Nimble Fingers

It had been quite awhile since I initially picked up Cook, Serve, Delicious 2, but I decided to delve back into the world of madcap button mashing.  The follow up to the zany and hectic restaurant sim offers even more delicious food and panic inducing rush hours.  I've been cursing my clumsy fingers as I doggedly pursue gold medals on cook-for-hire levels (you should only do this if you're truly some kind of masochist--I keep telling myself to stop, but then I find myself playing the same level over and over...it's compulsive).

Pros:

A quick peek at a small portion of the catalog.

--Food design is beautiful.  The food in CSD2 looks extremely delicious and it's obvious that a ton of effort went into making it look that way.  You will probably find yourself getting hungry just from playing.

--Tons of food choice.  As you play and earn money you can either unlock new foods or purchase them.  There is a wide array of entrees, side dishes, drinks, and desserts to choose from.  Picking a menu is a much more daunting task than in the first game.

--Different game modes.  Players can either choose to run their own restaurant (similar to the first game--you pick your menu each day, earn buzz or detractors, purchase upgrades) or they can choose to play the "cook for hire" levels.  Cook for hire offers challenges in a large number of themed restaurant.  Each shift in cook for hire is different and players can earn money and medal rankings for their performance--bronze--8 or fewer average or bad orders; silver--5 or fewer; and gold--no average or bad orders.  As players earn medals, they can unlock various food and restaurant design items.

If you choose to run your own restaurant, you can choose from several different game modes.  There's the classic mode where you earn buzz each day; standard mode which doesn't include daily buzz; zen mode which is absent of the frantic rush hours; and stress mode which is designed to make you crazy--it's basically non-stop rush hour.

Dining with cats.  My cat themed restaurant.

--Restaurant design tool.  As you unlock more items, you can choose exactly how you want your restaurant to look.  There are a wide variety of floors, bars, tables, chairs, objects, windows, paint/wall patterns, dividers, plants, and so much more!  You can create a themed restaurant or just throw together whatever whacky items that you like.  My current theme is cats.

--Holding stations and strategizing.  Part of figuring out each cook for hire level is trying to plan how you will utilize your holding stations.  Some foods require a holding station, it's optional for some others, and it's generally a good idea to have some side dishes on hand to increase customer patience.  Managing your regular prep stations and the holding stations can be completely crazy, but it adds in an element of strategy.

--Continued development of features.  There have been several updates since the game was released and more content has been added.  It's very obvious that Chubigans listens to feedback and works to give players the fixes and new content that they want to see.

Cons:

"All the Sports Grill" is one of the many "cook for hire" levels.

--There's very little reason to play in your own restaurant and it's obvious that much more work went into designing the cook for hire levels.  I really loved the first game for the feeling of creating a barebones restaurant and then working your way up.  The feeling is completely absent and it's part of the reason why I walked away from the game for so long.  Cook for hire is fun and challenging, but it's just not the same.  Plus, if you want to earn golds, you will be beating your head against the wall playing the same levels over and over.  It can get repetitive.

--Complicated foods.  The food is beautiful, but now it's also extremely complicated.  If you want to create a pizza you first have to choose a type of dough and sauce, then hit space to change to the next page of ingredients, then choose from meats and cheeses, then hit space again, then choose veggie/fruit options.  There are many foods that require multiple steps and so many ingredients that trying to keep them all memorized is a huge challenge.  (I think this is one aspect of the game that some might love and some might hate--I lean toward the dislike side)

I would recommend CSD2.  It doesn't quite have the same story-like feeling that the first game has, but the variety of player-based choices offers much more personalization.  The cook for hire levels are fun and there's a ton of freedom to choose exactly how you want to play. 

Splicing and Dicing

You're a Big Daddy on a mission.

I'm not a huge fan of remasters, re-releases, or any other semi-cleverly marketed lure that is designed to drag more money out of people.  One thing I am not opposed to though is free stuff, so when a remaster is offered for the fine, fine price of $0, I'm completely fine with that.  At some point in the quasi-recent past, I began a quest to play through the remastered versions of BioShock and BioShock 2.  I've always enjoyed the BioShock series and wanted to see what the remastered versions had to offer.  Well, it turns out that other than the awesome original gameplay, there is very little additional content or extra features to make the remastered versions any better than the originals.  In fact, in the case of BioShock 2, I would recommend playing the original over the remastered version...but I'll get to that.

I'm fresh off finishing a playthrough of the remastered version of BioShock 2.  For some weird reason people haven't enjoyed the second game as much as the first.  The story isn't as twisty and unexpected as the first game, there's a lot of high-falutin' psychobabble worked into the plot, but there are still plenty of other things to enjoy.  The decision to allow players to simultaneously wield a weapon and plasmids is a huge improvement over the annoying switching back and forth from the first game.  There's nothing quite like the refreshing feeling of setting a splicer alight and then spearing them like a human shishkebab.  Tell me that you don't enjoy that!

The decision to make the protagonist a Big Daddy also provided a fun, new aspect to the story--choosing how to deal with those creepy Little Sisters.  The most ADAM-friendly choice is to adopt the little freaks and take them on a romp through Rapture to look for corpses to suck dry.  There's quite a bit of added challenge in the defensive aspect of guarding your Little Sister while she (slowly) drains corpses.  Of course, once she's harvested two corpses you have to make another decision--you can choose to release her from her freaky, yellow-eyed hell as a Little Sister or you can harvest her for extra ADAM (which means you kill her...you monster!).  The decisions you make throughout the game do have an impact on the ending that you receive, which makes saving or harvesting them impactful.

The main story itself isn't horrible, it's just not quite as interesting as all the crazy plot twists that were worked into the first game.  Dr. Lamb isn't the villain that Andrew Ryan or Frank Fontaine were in the first game.  She mostly talks at you in a very soothing, psychologist kind of voice.  Sure, she has some really messed up motives, but she's just not the looming, scary boss type that you would expect in a shooter.

Rapture itself is still one of the best environments in gaming.  Plus, they decided to stick with the occasional jump-scare/freak you out tactic.  There might be a corpse in a corner, but the second you look away...it's gone.  Then you turn around and BAM!  Splicer right in your grill.  It gets me every time!  It's not a true BioShock game if you're not freaked out by your own shadow.

I'm not really the type of gamer who has a lot of technical expertise--I can't tell you how many FPS I was getting or if the the shadows were ultra-high quality--but I didn't really feel like I noticed a huge difference in the way that the remastered version of the game looked.  In fact, I was a little disappointed that the last cutscene seemed really pixelated.  So, I really can't tell you if the remastered version offered some kind of uber-graphics that I was just blissfully unaware of...sorry.

My major irritation with the remastered version was the fact that once I reached Dionysus Park, my game started crashing.  I can handle some occasional game crashing if it means that I don't lose much play time, but I didn't pay attention to how infrequently the game autosaves.  Just FYI, the game autosaves at the beginning of levels and that's really it.  Needless to say, I was very irritated when I had spent over an hour clearing the level--killing Big Daddies, adopting three Little Sisters, and guarding them through six harvests--to have the game crash while I was fighting the Big Sister just prior to completing the level.  I had to start over at the very beginning!  (And here's where I will admit that I forgot that there was a quicksave option--I was kicking myself after I looked).  There was no choice but to start the level completely over (this time, using plenty of quicksaves).  I still had the level crash 3-4 times before I completed it.  The weird part is that the game only crashed on that level.

I definitely think that fans of BioShock should play the sequel and will enjoy it.  My personal recommendation is to opt for the original version over the remaster (if you purchase it on Steam you will receive both versions).  I don't think that the remaster has much to offer over the original game and I cannot recall having any crashing issues with the original game.  Sometimes older is better. 

Torn about Mankind Divided

I wasn't even sure if I really wanted to purchase Deus Ex:  Mankind Divided.  I planted it on my wishlist and left it there while I periodically checked on the reviews to see what people were saying.  Many of the reviews mentioned some things that immediately turned me off--day one DLC; an in-game store for purchasing one-time use items (and in a singleplayer game!); and various performance related gripes.  Other reviews painted a much more positive picture.  In the end, I decided to take it off my wishlist--it just didn't seem worth it to get sucked into the kind of game that seemed to be mostly oriented toward the money-grubbing end of the spectrum.  I didn't think twice about my choice until I saw it (and all its DLC) up for an extremely low sale price ($9.99).  At $9.99 I was willing to risk paying for something that might not turn out great.

A beautiful view of Dubai.  One of the few missions outside of Prague.

Deus Ex:  Mankind Divided is the follow up to the highly enjoyable Human Revolution.  Like Revolution, MD stars the highly augmented Adam Jensen as he fights the forces of evil.  This time around Adam is in Prague working for TF29, a secretive branch of Interpol that is focused on investigating terrorism.  The events from HR have highly influenced the world in MD.  Augmented humans have become persona non grata and in Prague, many of them have been sent to live in segregated ghettos far from the city.  Those who haven't been sent away are treated as second class citizens--harassed, feared, and left to suffer from the debilitating effects of Neuropyzene withdrawal.  Society has been divided into two clear and completely unequal classes--natural and augmented.  It's in this highly divisive environment that Adam is compelled to become involved in an investigation into augmented terrorists.  This investigation isn't a simple matter--hackers from the Janus Collective believe that there is a complicated conspiracy between some of the largest and most powerful corporations in the world and that they are manipulating TF29 to create a crisis that would be beneficial both politically and economically.  The main storyline follows Adam as he attempts to unravel the possible threads between the Illuminati, TF29, and many other groups.

Enjoyed:
--The highly detailed city of Prague.  I would hesitate to call it open-world, but it's large and there is plenty to explore.  Much of my playtime was spent exploring the city and trying to find all the little hidden corners.  There are plenty of vents to crawl through, apartments to hack into, and sewers to much about in.

In general, the game is very beautiful and you'll often find yourself gaping at a scenic vista.

--Character design and detail.  I can't say there are many games where I just want to walk around and look at what people are wearing.  The futuristic design of the clothing is stylish and beautiful.  Even the haggard augs who have a paltry existence on the streets have a high level of detail.  The police uniforms are armored and militarized, but they also have a sort of medieval knight feeling.  Even on my low, low graphics setting I was astounded at the textures.

--Not having to kill anyone.  It has always irked me that some games will allow players to choose a non-lethal playstyle but will insist that bosses must be killed.  HR was guilty of this and I was happy when I realized MD would allow players to incapacitate bosses.

--Multiple paths to success.  Part of the challenge in Deus Ex is figuring out the best way to navigate undetected through levels filled with patrolling guards, security cameras, laser grids, and various other defenses.  Finding vents, maintenance tunnels, sewers, or any other handy, hidden routes is fun.

"Naturals Only."

--A world filled with prejudice.  From the first minute you walk Adam out of his apartment you are faced with a society that hates augmented humans.  People call you names--clank, hanzer--there's anti-aug graffiti spray painted on buildings, and there's enforced segregation in public places.  It really hit me when I was exploring the city and I saw stores and park benches that said "naturals only."  I made it a point to avoid the police because they would ask for identification any time I walked by them when I was exiting the subway.

--Breaking into stuff.  I'm not really sure what this says about my personality, but I could spend the entire game just hacking into keypads to get into apartments and stores.  It's fun to hack into computers, read e-mails, and learn about the people who live there.

--Movement system that makes being stealthy feel very fluid.  Rounding corners and rolling flow together rather than being awkward and difficult to control.

--Easy to modify weapons and swap ammo and mods.  Simply hit Y and you can remove silencers, change the firing pattern, or switch ammo types.

--Augment skill tree that is easily adaptable to playstyle.  I usually opt for a stealthier playstyle so I tend to take talents that contribute to hacking, sneaking, and navigating through difficult to reach or hidden places (rebreather, leg mods for higher jumping).  It's nice that the skill tree is completely flexible and that you don't have to take some talents to unlock others.  The addition of experimental points throws a little bit of spice into the mix and adds some great abilities (remote hacking is one of my favorite).

--Music.  It's not quite as good as the soundtrack for HR, but the music still has a great futuristic vibe.

--Breach Mode offers up a single player challenge mode that revolves around infiltrating and stealing data on the Neural Subnet.  It offers you a chance to test out your skills and see how they stack up against other players around the world.  (It's also a thinly veiled reason for microtransactions)

When it comes to the DLC (Jensen's Stories), they can be hit or miss.  Desperate Measures is very short and generally uninteresting.  System Rift is a lot of fun and has a great story--it involves breaking into the Palisade Blade and hacking into a heavily secured mainframe.  You meet a new character, ShadowChild, and get to spend some time with an old one--Francis Pritchard.  If the rest of the game had been written the way that System Rift was, it would be much, much better.

A Criminal Past offers an interesting premise--Adam is undercover in a maximum security prison for augs, but it features one of my least favorite story elements--stripping you of all your powers (granted, you do have the option of activating your powers).  The story features more conspiracy-based mumbo jumbo and, for me, it was eclipsed by the annoyance of having no augs.

Did not enjoy:

--One of the absolutely worst endings in a game.  There's basically no closure to the entire storyline and you're left with a feeling of confusion.  "Now I'm going to catch the bad guys!"  Wait, wasn't that the point?

--Very little character development.  I felt no connection to any of the characters that were supposed to matter.  They were simply props who gave me missions to complete.  The most interesting character was a nobody in the TF29 office (Aria Argento).  It was more interesting to check out their outfits than to talk to them.

--The almost open world design of Prague.  It's big, but it's not open world.  Prague exists in two halves that require the use of a cleverly disguised loading screen in the form of the subway.  Travelling back and forth between the halves got really old--especially toward the end of the game.

--Short main storyline.  So much time is spent in Prague that it didn't feel like there were many missions that take you to other locations.  At least HR saw you travelling around the world and facing large, elaborate levels in various places.

I can't say that I didn't enjoy playing Mankind Divided--the simple joys of being stealthy and completing missions without being detected is very satisfying.  The gameplay has been improved and is definitely the highlight.  It's really frustrating that they created such a beautiful and flawed world and then completely dropped the ball with the main storyline and characters.

In the end, I would give Deus Ex:  Mankind Divided a cautious recommendation.  It's not as good as Human Revolution, but there's enough to enjoy to make it worth playing.  If you're going to buy it, I'd wait for a sale.
     

The Grandma Exploit

Career mode in PC Building Simulator is usually very straightforward--every day you get e-mails from desperate people with a variety of computer issues.  "Help, I clicked on something I shouldn't have!"  "I accidentally spilled a Cup-O'Noodles on my PC."  "I need you to upgrade my PC."  Then, it's a simple matter of trying to figure out exactly which parts are broken or will help customers attain their desired results.  For me, the best part of PC Building Simulator is building PC's from scratch.  Once you've hit a certain level, you will start getting requests to build new PC's.  Each request for a new PC is also accompanied by an explanation or request for what it should be capable of.  Some people want certain games to run at certain specs; others are on a budget and can only spend so much money; and others want a mega-PC capable of 4K resolution magic.

Of all the builds that I've done so far, one has really stood out in my mind for its clever deviousness.  It started off with a funny, innocent request from a grandma who needed a new PC so that she could chat with her grandson; how cute!  The e-mail was also sent in stereotypical grandma form--in all caps.  Grandma Jean stated that she didn't need anything fancy and set a budget of $450.  I threw together all the cheap components I could find and the total came up to $360.  Jean had the perfect bargain computer for chatting with her grandson.

One of the things that you will learn from completing builds is that there are usually complications and that you will end up seeing that same PC in your shop several more times.  The stories that follow these PC's can be quite funny and the game manages to create a cast of interesting people who are horrible with computers.  I wasn't surprised when I received another all caps, subject line only request from Jean to upgrade her computer.  I was surprised that Grandma was requesting 32 gigabytes of memory.  What kind of chatting is she getting up to?  The pay was good, so I ordered 4 sticks of 8g memory and souped up her cheap PC into a fabulous chatting machine.

The next day I received another e-mail from Jean.  She still didn't feel like her computer was fast enough and wanted a brand new, top of the line CPU.  I had a feeling that she really wasn't using her PC for chatting...  I replaced the bargain basement CPU with a shiny, new i7-7700K processor.

But Jean wasn't content, she needed more!  Now, she wanted me to upgrade her graphics card to a top of the line NVIDIA GeForce 1080 Ti.  Unfortunately, this was a part that I had to wait to unlock, but there wasn't a time limit, so Jean finally got her fancy new card.  She had the specs to be able to play all the best games in beautiful definition...  Maybe she was secretly into PUBG?  In 4k, nonetheless.

I got a more grandma-esque request the next day to figure out what was making her uber-machine run slowly.  She thought she had accidentally run into some malware.  I would gladly accept the $110 to install and run a simple virus program.  I had a theory about her odd computer upgrades....

And it turned out to be true.  All along, her grandson had been urging her to get upgrades so that he could convince her to swap PC's!  Talk about taking advantage of grandma...

I'm still enjoying the simple pleasures of PC Building Simulator and have enjoyed all the interesting characters who need PC's--the nutty author who secretly detests technology; the LARP nerd who needs a computer for their LARP group; the novice streamer who is trying to impress a girl.  It's entertaining to see these little stories unfold and I hope there are more to come.

PC Building Simulator: All the Magic and None of the Anxiety

For some strange reason I am oddly drawn to simulation games.  I've played and enjoyed EuroTruck Simulator 2, American Truck Simulator, Farm Simulator 17, and Viscera Cleanup Detail.  As a result of my vast simulator experience, I've picked up a number of virtual skills--I'm pretty good at driving semi's (just don't ask me to back them up), planting and harvesting crops, and cleaning up human and alien body parts.  It's really no surprise that when I saw a new simulation game popping up on the Steam bestseller's chart, that I jumped at the chance to expand my virtual resumé.  PC Building Simulator has given me the fake skills to diagnose and repair a wide range of computers.  Playing it has given me a completely false sense of feeling that I could actually build my own PC--something that I know is well beyond my level of technical expertise.

PC Building Simulator gives players the chance to build PC's and to run their own PC repair shop.  After a brief tutorial that teaches players all the parts that go into a working PC and how to assemble them into a working fashion, players can choose between two modes; free build, which gives players access to a wide range of various parts to build their own dream PC's; or career mode where they are in charge of running a PC repair business.

In career mode, players start by checking their e-mail to open up new jobs.  Each day poor, unwitting souls seek out your professional help in repairing or upgrading their PC's.  If you choose to accept a job, the PC's are delivered to your shop.  After they've been delivered, you can use your workstation to diagnose and fix them--this is usually a straightforward issue of hooking up cables, attempting to boot the computer and then seeing what errors pop up.  Once you've figured out the cause of the problems, you order the correct parts from your PC and wait for them to arrive (usually the next day if you're willing to pay the extra shipping).  Then, it's usually a simple matter of removing the broken piece of hardware and replacing it with the new one, booting it up, and then collecting the reward.

It sounds fairly easy, but there is some attention to detail required.  Several times I failed to pay attention to the type of motherboard when ordering new CPU's and ended up wasting time and money.  Or I ordered the wrong type of RAM, or not enough RAM, and had to go back and re-order.  These issues aren't a big deal, but as you gain levels some jobs are time sensitive and must be completed within a certain number of days.  Messing up can cost you entire jobs!

As you complete jobs you earn experience and gain levels.  Each job you complete will unlock new, improved parts.  As gain levels, the jobs you are asked to complete get more complicated--customers want you to benchmark their PC's at a certain score or, at around level 4-5, they want you to build them a completely new PC that falls within their given specifications.  Completing these more complicated jobs will earn more money and allow you to unlock new workstations and storage areas.

Completing jobs, especially builds from scratch, is oddly satisfying.  It's fun to start off with just an empty case and end with a PC that can perform the tasks that the customer wants.  There are several jobs where you build a PC and then the customer wants you to upgrade or has a string of problems and you get to see that same PC back in the shop and can make it even better.

Since PC Building Simulator is in early access there are some minor (possibly) bugs that need to be worked out.  I'm not sure if this is intentional, but every once in awhile you get a job where someone wants you to benchmark their PC and the cost of the improvements are more than the amount they are willing to pay you.  Maybe this situation is designed to make you be more business savvy?  The nice part is that you can simply quit the job and take a new one.

There is an aspect of management as you have certain bills that must be paid.  Rent and electricity payments roll around once a month and require budgeting enough to make sure that both can be covered and that you will still have enough left over to buy parts for any jobs.  You also have to manage an inventory of parts that are amassed from repairing and upgrading various PC's.  Why buy a new part if you can utilize a used one?

In my own experience, repairing and upgrading PC's is much, much more difficult.  This is especially true when you have a low level of technical expertise.  Once, the hard drive on my computer went kaput--I booted it up, heard a strange popping noise, and couldn't get anything to happen.  I bought a brand new HDD, managed to do all the requisite installation tasks, and it actually worked.  My next experience wasn't so great--I tried to upgrade the graphics card and failed miserably (it turned out that my motherboard was so old that it couldn't support the card I bought--replacing a motherboard is well beyond me).  My last success was installing new RAM--something that requires simply removing and popping in the new sticks.  This is the full extent of my real life PC repair and upgrade abilities and they were all anxiety filled affairs that cost a lot of time and money.

PC Building Simulator lets you experience these same moments in a much more engaging and less anxiety filled format.  I've been surprised at how much I've enjoy the simple repetition of diagnosing, fixing, ordering, and building that is the core of the game.  One of the best features of the game in its current state is the number of actual component companies that have allowed their licensed parts to be used.  Companies like Corsair, MSI, Intel, AMD, and many others!  I'm not sure that everyone will find it as enjoyable as I have and would caution anyone who isn't a fan of simulation games.

I'm excited to see how PC Building Simulator improves through early access and to see the number of licensed component companies increase.

 

 

Divine Enough? Divinity: Original Sin 2

It took over 100 hours, but I've finally managed to finish my first playthrough of Divinity:  Original Sin 2!  I had read that it was a GOTY contender and I don't think that observation is far off the mark.  D:OS2 managed to maintain much of what worked well in the original game and to improve on some of the weaknesses.  Overall, I'd give it an emphatic recommendation--buy it!  Then set aside a huge chunk of time so you can enjoy it.

Pros:
--Cast of diverse and interesting characters to choose from.  You can choose either to design your own character or you can choose from one of six unique characters who each have their own stories.  There's Lohse, the demon-possessed bard; Ifan Ben-Mezd, a human mercenary; Beast, a dwarf pirate/revolutionary; Fane, an undead scholar; the Red Prince, a noble lizard; and Sebille, a tattooed elf with a thirst for vengeance.

Each character has their own unique set of missions that are directly related to them and those missions do add a lot of insight into each character.  It's obvious that a lot of thought and writing went into all the "origin story" characters.

Even if you choose one of the origin story characters, you can mold them into whatever class you want them to be.  You can also add whatever talents you want and create a hybrid class of your own creation.  There's much versatility.

--Combat is very similar to the first game, but has been improved.  They decided to add different types of armor--physical armor, which helps block physical damage like attacks with weapons; and magical armor, which helps to block magical attacks from spells and environmental effects--and this helped simplify combat.  In the first game I often found myself frustrated by enemies who took little or no damage from attacks.  Now, all you really have to observe is the type of armor that an enemy has to know which types of attacks will be the most effective.  If they have low magic armor, blast them with magic!  I didn't find myself bogged down in bouts of combat that were painfully long.

I also felt like the number of skills and skill books that were purchaseable or could simply be found or rewarded, were much more numerous than in the previous game.  Each of my characters had learned so many skills that choosing priorities was rather difficult.  To increase the number of skills that your character can access at once, you can invest points into a stat called memory.

In addition to regular skills, you can also use special, very powerful source skills.  These skills use a combination of regular action points and a certain number of source points.  Source is a very limited resource, so unleashing source abilities requires some serious strategy.

The battlefield itself can be a strategic choice.  Ranged characters benefit (greatly--up to 30% more damage) from attacking from high ground.  Attacking characters from low ground results in a damage reduction, so it's vital that you plan out the best place to start your attacks.

--Story is strange, but compelling.  You play as a sourceror, who learns that they are one of a group of people with special abilities known as the "godwoken."  Throughout the game you are mentally contacted by the actual gods (each race has their own) and learn that the gods are weakening and that the void is going to consume all of Rivellon.  As the godwoken, your character could rise to divinity and replace the old weakened gods...or not.  The entire story hinges on the quest to understand exactly what is happening and why the gods are losing power.  There's a real doozy of a twist thrown in at the very end of the game...enjoy!

--Crating system has been simplified and is easier to understand.  As you find and read crafting books, you unlock recipes that will automatically be stored in the "recipes" tab.  There are no more crafting skills that require skill points (like crafting, blacksmithing or enchanting) so any character can craft item.  It's a huge improvement over the obtuse crafting system in the first game.

--Choices that can greatly impact the game.  I can't tell you how many times I picked the wrong dialogue options and had to re-load a previous save because I angered a party member and they decided to leave the group.  It pays to be cautious in how you relate to those in your squad.  Many games vaguely threaten this idea, but few actually make it a reality.

--Varied environments.  Crumbling forts, bustling cities, forests, giant graveyards, ships, farms, demon-infested islands...the scenery changes and is engaging and can be beautiful.

--There's plenty to do.  My first playthrough clocked in at slightly over 100 hours.  I tried to complete any side quests that I found, I explored as much area as I could, and I completed the main storyline.  You'll be busy, and entertained, for a good, long while.  (I also spent a lot of time re-playing things that I screwed up)

--Voice acting is good.  I was surprised at the quality of the dialogue throughout the game.  It is nicely acted and fits the characters well.

--Inventory can be toggled to show individual inventory or to show the entire party.  This makes managing inventory much, much easier than in the previous game.

--Co-Op play.  I didn't utilize this feature, but I think it sounds great.  It would be really fun to play with someone else and manage the party together.  There is also a game master mode that I didn't mess with.

Cons:

--Autosaves are weird, you really need to make sure that you're utilizing the many, many (there's like 15 or more) quicksave slots.  It felt like the only time the game really autosaved was when you were completing quests that related to the main storyline.  There were several times where I was exploring that I ran into enemies who were too tough to fight at my current level and I hadn't quicksaved.  Fortunately, I didn't have to replay hours worth of content, but it was still irritating to have to re-load and replay sequences all over.

--Crafting system is improved, but is still difficult to master.  I remembered how to craft some items, but I still haven't figured out how to make complicated armors and weapons.  I could've probably looked up a guide, but it seemed pointless when I could buy or get rewarded with gear that suited my needs.  There's still an aspect of discovery to crafting, and I didn't feel like messing with it.

--No quest markers or guides.  It's completely up to you to figure out what certain special items are used for when you pick them up or to even find those items in the first place.  I know that I have gotten used to games that handhold players through quests and the change to having to figure it out for yourself is tough.  I spent a lot of time looking up the solution to quests that I just couldn't figure out.  I usually hate to do that, but I was completely stuck and could not advance the quests any further.  Even with help there were several quests that I couldn't manage to close.  It can be quite frustrating.

Divinity:  Original Sin 2 is definitely deserving of the praise that it has received.  It has been really great to see the modern version of CRPG's in a period of re-birth and improvement and it's clear that Larian is working to refine the genre.  DOS2 manages to be entertaining, highly strategic, and to also incorporate strong characters and stories into the CRPG genre.  It's one of the few games that I would recommend paying full price for.

Who put Romance in my Divinity?

Demonic possession?  Nah, it's cool.

Divinity:  Original Sin 2 is turning out to be quite the epic journey.  I'm now almost 90 hours into it and there is still plenty to do.  One thing that caught me completely off guard happened between the third and fourth acts (SPOILERS!!!!!!)--as Malady again rescued the Lady Vengeance and all its occupants from near disaster, my team found itself floating blissfully through the Hall of Echoes.  This was an interesting interlude after a sudden twist in the main story.  There was a lull in the action and I found myself wondering..."what's next?"  I decided to talk to my teammates and see if they had some kind of take on the situation, only to find that I was faced with a choice--I could choose to spend some alone time with a special teammate.  Waaaaaiiiit?  Am I not playing a game that is a CRPG with complicated mechanics?  When did my character even establish some sort of relationship with any of the other teammates?  So I had to choose--I could tell Beast how much I admired his flowing beard; I could tell the Red Prince how shiny his scales were; or, I could tell Lohse how sexy her demonic possession is.  Or, I could've simply chosen to completely forgo the romantic option.  Of course I didn't choose that!  I opted for Lohse since the thought of a relationship with either Beast or the Red Prince seemed...well, weird.  What followed was a half-text, half-voice acted scene of passion that made me feel weird. 

I was completely surprised that the "romance" option was even included in a game like Divinity:  Original Sin 2.  There are a few times where you can interact with your squadmates and have some dialogue, but most of the game is about exploring and combat.  The general tone I chose for my character was supportive--I was positive toward my squadmates and agreed to help them through their various personal crises.  I didn't think that necessarily meant that it was flirtatious, but apparently, toward Lohse, it was!

The romance option isn't necessarily a bad thing.  I think Divinity does a good job of making the characters within the game somewhat interesting.  I enjoy the fact that each character has their own quest line and story to tell.  Ever since Mass Effect 2, I think that more developers have realized that including those squad loyalty missions is a great way to build backstory.

I couldn't help but wonder what other people thought about the romance option in games.  It seems like something that most people enjoy--either on a character-based, story development level or on a more pervy "sexy time" level.  Personally, I don't mind a little video game romance.  It helps to add a deeper layer of connection to the characters in the game.  When romance is done well, it can be memorable.  The Witcher 3 did a great job with the tangled web of sorceresses romanced by Geralt of Rivia.  It didn't matter who you chose--Triss or Yennefer--there were great scenes that played to both dimensions of the romance spectrum--the truly sweet scenes where true feelings were put on the table and the straight up boning scenes that The Witcher is known for.  Something for everyone!

So how does video game romance make you feel?  Do you find it cheesy and unneeded or do you think it adds another layer of character development and connections?