I've been thinking about many of the games I play and like and why I enjoy them. One of the major selling points of so many games are the advanced graphics. Does that really matter? Does a game need to have cutting edge graphics to be good? Do you buy games simply because they look pretty?
As much as I would like to say that graphics don't matter to me....they do. Good graphics can make a game so much more engaging and make the environments seem so much more real. Every time I decide to upgrade or buy a new computer it is typically because I want to play something that outpaces my current graphics card. So yeah....they matter. Not every game I've enjoyed has been a graphics masterpiece--indie games like Papers, Please and Shovel Knight have a retro style, but the gameplay is what makes them fun.
The Witcher 3--low vs. ultra settings.
I think if a game has a strong story or compelling play that you don't need the fancy graphics. I view graphics as more of a polish that makes a game look better. Sometimes that polish is so shiny that we get distracted. I'm currently more than a little obsessed with The Witcher 3 and it is so beautiful! Would it be as good without all the beautiful vistas and cool weather effects? I think the story is compelling but I think the graphics are what makes the exploration aspect of the game so great. With open world games it seems more important to have fluid environments. So much time is spent wandering around that bland graphics could make those hours seem very boring.
It's also really nice not to have to deal with issues like stuttering or laggy cutscenes. My end verdict is that graphics are important but not the most important aspect of many games I play. I would rather have a strong characters, a good story, and fun gameplay over state of the arts graphics.
A new game that has popped up on my radar is a police procedural called Her Story. At first glance it seems pretty silly--you watch videos...of the same lady?--but apparently it's much deeper than that. You get to play the role of a detective and use your analysis skills and tools to try to piece together what happened. Here's the trailer:
It keeps popping up on my Steam feed and I've read some really good things about it. For a little over $5 I could unravel a fictional murder mystery. I'm hesitant because it really seems like the kind of thing you play once and that's it. Is a $5 game sufficiently cheap for one go round?
This seems like such a simple but interesting concept. I thought Papers, Please sounded pretty weird before I bought it, but it actually turned out to be a great game. Do I take the indie dive or not?
The announcement of Fallout 4 caused all fans of the series to rejoice and start anticipating the next episode in the post-apocalyptic saga. It also spawned a mobile game which has players striving to manage their own vaults. Fallout Shelter brings the vault experience to you and gives you that little taste of Fallout to sustain you until the 2016 release of Fallout 4.
A large vault in Fallout Shelter.
I'm not big on mobile games. They all seem to be designed with the goal of seeming free but aiming to get players to spend money in the form of micro-transactions. Fallout Shelter falls into this category, but is playable without spending any cash. Your goal is to create and run a functional vault--keeping your vault residents fed, watered, and happy. Your vault starts off as just a few rooms but a short tutorial explains how to add more rooms. Prospective vault residents line up outside the vault door waiting to be admitted. Each person has their own set of attributes (using the same SPECIAL set of traits from the Fallout games). As the vault overseer you must decide which tasks to assign to these new vault dwellers. Certain jobs within the vault lend themselves to specific attributes--the generator room is better for those with higher strength while the diner is more suited to agility.
Once you figure out the basics and get your residents assigned you can choose to send someone out to explore the wasteland. Residents are needed to explore the wasteland because they can bring back valuable items like outfits and weapons. Outfits provide stat boosts for your residents and weapons are needed to help them fight off the occasional raider attack. Your intrepid explorer can stay in the wasteland for any duration of time and will generally bring back better loot the longer they are out. They can be equipped with Stimpacks and RadAway to help them survive while they are beyond the walls of the vault.
As your population of vault dwellers grows--through babies born by assigning male and female dwellers with higher charisma to the same living quarter or new dwellers showing up at your vault--you unlock more rooms to help your vault function. A medbay allows your dwellers with higher intelligence to create Stimpacks, a storage room provides a place to keep your outfits and weapons, and eventually you can unlock rooms that will allow you to raise specific skills of your dwellers.
I'm enjoying this quirky little mobile game. My vault has been attacked by raiders twice and things looked bleak for awhile, but now things are going along pretty smoothly. My iPad 2 seems to struggle with this game and I've had several lockups, so those of you with older devices might have some difficulties. For a free game it's not too bad--there haven't been a bunch of advertisements or entreaties to make micro transactions. It's got that signature Fallout feeling that makes you want to explore the wasteland.
When I think back on the games that I really loved as a kid there are a few that really stick out and oddly most of them were developed by the same company--Sierra. The King's Quest series was a family favorite and I still have all of them in my library. Sierra made so many great little adventure games that it's easy to forget some of them. One that I have many fond memories of is a western adventure called Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist.
The main character, Freddy, is a former gunslinger turned pharmacist who moseys into a small town hoping to establish his new business. It's a slow little town, but it turns out they have their share of problems. The story revolves around Freddy's efforts to help out the citizens of Coarsegold--be it with his mad gun skills or his ability to create a headache remedy. This game combines the goofy humor present in so many Sierra games from the 1990's with point-and-click adventure. Going back and replaying this game you also realize how much adult humor was actually present in the game.
My favorite part of Freddy Pharkas was mixing up prescriptions for people (which actually also served as an early form of DRM--without the game manual mixing them was impossible). You had to follow the steps in order to brew the appropriate remedy. There also was just enough childish humor to keep a ten-year old entranced by fart jokes and other silliness.
In the mood for retro goodness? Check out Freddy Pharkas: Frontier Pharmacist on the Internet Archive.
Maybe you're a big Batman fan. Maybe you excitedly pre-ordered Batman: Arkham Knight and anxiously waited to play it the first moment it was available. If you were one of those people you probably had your dreams crushed by a buggy and unplayable PC port. /sigh, yet another sad story of buggy releases that make you want to hurl your keyboard across the room. Sadly this seems to happen all too often and as a consumer this can be very frustrating. Probably the most interesting part of this whole debacle is that rather than promising to fix the bugs the publisher actually pulled the PC version of the game. A game that was on sale a few days ago is now completely gone (I saw it on Steam for the brief time it was available). One of the publishers for the game also decided to offer refunds because of the massive backlash from angry gamers.
There's currently a lot of debate about whether this was the right move. It does bring up a lot of issues that seem to plague the cross-species nature of games. If it's so buggy that it's completely unplayable....why release it in the first place? As a gamer I would much rather wait and have a playable game than have a disaster glaring at me from my gaming library. Is it that important that the console versions and the PC versions come out at exactly the same time? Console versions always seem to get precedence anyway, so why push it? I'm not sure the damage to the reputation of a brand is really worth it.
This also serves as a great reminder about why you should pre-order with caution. I will be the first to admit that when I see a game I want to play that mashing that pre-order button feels really good. Unfortunately with situations like this one it can turn out to be more "buyer beware" than hours of gaming fun.
The developers have promised to get the game into a playable state as soon as possible. Maybe pulling the game is the right decision. Hopefully this will give them time to really work out all the bugs and give Batman fans the game that they deserve. And who knows...maybe in the future the PC versions of some games might get more attention. It would be nice if they offered some sort of amends to people who pre-ordered and then weren't able to play. A nice DLC pass or some unique in-game item....but I really doubt it.
As a fan of many very large RPG's I am overly familiar with the concept of "levelling up" a character. You start off as a beginner--someone with weak skills and equipment and through your conquests and experiences become more powerful. It's actually something I enjoy because it does feel so rewarding. I enjoyed it so much that in World of Warcraft I usually levelled up multiple characters to max level. In a recent issue of PBS's "Game/Show" Jamin explored the concept of levelling up and the illusion of power in video games. There are some interesting ideas contained within. View it below:
Levelling up and gaining power is a very core concept in video games. It works because it rewards players and makes them feel good about what they are doing. It's incredibly fun to unlock a new ability or piece of special equipment. Without these sort of rewards what would keep players from continuing to slay monsters or navigate puzzles? I don't think that levelling up has much to do with skill in most games. If anything the game almost gets easier as you gain levels and you can make more mistakes or rely more on the equipment that you have unlocked. I find that my play gets sloppier because I know I can count on the plethora of items that I didn't have at earlier levels.
I don't think the levelling system in most games will go away. It keeps people playing and gives them a reason to invest time and effort. Like Jamin stated, it will be interesting to see how game developers move away from this deeply entrenched part of so many games.
Even though I love big RPG's with a strong story and enthralling characters, sometimes it's nice to take a break. Simple point-and-click story games have earned themselves a special place in my gaming library and are worth playing. Tales From the Borderlands has become my fun little escape from the heavy content that I usually play. Each new episode gets better and better.
(This is where the spoilers begin.)
Episode three starts off with our slightly inept heroes being trapped in the Atlas facility where they were searching for the mysterious Gortys project. The story involves them trying to figure out what exactly Gortys does. This episode had a lot of action--many gunfights and great, but still sort of goofy, action sequences. There are a lot of cameo's by the characters from the Borderlands series--Athena, who seemed like she was pursuing the group earlier actually saves their bacon and joins in, while Brick and Mordecai show up later. Gortys, which seems like nothing but a small metal ball, turns out to be a cute little robot! Once the group has managed to escape from the Atlas facility, Gortys informs them that there are other locations with parts that can upgrade it and could possibly lead to a vault. It then points them in the general direction where they need to search.
The opening title sequence features another great musical entry that I enjoyed. One of the big plot points involves Rhys choosing whether to listen to Handsome Jack or ignore him. Seriously? Why would you trust that whack job? I opted to not trust Jack....this could be a bad decision. After a long trek across Pandora the group arrives at another hidden Atlas base that seems to be some sort of weird agricultural research station. There are some funny scanning descriptions as the group explores the station and opportunities to interact with different members of the group Eventually the group comes to a sort of control room where they discover that someone has been living in the facility. After some exploration, a mysterious man stumbles into the room and you have to make some decisions about trusting him. He seems very scholarly but a little dubious. Gortys tells the group that they will have to traverse through the jungly facility to find the part it needs. They decide to split up with Fiona and Athena heading to where the part is located and Rhys and Sasha heading towards a central core to disable any security (there are lots of turrets in this episode).
The story then bounces back and forth between Rhys and Fiona. Rhys and Sasha seem to almost have a sort of little flirtation going on as they explore more of the facility. It's kind of cute. There are some genuinely funny moments as they are forced to navigate a broken catwalk. Fiona and Athena's branch seems to be more about toughening up Fiona and making her more like a true vault hunter. Athena bestows some handy advice...and lots of bullets...on Fiona and gives her ample opportunity to practice her skills.
Vallory, the new villain.
Eventually Fiona and Athena reach the location of the hidden Gortys part. They find out that Rhys and Sasha haven't deactivated the security measures. The story then switches back to Rhys and Fiona as they unwittingly flee from a storm or cute, but possibly deadly critters, that they managed to set off. There is a short puzzle sequence to match nodes and deactivate the security. Fiona and Athena grab the part and make their way out. Unfortunately they are met by Brick....who seems to be after Athena. As Brick and Athena tangle, Fiona is forced to tangle with a hidden sniper who is taking potshots. It's Mordecai and he's accompanying Brick on his quest to capture Athena. The fighting doesn't look like it's going to turn out well as the new villain and her squad turn up. Vallory was mentioned in episode two and seems to be some sort of criminal mastermind tied somehow to Felix.
The Gortys upgrade piece ends up being taken by Vallory and it comes down to Rhys and Sasha trying to chase down the bandits and get it back. There's a really fun chase sequence toward the end of the game that involves riding on half of LoaderBot (he has difficulties in this episode) and trying to take down August in a vehicle.
There's probably a lot of things that I am missing--I only played it once and am already having a hard time remembering all the details. I found this episode to be a lot of fun with tons of great action sequences but enough humor spread throughout to keep it light and goofy. I am still very surprised at how much I am enjoying this game.
Yesterday I took to the Steam forums looking for an answer to what I thought was a bug in The Witcher 3 (having talents in delusion but being unable to use the skill in conversations--apparently it won't work unless you have it as one of your select "equippable" talents). One thing that surprised me were the number of threads with very detailed analyses about which sorceress Geralt should choose. Should he choose Triss Merigold or Yennefer of Vengerberg? For fun I thought I would weigh in.
As someone who has played all the games AND read the short stories (the ones translated into English anyway), I feel like I have a decent understanding of all three characters. The games seem to draw on some events which are depicted in the stories but mostly tell their own separate stories using similar characters and locations. I'm going to base my analysis on facts from both.
Both have unique personalities. Who do you choose?
Triss Merigold is actually a fairly minor character in the stories. She doesn't really show up much, but is involved in some of the larger events that occur--namely Ciri's magical training. In the stories Triss is described as being overly giggly and comes off almost like some flighty airhead (she's also a brunette). She doesn't really seem like someone who should be taken seriously. The games, on the other hand, paint her as a warm, friendly, and sweet character. She doesn't seem to be like many of the other sorceresses--ambitious, cunning, and constantly plotting. Triss is the one who nurses Geralt back to health in the first game and aids him in his quest to regain his lost memory in the second. As Geralt regains his memory he remembers Yennefer and things start to get more complicated. Throughout the second game players are presented with multiple opportunities in which Geralt can opt to state his undying affection for Triss or brush aside her companionship. As The Witcher 3 unfolds it's apparent that Geralt has broken off his relationship with Triss. He has fully regained his memory, and it seems that his declarations of love weren't genuine. When you're exploring her ransacked house in Novigrad you stumble across the Rose of Remembrance that Geralt can give her in the second game. It's wilted and dying.....(according to the lore in the game the rose is supposed to stay alive as long as love exists in the relationship).
Geralt's relationship with Yennefer is much more complicated. In the stories Geralt and Yennefer meet merely by a series of strange accidents (this is explained very briefly in The Witcher 3) involving the bard Dandelion and a magic lamp. Dandelion unwittingly faces the wrath of the djinn in the lamp and has to be taken to the local sorceress, Yennefer, to be treated. Yennefer then comes up with a plot to enslave the djinn and use its power for herself. Geralt is roped into her plan but the djinn proves too powerful for Yennefer to control and Geralt is forced to release it by making one last wish--his wish is to tie his fate to Yennefer's--and thus their relationship begins. Throughout the stories Yennefer and Geralt have a powerful connection and seem fated to be drawn together. Once Ciri arrives on the scene it is Yennefer who realizes that Ciri is mostly likely a very powerful magical "source" and dedicates herself to Ciri's training. Geralt and Yennefer become parental stand-ins for Ciri (in the stories Ciri is an orphan who is rescued by Geralt after the slaughter at Cintra).
In the first game there is very little if any mention of Yennefer. The second game sees Geralt regaining his memory and distinctly remembering a sorceress with raven hair and violet eyes. He also remembers the strong feelings he had for her.
I have felt like Yennefer from the game matches more closely with her character from the book. In the book she very ambitious and is highly involved in the plotting and planning carried out by the Lodge of Sorceresses. Unlike Triss, she isn't a sweet, lovable character. She clearly craves power and position and can seem callously obsessed with advancement. In the early parts of The Witcher 3, she is very distant and cold. It's later on that players are given a better idea of the relationship between Yennefer and Geralt. The quests in Skellige bring them together and Yennefer opens up much more and eventually confesses her feelings. There is a bit of uncertainty about their relationship because of Geralt's wish from the djinn--were they drawn together by fate or simply by the spell of the djinn?
When it comes down to both these sorceresses, who seem like polar opposites, I generally opt for Triss Merigold. There's a strong indication in the games that Triss is almost taking advantage of Geralt's lost memory to cultivate a relationship (this is also hinted in the books--that she seems to have a sort of "crush" on Geralt who is clearly paired up with Yennefer) and this is a strange underpinning. Triss is sweet and loving where Yennefer seems distant and too focused on her own ambitions. Yennefer can be bristly, impatient, and stubborn.
Phew. Video game romance is complicated. If you want a better idea about the characters from the games I would highly recommend reading the short stories.
The last two weeks have been jam packed with monster clicking and wallet crunching as the Steam Summer sale forced us to make critical decisions about games. I am rather proud of myself this year--I don't feel like I made too many impulsive decisions and I picked up some games that I had been sitting on my wishlist for quite awhile. I always seem to pick at least one that isn't quite what I wanted it to be.
This pretty much sums up the Steam Summer Sale.
This year I felt like I saw a lot of the same deals I generally see at various times--the XCOM franchise is on sale a lot and could be scooped up during the sale for a song. So what were the best deals? My current obsession with everything Witcher related points to being able to buy the first two games for under $10. They pale in comparison to the third, but they are great games nonetheless. Many of the newer big titles only saw their prices dipped a small amount so hoping to grab a triple A for cheap didn't happen.
The two games I grabbed that I will be trying out once my Witcher mania fades are Pillars of Eternity and The Talos Principle. I've been interested in them both but didn't want to pay full price.
Some exciting non-sale related news for fans of Tales From the Borderlands--episode three in the series comes out tomorrow. I've learned not to stress the releases of Telltale Games, they come out when they come out. Maybe I'll take a short break from monster slaying and return to the adventures of Rhys and Fiona.
As I'm merrily playing through my second round of The Witcher 3, I'm taking the time to focus on smaller details. There are certain aspects of the game that are minor, but that make it more enjoyable. On my second playthrough I have opted to up the difficulty a notch--I'm not quite at "Death March," but I'm finding "Blood and Broken Bones" to be considerably more challenging than the default difficulty.
Imagine the one on the left taking a friendly arrow. Ha!
With the increased difficulty I feel like there are an increased number of enemies. Bandit camps that may have had two or three bad guys now have four or five. Fighting a big group of enemies can be much more challenging than fighting one big baddie. I'm finding I have to utilize my potions and bombs much more frequently. One of the sillier things that I enjoy when fighting these larger groups if foes, especially humanoids, is friendly fire. Archers can be very annoying and require special attention so they don't keep taking potshots at you while you're trying to focus on avoiding melee strikes. Luckily these archers can sometimes take out one of their own. The satisfying thump of an arrow as it drops one of your targets is something that makes me laugh without fail. Stupid bandits.
Poor Geralt has been taking a lot more damage this go round so I've been burning through his supply of food. As a result I've had to spend an increased amount of time scavenging for food. Another small thing that feels a little creepy but that has become a necessity is taking every scrap of anything of value from the huts of villagers. Yeah, you're supposedly starving but I'm taking all your beer and food. Sorry villagers. Hanging out in the villages is something that can be entertaining. The villages are designed with a set schedule revolving around the time of day. Watching and listening to the peasants as they go about their daily lives feels real and detailed.
I told myself I would make different choices this time, but I'm finding it difficult. I'm partially through Velen and find myself making many of the same choices over again. I can't bring myself to kill Keira Metz no matter how much I know she's using Geralt to accomplish her own goals (I did kill her once but then felt guilty about it and re-loaded and let her live). I did opt for a different world state for this playthrough. In this second round I chose the following:
1.) Aryan LaValette survived (he seemed like such a minor character in the second game)
2.) Geralt left Flotsam with Vernon Roche and Ves
3.) Geralt sided with the Temerians in Aedirn rather than Saskia and Vergen
4.) At Loc Muinne Geralt saved Anais rather than going after Triss (I don't even remember this--might have to replay the previous games)
5.) Allowed Sile de Tansarville to get blown up by her defective megascope
6.) Killed Letho
One thing I haven't mentioned, but that I have enjoyed, is how similar to Mass Effect some of the story mechanics have been. Being able to have one conversation to re-establish the world state (or simply import your save files) is pretty cool. The character development in this game feels much stronger as well and the focus on their stories and backgrounds is particularly nice.
Despite making several purchases in the Steam Sale, I have decided to replay The Witcher 3. It's that good! I'm hoping to correct the many things I did wrong in my first playthrough and to make some different choices. One nice aspect of my immediate replay is the addition of several smaller pieces of DLC that both add in new quests and more cosmetic things like beards and hairstyles for Geralt or alternative looks for Triss and Yennefer.
A few of the already released DLC options for The Witcher 3.
The best part of this DLC is that it's free. Who can complain about something that is free? (If you purchased it on Steam you will need to click on the "DLC" button to see all the available additional content for the game. Then you will need to hit "install" for any that you want. This is another cool feature that allows you to pick what you do and do not want--thanks CD Projekt Red!) Thus far I have only experienced the cosmetic aspects and haven't stumbled across any of the added quests. The "Fool's Gold" quest sounds interesting--Geralt and the village idiot explore a town populated by pigs. Hmmmm....maybe they're demon pigs?
The skins and cosmetic features are a fun addition if you're into changing the appearances of the main characters. I am a fan of Geralt's default hairstyle, but I also like the sides shaved-ponytail look. It's fun to be able to change Geralt's hair and beard (there is kind of no point to messing with the beard since it grows back). As to Yennefer and Triss' new looks--I'm not a huge fan. It's obvious that these new looks were added to make them seem sexier. To me the new looks don't work with the story and I like both their original looks much better. They are sorceresses for the love....they don't need the slutty clothes to be sexy! Even though I downloaded the new looks I have uninstalled them because I'm not a big fan.
One thing I was excited for was what I thought was a new Gwent deck composed of neutral cards. It turns out that the new Gwent deck isn't a deck at all but are new skins for neutral cards. The new skins are actually pretty cool, not as cool as a whole other deck, but it'll do.
I can't get over how great The Witcher 3 is and how CD Projekt Red will give away things they could be selling. You've earned yourselves a new fangirl.
I've been keeping my eyes on the news from E3 and hoping for news on some of my favorite games and series. Besides the big Mass Effect reveal another trailer caught my eye--that for Dishonored 2. Watch it and be impressed:
After watching this I also tried to find some more information about the game. In the next game it appears that players will have the option to play as Corvo, the assassin hero from the original game, or Emily Kaldwin, the daughter of the murdered empress. The fact that you can play as Emily makes me wonder about the story--why is Emily running around with Corvo? Isn't she supposed to be ruling the empire?
Even though I have struggled to replay Dishonored it is still an excellent game. One aspect of E3 that I am particularly excited about is the increase in the number of female characters. It really feels like developers are making more of an effort to give players more options. In Dishonored 2 each playable character will have a unique set of abilities so choosing who you play might not be simply an issue of gender. The trailer shows off one of Emily's abilities known as "dark tentacle." This skill seems akin to Corvo's blinking ability from the first game.
Watching this trailer makes me want to lurk in the shadows and play some Dishonored.
As the Steam Sale rolled around last week, I took to my wishlist to start crossing some games off of it. My first two purchases were a couple of smaller indie games that had been on my list for quite awhile. I decided to start off with Dust: An Elysian Tale and so far I'm really enjoying it.
Dust and Fidget
The first thing I noticed about this game was the beautiful environments. Cartoony bunnies and deer run alongside you as you explore early levels. The characters are all animal-like and also have a cartoony/anime-like feel but it actually works well (the game is rated E10 and would be appropriate for kids). The story follows a character known as Dust. Dust has lost his memory and wakes up in the forest finding that he is accompanied by a talking sword and a small, flying creature. The sword is some sort of magical relic and offers guidance to help Dust regain his memory. The flying creature is known as Fidget and is a sort of companion with some minor combat skills.
It might sound a little cheesy, but it's a fun game. The combat works on a combo system and Dust can perform a number of different moves. Many of these moves see Dust becoming airborne and spinning wildly before crashing down to earth. One fun feature involves using Fidget's ranged attack combined with a spinning attack performed by Dust. The result is a firestorm that damages all the enemies on the screen.
The game itself is a side-scroller/platformer but features some RPG elements. As you slay monsters you get loot in the form of coins, monster parts (which can be used for crafting other gear), food items to restore health, or even equippable items like armor or rings. Levelling up involves allocating skill gems into categories like defense or attack.
This game would play really great on a controller. I have been playing it with mouse and keyboard and it's not too bad, but some of the key combinations can be a little wonky.
If you're looking for a smaller game or a game that is good for the whole family, check out Dust: An Elysian Tale.
E3 is a magical time for gamers. Major announcements and new trailers and previews for our favorite games are released in tantalizing tidbits. One of these major announcements has me very excited. A new trailer for the next game in the Mass Effect series was released. It was released with the title Mass Effect: Andromeda so we can finally stop calling it Mass Effect 4. Here is the video for your viewing pleasure:
I'm going to break it down into a sort of play-by-play of my thoughts. So when the video first comes on the music is the first thing that throws me. Why country? Should I expect my new hero to be some sort of galactic redneck? Maybe he/she is some sort of bounty hunter?
There was also a brief period where I thought this video was going to be nothing but landscapes and I was going to be angry. (Early on there were stories of sneak peeks of the development of the game that turned out to be shots of artists working on environmental images. You couldn't actually see much so it was very anti-climactic.). Then the camera cuts back and we see our besuited hero. The landscapes indicate that there are going to be a variety of alien planets to explore. We've been hearing a lot about how the new Frostbite engine is going to take things to a whole new level and these shots are probably a good indication. I'm guessing something more open-world since this is a hot trend.
Finally we see some action--the Mako! And it looks like it has become the bad-ass Mako! It would be pretty cool to have a souped up Mako to explore some of those amazing looking planets. Then we see Mr. N7 using some sort of jumpy/rocket-pack thing to boost up a rock face. Could there be rocket jumping in our future? At the top of the precipice you hear the unmistakable Reaper noise. I'm cool with wiping out pockets of Reapers. That could totally be a plot point. The very end of the video shows some intense combat complete with more jumping and omni-tool stabbing.
I have to say that I'm very excited to finally see something of substance about this new game. It has all been very tight-lipped and secretive. One thing the trailer definitely leaves wanting is any indication about what the plot for the story will actually be. I think a lot of fans are really wondering about this. From what I've read this game is supposed to take place after the events of Mass Effect 3. Maybe you play an N7 operative who is tasked with exploring the many unexplored planets in the galaxy? Maybe your job is to wipe out any remaining Reapers? Maybe you are a space cowboy who rides around in a bad-ass Mako? It remains to be seen.
One thing I've noticed since The Witcher 3 dustup over the supposed "graphics downgrade" is that a lot of game trailers are now including small print indicating that what is in the trailer is indicative of actual gameplay. I haven't seen this before and hope this isn't a new thing.
After 129 hours of play I finally finished The Witcher 3 (it could have been closer to 200 hours if I hadn't gotten bored with exploring the numerous hidden caches in Skellige). I was a fan of the series before this game but I am completely blown away by how great this game really is. If you aren't a fan of the series and simply picked up this game because it's a triple-A title, now is the perfect time to pick up the first two games on the cheap during the Steam Sale.
I'm going to try to hit the highlights of what I really enjoyed about The Witcher 3. I'm not really into all the technical jargon like framerates and overclocking and whatnot so if you're looking for that type of thing, sorry.
The graphics are so great that simple moments stand out.
The first thing that really blew me away was the graphics. I essentially bought a brand new PC knowing that more graphically demanding titles were on the way and boy was that a good decision. As I explored the huge world I found myself marvelling at how beautiful it was--a sunset among the trees or a mountain vista with a wide view or a group of peasants working in a wheat field--it's really amazing. The world itself is huge, as promised, and has enough variety to remain engaging. The city streets of Novigrad bustle with life at any time of the day or night. The characters themselves also featured so many gorgeous details--the sorceresses with their expensive tastes dressed in plush velvets, the witchers in their battle scarred leather, the soldiers in their heavy armor--all of it looked extremely realistic. And one thing that might seem silly, but that I really appreciated, the hair. It looked real! Geralt's white ponytail (I prefer the ponytail) fluttered in the breeze--even indoors!
As a reader of the short stories/novels I was also impressed with a number of the details and characters that showed up in the game. Dudu Biberveldt, the plethora of sorceresses (not just Triss and Yennefer but a huge chunk of the Lodge of Sorceresses--Margarita Laux-Antille, Phillipa Eilhart, Fringilla Vigo, Keira Metz, Sile de Tansarville--all but the few who decide to stay out), Djikstra, Dandelion, Zoltan Chivay and so many more that I can't even remember. There were also smaller things from the stories like what Ciri was wearing--if you haven't read the stories you should--the turquoise belt which is somewhat of a trophy she steals (in the stories she's not all sweetness and runs around with a group of bandits with questionable moral values). One thing I didn't like about the novel to game translation was making Ciri the daughter of Emhyr, the emperor of Nilfgaard. It felt wrong but I can understand how it was necessary to make the story in the game work.
The addition of the extremely enjoyable card game, Gwent, was also a really fun choice. I enjoyed taking a break and playing cards and trying to get as many cards as I could. The gwent cards also featured a number of characters from the stories who don't appear in the game--Eithne, the queen of the dryads of Brokilon, Milva, the human archer who aids the Scoia'tel, Regis, the higher vampire and herbalist who Geralt lets live because he saves Dandelion. Gwent blows dice poker out of the water in terms of fun and challenge.
Geralt and Ciri share a quiet moment.
The story itself was engaging and featured an adequate number of twists and turns to not make it totally predictable. The relationship between Geralt and Ciri was heartwarming and I enjoyed how it played out--it was easy to feel the father/daughter relationship that exists between them. The many choices that you are able to make also adds greatly to replayability value. The story I chose for Geralt turned out to be happy, if not completely unrealistic (Spoilers! I don't think Geralt would choose to settle down with Triss and I sort of regret that choice even though Triss is my favorite).
I decided that my first playthrough should be at default difficulty and found the combat occasionally challenging. Dodging and parrying is fun and adds a dash of timing into simply mashing the attack button. On my next playthrough I plan to ratchet up the difficulty a notch or two and try to really get a feel for it rather than just blundering through.
When I think about the major triple-A RPG's from this year-ish I really think of two--Dragon Age: Inquisition and The Witcher 3. I am a big BioWare fan and have always really loved their games but I gotta say that The Witcher 3 was the superior of the two. I don't think I've ever sunk 120+ hours into a game and immediately wanted to pick it up again.
Thanks CD Projekt Red for bringing us such a great game and making the world of The Witcher so engaging. The next game should definitely follow Ciri. Make it so! Oh and if we could get the rest of the novels/short stories translated into English that would be soooo great.
(Serious The Witcher 3 spoilers ahead. Don't read ahead if you haven't played through the story much.)
One of the cuter moments between Geralt and Ciri.
After spending over 100 hours exploring and completing sidequests I finally decided it was time to take the plunge and forge ahead with the main storyline. I had rescued the cute, but slightly disturbing creature known as Uma, and found out he was actually an elven sage cursed by the Wild Hunt as he was attempting to protect Ciri. Now it was time to travel back to Skellige and find the mysterious Isle of the Mists and hopefully Ciri.
There was something really minor that happened before I travelled to the island that I really appreciated and it's not even related to the story. As Geralt was sailing in the boat toward the island a screen popped up warning me that I should: 1.) Save my game in a manual save slot because important things were going to happen and 2.) That I should complete any remaining sidequests I had because they might not be available after the next sequence. It seems silly, but this is great! How many times have you moved ahead on a main storyline only to find out that by doing so you couldn't go back and complete other missions? It's one of my chief annoyances in many games. Thanks CD Projekt Red for including this warning and saving me the headache of having to go back and re-play part of the game.
After I had completed my sidequests, I headed back to the Isle. Once there Geralt discovers a creepy island and a creepy cabin filled with lost dwarves. The dwarves refuse to let him in unless he tries to rescue their three lost companions. Let's just say that things don't turn out so well for the lost dwarves--one is killed by a monster, one clumsily falls off a cliff to his death--but one dwarf does actually manage to survive. The narcoleptic dwarf, Sleepy, asks Geralt to escort him back to the cabin. (This part of the mission felt reminiscent of an old World of Warcraft quest where you had to escort an injured elf to camp while periodically dousing him with water to keep him awake.)
Geralt manages to get Sleepy back to the cabin and the dwarves unlock the door to let him inside. Before he goes in they also tell him that Ciri is inside but that she is dead. It's a soul-crushing moment and the cinematic of Geralt going in, sitting on the bed next to her, and tenderly holding her body is seriously a heartbreaker. It's then that the small firefly that guided you to the island floats through the door and into Ciri. The scene cuts away to a flashback of Ciri as a child at Kaer Mohren with Geralt. They see each other and sprint together into the cutest hug in a game about killing monsters and dismembering people. I actually got tears in my eyes during this scene....doesn't happen much in games.
This is how I know The Witcher 3 is a great game. If it has the power to make me feel emotions that strongly....damn. Only the best can make that happen.
After slaying these pirates, Geralt realizes his inventory is full.
I have now been playing The Witcher 3 for 115 hours and I have to say I'm enjoying it. My unhealthy compulsion to explore every undiscovered location on the map currently has me obsessing over the plethora of question marks in Skellige. There are a few minor things that I wish were added into the game.
1.) Player Storage--my aforementioned desire to explore and loot every hidden chest on the map means Geralt's inventory fills up surprisingly fast. Then you have to find vendors with enough gold to purchase all of it. I also started hoarding crafting materials very early in the game and am tired of them taking up so much space. I like the addition of the witcher specific gear sets but don't like that you have to carry around the gear with you inbetween upgrades. A nice central storage spot would be nice.
2.) Boats that are easier to get into. I've had to abandon several boats because I inadvertently parked them in chest high water. For some reason Geralt cannot get into a boat if he is standing in water above his waist. I now know not to hop out of my watercraft when in shallowish water.
3.) Scoia'tel/Dwarves/Elves
Maybe I've totally missed some really important part of the story, but there is very little about the racial struggles in the Northern Kingdoms. Some people are glad that the story has shifted away from that major plot point. I think it would be nice to have a few missions involving the Scoia'tel as it really feels they've dropped right off the map.
Now, I'm going to go explore some more undiscovered locations.
Jamin, the host of PBS's web series "GameShow" recently shared his thoughts on the issue of race in The Witcher 3. I hadn't really thought about it but it is completely true that all the characters in the game are white. I think diversity in games is a great thing and something to shoot for but I wouldn't call The Witcher 3 a racist game. Here is the video of Jamin explaining his thoughts:
If you've played the previous Witcher games you know that there are different races. Besides humans you also have elves and dwarves. Even though they are all white, they are still different races and they are definitely treated that way. If you pay attention to the lore you learn early on that elves and dwarves who live in cities are forced to live in segregated ghettoes and are often the targets of pogroms. They live in constant fear for their lives and have very limited rights in society.
The racial issues are very apparent in the first Witcher game as much of the story revolves around Geralt siding with either the humans or the elves. The Witcher 2 also forces players to choose sides and players can choose to support the Temerian Special Forces or the dwarves and elves of the city of Vergen. These issues are less apparent in The Witcher 3 and I think this is a good thing--the story has revolved around the human vs. non-human conflict for two previous games and it's been a refreshing change to see the story move around all the chatacters fans know so well.
I don't think the goal of The Witcher 3 was to be racist. I've never gotten that feeling from it. I think many people, particularly people from the U.S., view race along the lines of skin color and I think it's much more complex in the world of The Witcher. It's not about black or white--it's about being human, elf, or dwarf--it's about being a Temerian, Redanian or Nilfgaardian.
It's Steam Sale time! Scrape together those pennies or rev up your credit card and plump up your game library. There are some interesting new features this year revolving around the monster themed sale. There is a mini-game in which the community can unlock special deals. I have yet to play it because it seems to be completely broken but obviously some people have been able to get in because there were some special deals unlocked today. Hey, maybe it'll work tomorrow.....
I'm on the lookout for some fantastic deals. Here's what's I've already purchased and here's what's on my wishlist:
Another indie game that's also a platformer. I've read a lot of great things about this game and it looks cute. It wasn't quite as cheap as Dust, but it's on sale.
The rest of my wishlist looks like this (there's no way I'm buying all these games...at least that's what I'm telling myself):
Pillars of Eternity
Ori and the Blind Forest
Valkyria Chronicles (I'm not sure about this one...I'm not a big JRPG fan)
Cities: Skylines
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris
There's one more that I can't think of right now, but I keep adding more and more. There are some great deals on some games I've really enjoyed--Wasteland 2 is currently 50% off ($19.99), The Witcher 1-2 can both be purchased for a total of under $10, the XCOM franchise is super cheap...so many great deals!
I purchased the newest pinball table for the excellent Pinball FX2, but had neglected to play it due to dedicated tons of time to The Witcher 3. It has sat in unplayed since I purchased it almost three weeks ago. I finally decided to give it a spin and I really enjoyed what I saw. If you're a fan of Portal then it's definitely something you would like.
Portal Pinball Table for Pinball FX2
The table itself features a lot of cool objects. The two bumpers at the bottom of the table near the flippers have reflective cubes on them. If you shoot a specific target three times a laser will light up and reflect off those cubes. Depending on which way the cubes are angled you could end up with some of the different colored gels spraying onto the table. If you get lucky enough to get it just right you can hit the mini-GLaDoS on the upper left side and earn some bonus points.
One other cool feature is the little Chell figure on the bottom left. When you open up a mission to complete test chambers she will move around the playing field through portals that she shoots. There are also portals that appear on the table itself and into which you can shoot the ball and have it appear on a top ramp. This can be a little confusing and I still haven't quite gotten used to it.
The missions themselves are actually based around the concept of completing test chambers and involve shooting specific targets. In the short amount of time in which I played I didn't manage to complete any but got fairly close. I did manage to shoot targets to unlock Atlas and P-Body figures who stand on a ramp on the top right part of the table. Once both robots are unlocked there is a multi-ball with many opportunities for jackpots.
Like Portal, GLaDoS mocks you throughout the game. Wheatley also encourages you as you play. I really like this table because of all these small features.
The Steam Summer Sale has officially started! Be on the lookout for any great deals. This table would definitely be a worthwhile purchase in the sale.
Well, I felt all warm and gooey over The Witcher 3 earlier this week. Almost 100 hours in and I've hit a bit of a wall in the form of the Skellige Isles. My 100% exploration goal is looking like it's not going to happen. There are so many question marks on the map and so many of them require a lot of sailing around. There is something peaceful about sailing around with Geralt...right up until five or six sirens come swooping down on your boat. And, really, what's the point of looting all that treasure? I end up selling basically all of it and there's really nothing that I can use and Geralt's finances are looking pretty plush. But I just can't stand all those stupid question marks on my map....
I've also found a few that I cannot figure out how to find. I've climbed mountains, combed every corner of certain areas looking for keys and still can't figure out how to reach them. I might have to look it up and I really hate doing that.
The storyline in Skellige has been one that I've actually enjoyed. The idea of the lands being in a state of tumult after the death of their leader and Geralt's role in choosing a new one was a lot of fun. I opted for Cerys because she wasn't as hot-headed as Hjalmar. Rather than rushing off to kill a bunch of people she launched an investigation to unwrap clues related to who was trying to sabotage the election.
Skellige is also the place where I decided that Yennefer is a horrible and selfish person. She seems to have her own motives for her actions and is in no way concerned about anyone else. The main questline involves Geralt assisting her while she essentially destroys a temple to the local deities...and watches while she does it in the worst possible way--through the use of dark magic in the form of necromancy. It seems like such a necessary evil, but the locals aren't exactly thrilled when they find out that Yennefer has killed their sacred garden.
If you opt to so the sidequest to help Yennefer capture a Djinn you are finally given the option to either come clean to her about Geralt's feelings or to tell her that Geralt doesn't love her any more. I had already opted for Geralt to pledge his undying love to Triss Merigold and felt a little horrible when Yennefer finally stated that she loved Geralt. Maybe on my next playthrough I'll opt for Yennefer.
There's some new DLC due out this week that will spice up your Gwent game with the addition of new cards and a new deck for neutral characters. This DLC will also add a new questline that features a village inhabited by pigs.
Even though this DLC is very minimal in content, you gotta love things that are free! CD Projekt Red is proving again that they are about more than just making money and do have gamer's best interests in mind.
Lately Steam has been at the center of some pretty divisive issues in gaming. The first round saw them introduce a system that would have made many mods a commodity players paid for rather than the free creations that they currently are. There was much backlash and they eventually decided to remove the paid for mods and do some more exploration. The newest round of controversy has to do with a decision announced last week that they would refund any game purchased on Steam for any reason. This is a very bold move and one that has sparked much discussion.
Initially I thought this sounded like a really great idea. You should be able to return a product to the store where you bought it from even if it is a digital platform like Steam. This would also allow players to get their money back for any wide variety of reasons--don't like a game, game doesn't run on your machine, game isn't what you expected, etc. If you are thinking of returning a game there are a few conditions--you can't have played a game for more than two hours and must request a refund within two weeks of purchase. One nice part of this policy is that you can also return a previously purchased game if it then goes on sale--probably within the same time period.
Here's a video where Jamin from PBS's "Game Show" shares his thoughts on this new policy:
From a consumer standpoint this is a really big step and seems to be one that a lot of the big distributors are now instituting. Not all of this refund policy is a good thing though. Developers of smaller games are worried about people abusing the system. What about the games that are two hours or less in length? Couldn't I just play a game all the way through and get a refund? I wouldn't do that but according to this policy there is nothing to stop me from getting a refund. This could have a big impact on the makers of smaller, shorter games. In a statement Steam said they would crackdown on people who abuse the policy...but how easy is that going to be? Would this policy keep smaller Indie projects from appearing on Steam?
I'm interested to see how this thing plays out and if Steam backtracks or decides to shore up their policy. How many games are actually being returned? I can only think of one that I would want to return (I'm looking at you Spelunky).
A long time ago, in an empire far away there were some cows. These cows lived a peaceful existence in their pen doing all the amazing things that cows do...sleeping, eating, mooing, and pooping. Then one day a white haired villain came along and decided to murder these cows. Why? Unchecked greed. This "witcher" had discovered that selling the hides of the murdered cows could net him a lot of coin. These were no ordinary cows...these cows were cursed, spending eternity being slaughtered by evil, greedy men who sought to sell their hides to amass great fortunes. It's like "Groundhog's Day" if it featured cows being slain by a sword wielding madman.
Then one day some magicians found out about the gratuitous cow murder happening in their realm. They banded together to banish this form of evil once and for all....in the form of a beast spawned to be a bovine protector.
No longer will cow murder be acceptable in these lands!
I never tried the cow exploit but knowing how broke I was in the early part of the game....might not have been a bad idea. If you had to pick a way to fix this problem...this is definitely the way.
I'm not much for sandbox games. I guess I am lacking that creative spark that makes someone build amazing things out of cubes. That doesn't mean I'm not intrigued by them. Minecraft seems to be extremely popular even after several years. Earlier this week on the Steam Store I saw an ad for a new Lego game known as Lego Worlds. Lego's were my favorite toys as a kid and I've generally enjoyed the goofy Lego videogames that I have played. Here's a trailer so you can check it out:
Currently Lego Worlds is in early access but it looks like a promising addition to the building/exploration/sandbox genre. You can play in a number of procedurally generated worlds and eithe mess around with the existing creations like vehicles, animals you can ride (there's a dragon that spits fireballs that can destroy objects on the ground), or focus on creating your own world and characters.
I've been tempted to give this game a look, but know that my attention span in sandbox games is pretty short. I think it's great that new developers are bringing options to the genre. The Steam Sale is coming up (supposedly later this week) and maybe I can pick it up for a steal.
I love it when a game is so good that I can play it for weeks on end and still be really enjoying it. I've come home from work almost every night and have been excited to hop into the world of The Witcher 3. Since I am a huge completionist, I anticipate having a few more weeks of adventuring before I am done.
Thus far, Geralt has finally made it to the rocky islands known as Skellige (pronounced skell-ih-gah and not the skell-idge). The culture on the fictional islands is strongly influenced by nordic/viking traditions. There's a lot of water to traverse between the rocky islands so if you've been feeling a lack of boat travel this is a grand opportunity. I am liking the fact that they decided to add in purchaseable maps that unlock fast travel points since everything is so spread out.
Geralt's flowing locks compliment the rugged Skellige landscape perfectly.
The islands themselves are a nice change from the scenery in Velen and Novigrad. They are mountainous and more forested than parts of the other areas. There is a wide variety of animal life and players will see herds of deer, goats, and some sheep near villages. You're also greeted with a bevy of nasty sea-related monsters. I am not enjoying the sirens--a half-woman, half-monster amalgamation that can fly and swim--and even after being killed are still creepy.
The villagers of Skellige seem less than excited about people who come from the mainland and treat Geralt even more poorly than most. I found this out the hard way after accepting a contract to lift a curse from a lighthouse. Upon completion some hostile townspeople attacked and Geralt ended up in the jail of a local "jarl." He decided to let Geralt out after making a deal with one of the angry townsfolk.
I have somewhat neglected the main questline so I plan to work on it. On a happy note--I've played so much Gwent that most of my decks are pretty good. Back to the isles.
I have had a few really odd occurrences in my The Witcher 3 experiences. Some of them have been somewhat hilarious bugs or glitches that make for a pretty good laugh--once, while at the very masquerade ball I mentioned earlier, Geralt's arms were completely invisible. All you could see were weird, disconnected hands. Cool trick witcher! Another of my favorites have been bugged city inhabitants. One of those inhabitants was ice skating through the main square in Novigrad and at the end of his hand was a random, floating horizontal head. It looked like a freaky, surreal painting.
Geralt rides through Novigrad.
The bug/glitch that cracks me up the most (and I'm not sure it's a bug or glitch or if I inadvertently did something) is this one witch hunter/guard in Novigrad who seems to have a personal grudge against Geralt. Every time I enter the square this guard becomes aggressive and attacks. This is frightening since the guard is level 31 and Geralt is nowhere close to that level. What did I do to make this guy want to kill Geralt on sight? There had previously been an instance where some witch hunters were yelling at a peasant and I ran through the middle of the group. Apparently this pissed them off something fierce and now one guy has it out for Geralt. Even though he's level 31, Geralt can generally pummel him down into the ground. Unfortunately he just keeps respawning and lurking in wait for Geralt to obliviously round a corner.
I've sort of had it out for the witch hunters. They seem like evil bigots bent on the destruction of anything remotely magic so I feel the need to slaughter them when given the choice. So maybe it's an acceptable fact that this one guard wants Geralt dead. Fortunately, I think I'm mostly done with the Novigrad area and won't have to see that blaring red dot on my map every time I go to a certain area.
I've played a lot of games that ask players to make deep moral choices and many of those games claim that the choices you make have an impact on the way that the story unfolds. I've never really thought about if those games or those choices could possibly make me more empathetic or even kinder. In this week's episode of PBS's "Game/Show," Jamin explores research and questions related to this topic. Here is the episode if you want to watch it:
I thought that it was interesting that there is VR research being conducted on this issue and that it seems to indicate that the answer is "yes." I think an immersive situation like VR is probably much different than someone who is just sitting playing a regular game. I tend to play characters a certain way in most games and that way is typically that of the "nice guy/girl." If there is a quest/mission that involves helping someone I will opt to do it for the sake of helping. If I have the option to save an NPC rather than kill them, I will usually pick that option. I am not sure if that "good guy" mentality is applicable to real life, but maybe it does? I like to help people who need it but I can't say that my decision to help was in any way influenced by an experience in a video game.
The Witcher 3 has really taught me that not all choices are about being the "good guy." Sometimes you have to make a tough choice that might seem negative, but it's the right choice. I think this is a more realistic way to look at the choices made in video games and them translating to real life--the "nice" choice isn't always the best choice. Does that make me less kind or empathetic? I don't know.
I think video games offer a unique lens to think about the choices that we make and why we make them. I am hesitant to believe that those choices translate to real life. I think it would be more interesting or valid to study the personalities of gamers who make mostly "positive" choices in games versus the ones who make more "negative" choices. Would there be a difference? Do certain personality traits cause gamers to make those choices?
After years of false alarms and lots of begging and speculation, Bethesda has finally announced that Fallout 4 is coming. It started yesterday with a mysterious countdown timer that hinted at something big. That something big was the trailer for Fallout 4. Here it is:
Yeeees! It looks great! From the trailer it looks as if the game will take place in Boston which was one of the locations that I had read were possibilities. I like the somewhat futuristic look to some of the places featured in the trailer. It makes it seem like there is destruction, but if you are in the populated areas things are finally starting to come together. And what about the dog? I know there have been canine companions in previous games but I really got a feeling that your K-9 friend might have some unique abilities. Could your dog serve as a scout with a first or third person view from it's perspective? Interesting.
I've been missing the ultra-slow motion kill cam and the magic of hoarding anything even remotely valuable. What am I really hoping for in Fallout 4? Let me make a list:
1.) A huge new world to explore. Hopefully a new setting will mean more unique and recognizable places to visit. Knowing how Bethesda does things and how open world games seem to be the hot thing, I'm guessing we'll see one of the largest worlds that we have seen yet.
2.) Companions who aren't horrible and who have an interesting backstory...and who have been augmented to carry all the loot I will inevitably hoard. Pack mules FTW.
3.) That traditional Fallout feeling. Creepy old music, a world populated with lots of mutated creatures to kill, a fight against a large and seemingly invincible foe. and general weirdness.
4.) New weapons. I liked the idea of collecting plans and creating unique weapons in Fallout 3. I hacked a lot of creatures to death with my Shishkebab. New, more powerful rare weapons would be cool. Wazer Wifle 2.0!
5.) An engaging story. This is a tall order as I've never felt like the story lines in the Fallout series have been all that great. But maybe the fun isn't necessarily in the story....
I am so excited that Fallout 4 is going to happen. I'm going to be on the lookout for more information about the game--like a release date. I hope all the Fallout fans out there are as super-pumped as I am!
Yesterday 2K Games announced that a new XCOM game is due to be released this year. This new title, XCOM 2, was apparently kept a big secret by the developers. One of the strange parts of this announcement was the information that the title would only be available on PC. This seems weird since XCOM itself was available on consoles and tablets. My money would be on console and tablet versions coming out after the PC version is available.
XCOM: Enemy Unknown and the expansion Enemy Within are both some of my favorite turn-based strategy games. I love how challenging they are and the strategic aspect of the missions. In order to be effective you have to pay close attention to what is going on and always be thinking ahead. Instead of just blazing through a game in a very unthinking manner, I had to really spend time analyzing the battlefield and running through possible scenarios in my head. "If I move my sniper there will they be exposed?" I have probably spent the most time saving and reloading in XCOM. One mistake can really screw up an entire mission. The RNG aspect can be frustrating...especially early on, but if you keep at it things get easier and more interesting. Just thinking about it makes me feel all warm inside...and also makes me want to yell obscenities at my computer.
The announcement for XCOM 2 was also accompanied by this trailer. If you haven't watched it, check it out--there are some familiar aspects, but some interesting new features too.
The premise in this game is that XCOM is the invading force rather than the defending force. The trailer features what look like humans, but also some aliens. I especially enjoy the snake-like creature and anticipate some strangling or poisoning to factor in somehow. There are also supposed to be several new classes and hopefully they are as cool as the samurai sword wielding soldier in the video. The drone feature seems somewhat akin to the robots--which I have never used--that were added into Enemy Within. (Link to article: "XCOM 2 Coming Out in November for Computers, Not Consoles")
XCOM 2 is slated to be released exclusively on PC in November. I'll start preparing my stress ball for random deaths due to stupid moves or RNG magic.
The Witcher 3 is hands down the game in which I've made the most decisions that I thought would turn out positively instead turn out negatively. Rescuing people doesn't always mean that you're going to get the outcomes that you want. Someone tied up and left for the monsters is probably tied up for a reason. I ran into a person who I had rescued who turned out to be a bandit robbing and murdering refugees. I killed him rather than accepting his reward. Then I felt a strong sense of regret at rescuing the idiot and then at killing him. Sheesh.
Is it a trend now for every RPG to have a masquerade ball built into the storyline? I will admit a weakness for these quests and The Witcher 3 did nothing to alleviate this fact. A big part of Triss Merigold's story in Novigrad has to do with her efforts to rescue the mages who are being persecuted under Radovid's rule. Part of her quest line involves attending a masquerade ball to rescue the son of a wealthy family who has magical leanings. If Triss successfully rescues the young man she will receive a hefty sum that can be used to help secure passage for the mages out of Novigrad. Geralt has to don some fancy new threads to attend the party and Triss also looks the part. Once there you can mingle with the party guests and raid the banquet tables of food. There's also a mini-Gwent tournament in which you can win a few new cards for your deck. Once you meet the lady of the house, she points you to her son who is masked like all the other guests. She also informs you that he is somewhat an idiot and that you should wait until the guests are well into their cups before you try to leave.
Geralt and Triss. I'm a sucker for the romancey stuff in games.
Triss then informs Geralt that she saw a nice isolated spot where they could sit and wait. Once they've reached their isolated spot they of course revert to talking about their relationship. It's intimate and personal and players are given more of a sense of what lies between them (I am biased towards Triss because I've chosen her in the past two games...she's just a lovable character). Triss drinks a little bit too much wine and becomes really giggly--it's definitely endearing and rings true to her character as described in the novels. There's a really cute moment between Geralt and Triss as they chase each other through the labyrinth of the maze. Triss drunkenly balances on the ledge of a fountain and nearly falls...Geralt catches her and you can choose to have him kiss her or tell her to be more serious and focus on the task at hand. Of course I had him kiss her...but dammit what about Yennefer?
Triss's storyline requires Geralt to make some serious relationship decisions. More tomorrow!
