includes an icy theme for your chapel.

+ Exorcise those bad traits!  One of the new buildings you can add to your base is an exorcism platform where you can swap out follower traits.  It's totally random what they get replaced with but it's a way to get rid of the more obnoxious traits.

+ A new main story with two new big bosses to take down.

+ Base expansion is possible.  You can pay a new star-nosed mole character to add a couple of different new areas to your base if you're feeling pressed for space.

+ New photo mode that includes fun stickers.

Cons:

- Bugs are still being worked out.  I experienced a few bugs and noticed that there were almost daily hotfixes/updates.  I only had a couple of issues (and none of them were game breaking--just required a re-load) and it seems like things have improved with the numerous hotfixes.

 Recommendation:

Woolhaven adds in quite a bit of new content and I had fun with it.  The winter season can make things feel a bit more stressful because you're trying to take care of the cult and navigate the main story.  Despite the bugs (which seem to have been largely worked out), it's a new opportunity to return to the cult and make it even better.  If you enjoyed the base game, you'll definitely want to give it a go.

PowerWashing with Perks

On top of finishing up the excellent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, I also puttered my way through PowerWash Simulator 2.  I thoroughly enjoyed the second installment in the decidedly quirky game about cleaning up.  Sure, it's no Clair Obscur, but it definitely scratches a very specific itch for a certain type of gamer--namely the type who just wants to relax and wash away hours of grime in numerous fun locations.

What is it?

The second game in a series where you simulate the role of powerwasher extraordinaire.  Gameplay consists of using your upgradeable powerwashing equipment to remove the dirt and grime from every nook and cranny of a location.  Sure, it might sound boring, but they have implemented a clever system of "ding" noises when you've fully cleaned part of a location--those dings are so satisfying.  There's a bit of a story baked into the locations you clean and it provides some fun background.

How much playtime can I expect?

I finished up all the locations in 64.9 hours.  I'm going to admit that I'm likely a pitifully slow cleaner and that I should utilize the variety of different attachments to improve my times.  Let's just say that there's plenty to keep you busy.

Pros:

+ New tools!  There's a new washer--the Urban X series--which promises increased power at the cost of area.  They also added in a floor washer with several different sized cleaning heads for all those flat surfaces.  Each washer also includes a set of extensions and different angle/size cleaning heads.  One of the best additions is a re-sizeable head that allows you to manually adjust the size of your stream.  Most excitingly, they made the soap attachment a default piece of equipment--no more annoying money spent to re-stock soaps!  The only downside is that it has a bit of a cooldown--you can't just soap with wild abandon.

+ A fun, new partially customizable office.  On each job you earn two types of currency--the classic dollars (used to purchase new equipment)--and a new powerwash currency.  The powerwash currency can be used to purchase dirty furniture that can be cleaned up (of course!) and then placed around the bare ground floor of your office.  There are several different styles of furniture to give your office it's own unique feeling--from whimsical, colorful pieces to dark gothic.

Triple the feline fun!

+ Three cats to pet!  Ulysses, the mayor's cat from the first game (who it turns out wasn't a male), had some babies so now the cat population has increased to three.  You can pet the kitties and they accompany you on each job.  Part of the fun is to find the cats on each level--they're always somewhere fun.

+ Co-op play.  You can clean solo or with a friend.

+ Silly achievements.  I always forget to pay attention to them, but there's usually an achievement for cleaning up in a specific order or doing something specific.  It's worth checking at the beginning of each level if you like achievements.

The curio wall fills up as you complete levels.

+ Fun curio wall to mark your cleaning progression though the game.  Located in the upstairs office you can find a new tiny model related to the place you just cleaned.  They also opted to keep the time lapsed summary of your cleaning at the end of each level (still wish they'd make them downloadable).

+ Tons of cosmetic items.  You can customize the colors of your suit (with options for your visor, suit, and gloves), purchase skins for your washer, and also even apply skins to your van.  There are a lot of fun options that cost increasing amounts of powerwash cureency.

+ A variety of locations to clean.  There are shorter levels that might be cleaning up a vehicle and longer levels where you are cleaning the entire exterior of a building.  Each location features lots of cute details tied to the story.  Many locations are colorful and seeing those colors pop out from underneath the dirt is part of the joy of PowerWashing.

+ Save and quit at anytime.  It's perfect for playing in shorter or longer chunks.

+ They've already announced the first of many DLC packs.  The first game also periodically received free updates, so we can look forward to more content.

Cons: 

- If you were a fan of the timed/speed cleaning challenge mode they decided not to include it.  Personally, I never tried it because I enjoy cleaning at my own leisurely pace.  You can re-play all the base levels and that's it.

- Furniture placement in your base is wonky.  You can't place anything on top of rugs and you can't position furniture freely--it has to be within a certain distance of other items.

Recommendation:

If you enjoyed the original PowerWash Simulator you will definitely want to pick the second game up.  The variety of locations to clean is unique and features lots of enjoyable environments.  The addition of new cleaning tools and the customizable office give you even more of a reason to play.  Pick it up at full price--you won't be disappointed.

An Expedition for the Ages

Earlier this week I finished up my adventure with the excellent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.  There was joy, there was rage, and there were tears.  Overall, it's one of those games that is totally deserving of the hype and I have to say that I'm highly anticipating future games from Kepler Interactive.

What is it?

A turn-based RPG with elements of semi-open world exploration.  The story takes place in a fictional version of Paris called Lumiere that has suffered a catastrophic magical event that caused a fracture that left the city isolated from the larger surrounding continent.  After the fracture a mysterious figure called the Paintress began painting a giant number on a massive monolith--this number represents the age of people who will mysteriously disappear at the end of the year in an event called the "gommage."  Every year the number ticks lower and lower...and eventually all life will be wiped out.  Each year an expedition is sent out in an effort to stop the Paintress--and each year no one returns.  The counter has ticked down to 33 and that's where the game starts with the 67th expedition.

Can you save a shattered world?

How much playtime can I expect?

This number can vary greatly.  If you just focus on the main storyline and ignore all side content it could probably be completed in ~30 hours (that's my lowest estimate).  My playthrough clocked in at around 65 hours and I explored as much as I could (but some areas were still marked as dangerous).  There is an achievement for reaching level 99, so I am going to assume that you could keep playing well beyond my 65 hours.

Pros:

+ Amazingly creative story.  The world, characters, and story are all very engaging and unique.  The story has so many different emotional elements and you will find yourself with a genuine attachment to your eventual party.  The story took an unexpected (although it probably shouldn't have been very unexpected because there's some very definite foreshadowing) turn right when I thought I was nearing the end. 

+ Fantastic graphics and a beautiful world.  This is the first "new" graphically demanding game I've played on my new-ish PC and it looked absolutely stunning.  They used a ton of motion capture in the production and the characters look amazing (if you're one of those hair people...the hair is great).  The world itself is filled with a vast array of strange, beautiful, and bleak environments that will keep you wanting to explore.  There's tons to explore with main mission areas, optional side areas, and multiple unique "challenge" areas.  Some of the challenges are more serious in nature--they feature increasingly difficult combat challenges while others are sillier and feature goofy little games (that are quite difficult at the highest challenge level).

+ Multiple difficulty levels to suit players of all skill levels.  If you just want to experience the story and skip some of the tougher combat elements (namely the timing based parry and dodge system) you can opt for story mode.  If you're one of the leets, you can opt for the expert level which requires split-second precision and great combat prowess.  I played it on the default (expeditioner) difficulty and found it to be a good balance--some of the tougher bosses were challenging, but overall it was manageable.

+ Skill system that is massively customizable.  Each character has their own unique skill tree and can equip 6 abilities.  On top of that, each character can also equip special buffs called "pictos."  Pictos are found throughout the world and once equipped for 4 battles become learnable (with special lumina points which are also found and rewarded) by all characters.  It's a lot of fun to experiment with different pictos to figure out the ideal setup (and there are TONS of pictos, so it's quite the challenge).

+ Skippable cutscenes.  There's nothing more annoying that dying and having to re-play the same cutscene over and over...luckily, they included the option to skip.  Thank you!

+ Collectibles and cosmetic options to find.  There are music records that you can find throughout the world and play while you're in camp.  You can also buy outfits and hairstyles from merchants scattered around the world (or defeat the many mimes sprinkled around the world). If customization is your thing, there's plenty of it.  There are also a wide array of weapons for each character that can be found or looted from enemies.

+ Epic music.  If you're a fan of soaring vocals and emotional piano (it reminded me of NIER: Automata in a similar but also different way) you'll be blown away by the soundtrack.

+  Relationship building system.  When in camp you can opt to spend time with the members of your party.  There are some dialogue options and as you level up your relationship you unlock unique combat abilities for each character.  If you're someone who's a fan of having a deeper understanding of the characters in the game, you'll enjoy this feature.  If you're someone who's seeking "romantic" type options, those are mostly lacking (sorry to burst your bubble).

+ Each character has their own combat style and abilities.  Figuring out the synergy between specific characters to create the ideal party for each situation is another fun challenge.

+ Epic boss fights.  You never know exactly what to expect (that is if you don't look it up).

+ Replayability.  There's just so much to discover, multiple playthroughs are almost required.  Plus, there's a pretty big story decision that can play out a couple of different ways.

Cons:

+/- Controller recommended.  I didn't experiment with the mouse/keyboard combo to see if it would be doable, but I'm guessing it would be tough.  Find yourself a cheap-y controller online.

- QTE/timing based combat abilities.  If you're someone who struggles with reaction time and dislikes QTE sequences in games...you're probably going to want to opt for the story mode.  Dodging and parrying are both timing dependent--basically you have to both watch and listen for cues to know when to dodge.  Certain enemies can be quite tricky and have fast sequences that can be challenging (although they're usually doable once you get the timing down).  Attacking also has an element of timing if you want to launch perfect attacks.  Parrying in particular requires very precise timing.  It can feel quite frustrating at times.

- No maps of specific areas.  There is a map of the larger world but not the exact zones that you enter.  I found this a bit frustrating because there are generally multiple paths (and, I suppose you could return to those areas and try to fully explore them) to reach your goal.

- There is one boss in particular that I never figured out the timing on his attacks.  It feels like his timings are just a tiny bit off...and it's irritating.  I did manage to take him down, but only because I got lucky and he didn't use a certain attack that I absolutely could not counter.

Recommendation:

There are many games that get a ton of undeserved hype--Clair Obscur is not one of them.  It's amazing what a relatively small team was able to come up with--a beautiful world, complex and likable characters, an emotionally charged story, challenging combat that manages to push you but still be fun, and even some silly moments of levity.  I got it on sale, but it's definitely worth a full price purchase.  Pick it up as soon as you can and be prepared for an epic adventure.

Plot Twist!

Earlier this week I thought I was close to possibly wrapping up Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.  I had completed all the pre-requisite tasks and was ready to take on the big bads.  After struggling a bit with big bad #1 (I swear they intentionally made the timing on that fight just a tiny bit off) I had an easier time with what I thought was the final boss fight.  Finally, victory!  Then things took a dark turn...and, plot twist, there is actually much more game to go!  I'm actually glad about this fact because I've found that I'm greatly enjoying Clair Obscur and that it is definitely deserving of the high praise that it has received.

I'm not going to spoil the story or anything, but I sort of had an inkling that there was likely more game to go due to the fact that the map is scattered with side locations that were marked with an ominous red entrance (marked DANGER!) which I assumed meant that I wasn't high enough level.  Now, I'm trying to check out these many side areas and attempt some of the challenges.  I'm definitely not good enough to take on the uber-challenges (even at regular difficulty) but there are many different kinds sprinkled around the map.

One of the side areas.  Even they are visually stunning.

I feel like I'm not doing a good job with mixing and matching my pictos and could definitely be swapping them around for specific encounters.  There are so many!  I also have accumulated a large collection of weapons and feel like maybe I need to be spreading the upgrade wealth around a bit more rather than focusing on one specific weapon.  Maybe I'm not being strategic enough?  I am making progress though, so it must be okay.

Exploring the map is fun and I've found a few boss type enemies off the beaten track (and managed to take a few of them down).  One gripe I have about the game is that I wish there was some sort of indication of enemy level.  I found a giant Petank (the regular ones are hard enough to take down, so I knew this huge one would probably be a real pill) only for it to absolutely one-shot my squad.  I have a few other gripes, but I'll save them for my formal review.

For now, I'm just going to enjoy checking out as much of the map as I can and trying to defeat all the random bosses.  Happy weekend and happy gaming!

Being Embarrassingly Bad

I grabbed a couple of titles in the Steam Holiday Sale and have spent most of my time with one in particular--Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.  Part of me was a bit hesitant--I'm not opposed to turn-based games but I have no experience with the Final Fantasy-ish style of play.  Even with my hesitation the game seems to get rave reviews from gamers, so I decided that to try something new and I haven't regretted a minute of it (I only regret how bad I am at the timing based aspects of the game).

Unless you've been totally tuned out of gaming related news, I'm not sure you could miss the buzz about Clair Obscur.  It was a favorite at the recent Game Awards (although there was some controversy over some AI related art or somesuch) for GOTY.  If you haven't heard of it, it's a turn-based RPG from a French developer (it definitely has a very French flair and vibe) that features amazing (and somewhat bizarre) environments, highly enjoyable (and challenging) gameplay, and an odd, but intriguing story punctuated by moments of high emotion.  It's got a lot going for it!

An example of one of the many beautiful environments in Clair Obscur.

The story revolves around a world where a mystical event fractured parts of the world and isolated the city of Lumiere (the game equivalent of Paris).  Then, a strange figure called the Paintress emerged and began a yearly event known as the "gommage."  Each year she paints a new number on a huge monolith that represents the age of people who will simply disappear at the end of the year.  In response to this event the brave people of Lumiere have sent annual expeditions to find and stop the Paintress...with no success and no survivors.  The game starts as year 34 rolls over into 33 and you get to experience the emotional pain as the people of Lumiere watch parents, siblings, friends, and lovers simply disappear in a shower of rose petals.

You play as members of Expedition 33 who are the next group venturing out to the mysterious continent that is the home of the Paintress.  Each expedition has a new strategy that they hope will finally be successful and end the pain of the gommage.  The continent itself is a bizarre, magic-filled place filled with strange monsters known as nevrons that serve the Paintress.  Combat is party-based and you gradually add new members as you progress through the story.  Each character has a unique combat style and can gain experience to unlock improved abilities and new skills.  Combat itself is an enjoyable combination of learning the skills that work together the best and also timing-based dodging and parrying (I'm playing on the default difficulty and it can be challenging--particularly parrying.  Fortunately though, there are multiple difficulty levels and if the timing aspect is too difficult you can always switch it to story mode).

There is a ton to explore and plenty of fun side-adventures to be had--it's not all super-serious and depressing.  I'm about 30 hours in and I'm greatly enjoying all aspects of Clair Obscur.  One particularly enjoyable part of the adventure is finding the more challenging "chromatic" version of enemies and taking them down.  Each one poses a unique combat challenge and some have gimmicks that can take awhile to figure out.

If you haven't checked out Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, I would definitely recommend checking it out.  It's beautiful, challenging, and has tons of depth.  Plus, it's French, so you know it's super cool by default.

My Belated 2025 GOTY Picks

In the post-holiday + rebound mental health issues crush I sort of forgot to post.  My bad for the 1-2 humans and probably many AI/bots who actually view my page.  But alas, I suddenly remembered, so we're all in for a treat...you know, another personal list that may or may not match your personal preferences.  So here it is in all its belated glory--my personal picks for my favorite games of 2025.

#3: PowerWash Simulator 2

I have been slowly working my way through the main storyline in PowerWash Simulator 2 and even though I haven't quite wrapped it up (I think I'm getting close-ish), I find the second incarnation to be just an enjoyable as the first with a few fun improvements.  There's a new fun tool specifically for cleaning up floors, you get your own office that you can decorate with a wide variety of random furniture styles, you now possess not one, but three cats who are not only cute, but can be found in a fun spot in each area you clean, there are a lot more personalization options for decorating your suit, washer, and even your van!

The collectible wall in your new PowerWash office.

The gist of all of this is that the second chapter in the oddly soothing series about nothing more than cleaning up a wide variety of very dirty places has improved and is definitely worth the cost.  Plus, there's the option to clean up with a partner, so it could be a fun activity with a partner or weird friend.  If I had one gripe it would be that there doesn't seem to quite be the same level of background whacky story that the first game had--or at least it's not as much of a central focus.  There's still some weirdness going on in the greater Muckingham area...

#2: Two Point Museum

The Zooseum DLC features plenty of cute critters--large and small!

After Two Point Hospital and Two Point Campus it was a bit unclear what the next move in the Two Point series would be.  I suppose there are lots of options for quirky management games but I was excited when they decided to go with a museum theme.  The museum theme gives players the ability to manage several museums with a fun variety of specifically themed locations.  Much of the fun lies in sending your experts out on expeditions to recover new items for display.  Like the other two games you'll be balancing the needs of your staff, your guests, and the many story mode characters who want you to accomplish specific goals.  It's a pretty casual affair that anyone who just enjoys some silliness and management will have fun with.  There's also the sandbox mode where you can cobble together your own supermuseum that offers up multi-themed displays.  Plus, they're still releasing seasonal updates that add fun new items to the game and introduced digital rifts that add in digital experts and require your own experts to unlock unique new rewards (and some are crossovers from other games like Dredge or Vampire Survivors).

#1: Hades II

Scylla and the Sirens are probably my favorite boss fight.

Even though Hades II spent quite awhile in publicly playable early access, I resisted the urge to join in on the unfinished fun and just wait for the full release.  I feel like that was a good choice because the finished product was an absolute blast to play.  At first I was a bit skeptical about changes like increasing the delay between dodges, but Melinoë's added slow ability plus magick attacks made the gameplay feel unique and maybe slightly more strategic than in the original.  The story is great and the fact that there are two different pathways with their own challenges and set of bosses gives it more variety.  Plus, there's a whole new cast of mythological characters to befriend (and even form romantic bonds with--ooh-la-la).  I definitely felt more compelled to continue playing beyond the story in the second game than I did in the first.  I suppose that if I did have one sort of gripe about Hades II it would be that the boss fights were easier than taking down Hades in the original game.  (*I'm not claiming that I one-shotted them or anything, it probably took me an embarrassing amount of time to take down Typhon) Personally, I felt like taking down Hades was always a toss up--it's a ridiculous multiphase fight that didn't seem to get much easier regardless of the number of times you took him down.  Overall though, Hades II manages to take the already great formula from the hit first game and improve it.  I think it'll be a real challenge for Supergiant to figure out what to do next.

So that's my list, I grabbed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as part of the holiday sale and have been working my way through it (I've seen it mentioned on many GOTY lists).  It's definitely different that much of what I play, but the story, graphics, and gameplay have all been great in the short amount of time that I've played.  I hope everyone finds their own personal GOTY and has a great time with it.  Happy holidays (and Steam sale)!