There's Big Witcher News Brewing!

It has been quite a week of big gaming news (or leaks...) and luckily, some of it feels relevant to my own interests.  Sadly, that's not all the hubbub around Grand Theft Auto VI, because I am on PC and know that it'll be at least a few years before I'll be happily running and gunning around a new fictional world.  (Plus, some of the "takes" get really annoying--people claiming that it's going to be disappointing because xyz isn't featured...sheesh!)  The most relevant news for me has been about the now 11 year old The Witcher 3.  I was very surprised when they announced a new DLC but it turns out that it gets even better than that.  If you haven't booted it up in awhile, the end of September is going to be the perfect time to dive back in.  Here's why/the big news:

The Witcher 3 is getting a "remastered" version!  Now, I could've sworn that it already got a bit of a graphical update (when they were adding in the new crossover content from the Netflix series), but apparently it's getting an entirely updated look.  But that's not it folks--if you're someone who never invested in the DLC (do those people exist?) the remastered version will include both "Hearts of Stone" and "Blood and Wine" for free!  On top of all that there's an entire list of improvements to the base gameplay that's being included--stuff like new finishers, new animations for signs, improved monster behavior, revamped skill trees...and a lot more!  Undoubtedly the best part--it's free to anyone who already owns TW3!  Take a gander at the official trailer if you haven't seen it yet:

I'm a huge The Witcher fan, so this is an unexpected surprise.  One thing that I'm finding funny is that people are widely singing the praises of CDPR and lauding them for offering this upgrade for free when other developers would make this a paid version.  Just a few years ago, when the release of CyberPunk 2077 was an absolute disaster, these same folks were in full on torches n' pitchforks mode and prognosticating the doom of CDPR.  My, how the turns have tabled.  I guess now it's okay to like them again.

One interesting piece that no one is talking about was an announcement that CDPR was "partnering" with Blizzard to offer TW3 through Battle.net.  I was very confused by this and a bit worried that maybe this means that CDPR might be getting gobbled up by the Activision/Blizzard monster.  I guess they've done plenty of partnerships with other games or crossover content, so maybe it's nothing to worry about.  I'm really hoping that's not the case--CDPR seems like they want to stay independent and I've appreciated their more pro-gamer stances (like no DRM).

They also released a new trailer for the upcoming "Songs of the Past" DLC and a bit more information about the story.  It will apparently take place in a province known as Letten and will broadly feature characters related to Geralt's bard BFF Dandelion (formally know as the viscount Julian de Lettenhove).  The entire Lettenhove clan is apparently going to be part of it--granny too!  And, we finally get to use that silver chain that was featured way back in the original The Witcher trailer!  If you're interested, here's an entire interview about the upcoming features in "Songs of the Past."

I'm excited for all this new content--I don't really need a reason to start yet another TW3 playthrough, but both the remaster and the new DLC definitely give me one.  I was a bit surprised that there wasn't more The Witcher 4 information, but hopefully that will be forthcoming.  I can't wait for September 29th!

Scratching that Itch

Every once in awhile you just feel that urge to start yet another Stardew Valley farm.  Sure, it's like your 10th farm, but there's just something deeply satisfying about the entire process of rehabbing a derelict piece of land, befriending all the friendly townsfolk, and rebuilding a struggling town (I need to do the whole corporate takeover side of things...but it just feels evil).  If you're feeling a little burned out on Stardew, there's a new farm in town and it's called Fields of Mistria.  I've been playing it for awhile now (but haven't finished...and am likely far from "finishing"), but thought I would share my experiences thus far.

I stumbled across Fields of Mistria while perusing the offerings in the recent "wholseome" games sale on Steam.  It had not crossed my feed prior to the sale at all and wasn't on my radar.  If you haven't heard of it either, here's the lowdown--it's very, very much a game made in the image of Stardew.  It actually made me feel a little...weirdly icky, at first, because it felt so similar to the granddaddy of all farming games.  Basically, you play the role of a farmer who is recruited to help re-build a town that has been struggling after the effects of a powerful earthquake.  (Sorry, no sad grandpa to inherit the farm from) Yes, they want you to grow food, but you also wind up in the wider mission to rebuild and improve the town.

My Mistrian farm on an average winter day.

The game mechanics are basically identical to Stardew--there's a 24 hour clock, you have your farm with a small patch of tillable soil to grow crops, and you can choose how you spend your time each day.  That's not where the similarities end though--there's a mine to explore (with the exact same mechanics--break rocks, fight monsters, gather materials, descend), there are townspeople who you can befriend (same mechanics--gaining hearts for friendship, giving gifts), there's a museum where you can make themed donations (and get rewards for completing sets), and there are seasonal holidays/events.  Yep, it's that identical.

There are some differences though that make Fields of Mistria feel just different enough.  A new activity is collecting insects--like fish, they appear in certain locations (and can be dependent on time of day, weather, etc.).  Insects vary in rarity and can be donated to the museum as part of their collection.  There's also archaeology--this basically means digging up any bumpy areas of soil you come across or identifying items you fish (or dive--you can dive in certain special spots) up.  Artifacts are another museum collectible item.  It also feels like the cast of characters is larger in Mistria.  There are a few features that I very much wish were in Stardew--one of them is the map.  The map doesn't just show you the layout of a location, but it shows you exactly where the townsfolk are at any given moment.  This is very nice as it doesn't rely on you having to remember the schedule for every character (that also varies seasonally...).  I don't know how much time I have wasted in Stardew trying to track down a specific character.  There seems to be much more focus on cosmetics in Mistria.  There are a ton of different furniture items to either craft, buy, or earn as rewards--there are different themed sets too!  The clothing options for your character are also very diverse, so you can dress them in a multitude of styles (including hairstyles).  One fun feature that I noticed was that the outfits that the townsfolk wear change seasonally (and are very stylish).  It's kind of fun to see what they're wearing as you roll into the next season.  If you want to raise animals on your farm there are also a stunning variety of critters that you can choose from--this includes fun exotics like llamas and capybaras (I'm not sure what kind of food products you get from capybaras...).  Plus, there's a breeding element to raising animals that allows you to breed different colored critters to try to get rare color varieties.

If you're feeling that hankering for some farming action (while we wait for the someday release of The Haunted Chocolatier), you'll feel oddly at home with Fields of Mistria.  I'm enjoying my new farm, some new townsfolk (in snazzy outfits), and that heartwarming feeling of helping others.  If you're the type who just wants to decorate and design, you'll love the multitude of cosmetic options in Mistria. 

Books n' Stuff

I decided to break my pattern of aimlessly bouncing from game to game and finally settled down on a cute, indie game called Tiny Bookshop.  Steam recently had a special sale for "wholesome" games and I have to admit that I like a chill, wholesome experience from time to time (I also grabbed a couple of other titles that I am in the process of checking out).  Most of my gaming time has been dedicated to completing my Tiny Bookshop adventure.

What is it?

A sort of management game where you play the role of the owner of a mobile bookshop in a small, European inspired (I think it's supposed to take place in a fictional British town) city.  The gameplay consists of deciding on a location where you will sell your books each day and then stocking your shelves with specific titles (I'll get into how this works--there's a bit of strategy involved).  Your ultimate goal is not only to sell books, but to befriend the locals and become a part of the community.

How much playtime can I expect?

Depending on your level of completion, I would estimate between 10-20 hours.  If you're going full completionist (going for all the achievements) it could exceed 20+ easily.  It's not exactly a long game, and it can be played in chunks.

Pros:

+ The gameplay is fairly simple but does require some attention to detail.  Ultimately, you want to sell as many books as you can, but there are different factors that can impact your sales.  These things can be outside of your control (like the weather--when it's rainy/bad weather, you just simply won't get as many customers) or are determined by your selling location or the items you use to decorate your shop.  Each day you get to pick where you want to sell your books--you start off with only a few locations, but as you progress more will open up.  There are special events that occur on certain days of the week that should be considered--for example, every Monday is a special sale at the local mega-store, so there are usually a lot of customers.  The downside...the manager requires you to also offer a discount if you want to sell in the parking lot.

Selling books at the local megastore.

Another factor to consider is the types of books that are popular at each location.  There are seven genres of books to sell, but certain types will sell better at different locations.  For example, the beach is a popular location during the summer and attracts a lot of families, so it's better to stock more children's books.  There's definitely some thinking involved to maximize your bookselling profits.

+ Tons of personalization/decoration options for your shop.  You can earn, find, or buy a variety of items to use in your shop.  These items offer up bonuses that can help with sales--for example, an outdated globe I bought from a vendor increased the chance of people buying travel books.  Plus, you can purchase different paint colors from the art vendor at the flea market and paint many items (plus the interior and exterior of your shop) to create the color palette of your choice.

Your journal helps you keep track of each character, their tasks, and likes/dislikes.

+ A cute, friendly cast of characters to meet and befriend.  These townsfolk will show up at your shop everyday and you can learn more about them.  They have their own book preferences and will present you with special tasks to complete.  There's Klaus, a budding musician who has dreams of becoming a professional with his metal band; there's Tilde, the recently retired former owner of the local bookshop who has a passion for books and for the town of Bookstonbury; there's Harper, a rambunctious young girl who likes playing on the beach and hanging out with her fellow Pipits (a sort of Boy Scout/Girl Scout group); and there are many more!  These characters all have their own line of tasks that are built around their personalities and stories.  It's a heartwarming experience to earn their friendship and eventually feel like a part of the close knit town of Bookstonbury.

+ There's a cat and a dog that can join you at your shop!  And yes, you can pet them.

+ Love of books.  An important part of gameplay is giving recommendations to customers.  If they can't find a book of their choice on their own, they will ask you to recommend a title for them.  The books in your shop are based on real books (there are a few fictional works) and each have a short blurb that describes the basics of the plot.  A customer might specify that they want a YA (young adult) book that has romance themes.  You can't choose exactly what books you stock each day (you just choose the genres and number of books), but you can search through the shelves for the closest match.  Satisfying recommendations will give you sales boost based on how happy the customer is with your choice.  Maybe you only find them a YA book, but it doesn't have romance--they'll only be partially happy, so you get less of a boost.  If you don't fulfill a request the customer will immediately depart and won't buy anymore books.  There's a bit of a timer on responding to requests, but it's almost impossible to miss them.  If you're someone who loves books, you'll enjoy fulfilling customer requests.

+ Fun achievement system.  Each character you meet has tasks that they will want you to complete and will further unlock their storyline.  Each location where you sell books also has certain goals for you to achieve.  One of my favorite tasks was trying to figure out a way to scare off a cruise ship that one of the locals disliked for its negative environmental impact.  Let's just say that it involves gathering an army of seagulls.  The tasks are lighthearted, fun, and help you lean about the cast of characters.

Cons:

- Certain locations are locked seasonally.  This means that if you're trying to accomplish a specific goal for a location and you don't do it, you're going to have to play for another full year.  The gameplay is enjoyable, so it's not a big problem, but it is a little annoying.

-Some customer requests are just bananas.  "Hey, I want a non-fiction book that is also a thriller, but it has to be under 700 pages."  (*I'm sure a book like that does exist, but what I'm getting at is that sometimes the combination in requests is a bit whacky)  Yes, it's not a big deal to fail a request, but it can feel a little bit frustrating when these very random asks come up (although, I suppose that's a small does of reality).  Some requests are relatively simple and some are highly complex.  (I will say though...sometimes you can still get credit if you only satisfy part of a request--it just depends though).

Recommendation:

If you're looking for something relaxing, that has a nice, cozy vibe, you can't go wrong with Tiny Bookshop.  I genuinely enjoyed getting to know the cast of characters and the feeling of fitting into a new town.  There's a fun storyline to follow and tons of books to sell!

Bouncy, Bouncy

I've reached the point in the summer where things start to feel a bit...unsettled.  It's August, so summer is starting to wane and going back to school/work is ominously lurking off in the distance.  You want to make the most of what is left, but you start to feel a bit of an anxious/sad combo.  Not to mention that the state where I live has been experiencing the worst wildfire season on record--there have been 3 different major fires in the vicinity of where I live (*fortunately, nothing too close, but it has made for some very smoky skies that have limited my outdoor time).  I don't know if all of this is impacting my gaming, but I haven't felt a strong urge to play one, single game and have been shuffling between a few.  So here's what I've had on deck.

Crime Scene Cleaner

I finished up the main storyline and all the epilogue missions and decided to check out the "challenge" modes.  Yes, I said "modes" and not "mode" because there are actually two.  The first option is called "Nightmare" and basically re-imagines all the levels from the main storyline in a different form as a version of Kovalsky's own lingering doubts about his participation in all the criminal activity taking place.  Like the main story missions there are collectibles in the form of weird, record-like items to find.  Some of the nightmare levels are pretty wild--one of them has negative gravity, so all the items you touch will float up to the ceiling.  Completing each of the nightmare levels rewards special skins that can change the look of Kovalsky's base cleaning gear.

If nightmare mode isn't enough for you, there's also the "True Cleaner" mode which challenges you to re-visit the original story missions but without "cleaning sense" (an ability that highlights any objects/blood that need to be cleaned/moved).  I completed all of nightmare mode, but haven't given the true cleaner levels a try.  (For some weird reason this game was starting to make me feel a bit motion sick so I have shelved it for the time being)

Balatro

I've won a total of four times, but I just keep going back for more punishment.  I think I'm just singularly bad at building a deck around my jokers and need to keep practicing at it.  I've gotten fairly close a couple of times, but still am just losing...and losing...and losing.  If you haven't checked out this rogue-like/poker smash up, it's a lot of fun, but will slightly crush your soul.

Vampire Survivors

When I get tired of crushing failure in Balatro, I like to switch to slightly less crushing failure at Vampire Survivors.  I bought a bunch of DLC for it awhile back and haven't checked out all the different adventure modes, so I thought I would start there.  I've managed to knock out some of it, but have come up against a wall on a few levels.  For a game with such simple mechanics (kill monsters, loot crystals, upgrade items, and survive for as long as you can), it's surprisingly difficult.  If you're looking for a cheap game that is playable on basically any platform, it is a great option.

Tiny Bookshop

An iteration of my tiny bookshop.

After all the crushing failures in Balatro and Vampire Survivors, I just want to feel less...failure-y.  So, I turn to a nice comfort game in the form of Tiny Bookshop.  You play as the owner of a towable, tiny bookshop who has settled in a new town.  Your ultimate goal is to make a living selling used books, but the friendly townsfolk quickly engage you in various pursuits.  Each day you can pick a new location for your little shop (the perks of it being portable) and learn more about the town and its residents.  Each location offers up specific quests and townsfolk who you can befriend.  Throughout the day your customers will ask for recommendations of varying difficulty--some people have very specific requests while others might just want a book from a certain genre.  Correctly fulfilling these requests will result in a temporary sales boost (and, it's satisfying to get it right).  You can also purchase (or earn/find) items to decorate your shop (this includes paint colors that can be changed every day).  These items provide buffs/debuffs that can impact the types of books customers might want to buy (or other factors like customer count or number of recommendations per day).

I haven't finished Tiny Bookshop yet, but it's a very cute game.  Running the shop is fun, but there's also a cast of townsfolk to befriend and a beautiful little city to learn about.  Not to mention the fun of decorating your shop.

Someone's Gotta Do It

I picked up a few new titles in the Steam Summer Sale and have been spending my time checking out one (actually two, but I found that I deeply disliked one of them).  A somewhat weird genre that I've found myself enjoying is cleaning games.  Do I enjoy cleaning in real life?  I mean, I have to do it, and I don't hate it or anything, but it's just more work to me.  I'm not the kind of person who is a neat freak either, but I do love to simulate cleaning up in a game.  Hence why I've found myself in the role of a down-on-his luck janitor in Crime Scene Cleaner.

What is it?

A first-person cleaning game where you clean up the aftermath of various violent criminal encounters.

What you're walking in to on a typical job.

How much playtime can I expect?  Is it replayable?

I'm not 100% done (and have fully confessed to my slowness in cleaning games) but I'm at almost 32 hours of just the main story missions.  There is also a challenge mode that I haven't checked out yet.  Basically, there's plenty of content and yes, it does have an element of replayability built-in with the challenge mode.

Pros:

+ There's a decent story.  I mostly expected to find some built-in story elements on the jobs that might explain the situations that you're cleaning up, but there's a fully fleshed out story about your character and the various crime scenes you clean up.  Your character, Mr. Kovalsky (no first name given), is a school janitor whose daughter gets sick and needs some expensive medical treatment.  His normal gig won't cover the cost, so he's open to alternatives.  He gets pulled into the shady business of cleaning up after crimes in an almost accidental way--the son of a friend gets into some trouble and calls Kovalsky to clean up.  He does such a good job that the big boss reaches out and offers to give him...more permanent employment...as long as he can keep his mouth shut.

What the heck?  Some more humor.

+ Simple, but oddly enjoyable gameplay.  Kovalsky is armed with a bevy of cleaning tools--a mop, sponge, and pressure washer--and the ultimate goal of each level is to completely clean all the blood, get rid of all the bodies, clean up any trash/destroyed items, and move any furniture back into its original position.  Basically, you want each scene to look like nothing ever happened there.  Plus, you can also add to your base pay by stealing any valuable items that might just be laying around.

+ Secrets and collectibles to find.  Each level has hidden areas that require some attention to detail/alertness to find.  These hidden areas can contain a cache of stealable items or even special items (I figured out a sort of puzzle clue and unlocked a katana that can be used to smash up certain items), so they're worth finding.  The collectibles come in the form of cassette tapes/CD's that can be found throughout the levels (and are also usually hidden in secret areas).  They add new playable music to the game.

+ Talent system/skill tree.  You earn experience points based on how thoroughly you clean up each level (and the number of items that you steal) and they can be placed into different skills.  You can improve your base items in many ways like improving the amount of blood that your mop can hold before it needs to be cleaned.  Earning talent points is very easy and you can unlock all the skills.

Small items from each job appear in Kovalsky's apartment.

+ Wall of memories in Kovalsky's apartment.  There's a cabinet (that becomes shelves later on in the game) where you can find small items from each job.  It's reminiscent of the curio wall in PowerWash Simulator 2 and a fun feature.  Kovalsky's apartment changes as the story progresses.  Oh, and he has a cute dog named Dexter that you can pet.

This Witcher 3 reference can be found on one of the levels.

+ There's a bit of humor built into the story and plenty of dad joke-esque remarks from Kovalsky.  Kovalsky definitely feels a bit divided about his participation in this criminal enterprise, but needs to cash for his daughter.

Cons:

- Gameplay is very simple.  You use your mop to clean up floors, your sponge to clean up other surfaces, and power washer for those hard to reach places.  It's a point-and-click type of affair, so there's nothing advanced about it.  There is some nuance required (trotting through a giant pool of blood will result in bloody footprints getting tracked all over), but it's pretty basic.

- Physics are also pretty simple and can feel a bit weird.  You can use your sponge to safely clean basically anything but if you smack something breakable with your mop, it will automatically break.  Feeling out the distance while mopping is weird.  When in doubt, use your sponge.  When Kovalsky is carrying bodies they are in a weird t-pose that feels odd.  It's a minor gripe and nothing gamebreaking, but just gives things a bit of a wonky feeling.

- There's an element of cheese in the writing/stories.  It's not cripplingly bad, just slightly cringeworthy at points.  Again, not a gamebreaker.

Recommendation:

I have been pleasantly surprised by Crime Scene Cleaner.  There's a story (granted, a little bit cheesy), a talent system (in a cleaning game!), and fun features like collectibles and challenges.  The gameplay itself is a bit simple, but enjoyable.  If you enjoy cleaning games and want something that doesn't push too hard and has fun features, it's worth your time.

Technological Nooks and Crannies

The misguided adventures of my male V in CyberPunk 2077 recently ended.  (Spoilers ahead for "Phantom Liberty" related endings--proceed with caution or skip ahead) For some dumb reason that was easily Googleable, I thought there was a different ending if you opted to side with Reed.  Fun fact that could potentially save you a LOT of time--there's not!  Basically, if you side with Reed, you get the same "you're just another face in the crowd" ending.  I thought that maybe there was a choice where V could choose to work for the FIA (since Reed keeps offering it up as a choice).  Minorly disappointing, I suppose.  Overall though, I got to experience a whole different final mission with a completely divergent vibe that turned out to be both scary and fun.  I also got to mess around with the new CrystalCoat feature and found it to be vaguely fun--looking out for interesting looking vehicles to try to find unique paint colors adds another task.  I think the thing I enjoyed most in this most recent playthrough was the new cars (the Semimaru and Mordred both are probably the smoothest drives in the game) and the expanded photo mode that lets you pose with various random NPC's.

But what to do after an epic CyberPunk playthrough?  Totally switch gears, that's what!  In an act of almost perfect timing, the newest DLC for PowerWash Simulator 2 dropped.  It's a real BIG NAME doozy, folks--none other than the original "Star Wars!"  I've cleaned through all of it, so is it worth your $9.99 to powerwash in a galaxy far, far away?

The Millennium Falcon took some damage.

What is it?

The most recent DLC for the ultimate powerwashing game.  It includes 6 different jobs that include some of the most iconic Star Wars locations and ships.  These jobs range from small-ish to cleaning an entire freakin' ship!

How much additional playtime can I expect?

Depending on your cleaning skills/speed (my pace verges on sloth-like), I would estimate a good ~20-30 hours.

Pros:

+ You play as cleaning droid PO-W2 (but this means there are no new skins or cosmetic options).  It's a fun, Star Wars droid addition.

The 6 jobs in the Star Wars DLC.

+ The six new jobs feature iconic locations and vehicles.  The attention to detail is fantastic (of course) and you get that very 70-ish feeling as you're spraying down all those weird blinking light panels and strange doodads (that are very obviously random electonic-esque items made to look high tech).  I know that there has been some disgruntled folks who didn't like the vehicle focused DLC, but the vehicles in this pack are ginormous.  You get to clean an entire AT-AT (and it's a bit of a pain in the buttocks because you have to get all up in its weird underside), an X-Wing, and even the Millennium Falcon.  If you're a Star Wars fan, you'll appreciate the variety (although...maybe a Yoda's swamp or Jabba's palace would've been fun too).

+ Fun new random achievements.  I always forget to look them up prior to cleaning, so only get them rarely if I accidentally do something that is an achievement.

Cleaning up the cantina.

Cons:

- Some Star Wars cosmetic options and maybe even some base items would've been fun.  Seems like a bit of a missed opportunity, but I wonder how much latitude they actually got with this very guarded piece of IP.  You do get to be a droid, so I suppose there's that.  Maybe like an imperial-themed washer suit?  Or a rebel one?  Missed the ball, I tell ya.

- There are a ton of little nooks, crannies, and doodads on the vehicles.  Some folks will likely find this annoying.

Recommendation:

If you like PWS2 and Star Wars, it's the perfect combination.  Cleaning up those iconic locations and vehicles is every Star Wars nerd's dream.  I kind of wish they'd come up with some cosmetic stuff, but it's not a deal breaker.  My advice is to throw on the soundtracks from the movies while you clean (I mean, why wouldn't you want to listen to the cantina song while you clean it up?) and give yourself the full immersive experience.

The Betrayer

My CyberPunk adventures have been continuing (I'm probably about 80% done--just have to wrap up scanner jobs and gigs in City Center) and I've had to make some tough decisions for my male V.  In my ultimate quest to experience ALL the potential endings (but in a full playthrough), I made a few different choices this go-round.  Sadly, not all those decisions have felt...great.

The first new decision I made was to test out the Kerry option as a romantic partner for V.  I've always found Kerry to be a bit of an odd choice (I mentioned the age difference in my last post), but the actual relationship plays out fairly nicely.  You can opt to kiss Kerry after you complete the mission to meet up with him during a press event promoting his new collaboration with the band Us Cracks (you know, the Japanese girl group that he's initially trying to destroy).  One thing I've noticed that I haven't paid much attention to before--someone at CD Projekt must like freckles because both Kerry and Rogue have a smattering that isn't immediately obvious until you go in for a kiss.  Then, Kerry calls up V for his ultimate act of revenge on his hapless manager--sinking the poor man's luxury yacht.  It's during this mission that you get to experience the one sex scene and it's a bit of a doozy.  While the yacht is burning, Kerry and V engage in some passionate fun times before taking a naked dive off the sinking ship.  It kind of makes sense with Kerry's whole "rockerboy" vibe and it's definitely less weirdly awkward as the Panam tank sex scene.  Kerry will text V several times making silly, flirty jokes and you can also opt to hangout at one of V's apartments.  Overall, I think Kerry's romance is one of the better ones.

It's V and Nibbles, just chillin'.

(Spoilers for Phantom Liberty ahead--read on with caution)

I had only played through the Phantom Liberty DLC once prior to this, so I decided to try out a different option when it comes to the major fork in the storyline.  Basically everything comes down to choosing if you're going to help Songbird or help Reed.  Both characters have their own understandable motivations, so it's a tough choice.  My first go-round I decided to help Songbird but ultimately handed her over to Reed and the FIA (I wanted to experience the ending where V gets help from them).  This time I decided that I was going to side with Reed and capture Songbird during the mission where you impersonate the Cassel twins.  Reed gives V a device that should be able to disable Songbird while she's busy with liberating the neural matrix from the Cynosure device.  Things immediately go south...Songbird detects the attempt to disable her, is extremely pissed that V betrayed her trust, and goes berserk.  During the chaos of Songbird fleeing, Alex (who is impersonating Aurare Cassel) is killed by Hansen (the first big ugh).  V has to fight through a legion of Barghest goons while chasing Songbird through the stadium and then ultimately face off against Hansen.

After V dispatches Hansen, he meets up with Reed and they drive to a nearby overlook and try to track down Songbird.  It's here that they see something that isn't typically seen in Dogtown--MaxTac comes swooping down to capture Songbird.  Now, Reed and V are tasked with breaking Songbird out of MaxTac custody...and it's going to take some help from friends.  Reed tasks V with finding a netrunner who can hack into MaxTac's database and find out where Songbird is located while he goes off to find some allies who can potentially help with a firefight (you can choose to call up Mr. Hands and pay him $15000 for help or possibly find your own netrunner).

Once V has tracked down a friendly netrunner, they meet up with Reed to set up the ambush on the convoy carrying Songbird.  Reed has enlisted some help from 6th Street (Santo Domingo's local gang and apparently a group that is on the payroll of the FIA/NUSA...go figure) and you can plan out certain aspects of the attack.  The real combat involves attacking a convoy of cops and ultimately a team of MaxTac fighters.  The MaxTac crew is made up of four cybernetically enhanced super soldiers--there's a heavy type toting a big machine gun, a mantis blade wielding dude who jets all over the place, a netrunner who's trying to constantly hack you, and a sniper.  (*I opted not to play on the hardest difficulty this time around and was grateful for it in this particular scenario)  Luckily, you get Reed to help you out (he's got a sniper rifle and will basically attack whatever target you are), but it's a fairly tough combat scenario.

During the chaos of the end of the MaxTac fight, Reed is injured and while V is checking on him, Songbird manages to break free and flee in a vehicle.  V has to chase her down and finds that the truck has crashed into a hidden underground bunker.  This bunker turns out to be the very Cynosure project where the neural matrix was hidden away.  V then has to follow weird traces of the Blackwall left behind by Songbird as she flees through the facility.  This mission takes on a very...creepy, supernatural kind of feeling in a way that's not present in the rest of the game.  As V tracks Songbird he finds himself navigating through a hidden facility where Militech was experimenting with using rogue AI (similar to what Songbird does for the NUSA) as a potential weapon.  Things get even more intense when Songbird boots up a killer robot that periodically emerges to track down V (you can't attack or kill the robot and instead have to hide from it until it will eventually head off somewhere else--I've never played Alien: Isolation but I'm guessing that it's a very similar vibe--oddly unsettling and a bit scary).  You have to avoid the creepy robot and figure out how to disable the machinery to unlock the core of the facility where Songbird has hidden.  Once you've disabled the machinery, you reach Songbird and are greeted with a sequence of memories from her life.  You get to see her early netrunning days in Brooklyn and how everything unravels as she winds up in the clutches of the FIA--there's a lot of insight into her character and personality.  After that sequence plays out, V is faced with another very difficult decision--Songbird begs V to kill her.  She doesn't want to return to the FIA and be forced to continue being their handy Blackwall puncturing tool.  She begs V (it's tough....) and you can choose to kill her or hand her over to Reed.  I opted to hand her over (I intend to choose a different ending than last time that is dependent on Reed's help).  There's a sequence where you transport a barely conscious Songbird across the Night City/SoCal border to meet up with good ol' President Meyers.  Here, the Prez offers V a medal for their service (you can accept it or turn it down) and then flies off into the sunset on her AV.  Songbird is stabilized and placed on a helicopter to be transported to FIA headquarters for treatment/surgery.  Reed and V have a brief conversation about their choices (are they doing the right thing?) and then go their separate ways--Reed's offer to help V is still standing.

I found the mission to enter the Cynosure facility to be more exciting than the one where you save Songbird.  It's not extremely combat focused, so if fighting is your forte, I would opt to save her (you're looking at tons of combat against waves of enemies).  The departure from combat to creepy, scary, hidey game to be kind of fun (the whole sequence in the bunker is weirdly unsettling).  Making a decision about Songbird's ultimate fate is difficult.  In some ways she has been forced to become a tool of the NUSA/Rosalind Meyers/the FIA and she wants to be free.  In other ways, she went along with the whole thing and decided to take the extremely dangerous step of engaging with the rogue AI's of the Blackwall.  Betraying her felt very BAD though.  Next go round, I'm going to save her and help her escape from the FIA (it'll mean killing Reed though...which does suck).

Do I think that I picked the "happier" ending?  Nope, not really.  CD Projekt is very good at making sure that there is no truly "happy" ending and that there are always shades of grey.  The scenario I chose meant that Alex died, Songbird survives...but remains a part of the FIA, and Reed gets to live with his heavy conscience.