A True Skelliger

A few weeks ago I started a comfort play of one of my favorite games, The Witcher 3.  It seems like an inherent millennial trait that when things might be a little rough that we turn to our old familiar favorites--that might be a movie or TV series that you've watched a million times or, in my case, a game that I've probably played through at least 10 times.  There's something about that strong sense of nostalgia that manages to soothe the stress of real life.  One of the things that always surprises me about The Witcher 3 is the fact that I'm almost always able to find something new that I missed in one of my previous playthroughs.  So here's my record of what I've discovered in my umpteenth playthrough of The Witcher 3 (plus, a stupid argument that I have with myself every time that I play).

Sometimes you stupidly mess up something that you've done correctly a million times.  This time around it was the mission to trick Caleb Menge (the leader of the evil, sorceress torturing and burning Temple Guard) by pretending to turn in Triss.  Geralt has to keep his cool while he can hear Triss being tortured in the other room and every other playthrough I've done it perfectly.  This time around I decided to click on a slightly different dialogue option (one where Geralt tries to pretend as if he and Triss never had any kind of past relationship) and Menge immediately caught on.  Instead of coolly waiting for a mangled Triss to  appear in Menge's office after escaping from her captors, Geralt and Triss had to fight their way through the entire Temple Guard.  I figured that I had royally messed things up, but it turns out that there's an alternate way to wrap up the mission.  It involves finding a secret message with a method to meet with a spy outside of Novigrad--apparently Menge used this spy for his nefarious purposes.  Geralt can ask Djikstra about it and then he and Triss can meet the spy.  Triss still goes a little bit nuts (this time on the spy, which is a lot less satisfactory than it being Menge) and it's obvious that she's a bit cracked from her encounter with the Temple Guard.  You can still fully complete the mission to free Dandelion afterwards.

There are a billion side quests and many of them you just have to sort of stumble upon.  In my totally insane desire to discover all the question marks in Skellige (which I will discuss later) I discovered two men on a random island who were having an argument about how one of them had corrupted the others sister by luring her away from the priestesses of Freya (a sort of Skelligan religious sect for the ladies).  Geralt can intervene and slay the attacker.  The survivor then is a bit conflicted about the situation and asks Geralt to find books about different religious practices and then bring them to him.  I have always noticed the random items tagged as quest items that are for sale by some vendors, but had never actually encountered one of them.  Now, for the life of me, I cannot remember where to find the books for the quest since they are sold by random merchants.  And, honestly, this quest is highly inconvenient because it is located on a small island with no nearby fast travel markers--getting back to the quest giver means hopping on a boat and returning to the island.  If I find the books, I might complete it, but I'm not planning on going heavily out of my way to do it.

Behold, the lack of question marks!  (Take a look at ol' Geralt's finances too)

Every time I get to Skellige I am always confronted with what is a very stupid internal debate--do I save myself a lot of time (we're talking multiple hours) and ignore the numerous question marks polluting the map or do I needlessly do them?  There are pros and cons to this debate--the main pros include the fact that you might find a decent item or two that you can actually use (out of an absolute mountain that you will sell) and that you will earn an absolute Skelligan longships worth of gold (which, again, you don't really need).  The cons--sailing around to ALL the question marks means fighting off scores of some of the most annoying enemies in the game (sirens and ekidhnas).  It also means having to manage selling off all your loot--another annoyance since finding vendors who have enough coin to buy it all can be difficult (you can wait for 24 hours until their stock resets).  And, most importantly, it's fairly pointless.  The sad reality--I still do it every time!  I think there's something wrong with me.

Surely I can't be the only one who does this?  There has to be other insane people out there who refuse to let the question marks remain  If that's you, I hope you enjoy your adventure--I used it as an opportunity to get caught up on some podcast episodes that I had missed.

Happy spring to the gamers out there!  The weather is getting nicer, so maybe it's a good opportunity to get outside and touch some grass.  Or maybe we just stay in and explore some more pointless question marks on a map.  Either way...win-win!

Museum Updates

I haven't dipped my toes into the Two Point Museum pool since the "Zooseum" DLC, but have been paying attention to the many seasonal updates that pop up from time to time.  One very cool feature that they added into the game is the ability to choose which season you want to play and then have access to all the features/events related to that season...even if the timeframe has already passed.  This is such a great idea because it lets players have the chance to unlock all the items even if they missed the season.

The newest update features a new rift in the digiverse (a sort of side-quest like task that involves hiring a special expert but that unlocks some cool new displays and items for your museum).  The digiverse generally features a collaboration between another game and has featured content from Dredge and Vampire Survivors.  This time around it's an absolute mobile classic--Angry Birds!  Man, I loved some Angry Birds back in the day.  It's fun to see the content in another game that I enjoy.  Check out the preview video:

Besides all the fun Angry Birds stuff, there are also some Easter themed seasonal events and items.  A new botany exhibit, a bunny suit, and some bunnies for the zoo!  I might have to check it out.

Bonus Powerwashing

This week I was pleasantly surprised by an update for PowerWash Simulator 2 that featured the first of several bonus levels that are part of a package called the "Caldera Chronicles."  Similar to the "Muckingham Files" from the original game, this is a series of updates that will add in new levels and some new items.  Check out the preview video:

The new level features a cute, miniature town area to clean.  I was surprised at the size--it took me a couple of hours to fully clean.  The tiny houses, shops, and bean-themed features are a lot of fun.  I absolutely love the fact that they continue to periodically roll out new content--it's nice to return and PowerWash Simulator 2 isn't the kind of game where you'll forget how to play if it has been awhile.

If you're a fan of "Adventure Time" (I have never watched it and am totally unfamiliar with this popular adult cartoon series) the first DLC package features levels inspired by the series.  I'm not sure I'm going to jump on this one, but we'll see.  I'm curious to see what other DLC they release.  How about from "The Pitt?"  Maybe a bit too gory there though.

It's the weekend again and I hope everyone gets to do some quality gaming--maybe even some powerwashing!

Mobile Timekilling

I don't do much mobile gaming but I am a fan of pointless time-killer kinds of games.  They are perfect for those times when you are waiting in line or just waiting for anything (I have a tendency to get a bit impatient so being able to shift my focus off of the wait helps tamp down the frustration or nervousness that I can feel).  In a perfect world I would have a book handy and read rather than waste my time with more brainrot on my phone, but packing around a physical book just isn't very convenient (and no, I have zero desire to do any reading on my phone).  Here are my picks for games to distract yourself from the inevitable waiting.

1.) Candy Crush

It's a classic and there's constantly some kind of in-game event to keep pulling you in.  They added in a seasonal type event where you collect these digital "pins" and it's oddly satisfying to cobble together an entire set.  Candy Crush is perfect because you can generally finish up a level in a few minutes and it's not particularly mentally demanding--match candies, pew pew, collect rewards.  The main downside...ads.  It's true that you can skip many of them but if you fail a level and want those sweet extra turns, you can expect to be wasting time with multiple ads.  It's the perfect time to stop looking at your phone and see how much longer you might be waiting.  At least they aren't depressing ads for medications (although I find many TikTok ads to be annoying).

The season of ultracite has commenced in Fallout Shelter!

2.) Fallout Shelter

I started playing Fallout Shelter when it originally came out (like 2014-ish) and had very few fun features.  Luckily the game has drastically changed since that time and there's plenty to keep you coming back.  In honor of the Amazon Prime Fallout series, they recently introduced seasonal "experimental vaults." These vaults are only active for 40 days and have specific objectives that must be achieved to earn a special kind of XP that will unlock random rewards (like lunchboxes, caps, weapons, pet carriers, etc.).  You start your vault from scratch and there's some kind of fun gimmick with each season--the Fallout series themed seasons (that recently ended) featured a special currency that allowed you to spin the "lucky wheel" to earn random rewards (like different tiers of weapons, outfits, pets, stimpacks, radaway, etc.).  They also featured special characters from the streaming series who could be unlocked by completing special quest lines.  The current season is related to Fallout 76 and features the Scorched (a kind of ghoulish-baddie) who periodically raid your vault.  Killing the Scorched is much easier if you use special "ultracite" weapons that can be crafted from two new rooms--the ultracite mine (finally a place for your high endurance vault dwellers!) and the ultracite weapons lab.

The seasons feature is great because it gives you a reason to keep playing.  It's fun to level up a vault over a short period and try to accomplish all the tasks that are part of the season (I can pretty consistently get all but 2 of them).  There are some ads (optional though) but it's not as egregious as Candy Crush.  I would also say that Fallout Shelter generally isn't as good as Candy Crush for taking a few minutes to knock out a level or objective.  I find myself playing for a chunk of time (depending on the level of my vault) but it's still very casual and low pressure.

If you're looking for the perfect mobile game to offer up some minimally mentally demanding games for wasting time, these two are both great options.

Have a great weekend and find some time to do some light gaming!

Feeling Meh about "Fallout"

Lately it seems like ye olde streaming services have become real interested in adapting video games into streaming series.  In the last few years we've gotten several adaptations including Netflix's The Witcher and Amazon Prime's Fallout.  This trend seems like it is continuing as I've seen rumors/stories that a God of War adaptation is currently in production.  There's something kind of fun about seeing stories and characters from some of our favorite games making it into the main stream, but generally, I've found the quality a bit lacking.

Let's start with the highly controversial The Witcher adaptation on Netflix.  I watched the first couple of seasons and found it somewhat enjoyable.  Henry Cavill played a believable Geralt of Rivia and is a favorite of all nerds thanks to his own dedication to the nerdy arts (such as building PCs and painting Warhammer miniatures).  The series seemed to garner quite a bit of dislike online because many of the characters were not an exact replica of how they were depicted in the game.  I found this a bit silly since the series is based on books (that, let's be totally honest here, aren't the greatest read) and the game characters don't even totally stick to how they're described in the books!  The storylines in the show seemed to at least somewhat follow what was in the books (although there was also controversy because the director/showrunner fully admitted that she hadn't read the books) and there were some fun CGI monster fights.  For me, the show went fully off the rails when Henry Cavill decided to leave and they replaced him with an off-brand Hemsworth (Helmsworth?  I don't know and don't want to look it up).

I greatly enjoyed Amazon Prime's first season of Fallout and was pleasantly surprised that it didn't absolutely suck.  The characters were fun and the world in the show felt like an accurate depiction of what is in the games.  This second season though...woof.  I was very excited because it was going to take place in the New Vegas universe and it was kind of fun to see the landmarks from the game in the show.  With that said, I found the storyline to be very...in-between-y.  It felt like the middle book in a series (and, I kind of wonder if they're going for a 3 seasons type of schedule where we'll see all the major fireworks occurring next season) and like it was sort of leading to something but not really going anywhere.  I was definitely underwhelmed.

Should the streamers keep pumping out these video game adaptations?  I feel like they're looking for anything with a guaranteed fanbase that will tune in regardless of the quality (and, I'm guilty of that).  That's not to say that these adaptations are pure garbage--they've got some enjoyable qualities (at least for awhile).  I'm watching to see which beloved video games will be adapted next--methinks an Assassin's Creed series could be a possibility.

It's the weekend and I hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy their favorite games (or streamers!).  Happy gaming or streaming!

Newsin' It Up

I've been bouncing around between several games (and, semi-guiltily, I also felt a strong urge to re-visit The Witcher 3 for the 9,000th time) and feel like I'm having some gaming ADD.  I haven't quite finished one of them (and I'm struggling to get it done), but decided that I had played one of them enough to write up a review.  If you're feeling an urge to run a fictional 1930's style newspaper empire, you'll want to check out News Tower.

What is it?

A management/simulation game where you run an old-timey newspaper.  You hire a team of dedicated news professionals responsible for the various tasks associated with the paper (reporters, telegraphers, typesetters, and even more mundane tasks like cleaning) and are responsible for researching various stories that must be published by the end of the week.

How much gameplay can I expect?

This will depend heavily on your engagement and dedication.  If your ultimate goal is to monopolize the newspaper market (which means wiping out all competition) you're probably looking at a significant chunk of playtime (maybe 30-40 hours).  There are tons of things to unlock, but again, it is dependent on your desire to keep playing.

A shot of my medium-sized tower.

Pros:

+ It's something different and the retro focus is fun.  You start off with a very basic news operation--a reporter, a telegrapher (who receives information about potential news stories that you can send a reporter to), and a typesetter.  As you progress and make more money you build up your "tower" and can add more levels, hire more staff who can add more complex aspects to your paper (like graphics or photographs), and buy better equipment to make your newspaper bigger (so you can publish more articles).

+ Gameplay loop that is satisfactory (for awhile...).  You play through a one week timeline where you initially get to choose your goal--your #1 goal is to expand subscribers to your paper so you can target specific districts.  Each district wants to see specific types of articles published so your goal is to try to satisfy their requests (there are "tags" for each type of article that a reporter can gather information about).  Reporting on these articles takes differing amounts of time and sometimes there are risks associated with certain stories--your reporters can get injured (and have to spend time in the hospital...not reporting), they can get into legal trouble which results in potential fines/lawsuits, can have the cops fine them, or even have the mafia show up and damage your equipment.  You have to decide if it's worth the risks to report on certain items (if it's a goal for a district you pretty much have to go for it).

At the end of the week you get to choose which completed articles you place in your paper.  There are bonuses for reporting on similar tags (like sports, for example).  As you progress and unlock more features things get more complicated as you can choose articles with a certain political bent (right or left) and there are weekly bonuses for publishing toward one view or another.

+ Management that's not too onerous.  Hiring staff--especially reporters--means keeping an eye on which types of stories they can report on.  Each reporter has certain "skills" and can only report on stories that fall within those article types (for example, politics).  You want to have a balanced pool to cover many different types.  You also have to make sure that you keep your tower stocked with the various supplies that are needed to keep it running (paper, food, and fuel).  You also need staff to maintain and care for the tower--maintenance people to repair broken/damaged items and cleaning people to tidy up.  All your employees have basic needs (food and restroom) so you have to make sure they can take care of those.  As you progress you can add a variety of different staff to help you avoid negative events (like lawyers to help counter any lawsuits).  Your tower fills up pretty quickly!

+ Various factions to side with.  Each week you can choose whether you want to try to satisfy the requests from different groups around the city.  The mayor's office might want you to avoid publishing politics stories for a week to avoid potential controversies.  They'll reward you with money or a special currency that can be used to purchase new items (that can buff staff abilities or improve their mood).  The downside...siding with one faction means you'll lose approval with another--to the point of becoming "enemies" with them--meaning that they will no longer offer you jobs.

+ Fun, jazzy music that matches the time period/vibe.

+ Good tutorial that explains the gameplay basics.  It's very easy to pick up.

Cons:

- Gameplay loop is satisfactory at first, but doesn't change much as you progress.  I found myself losing interest after about 10-ish hours.  It will undoubtedly depend on your level of engagement--if you really like it, you could easily play for many, many hours.  I sort of had to walk away for while and then come back.  Don't be surprised if you find yourself taking breaks or doing the same.

Recommendation:

If you're a fan of management games and are looking for something fun and mildly challenging, look no further.  News Tower offers up some enjoyable gameplay that's going to be dependent on your level of engagement with the gameplay loop.  Some reviewers have banked 60+ hours while others (like me) have found themselves losing interest after 10-ish.  I plan on returning to News Tower and think it could be worth your time and money.

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.