Fallout Mania!

As I mentioned last week, the Amazon Prime Fallout series is a video game adaptation that's actually worth watching.  I found it to be a faithful representation of the games with just enough new plot twists to keep it engaging.  Due to the popularity of the series, many people are feeling an urge to check out (or re-play) the games.  Fallout 4 and the semi-doomed multiplayer flop that was (emphasis on the was) Fallout 76 have seen a burst of player activity.  (Fallout 76 was bad at launch, but when I played it, I found it to be an enjoyable experience--you can read my review here) Fallout is having a moment and I've got to admit, I've felt a bit of an itch to go back and give some of it a re-play.

On of my beautiful creations in a settlement.

Bethesda has also decided to capitalize on this moment by releasing the "next gen" update to Fallout 4.  You might've noticed the almost 14 gig update when you popped open your Steam library.  Now, you might be thinking "YESSSS! It's the perfect opportunity!"  however...I'm here to rain on your parade just a little bit.  According to several sources, the PC update is a bit of a crapshoot (this PC Gamer article breaks it down)--at least if you're on PC; the console updates seem to be much better.  If you don't want to read the article, here's the gist of it:

1.) There are basically no graphics updates.  They added widescreen support but it seems to be screwed up and causes a weird, stretched look.

2.) Like any major update, if you use mods (which many PC gamers do) they are all also broken.  This is to be expected, but it means having to wait until the makers of those mods have time to get them compatible with the new update.

3.) Certain settings can cause crashes--apparently RTX cards are impacted by this.

So, if you were feeling extra excited about diving back into Fallout 4, it might be worth waiting until the update gets patched to address some of these issues.  Personally, I'd recommend diving into one of the older titles--Fallout 3 or New Vegas come immediately to mind.  If you're feeling VERY nostalgic or haven't experienced the OG games, I'd also recommend giving them a whirl (Epic Games game them away for free at some point, but you can get all three on Steam for $19.99--worth it, in my opinion).

Happy wasteland adventures!

A Three Pack of Good Gaming News

I'm feeling excited over three items of gaming news (okay, one isn't news, but I'm counting it anyway) this week.  It's not often that we don't get bogged down in many of the negative details, so let's all just enjoy the good vibes!  Here are three items that made me feel happy--enjoy!

1.) Hades II looks fabulous!

Supergiant games did a three hour stream of a technical test of the sequel to the amazing Hades this week.  If you missed it, here's the video:

I haven't given much thought to Hades II, but this play test made me feel excited.  It doesn't look like much of the base gameplay is changing--you're still going to be fighting through procedurally generated levels of baddies--which is a good thing.  I'm intrigued by the story and characters though.  It looks like the protagonist is Melinoe who is possibly the sister of Zagreus (the protagonist and son of Hades and Persephone) and that there's some sort of rebellion going on in the underworld.  (Here's where I'll admit that I don't know exactly how Hades ended--I got far enough with it to have Persephone return to the underworld, but didn't start to unravel the larger plot about the Olympian gods and their banishment of Hades--it kind of makes me want to go back and keep playing through it)  If you know a little bit of Greek mythology, the presence of witches is noticeable when the video gets to the point where Melinoe returns to the central staging area.  Maybe the witches are tied to the rebellion plot?  The big baddie appears to be Chronos, a titan who is tied to time.  Sadly, the play test only features the introductory zones and no boss fights.

Overall, I like what I see so far.  The spirit of the gameplay and gradually unraveling storyline in Hades seems to have been kept intact.  The music and environments are both awesome!  I liked Melinoe's combat skills (with what appears to be a staff) and thought that the ability to freeze foes looks especially promising.

If you're also feeling pumped for Hades II, you can request to be included in the playtest on Steam.

2.) We're getting a SteamWorld Heist II!

Earlier this week Thunderful Games started dropping some hints about an upcoming title and it turned out to be the sequel to the highly enjoyable SteamWorld Heist. (If you're unfamiliar with the SteamWorld series or Heist itself, you can read my review of the first game here) Unlike the previous game which took place in space, this one looks like the Steambots will be battling foes in aquatic environments.  There's a whole new cast of bots to get to know and it looks like there will be plenty of hats to collect.  This unexpected announcement made me feel all kinds of happy because Heist is my favorite game in the genre-hopping SteamWorld series.  Here's the announcement trailer:

3.) The Fallout series is actually good!

Even though I went into it with very low expectations, Amazon Prime's Fallout show has been entertaining.  I've enjoyed the attention to detail--there are so many items and locations from the games that bring back many a fond memory of being randomly scared by an unseen feral ghoul or exploring a creepily empty vault to find out what horrible experiment occurred there.  The story hasn't really done anything too crazy and has stuck to a lot of the same major flashpoints as the games.  There are a few details that players of the game will probably question--for example, there's the addition of some sort of serum that keeps ghouls from turning feral and the weirdly connected vaults 31, 32, and 33.  I'm on the last episode and can say that I'm a bit sad that I've watched it all.  I would recommend giving it a watch.

That Nostalgic Buzz

After finishing up Nobody Saves the World, I decided to take a glance at my wishlist and see if anything was on sale.  That turned out to be a bust, so instead I turned to my library to see if one of the large number of titles that I possess would call out to me--think of a Marie Kondo style "does this one spark joy" type of internal questioning.  I felt a bit flummoxed, but then remembered that awhile back the 1.6 update to Stardew Valley released and that it would be the perfect opportunity to start up yet another farm in that quaint little community.  There's nothing quite like those nostalgic vibes you get when you return to one of your perennial favorites!

If it has been awhile since you've ventured on down to the ol' farmstead in Stardew Valley, it's time to make that trip.  There's tons of new stuff to make that return feel worthwhile.  I was immediately struck by the fact that there are now multiple layouts for your farm that can be tailored to a specific activity--for example, raising animals or fishing.  (The real question--did I choose one of the new ones?  No, I did not.) There are new items--I personally have enjoyed the "mystery boxes" which function like geodes but can turn up from a variety of activities (like digging up worm patches or from fishing treasure chests).  One of the best additions that I have encountered so far is "prize tickets" for completing villager requests.  You can cash in your tickets at a new machine in Lewis's house for a rotating lineup of prizes--some fairly minor, and some that are much better--I got a cool new bed and a giant cow decal!

My newest farm that looks like all my other farms.

If completing quests is your deal, villagers also periodically offer up opportunities for longer, more involved missions that revolve around all the major activities (farming, fishing, mining, etc.).  These missions offer up a cash reward as well as a prize ticket but will also unlock new cutscenes.  They're a fun new addition and an opportunity to find something else to do outside of the normal rotation of tasks.

Many new options for customization have also been added--you can paint your farm buildings different colors, choose custom bobbers while fishing, and even add additional room to the traditional house layout!  I feel like I've barely dipped my toes into what appears to be a deep pool of improvements that have been added in several major updates.  Overall, the world of Stardew Valley has greatly expanded and it's worth revisiting if you're feeling that urge to play something relaxing and wholesome.

On the non-gaming, but still gaming related entertainment front, I've started watching the Amazon Prime Fallout series.  The sense of nostalgia is strong with that one!  Before the first scenes even rolled, I was thinking...they better start this off with an old-timey song or else I don't even know if I can watch this.  Sure enough, one of those classic radio songs that was drilled into your head from playing one of the games came rolling out.  I've got to hand it to them, the attention to detail to the game is very strong--from Vault 33 with it's pristine Vaulti-ness to the items--a stimpack, Pip-Boys, and a Nuka Cola machine.  It was a bit magical when the story switched gears to the Brotherhood of Steel and fully power armor clad paladins came striding into the base.  

There were a few details that I found a bit surprising--namely the fact that they decided to make some of the vaults connected (there's reference to 31, 32, and 33 being connected).  The idea behind this seems to be to address something that I never really thought much about in the game--if it was the same pool of people living in the vaults and reproducing...wouldn't things get a little genetically iffy (there are some funny jokes in the show about messing around with your cousins)?  The show built in an entire wedding/marriage scenario where the vaults exchange members.

I'm enjoying all the fun little game details in the show and plan on watching the entirety of the first season.  The story so far seems a bit typical and it still has a little bit of that janky "this is a video game adaptation feeling," but it's fun.  I'd recommend giving it a watch if you have Prime and are looking for something new.

Microtransactions R' Us

I've been keeping my lil' peepers open for big stories from the gaming world and got a chuckle when I saw some boiling controversy over one of the more debatable aspects of modern games--namely, the addition of microtransactions.  A hotly anticipated game, Dragon's Dogma 2 (*a game and series that I have not played and am not familiar with), released to positive critical review but, to the horror of eager gamers, contained day one microtransactions.  The internets were outraged and quickly expressed their displeasure through rapidly review bombing the bejeezus out of it (it sat at "mostly negative" at release but has now improved to "mixed").  The real question...is freaking out over microtransactions in games warranted?  I have mixed feelings about microtransactions and thought I would pontificate about them to absolutely no one (or the bot that scans my page for DATAS).

Firstly, let it be known that I do not think that I've ever purchased anything that would be considered a "microtransaction."  In general, I'm opposed to spending more than I have to for something that I've already paid full price for.  The closest I've probably come is buying 1 or 2 cute pets in World of Warcraft.

One of those memes.

In general, I think most microtransactions are fine.  If people want to spend more money on something, that's their own business.  It turns out that the microtransactions in Dragon's Dogma 2 are all for items that can be obtained in the game through normal play.  You don't have to purchase an extra item to fast travel or anything like that--you can choose to purchase the additional items.  To me, that's fine.  Many people who play games have a limited time to play and if they don't have the time to grind out extra items, why not?  There are so many goofy memes and jokes about people who want to game but have limited time and there seems to be mounting evidence that gamers actually want shorter games (CD Projekt Red gathered data from The Witcher 3 that showed that most players didn't even finish the game and I just recently read an article about the upcoming HellBlade: Senua's Sacrifice 2 where the devs indicated that gamers want shorter games).  If people want to pay extra to maximize their limited gaming time, I don't see the harm.  The same goes for cosmetic items--if you want that banging, sparkly item and are willing to fork out the cash, that's also totally fine.

However, I do think there are times where microtransactions are egregious.  I don't play any multiplayer games, but any option that could be described as "pay to win," is not okay.  And boy is that a complicated can of worms!  Say you've got the extra cash to buy a bunch of loot boxes or card packs (or whatever item/currency), don't you already have an advantage?  Maybe.

Microtransactions are also a problem when games are intentionally designed to drive people to purchasing them.  It seems like Ubisoft got some flak for this in one of their games awhile back--making parts of it intentionally grindy in order to push players to buy "XP boosts."  That's not okay and definitely deserves the scorn of gamers.

Love them or hate them, the reality is that I don't see the microtransaction system changing any time soon.  I think it's important to be on the lookout for the types that are exploitative or egregious but that most are relatively harmless and totally optional.  If you are really and truly opposed to microtransactions, don't play the games that have them built in--that's really the only way to prove your point.  

Somebody Saved the World

I've spent a bit of time playing through my most recent Steam sale purchase, Nobody Saves the World, and I've managed to save the world.  Shocking, I know!  Now it's time to report on the experience for the benefit of others who are hoping to also do their part to save a fictional world in a video game.

What is it?

Nobody Saves the World  is an open-ish world ARPG-lite type of game.  The story follows a mysterious character (who takes the form of a blobby, humanoid figure with no defining features) who wakes up in a garden shed only to find that they don't remember anything about who they are (amnesia is a classic) and that the world is currently being afflicted by some kind of arch-baddy called "the calamity."  As Nobody, you must join forces with a cast of goofy characters to unlock your own identity and in the process, defeat the calamity.

The gameplay is in an ARPG style but features the ability to change "forms" mostly at will.  Each form has its own special set of abilities and fighting style.  Part of the game involves exploring the map and discovering new locations, quests, challenges, and dungeons.  The other part is, of course, following the main storyline.

How long does a playthrough last?

I finished the entire thing in 30 hours.  It can definitely be finished much faster--I (stupidly) decided to grind out an achievement and that tacked on a good chunk of extra time.  Playtime is dependent on how much time and effort you want to dedicate to completing side content.

Slug form is one of my favorites.

Pros:

+ Ran like a charm and has low specs.  It would run on a potato!  Plus, I bought it for $9.99 on sale, so it can be found for a nice, low price.

+ Goofy sense of humor that brings a lightness to the game.  It's silly without being stupid.

+ SO MANY FORMS!  The most unique aspect of the game is the fact that you unlock forms and can (mostly) switch them at almost any time.  Forms range from the more traditional--the melee-heavy guard or the ranged-arrow flinging ranger--to the whacky; horse and slug forms come immediately to mind.  Each form has its own playstyle that is fun to experiment with and figure out.  Aspects of exploration and gameplay lean on switching forms--narrow passages can only be navigated by small forms (rat or slug); water can be navigated in turtle or mermaid form (you'll get a kick out of mermaid form--it's more Barnum & Bailey than The Little Mermaid).  Finding a favorite is part of the fun.

+ Tons of customization.  Besides being able to swap forms, you can also swap out abilities between classes.  Yes, you can be a horse that also fires arrows (does it make sense?  No, but who cares!).  You can also equip up to four passive abilities that can be shared between forms.  It's a bit mind-numbing, but allows for experimentation to find the best build for a situation or just for blasting baddies.

+ Co-op play.  I'm pretty sure it's only local, but Nobody would be a great game to play with kids.  The gameplay is easy to pick up and the game is very G/PG-rating-esque.

+ Optional side content.  The base game offers up the "impossible dungeon" which is a procedurally generated timed challenge.  It's one of those "complete X levels" type of deals. It's very challenging--I only made it to the 9th level (and there are 18 total!).  The major perk of completing the challenge is unlocking another form...dinosaur form!  There are also side quests and optional dungeons to complete, so there's plenty to do.

+ Music nicely complements the gameplay.  It's no Guacamelee, but it's not bad.

+ A large map to explore with hidden nooks and crannies.  Gotta find all those mana fairies!

Cons:

- Controller recommended (and honestly, I was glad because all the clicking with a mouse in ARPG-style games gives me carpal tunnel).  If you're not a fan of ye olde controller, you can play with mouse and keyboard, but the game STRONGLY advises a controller.  (Amazon Basics XBOX 360 controller!)

- Dungeons feel pretty same-y.  There are some unique bosses in the dungeons that are part of the main storyline, but the rest of them have basically the same vibe.  They're procedurally generated, so they are different every time you go in, but I think they could've made them a bit more interesting and unique.  I expected more boss fights.

- This might seem a bit flaky since I listed the many forms as a PRO, but they're also a bit of a CON.  There's a ranking system attached to forms and levelling up the skills in a form unlocks new abilities and upgrades to your abilities.  I would barely settle into a form before I unlocked a new one and then felt like I should switch over to level up the new form.  The switching is kind of fun, but at the same time, it's hard to fully get a grasp on one form before you feel like you should switch to a different one.  

- The main story is pretty meh.  

Recommendation:

Nobody Saves the World isn't as good as Guacamelee, but the gameplay did keep me entertained.  It's not a hardcore ARPG, so if you're looking for something that's ARPG-lite or a fun co-op game to play with a kid/partner, it would be a good choice.  Buy it on sale though (I paid $10 and it seems to go on sale frequently).

Those Sweet Deals

I spent my gaming time this week doing a bit more advancing in Against the Storm.  I'm officially in the "prestige" levels--ooh la la, the elite!  Things get a bit different when you hit prestige--you start off at level 0 and can advance to the next level once you've successfully completed a settlement.  Each new level throws a new set of difficulties at you--a longer storm season (by 100%....yuck), greater reputation requirements, and others that I haven't discovered yet.  I played through P3 and decided to take a break to check out my one purchase from the recent Steam Spring Sale.  Although it was tempting to take the plunge into Diablo IV, I decided that I didn't want to spend $35.  Instead, I opted for the indie ARPG-like Nobody Saves the World.

Nobody Saves the World is made by the developers of the fabulous Guacamelee (which I greatly enjoyed, even though I sort of suck at it).  I've spend a few hours tooling around with it and I've mostly enjoyed what I've played so far.  There's the same goofy sense of humor that was present in Guacamelee and a number of different "forms" to play.  Rather than having "classes" like in other ARPG style games, you can change forms--and some of the forms are wild!  You have your more traditional forms--the warrior/knight-like guard or the bow & arrow ranged attacks of the ranger; but you also can turn into a horse, a slug, or a very hideous mermaid.  Each form has its own unique playstyle and abilities and one of the best parts of the mechanics is that you can combine passive and active abilities from other classes.  I can be a slug that also fires arrows!  It's fantastic!

It's spring break here in real life, and I plan to spend some quality time with Nobody Saves the World.  I haven't quite mastered quickly switching forms and still feel awkward with some of the forms.  Slug form has weirdly become one of my favorites--its playstyle involves an ability to quickly sprint away, leaving behind a giant layer of slime that slows enemies while you fire damaging tears from a distance (and the slug has an awesome crit bonus for status effected enemies).

Happy spring (and spring break if you're lucky enough to be having it) to everyone!  

It Finally Happened!

That's right, I finally did it!  After two failed attempts at the closing the gold seal in Against the Storm, I finally managed to get the lil' mofo done.  (*If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I would refer you to the following--my review of the game Against the Storm and multiple running entries about my life goal of completing the gold seal--all are past entries of this very blog, so scrolleth forth) It was a moment of great triumph...and then the soul crushing reality of that "what now?" feeling.  For now, bask in the glory of my screenshot of the moment I managed to finish the final task to close the seal.

My moment of triumph!

If you haven't done it yet, I would highly recommend grabbing Against the Storm in the current Spring Sale on Steam (it's currently $19.49 which is a great price for a solid game).  Now I've got to figure out what's next in my gaming journey.  Do I try to go for the prestige 5 goal and the next seal in Against the Storm?  Honestly, I think I need a little break from it, so I think I'll shelve that one for now.  Since there is currently a sale on and I get paid in a few days, I've been eyeballing some of the deals.

Do I finally grab the Phantom Liberty DLC for CyberPunk 2077?  I have yet to play it and heard mostly positive things about it.  I'm not sure the $4 price cut is enough for my cheap self though and I generally like to play the big RPG's in one go over the summer.

Another game that I haven't given much thought to is Diablo IV which is currently 50% off ($35).  I played a bit of Diablo III back when it was cool (enough to give myself some light carpal tunnel).  I'm not the type of competitive/hardcore player who grinds out seasonal stuff or would drop any cash on microtransactions, but I do enjoy the utter deluge of loot and messing around with the different classes.  It's mildly tempting.

For now, I think I'm content to simply sit back and relax with some current titles in my library.  I'll save my sale purchases for the summer when I have more time to play.  If you're feeling in the market for a new game, do check out the Spring Sale on Steam.

Being an Utter Failure

Not to drone on about my obsession with conquering the gold seal in Against the Storm, but it has become a life goal for me.  Firstly, I'm shocked that I'm even playing on an upper difficulty level and it makes me feel kind of good, so I've kept hammering away.  Secondly, I've got to give the developers some kudos because it has kept me playing despite the fact that I've basically hit a wall.

Twice now I've made it to the seal--a task that requires you to attain enough seal fragments before you can attempt to close it.  This means playing through multiple settlements, so it takes a chunk of time.  The first time, I was SOOOOO close!  Closing a seal has multiple steps, first you have to actually locate it.  Each glade you open has a weird little beacon that points in the direction of the seal.  Then, it's just a matter of having your woodcutters start hacking away at the forest in that direction until you find it.  In reality, finding it is easy.  Once you've found it, then you have to go through the multi-stage process of closing it.  There are 4 different stages that revolve around accomplishing specific tasks--usually these tasks are built around trade, exploration, or reputation.  The first set is pretty easy to satisfy--generally one of the options is to find and either open or return to the citadel three abandoned caches.  Usually I will have already found them by the time I am at the seal, so it's just a matter of sending scouts to complete the task.  The round two tasks are more difficult--you have three options; build up your trade reputation with three different settlements (by selling them goods through trade routes--honestly, this one isn't too bad); gain reputation through resolve (a bit difficult, especially early on); or gain reputation through completing glade events.  The trade route one is probably the best of your three choices here.  I barely remember the round three tasks, but I know that one of them involves having a certain amount of amber and if you've chosen to trade, you should have enough amber to pick it.  The round 4 tasks are a real doozy....one involves getting the resolve of all three species in your camp to the max; one involves using a ton of rainwater and burning a bunch of blightrot cysts; and the other involves quickly completing two forbidden glade events.

That stupid gold seal is just taunting me!

Besides completing the tasks to close the seal, you also have to contend with the normal storm season, the hostility level debuffs, AND a rotating series of plagues.  These plagues throw another layer of difficulty on top of everything--some of them aren't too bad, but there are a few that suck.  My least favorite plague (I think it's "plague of darkness") extends the storm season by 100% and makes it so you can't sacrifice any fuel.  Generally, I lose a bunch of villagers and build up impatience.  Another particularly brutal one requires you to discover two dangerous or forbidden glades before the end of storm season or else three villagers will die.

I was within a hairs breadth of winning one one seal--I made it to the fourth set of tasks and I generally opt for the one that requires you to burn through 600 rainwater and burn 35 blightrot cysts.  Stupidly, I hadn't been using my rainwater and I just had too much impatience built up to survive through multiple cycles.  (*It's worth noting that the tasks to complete a seal do not change, they are the same every time, so be conscious of that)  Just last night I failed again...but in a much faster and much sadder fashion.  This time I was done in by a bad combination of storm disasters--namely one that dropped two blightrot cysts on my camp for every villager who left.  Pair this one with that stupid plague of darkness and you have a slow moving disaster on your hands.  I had built up so many blightrot cysts that my villagers just couldn't keep up, my hearth got corrupted (which made things even worse because then it kills even more villagers...and adds more blightrot cysts)...so yeah, it was basically an absolute disaster.

Am I going to stop?  Absolutely not!  I am determined to close the gold seal.  It's a bit like banging my head against a wall, but I'm enjoying the challenge.  Wish me luck.

News of the Week

Sadly, I don't have much personal gaming news to report this week.  I'm still deeply mired in my bonkers desire to "git gud" at Against the Storm.  I was within a hairs breadth of conquering the gold seal and then managed to fail like a dumb-dumb (at viceroy level you absolutely need to be utilizing rainwater and I stupidly thought I could pull it off without it).  I've been gradually working my way back and swearing that I won't make the same mistakes (spoiler--I probably will!).  Anyway, there has been some noteworthy gaming news this week to ponder.

Notable New Releases

One of my favorite simulation games, PowerWash Simulator, dropped a new Warhammer 40k themed content pack.  I'm only vaguely familiar with the Warhammer 40k franchise--I know that it's a space-themed deal with humans and orcs...and that's about the extent of my knowledge.  I just love me some powerwashing, so there's a good chance I'll grab it at some point despite the fact I have virtually 0 knowledge of the related content.  The reviews for the DLC are mixed with many people stating that they are disappointed because it's all vehicles and there aren't any rooms/buildings.  Here's the trailer for those who might be curious:

If you're feeling a desire for those strong nostalgia vibes, a remaster of 1995's Star Wars: Dark Forces came out this week.  It was hailed as a pretty good Star Wars  game in its day and the remaster currently has "very positive" reviews.  Some of the reviews do point out that there are some issues with the remaster and that the $30 price tag seems a bit steep.  It might be worth waiting for a sale on this one.

Layoffs continue

EA announced this week that it will be laying off 5% of its workforce and cancelling an upcoming Star Wars game (apparently one that was in early development).  This is just the latest in a chain of layoffs in the gaming industry as many other big names have also made cuts to staff.  Apparently they're hoping to focus on their own titles and move away from work on "licensed IP."  I guess that if you're a fan of all those Star Wars games that you'll have to content yourself with the current offerings. (Here's a short article about the layoffs: EA to Lay off Around 670 Workers)

I'm going to be continuing my mad march toward that dang gold seal in Against the Storm this week and hope that everyone else has a great time pursuing their gaming dreams (be they mad or on a more sane level).  Game on!

Viceroy Status

My obsession with Against the Storm is continuing.  This is a bit of a surprise to me because I figured that I would eventually hit some kind of wall--either a wall of getting bored or related to the need to continually ramp up the difficulty to progress to the next seal.  Luckily, neither of those things have happened and I was pleasantly surprised when I was successful on my first viceroy settlement.  I managed to win by the skin of my teeth and figured, "hey, I can actually do this!"

A game I'm about to lose.

So, what's the major difference between veteran and viceroy difficulties?  Viceroy bumps the number of negative events related to hostility level up to 4 and the severity of those events is described as "devastating."  Hostility is also multiplied even higher, so it generally doesn't take long before those events start kicking in.  You really have to pay attention because the level jump happens so quickly and you want to be prepared to offset any that have a condition (such as fulfilling the need for housing).

Winning on viceroy difficulty is also harder due to a few other factors.  There are fewer orders from the queen and those orders are often of the more time consuming variety (like using 180 of a certain kind of rainwater).  I've found that winning is much more reliant on a combination of fulfilling as many orders as you can and trying to build as much resolve as you can.  At the lower levels, I felt like resolve was less important and wouldn't have too much of an impact on your ability to win.

My best advice for viceroy success is to always be thinking about the bigger picture.  Finding a good fuel source (namely coal, largely for the fact that it can be sacrificed for -80 hostility per stack when needed--mostly during storm season) should be a priority because wood is precious and runs out quickly once you start using it for other purposes.  Having multiple "hubs" is also something that is almost a requirement on viceroy.  Try to plan for another hearth as soon as you've opened up your first dangerous glade.  When picking blueprints it's also important to be thinking about the many steps to satisfying the needs of as many of your villagers as possible.  It's virtually impossible to make everyone happy, so it's best to consider which needs overlap.  Then you have to consider the prerequisite needs to produce an item (like having the ability to make flour before unlocking cooking structures).  I would also highly recommend trying to get tool manufacturing rolling as soon as you can.  Tools are vital to sending caches to the citadel and can help give you reputation bumps when you really need them.  Using rainwater is basically required, so you also need to be prepared to deal with blightrot during storm season.  I like to try to find an alternate fuel source for manufacturing blight weapons (either sea marrow or oil) because if you do get one particularly nasty event that multiplies the number of blight cysts you get each storm season, it's very easy to burn through your fuel quickly.

I don't know exactly how long I will be able to keep up with the bump in difficulty in Against the Storm, but for now, I'm perfectly content with struggling through each little village.  I feel like my strategy could be better and I've had a lot of difficulty with managing hostility levels.  Hopefully, I can overcome the gold seal this week.

Mediocre Tips from a Mediocre Player

Last week I wrote about the new-ish, fabulous RTS roguelike Against the Storm (read my review here).  It has thoroughly sunk its hooks into me and I've spent ALL of my gaming time trying to "git gud" at it.  I think "gud" is quite a ways off, but I have managed to figure a few things out and have a small amount of success.  I thought I'd share a few nuggets of wisdom from my mediocre success.

Tip #1:  Look for events on the map that offer up a modifier--especially those with a negative modifier.  At first, my gut reaction was to avoid those places like the plague--and on the lower difficulty levels, it's possible to have success while doing that.  As I raised the difficulty level to complete more difficult seals, I ran into the fact that I would get close, but always be 2ish seals short.  Even though playing on the maps with negative modifiers are more difficult and will likely take longer, the upside is that you get offered several choices when you win.  Picking the "royal resupply" option will provide 4-5 seal fragments and can be enough to boost you to having enough to complete the seal.  The one caveat would be to look at the modifier first--not all are created equal and some are easier than others.

One of my veteran settlements.

Tip #2:  Try to find an option for better sources of fuel.  Sure, you can burn wood just fine, but once your economy is rolling, you're going to need that wood for lots of other things.  Look for sea marrow, coal deposits, or build a kiln to start cranking out coal.  Trust me, it's worth it.

Tip #3:  Don't just open every abandoned cache you find!  Pay attention to the requirements for the queen's orders and whether you can use the contents of the cache to help satisfy an order.  You get 1 full reputation point (and other handy bonuses) from completing the queen's orders.  If you can't use the items to satisfy an order, it's generally more worthwhile to send it to the citadel and take the reputation points (remember that small caches reward .5 while medium and large caches give .75).  Keep this especially in mind if you're close to getting enough reputation to unlock new blueprints.

Tip #4:  Get familiar with the different map types.  There's the lush, royal woodland; the slightly creepy marshland; the scarlet forest; and the rare, coral forest.  Each map type has a different type of resources and knowing each biome can help you make better choices when it comes to picking blueprints and cornerstone bonuses.  For example, marshland has a low amount of fertile soil, so it's usually better to pick upgraded options for gathering structures to take advantage of large nodes found in dangerous glades.

Tip #5:  Utilize production limits for basic building supplies.  It's likely you won't be using the most expensive blueprints until later, so there's no reason to just keep cranking out planks, bricks, and fabric.  Do pay attention to needs for the queens orders when placing caps.

Tip #6: Tools are important, so it's a good idea to have a building that can produce them.  Caches can be a nice source of reputation and they take at least 5 tools to open.  Buying them can be expensive (if you have a great trade economy, it's possible).

Tip #7:  Don't be afraid to favor one race when needed.  You don't want to lose villagers due to low resolve, so if it's possible to favor one that is particularly low during storm season, it's worthwhile.  Make sure you're paying attention to the resolve of the other races as they will drop--as long as they stay above 0, it should be fine.  You can then turn the favoring option off when the storm is over.

Tip #8: Pay attention to the negative options during the storm season.  There is one in particular that will give you -10 global resolve if you discover glades during the storm.  I made that mistake on one map and luckily it was toward the end of the storm season and I was able to ride it out, but it could've been rough had it been at the beginning.

I'm not going to brag and pretend like I'm any good at Against the Storm, but I feel like I've at least learned a few things.  I just managed to finish my second seal and once again am having to bump up the difficulty...I'm hoping to keep going as long as I can.  I'm still having quite a good time, despite the challenge (or maybe in spite of it).

RTS Roguelike?

I've failed miserably at my own self-imposed rule about only buying one new game per paycheck. Those sales just pop up and sometimes it's just too good to pass up! After thoroughly building up my fantastic little cult in Cult of the Lamb, I found myself looking for something to play and decided that falling back on ye olde catalog didn't sound too enticing. Luckily, a game on my wishlist popped up a sale notification and I decided "why not?" I'm not big into RTS games, but Against the Storm sounded different and interesting enough that I decided to take the leap. I've gotta say, I'm extremely satisfied with my choice.

What is it?

Steam offers up the following tags: strategy, simulation, base building and city builder. Sure, those work, but it's definitely missing the roguelike or roguelite elements. The basic premise of the gameplay and story is that you are a "viceroy" who has been tasked with building a series of settlements for a kingdom that is plagued by cyclical, devastating storms that periodically wipe out all towns (except for the protected Smoldering City). Your ultimate goal is to reach and fix special magical seals that will eventually end the cycle of storms. That's no easy task though.

The roguelike/roguelite elements come into play due to the fact that no two new settlements are alike. Each new settlement allows you to pick your starting settlers and the gear they will take with them. Once you've picked a location for your new settlement, you are offered up several random blueprints to choose from. These blueprints are totally luck of the draw and you get what you get (although later on you can unlock the ability to pay resources to re-roll them). "Winning" on each map is contingent on a combination of satisfying the queen's orders and keeping your villagers resolve high (basically meeting their complex needs to keep them happy) before the queen loses patience. Like the blueprints, the queens orders are completely random and unlock at different intervals as you play. You have to choose between two and can't re-roll them. Luckily, you can win without satisfying all of her demands if you're able to keep your villagers resolve high.

How long can I expect to play?

I've been playing for 29.5 hours so far and I've barely scratched the surface. You can count on some serious playtime with this one. The roguelike elements make each settlement a new challenge and I haven't been bored for one second. It's great.

Pros:

+Low requirements.  You could definitely play this on a potato PC (give the recommended specs a gander).  I've had zero performance issues--it has run like a charm.

+ Helpful tutorials that are offered up at points that make sense.  You start off with the basic tutorials that introduce the gameplay essentials and then can go off and play a normal settlement.  Once you encounter a new aspect of gameplay, a new tutorial is offered to help you learn how to use it.  I found this refreshing rather than having all aspects of gameplay thrown in at the beginning, not encountered for awhile, and then promptly forgotten to the point where you have to Google it or find a video that explains it.

+ Tons of strategy.  There are constantly different factors that you have to consider.  One of the first is where to make your settlement.  There are several different biomes to choose from and each has its own unique look, special resource bonuses tied it (for example, trees in the marshland biome can sometimes yield leather due to having leathery bark), and specific resources.  For example, the royal woodland biome often has many fields of fertile soil which are good for farming (while finding fertile farmland in the marshland biome is rare).  Once you're more familiar with the biomes and resources that can impact other choices you have to make.

One of my marsh settlements.

The second decision you have to make is which settlers to take for your new settlement.  There are several different races in the game (and two that you can unlock, but I've only unlocked one of them so far)--each race has its own unique needs and abilities.  You start off with three--humans, lizards, and beavers.  As an example of needs and abilities--beavers are good at tasks involving lumber and engineering, so get a bonus if they're assigned to those types of tasks.  They have needs related to the type of complex food they prefer (pickled goods), they need clothing, education, and they enjoy luxury.  Humans and lizards each have their own skills and needs that sometimes overlap and often don't.  The main goal is to meet the needs of your settlers to keep their "resolve" level high.  If their resolve drops too low, they'll leave your settlement.  You also get a certain number of points to pick a set of starting resources for your settlement.

So now you're ready to get rolling in your settlement, but you're not done making decisions.  You're presented with several options for blueprints which will unlock specific production buildings for your settlement.  These are totally random and require some careful consideration.  You have to consider whether you have buildings to produce needed ingredients or to help meet the specific needs of your settlers.  It's always difficult to choose and thanks to the roguelike nature of the gameplay, it's completely possible to get options that don't sync well (like certain production buildings but never the ones that produce the pre-requisite ingredients/goods).  Blueprints will continue to unlock as you make progress in your settlement...but you only get a certain number, so it's important to choose wisely.

...And, you're not even remotely done with choosing.  The queen will present you with a number of "orders" to be fulfilled.  These are also completely random and can be based upon building and satisfying production demands, keeping a certain race happy, exploring the map, satisfying specific needs, or trading/selling goods.  Fulfilling these needs will reduce the queen's impatience and improve your own resolve which unlocks blueprints and helps you get closer to eventually winning.

+Roguelike elements make each settlement feel unique and challenging.

+ Not your typical RTS.  You don't produce military units and march them out to conquer other enemies, but instead have to focus on keeping your settlers happy and playing in a way that meets the demands of the queen.  I found this change of pace refreshing.

+ Multiple difficulty levels and gameplay that gets progressively harder.  I started off on the easiest ("settler") setting to learn the basics of the game.  You can open the first seal on the easiest difficulty, but in order to open the next seal you have to up the difficulty.  I like how this works because it encourages you to improve and try to challenge yourself.  So far, I haven't had much luck in making it to the second seal and I'm sure that you have to do the subsequent seals on even higher difficulty.

Each "cycle" is made up of a certain number of years--for example, after I unlocked the first seal, I'm on a 40 year cycle.  At the end of each "cycle," the storm comes and destroys your settlements and you have to start back at the Smoldering City.  The years are calculated according to how long it takes you to "win" per settlement (for example, if I'm on a 40 year cycle and it takes me 10 years to win per settlement, I'm going to have 4 settlements before I have to re-start--unlocking seals takes a certain number of special resources that are rewarded for each successful settlement.  I'm on the second seal and it takes 12 seals to unlock--each successful settlement rewards 2 seals...so I definitely need to win more quickly if I expect to be able to complete the seal).

+ Unlockable talents.  Each successful settlement you create awards special resources that can be redeemed to improve future settlements.  There are multiple branches to unlock and they might provide small bonuses like a slight increase to global production.  If you fail to unlock a seal within a set cycle, you are awarded other special resources that can unlock even more talents.  Like many roguelikes, these small bonuses give you a slight boosts to help you make progress.

+ Exploration based elements.  Each new settlement starts off with a small uncovered area that is surrounded by trees (of various sort depending on the biome).  You usually have a few nodes of 1-2 resources to start.  In order to find more resources you must build a woodcutters camp and chop your way into the surrounding areas--the map is filled with small glades (that are covered with the fog of war) and larger, "dangerous" glades.  Small glades can contain a small amount of resources (usually a few nodes of 1-2 resources) or a cache of goods or a special event.  Opening caches or completing events gives you two options--often you can send the items to the capital which will help reduce the queen's impatience or you can use resources to open the cache or complete the event which will provide resources for your settlement.  Dangerous glades are larger areas and contain a "dangerous" event that also provides two options for dealing with it and generally must be dealt with quickly or else they will have negative consequences for your settlement.  They also usually have some sort of debuff while they're being completed.  Opening up dangerous glades are worthwhile as they can contain large nodes of resources and usually contain large caches of goods.  There are also the even larger "forbidden glades," which are even more of a gamble.

+ Seasonal conditions that impact villager happiness.  The constant storms that are part of the world become worse during the "storm" season and your villagers happiness will greatly drop during this time.  If it drops too low, villagers will leave your settlement.  This can leave you short of workers and in a bind if you're needing them to meet an order.  Crops on farms are also harvested on a cyclical pattern, so it's important to pay attention to your food level.  Planning around the cycles adds another layer of difficulty.

+ Tons of achievements and your own "home" in the capital with cosmetic elements.  Some achievements will reward items that will appear in your house--it's fun to see your empty home fill up with little items.

+ Nice, soothing music.

Cons:

- The roguelike "luck of the draw" elements can sometimes feel frustrating.  You might wind up with options that don't work well together or orders that require buildings that you never have an option to unlock.  Basically, you have to adapt to whatever the game throws at you.  I will say that it's still possible to be successful even if you have a crappy draw.

- Some players may not like the increasing requirements for difficulty.  You cannot unlock seals on any difficulty and have to use the required level.  This might feel a bit like gating, but with the unlockable "talents," it should be possible for most to be successful.  The gameplay also introduces more complex elements at certain levels (that I have not reached yet).

- Like most RTS games, there are many elements to consider and it can be difficult to remember it all.  I haven't found it totally overwhelming, but it does take a bit to get used to.

- This is a very minor gripe, but I'd like to see a little bit more polish on the animations for the villagers.  One part of villager behavior is that they periodically take breaks where they will travel back to your hearth to eat.  There's no animation for this, so they all just sort of stand clumped around it.  It would also be nice to see them use some of the more cosmetic type of decorations you can put in your settlement--sitting on a bench, for example.  Again, this would be icing on an already great cake.

Recommendation:

Against the Storm is a great RTS and as someone who doesn't play many, I'm very impressed by what I've experienced so far.  The roguelike elements keep everything feeling fresh and you have to stay on your toes to adapt to what the game throws at you.  Even though it lacks a bit of polish, it's a refreshing take on this genre.  It's one that worth full price, for sure.

State of Play News

I don't console game but do pay attention when announcements for series that have made the leap to PC come out.  In the PlayStation "State of Play" this week a whole slate of new games were featured.  If you're a console gamer, some of those probably sparked some excitement.  For me, the most exciting part was the announcement of Death Stranding 2!

Death Stranding is a game that I wouldn't have ever guessed that I would enjoy.  I got it for free in an Epic Games giveaway during the holidays a few years ago and found myself oddly engrossed in the bizarre world.  The story is absolutely bonkers and hard to completely parse, but the seemingly simple gameplay--you deliver packages from point A to point B--winds up having a ton of depth and complexity, and is highly enjoyable.  I wound up spending nearly 100 hours as Sam "Porter" Bridges as he navigates the shattered, post-apocalyptic world.  (You can read my full review here)

The new trailer is pretty epic (and, of course, it's also a bit on the long side).  Have a looksy:

It looks like our favorite characters will be back--Sam, Fragile, and BB (although...that's weird).  The general gameplay also looks like it will be largely the same--a big, beautiful shattered world filled with obstacles--invisible and visible--that Sam will need to navigate to forge connections.  I'm completely fine with that--for me, the gameplay was the best part of Death Stranding.  The challenge of distributing the weight of Sam's packages, navigating the difficult terrain, avoiding baddies, and interacting with the co-op world state all turned out to be more fun than I would have imagined.

The story looks to be just as strange and semi-incomprehensible as the first game (although, the trailer doesn't delve into that too much).  It has been quite awhile since I played it and I can't totally remember all the characters and connections.  The big baddie, Higgs, looks like he's making a comeback along with an army of what appears to be various robots.  Interestingly, they didn't feature any scenes with the invisible BT's who are the main source of pulse-pounding action in the first game.  Since Sam is still carrying his detection equipment and possibly a BB, it does look like they'll still figure into things (and they're one of the best parts of the gameplay).

The one thing the trailer doesn't say...will it release on PC right away?  I think Death Stranding did come out simultaneously with the console version, but I can't remember.  Any way you shape it, 2025 is looking like it'll be a big year in gaming.  Maybe it's time to start thinking about building that new PC!

All Hail the Lamb!

Thanks to some very nasty weather in my area (snow...and then several rounds of freezing rain that coated all that lovely snow and all the streets in a nice, thick layer of ice) I've had some unexpected free time.  The weather is so bad that staying in and tucking into a comfy game is the safest and best option for spending my time.  I decided it was the perfect opportunity to tick a game off of my wishlist (plus, it just so happened to coincide with payday, so extra bonus).  I decided to take a risk on a game with a decidedly quirky sounding premise--you play as a cute, lil' lamb...who's also a cult leader.  Not weird at all, right?  Cult of the Lamb offers up the perfect opportunity to be the cult leader you've always secretly wanted to be.

What is it?

Steam has it tagged with the following--action roguelike, roguelike, base building, and cute.  Cute is a bit of a curveball, but there's definitely something charming about the animal-like characters.  The premise is that your character, the lamb, is captured for sacrifice by an old god who is trying to break free from captivity brought about by four newer gods.  The poor lamb is sacrificed...but instead finds itself given a real devils bargain--the lamb can become the instrument of the old god, be reborn, and help destroy the "false" gods who are keeping it captive.  Not a bad deal, eh?

Before you can actually conquer any gods though, the lamb has to build up its strength through forming a cult to provide devotion.  The base building part of the gameplay revolves around creating a comfy cult settlement that provides for all the needs of a budding cult member--they need food, shelter, a place to worship, and a nice, clean environment.  Each day operates on a clock and the lamb can command cult members to take care of tasks around the base or to worship.  Worshipping at the central shrine provides devotion, which operates as a currency that can be used to unlock new buildings for the base.  Keeping your cult members happy and alive requires cooking meals, cleaning up after them (there's poop!), and building their faith through daily sermons and rituals.

That's only part of the gameplay though--the other part is where the roguelike elements kick in.  The four old gods that must be conquered are each locked in a dungeon full of enemies that must be defeated.  Each dungeon area has a sort of theme and a certain number of rooms that randomly spawn--most rooms contain enemies that must be defeated, but some rooms contain special characters who give the lamb buffs, new weapons, or other helpful opportunities.  The combat is surprisingly enjoyable--different weapons spawn at the start of the dungeon and sometimes can be swapped at random points throughout the dungeon.  Each dungeon area must be cleared multiple times before you can face off and try to defeat one of the old gods.

My full playthrough clocked in at 24 hours.  It's probably possible to have a playthrough be either longer or shorter depending on how much attention you decide to pay to follower requests and side tasks.  I usually opted to complete my follower requests, so it took some extra time.

Pros:

+ The gameplay loop is very fun and the way they divided it between fighting through the dungeons and managing your cult is genius.  In order to keep things balanced you have to figure out how to split your time between fighting through the dungeons and taking care of cult needs at the base.  It's easy to feel gung-ho about charging through a dungeon only to return to a base full of dissenting followers because you neglected their needs.  I suppose that some people may find the base management aspect a bit tedious, but it's worthwhile because of the combat buffs that you can unlock through member faith.

+ Multiple gameplay difficulties with unlockable permadeath mode upon completing a full playthrough.  I opted for the default difficulty ("balanced" I think) and found the combat challenging, but definitely doable.  It's one of the roguelikes where you can spend resources to upgrade things between dungeon runs--ever so slightly making things easier for the next run.

+ Run your cult how you want to.  You can choose to be a ruthless tyrant or a benevolent redeemer--it's all in the doctrine that you choose.

+ Okay, the "cute" label on Steam is somewhat deserved.  Your followers all take some kind of animal (or weird, demon-like) form.  The lamb itself is also pretty cute.  The gameplay and premise of the game is decidedly not "cute" though--you can sacrifice your own followers and be pretty nasty to them...if that's the vibe you're going for.

+ Managing your cult can be hilarious.  Your cult members live their lives while you're away--they age and can die; they get into fights; and, best of all...they poop!  It's completely possible to come back to base and find a pretty apocalyptic scene--poop everywhere!  Dead bodies rotting in the middle of the compound!  And sick cult members barfing all over the place from the lack of sanitation.  Luckily, all can be fixed with a little bit of time and effort.

If you don't keep your cult members happy they can dissent--basically they start speaking against you and they can turn other members against you.  If their level of dissent gets too high, they will eventually leave the cult (taking some of your hard earned resources with them).  They can also randomly reappear in a dungeon...and you have to fight and kill them.

For some weird reason my cult members kept requesting to eat poop.  This is something that you can do--cook a special poop dish and make them eat it.  Sure, it'll probably make them sick, but they asked for it, right?  To deny them would mean a loss of faith in your leadership...so who am I to keep them from eating poop?

The bonfire ritual is a flaming good time!

You can perform special rituals--some of them are more mundane, like a funeral for a dead member, but you can also make your followers trip on mushrooms; you can sacrifice followers (a possible solution for those dissenters--teehee); you can marry your followers (as many as you want!  It's your cult after all!); and many other funny and more serious options.  Some rituals raise faith and others will make it drop.

+ Discoverable cosmetic options to give your cult members a unique look.  Plans for special outfits drop in later dungeons and also when you do certain tasks in your base.  You can also purchase follower appearances which will make it possible to find many different types of animal/demon followers throughout the game.

+ It's still being updated.  Part of the reason I chose to grab it was because it was on sale thanks to a recent major gameplay update.  The update revolves around "sin" in your base and includes new buildings, events, and unlockable cosmetics.

+ The music fits the game well and doesn't get annoying at all.

+ Ran well.  I only had one issue where it randomly got stuck when I looted a certain relic.  Sadly I had to scrap the entire dungeon run and re-load, but it did only happen that once.

+ There are a few packs of cosmetic oriented DLC available for purchase.  They include new decorations for your base, new outfits, and possibly some new follower forms.

+ Discoverable items that drop in dungeons.  Each zone has a sort of theme and you can find a nice array of decorations to give your base the perfect vibe--be it bones or leafy wreaths.

+ Replayability factor is high.

+ You can pet the dog!  Some of your followers take a dog form (although, it can be a bit hard to tell) and you can pet them for a little extra loyalty.  If you see a dog shaped option when you speak to them, give 'em a pet!

Cons:

- Controller "recommended."  As soon as I started the game it prompted me that I needed a controller.  You can play with mouse and keyboard (something that I briefly considered), but it really wants you to use a controller.  I busted out my handy, Amazon Basics XBOX 360 controller and it worked like a charm.  Granted, I always am a little bit awkward with a controller at first.

- If you're someone who takes religion VERY seriously, this game might make you feel some...feelings of the negative sort.  It's not directly making fun of religion, but it's definitely incorporated certain aspects of religion that might make some people feel uncomfortable.  Overall, I found it to be very silly though.  If you're someone who has strong feelings about religion...maybe skip it.

Recommendation:

Cult of the Lamb is an absolute blast.  The base building and management aspect of the game perfectly combines with the combat to make for an A+ gaming experience.  Don't be fooled by the quirkiness; it's a real gem.  Highly recommend!

For Your Listening Pleasure

I'm a bit between games at the moment, so I thought that this week I would focus on something peripherally gaming related--what I like to listen to while I play.  Now, I don't play anything competitive, multiplayer, or probably even remotely "cool," so my personal preferences tend to veer into the decidedly casual realm.  I've posted before about my favorite video game soundtracks, but my favorite thing to listen to are podcasts.  Mostly I do this if I'm re-playing something--and really, it's only for casual, more management oriented games.  PowerWash Simulator does not have any in-game music, so it's one of my favorites for just chilling with a podcast.  Here are my top 5 recommendations for podcasts to listen to while you kick back and relax!

#5:  Love, Janessa

This is a fascinating story about the world of online romance scams--something that I had heard of, but knew very little about.  The reporting is great and it focuses on many aspects related to these scams--the people who fall for the scams, the scammers themselves, how the scams work, and most interestingly, one woman whose images have become synonymous with this particular scam.  The only downside is that it's a one season affair.  (Link: Love, Janessa)

#4:  The Dropout

Maybe I just like scam stories, but this is another great one.  It focuses on the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of an early 2000's Silicon Valley startup that claimed it was going to revolutionize the world of blood testing.  Holmes claimed that her company had created a device that could do full blood testing with only a single drop of blood.  Some very big name investors basically started throwing money at her company and she quickly became the face of "girl bossing."  Let's just say that claiming to have created a device and actually having a working device turned out to be a huge problem that eventually led to the downfall of Ms. Holmes.  The upside--Hulu made a series based on this story (with the same name), that's actually pretty good.  (Link:  The Dropout) 

#3:  Serial

Serial is the OG of the podcast genre and it deservedly has maintained its status as one of the best.  Each season focuses on a different, well reported story.  It originally began as an investigation into a murder case, but subsequent seasons focus on issues and stories related to suicide, cold cases, drug abuse, and personal relationships.  Some seasons are better than others, but most of the stories they do turn out to be interesting.  My personal favorite seasons are S-Town and The Retrievals.  (*S-Town does deal with suicide, so a note of caution there) (Link:  Serial)

#2:  Handsome

This is a new podcast hosted by three hilarious comedians--Fortune Feimster, Tig Notaro, and Mae Martin.  The premise is that each week a celebrity friend asks them a question that they will answer.  The celebrity questioner will also eventually answer, but that's not the focal point of the podcast.  The questions range from silly to fairly deep and reflective.  In reality, the three hosts spend about 10 minutes talking about the question and the other 50 or so just being their hilarious selves and talking about whatever they feel like.  Fortune Feimster is hilarious and does a lot of singing--you'll definitely find yourself chuckling throughout the episode.  It has a decidedly LGBTQ vibe, so if that's not your thing, maybe pick something else.  (Link:  Handsome)

#1:  Criminal

Don't let the name fool you--this isn't just another "true crime" podcast.  Criminal focuses on the stories around crime--the legal system, police, what should be considered a crime, funny stories of people breaking the law, and so many more.  The host, Phoebe Judge, has the perfect podcast hosting voice...it's shockingly good.  The best part--it has been around since 2014, so there is a big backlog of episodes and they're all very good.  One of my favorite, most thought provoking episodes dealt with a group of mostly older women who travel around the United States basically assisting suicides (again, a warning that some of the content might be upsetting for some folks--assisted suicide is something that's pretty controversial in the U.S.).  Other stories are much more lighthearted and fun.  (Link:  Criminal)

There are plenty of other good ones out there, but these five are some of my favorites.  The next time you're feeling a little bit tired of the in-game music or wanting to listen to something engaging while you play, consider picking one of them and giving it a go.  Happy podcasting!

A Fine Kettle of Fish--Dredge

Well, I finally took the bait and decided to make a purchase during the recent Steam Holiday Sale (be prepared for plenty of fishing metaphors/analogies).  I had seen many positive reviews for Dredge and even though it didn't look much like other games that I have played, I decided that it'd be worth checking out something different.  After a couple of fishing filled adventures, I've trawled a good chunk of the depths and am ready to write my review.

What is it?

Steam tags with the following labels--adventure, fishing, lovecraftian, and exploration.  It's a mostly casual game that involves solving a mystery through fishing.  The lovecraftian label comes from the ominous, mysteries of the deep type of vibes that permeate the game.  I've seen some label it as "horror" but there's nothing scary about it.

How long does a playthrough last?

Like most games it depends on whether you decide to just stick to the story or if you decide to explore, collect, etc.  I did a bit of both and my first playthrough clocked in at around 12 hours.  (I completed all the official side tasks but did skip a set of "hidden" puzzle type tasks that could undoubtedly add on a couple more hours of playtime)

A nice view of my boat and some whales.

Pros:

+ Oddly enjoyable gameplay loop.  The game operates on a 24 hour clock but time only passes if you're doing something--moving, fishing, dredging, etc.  You can choose how to spend your time during the day based on your goals--fishing is the main way to earn money, so you must navigate your boat to various shoals of fish scattered around the area.  You receive a creepy warning at the beginning of the game...you definitely want to make it back to the harbor before the fog rolls in.  Strange things happen in the fog....  Each day feels like it passes incredibly quickly, but the number of days you play doesn't seem to matter.

Keeping an eye on the clock is important and it's easy to lose track of time when you find something you really want to get.  There's always a need to balance your needs (money vs. upgrade items) with the amount of time you have each day.  You can always risk staying out a little bit long...but it may turn out to be a mistake.

+ There's a Tetris-like management aspect that can seem annoying, but winds up being fun.  You only have so many slots in your cargo hold and each fish, piece of dredge, or random treasure you find takes up a certain amount of space.  You can rotate items and try to fit them perfectly in the limited space you have.

+ Fishing is simplistic but fun.  To catch different fish there is a sort of timing-based challenge that might require you to land a ticking gauge within a certain highlighted portion.  The gauge might differ depending on the species of fish.

+ A mysterious story that you have to piece together from clues you find from exploring.  (No spoilers here.)

+ A large area to explore and find hidden areas and side tasks.  There are a number of side tasks that you can dedicate yourself to.

+ Cosmetic options to personalize your boat.  You can find special flags located in shipwrecks found around the map and can help the painter develop new shades of paint by bringing him various aberrated species of crab (and maybe some fish--this is one area of the game that I didn't do).

+ Collection type tasks.  There are a ton of different species of fish to catch--finding and fishing them up is a true challenge.

+ Photo mode.  You actually have to unlock it by completing a side task, but it's there.

+ Unlockable upgrades for your boat.  You can find a special resource that allows you to research new gear and you can unlock the ability to dredge for supplies like metal or lumber that can be used to upgrade your boat.  There are several different branches of upgrades, so you have lots of options.

+ Hidden tasks for people who like to puzzle things out and 100% games.  I told myself I wouldn't look up a guide and I don't have the patience to puzzle them out, so completed a few of the easy ones, but haven't done all of them.

+ Two different endings--there's basically a good one and a bad one.  I managed to get the bad one on my first playthrough and then did another one to get the good ending.

+ Ran well.  Requirements are low, so it's a good one if you're on the lower spec side of things.

+ Nice music.

Cons:

- I suppose that it's a bit on the short side, but I thought the length seemed just right for the story and tasks.

Recommendation:

I had a dandy time with Dredge and would recommend it to anyone who's looking for a casual game with a bit of a creepy mystery vibe.  It actually won the "Best on Steam Deck" award in the Steam Awards--I can totally see that it would be perfect for a handheld.  It's another great indie game with a fishing focus and it's great for anyone who has played the Dave the Diver crossover content and wondered about Dredge.

Father-Son Good Times in God of War

Just prior to the holiday sale I noticed that God of War was being offered up as the "weekend deal" for 50% off.  It was a very low risk proposition due to the fact that its reviews are "overwhelmingly positive" and it's one of those console staple franchises that seems to garner nothing but love.  After 49.3 hours of gameplay, I'm happy to report that the reviews and love are well warranted--it's a fabulous game.

What is it?

A singleplayer game listed on Steam with the following tags:  story-rich, action, adventure, and 3D (that one is a bit odd).  It is the PC release of the 2018 iteration of the popular PlayStation series.  You play as Kratos, a God with some rockin' combat abilities.  There's tons of fighting, but there's also a shockingly good story and world filled with all of our Norse mythology favorites (and more obscure characters too).

How long does a playthrough last?

It depends on how you choose to play--if you just play through the story probably 20+ hours.  If you decide to do side content and spend time on some of the optional realms and activities you're looking at 40+ (at least).  I did the story, re-visited a few zones to look for missing items, and messed around some in the optional realms (and also had some idle/paused time) and clocked in my full playthrough at 49.3.

Kratos--looking fierce in the Valkyrie armor.

Pros:

+ Undoubtedly, the best part of God of War is the combat/fighting.  It's got a sort of simplified fighting game style that is less about trying to remember which combination of keys does which move and more about timing based attacks.  The fighting moves feel good and learning how to flow them together into an absolute stream of destruction feels magically powerful.  There are tons of different enemies--ranging from simple, grunt type of units up to bosses who deploy a stunning array of attacks and require a tactical awareness about their specific attacks.  Luckily, there's tons of opportunities for fighting built into the story and world--you know it's good because it never gets old.

+ A large world to explore.  (I'm going to also say--it's not open world, which I view as a plus)  Each zone is filled with different tasks, collectibles, and special encounters.  Once you reach a certain point in the story you gain the ability to easily return to zones that you have previously explored--and, if you're going for total completion, you'll need to re-visit them because there are gated areas that cannot be opened until certain skills/weapons are unlocked.  One of the things that I particularly enjoyed was the fact that the world expands at different points in the story--don't be put off if you can't find something, just try to progress the story and it should become more apparent.

+ A Norse mythology inspired story and characters with a very cool aesthetic.  Temples, runes, longships, Odin and his cast of Godly figures...God of War fully embraces the known and the more obscure aspects.  Each realm has its own feel and look--it's fun visiting them all.

The story itself has tons of twists, turns, and totally unpredictable moments.  I was surprised by how good it actually was.  (*it actually won the Steam Award for "Best Story Rich Game" last year for the PC release)

+ Father-son fun times.  The story centers around Kratos and his son Atreus and focuses largely on their relationship and the complicated nature of Godhood.  Despite Kratos' harsh demeanor, there are some nice, father-son bonding type of moments that might appeal to anyone looking for a game depicting that type of relationship.  Granted, your Dad was probably not a God and carrying the baggage of one, but it's still nice to see a depiction in a game.

+ Tons of opportunities for side tasks.  Each area offers up a list of items that you have (or have not) discovered--there are collectibles (that can be sold for hacksilver), Odin's Ravens to banish, Valkyries to find and fight, chests to find, lore markers...basically, there's ton of stuff sprinkled throughout each area.  Fully completing a zone is no easy task (although--using guides will make it more straightforward).

+ Challenge zones for those who want to be challenged.  To unlock both zones you must first find the language ciphers (they are scattered through different areas of Midgard).  Musplheim offers up arena-style fighting challenges that vary in difficulty and offer up unique rewards to craft some pretty snazzy armor (and also resources that are needed to upgrade higher level armors).  Niflheim is more about grinding--it's filled with a deadly mist that will start to slowly deplete your health once a timer runs out.  The goal is to collect a special kind of resource that is scattered throughout chests in the zone in order to craft and also unlock special chests.  There are also special realm tears that require a ton of gathered resources to open and complete.  Basically, if you want to fully complete the tasks in Niflheim, you need to be prepared for quite a bit of grinding.  It resets with random enemies every time to re-start the area...and you lose your gathered resources if you die.  Both Musplheim and Niflheim are optional, but they provide an additional challenge for players who want to put their fighting skills to the test.

+ Different difficulties and New Game+ options.

+ A nifty photo mode for snapping some memorable moments during the adventures of Kratos and Atreus.

+ Ran well on my PC and had no issues.

+ The camera controls are shockingly good.  Usually I have issues with fighting style games and the camera moving into very irritating places and making things more difficult than they need to be.

+ Mouse & keyboard settings are actually good.  It also supports XBOX and PlayStation controllers if you prefer them (there's some manual aiming...something that I don't enjoy with a controller, so I decided to skip the controller play).

Cons:

- Graphics are a bit weird.  There's this sort of grainy appearance that I couldn't figure out how to get rid of.  I messed around a little with the settings and even if I put it on "high" it still had that sort of grainy look.  Overall, it looks good, but it was just something that bugged me a little bit.  I decided to just keep the settings on the default (which is "original").

- Please no more Norse mythology.  I feel like it has been done to death and that we need some fresh new mythology.  Maybe something inspired by Eastern cultures?  (I enjoyed the setting and theme in the game and this is just a general complaint)

Recommendation:

I greatly enjoyed God of War and found it to be a fabulous PC adaptation.  Even at its current full price ($49.99 on Steam), it would be well worth it.  The fighting, story, and optional activities make for a truly enjoyable experience.