I had to update Windows on my gaming PC this morning and it got me thinking about how we’ve lost the joy of updates for our devices (mostly).
When I got my Asus ROG Ally, I gave my Steam Deck to my wife (where it sits unused 😥), but I always looked forward to updates on the Steam Deck, because Valve was innovating, so I would likely get some new feature or experience from the device, and that made me happy. Updating the Ally is mostly a chore, because it is a Windows device, so all we get are bug fixes and hopefully performance improvements.
Innovative companies and devices make us look forward to updates because they are pushing the envelope and adding capabilities and features. Updates for my Tesla Model 3 are always exciting, because Tesla is innovating the user experience regularly (and generally moving in the right direction). My car is very different from the one I bought nearly 4 years ago, yet the hardware hasn’t changed. Apple used to be that way, but now we get the yearly updates with new features and mostly vulnerability fixes in between. At least Apple still supports their devices for years. I have recent PCs that won’t run Windows 11 for various reasons, so upgrades for them are just tedious patches.
Sony and Microsoft have also kinda stalled with their game console updates. For a while, Microsoft was frantically revising the XBox interface to try to come up with something to match Sony’s intuitive one, but once they got something reasonable, not much has changed.
I’m glad for bug fixes, performance improvements, and vulnerability updates, but I’d sure like it if companies gave us a reason to want to update our devices, particularly our gaming gear. Otherwise, it is just a chore.
I decided to get rid of the old theme I was using and switch to once of the fancy supported themes, but now the site looks lame as hell. All my pics went away, even those associated with the posts. I will need to figure out how to at least make it vaguely attractive again…
In Elden Ring, you can summon another player to help in most boss fights. I tried many times, probably hundreds to battle Malenia, claimed to be the hardest boss, and never succeeded. Many times, I summoned helpful players, only to die when my spells attracted Malenia’s attention and she whacked me with her special “waterfowl” move that I’ve only avoided a few times. Other times, she’d smack down the helper, then kill me as I threw spell after spell her way. Doing it by myself with the Black Knife Tiche ash, I could regularly get to the 2nd phase, but Malenia would kill Tiche right before or right after the transition, then I didn’t last too long without someone else taking the aggro.
On Reddit, a player named “Let me solo her” has become a famous hero for being able to help players and defeat Malenia. I happened to run into his summon sign last night, and I am amazing by his ability, not just to damage her, but also to avoid her nasty attacks. Near the end of the fight, he made a callout to me, so I fired the spell I’d been saving in case I needed to help, so presumably I participated. The video shows “Let me solo her” making use of his great skill and me running around trying not to die. Don’t watch me, watch him!
This is my successful fight against this optional boss. Multiplayer is not permitted for this one, but I was able to summon Tiche. The path to this somewhat hidden battle is shown at the start of the video. I skipped the cutscene for time, but it is worth watching when you enter this fight.
In California, we’ve been isolating at home for what seems like forever, but has only been a few weeks. I’m able to continue working from home, which is great, though pretty draining without all the social interactions and other disruptions a typical day at the office would bring. I joked with my colleagues that I need a vacation!
My game playing time has increased a little bit, mostly because my commute to work now involves a flight of stairs rather than a car drive of 30-40 minutes each way. Because of that, I’ve bought some new games and am playing several old and new ones at the moment.
Destiny 2
Of course I’m still playing Destiny 2, though less now than before. Destiny 2 is a very comfortable game where the gunplay and actions just feel right. Because of that, it was my go-to game that I’d play when could get a bit of time to play before bed. During the recent Iron Banner week, I played a lot so I could get pinnacle weapons to get my Warlock over light level 1000. Since then, I’ve not done much, though I did finally manage to fully upgrade the EDZ bunker.
Elder Scrolls Online
I try to log into ESO every day to get the daily reward, though this month, I’ve already managed to fail twice. There was a very short festival a week or so ago that I played nearly every day to try to get the rewards, and finally got the pig pet. My wife also plays ESO, so we occasionally go questing together.
Lord of the Rings Online
At the beginning of the quarantine (I know, I’m not really quarantined, but I call it that so I can justify quarantinis on weekends), I played a lot of LOTRO. I had just taken my Lore-Master into Beorning lands and was having a great time. More recently, however, I ran into some damn enemies that like to swarm me, so I died a few times too often and haven’t been back since. My LM and pet can usually handle 2 or 3 baddies at once, but this area had 4 or 5 going after me, and that seems unreasonable and un-fun.
Star Trek Online
All of the new activities in STO have been wonderful, particularly those with Jeri Ryan reprising her Seven role. I’m enjoying the First Contact Day celebrations, particularly the TFO to build and launch models of Zefram Cochrane’s rocket. If you like Star Trek and MMOs and you aren’t playing Star Trek Online, you should be!
Pillars of Eternity: Deadfire
I bought this on sale a few weeks ago and have been enjoying it quite a bit. There’s still too much micromanagement, but it is a very well done isometric view RPG. The skill trees are amazingly flexible, the quests are pretty good, and the interactions are well voiced. If you like single player RPGs, this one is great!
X4 Foundations
I loved Egosoft’s X series of space combat games years ago with X2 and all the incarnations of X3. I tried to like X Rebirth, but it bugged out on me and I gave up, plus it was quite different from the others. X4 is much more like the previous games, but with much more of everything. It is very daunting to get started, and there is almost no guidance to move you along. And, for the most part, that’s OK. You can fairly quickly start building your little empire of ships to make you money and earn reputation. I haven’t gotten very far, but it seems good.
Other games on my list
I have a huge backlog of games that I’ve bought on sale that I’d like to get to. Death Stranding is one that I have and haven’t started. Disco Elysium is another like that – everyone loves it, but I haven’t even started it. I bought EVERSPACE on deep sale because it looked interesting. It is, but is very easy to get killed, and since it is somewhat Rogue-like, that isn’t too great. I have lots more games that I’ve made progress in and should get back to, like Spiderman, The Division 2, and Borderlands 3, but I need to finish PoE II first! And then there’s No Man’s Sky… They’ve been adding so much cool-sounding stuff to that, yet getting back into it seems an overwhelming task. So much has changed since I built my character that I’d have to relearn everything!
I’m very thankful we have games to entertain us and help us explore other worlds during this time we’re stuck in isolation. Without games or books, I’d be pretty unhappy right now, but because I have plenty of both, I’m content. I wish the best to all my gaming friends during this challenging time! Live long and prosper!
I enjoyed pretty much all the content available for Assassins Creed Odyssey (for the moment, I hear that more is coming, including a level cap increase, which I hate), and have finally picked up God of War again! I started it and beat Baldur last year, but then put it aside for other games. Well now I’m back at it and really enjoying it!
I’ve played other God of War games, but have yet to finish any, so I hope this one will be different. I got sick of God of War 3 when I struggled to get through a rhythm puzzle (and failed – my fingers aren’t that dexterous, which is why I was bad at the piano when I was a kid). So far, nothing like that in the latest God of War. Sure, some of the puzzles are challenging, and a couple have been downright frustrating, but I’ve succeeded so far.
I like the story in the game, particularly between Kratos and Atreus. I thought all the reviewers were exaggerating when they said Kratos calls him “boy” all the time, but they are not. It is a little much, but doesn’t distract too much. The dialog is well done and makes you believe you’re in a world of gods and monsters.
The scenery is amazing and beautiful. One of the most frustrating things about the game is that while it looks like an open world, the paths are very defined and there’s no going off them. In AC Odyssey, you can walk or climb pretty much anywhere, but here, a few stones will stop a god (Kratos) from walking somewhere. On the other hand, if you really need to get somewhere, there will be a puzzle or a path so you can get there.
The game has also kindled my interest in Norse mythology – if the stories related by the game are to be “believed,” Thor is not the nice guy of the Marvel movies, but a right bastard! In fact, almost all the gods are bad and Kratos is right to continue his god-killing ways. I look forward to see if we kill a few more gods than Thor’s son – he’s the only one I’ve killed so far.
The combat is great. I’m not the very best at using combos and special attacks, but this game requires a few. Just button mashing won’t get us through some of the fights. Some enemies are good at parrying and some need fists rather than the axe or other weapons (I’m avoiding spoiling that part). Atreus is very helpful in combat and his actions are well designed. You don’t have to worry about protecting him and he can draw aggro when fighting tough enemies to let you attack from behind or do a special attack. Some of the fights are quite challenging, so you feel great accomplishment after getting through them. Some are just annoying, but the meaningful ones make up for it.
The progression system is pretty good, too. I’ve run into many enemies that are too much for me to handle, so I can come back later after levelling up and getting better gear. You can upgrade your weapons, armor, and skills, as well as those of Atreus. Events in the game give Atreus different bow/arrow options that are helpful for many puzzles.
God of War is great and well worth getting. If you don’t have a PS4, get one and this game (and maybe Spiderman too – I hear it’s good).
I’ve been playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey almost exclusively for a month, and I’m addicted! The plot is very compelling, at least what I’ve completed so far, and the gameplay is fun and almost never annoying. The use of Ikaros, your eagle, to scout out enemies and lootable chests is great, and the ability to call your horse nearly anywhere puts it on par with Witcher 3 in that regard.
The game is huge! Not just the game world, which is amazingly huge and without loading screens (yes, entering certain locations will require loading screens, as does fast travel), so you can start at one end of Greece, jump on your ship, sail to the other end, then explore other islands seamlessly. The main story seems to have multiple parallel parts, each of which is substantial and I’ve maybe completed one of them, though I bet there are a few bits left of that even. The side quests are overwhelming. Even the story-related ones are incredible numerous, and the contracts and random pop-up quests add hundreds more. Most of the side quests are simple and quick, but some involve killing sharks or destroying ships, so some travel and searching is needed. I have no complaints about the quests, except if I were trying to complete every quest, I could never finish – this is not a game for hardcore completionists.
I’ve seem complaints about the fighting, with critics complaining that this isn’t an AssCreed game at all, because we get into big brawls, chipping away at huge health bars. Yes, there are some big melees, but I tend to be stabby where I can, and then use my bow for really hard enemies. It depends on what playstyle a player wants to use, but I like the stealth in this game way more than I liked the stealth in say Metal Gear Solid V. And with the abilities we acquire as we level, it can be very quick to take out 4 or 5 enemies from stealth. I think the combat is great fun!
The ship combat is also quite good. It seems about as fun as that of Black Flag, which I also enjoyed a lot, and even adds the ramming option to the ranged attacks (spears and arrows rather than cannons, this time). Once you unlock fire arrows, the fights become lots of fun. There’s also an exploitable mechanic that makes the fights easier: if you board a disabled ship (and kill the baddies), it automatically heals your ship fully, so if the battle isn’t going well, disable a weak ship, board it, and continue the fight with a fully-healed ship.
I have lots more to write about Odyssey, but that’s all for now. I think it is great and am thoroughly enjoying it. I bought the gold edition on sale and it is worth every penny.
So is Red Dead Redemption 2 the best game ever? Or at least the best game made this century? Or at least game of the year?
Well, maybe the game of the year… But I can think of lots of better games from the past (Witcher 3, Skyrim, Mass Effect, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Zelda BOTW).
Red Dead Redemption 2 (hereafter called RDR2) is an ambitious, beautiful open world game, but its fun factor is seriously lacking. While the banditry and robbing trains and shooting up towns is fun, much of the game isn’t. Mostly, it involves chores: chop the wood, hunt for food, collect skins, brush the horse, feed the horse, don’t eat too much or you’ll get fat. I already have a job, so why do I want another one that I pay to do?
The map is huge and magnificent, but the size will become apparent when you need your horse and it is off somewhere in the middle of the map (I took the train to the big city, then when I got back, my horse, which I’d hitched at the train station, was off somewhere I’d never been). And you can’t just grab another horse, because then you’ll get a bounty on your head. While this horse-calling issue is perhaps more realistic than Geralt being able to summon Roach just about anywhere, it doesn’t add to the fun and does add to the tedium.
On the other hand, the voice acting is great, and you can talk to nearly anyone in the game, sometimes with interesting results. The game and details are amazing – I’ve yet to see any pop-in like most large-scale games have. The textures are fantastic and most of the motion is close enough to look real. The HDR support on my PS4 Pro isn’t great – Horizon: Zero Dawn and Elder Scrolls Online are much better at HDR. Everything in RDR2 looks a little dull, like an Instagram filter is in constant use.
So will I keep playing? Probably, but I’ll try to avoid the chores if I can.
Though I bought the Horizon Zero Dawn DLC Frozen Wilds as soon as it came out, I didn’t play it, because the drive in the PS4 Pro failed (there’s a subject for another post sometime!). I absolutely loved Horizon Zero Dawn, so much so that it was the first game I ever earned a Platinum Trophy for. On a PS4 Pro with a 4K HDR TV, it looks spectacular and is super fun to play.
The Frozen Wilds DLC is a great addition. While the area is much smaller than the full game’s map, it is still huge with tons to do. The story is pretty compelling, too, though I was in no hurry to complete it. I did all the side quests I could and completely levelled up before entering the path to the final story missions.
One of the amazing things with the Frozen Wilds is that they made it a challenge, even for those of us that finished the main game. At the end of Horizon Zero Dawn, you can solve a few puzzles to get a really nifty armor set that has a shield that regenerates over time. With this armor, I could take down a Thunderjaw without losing any health. Yet the devs found a way to nullify the huge advantage of the armor in the DLC (at least sometimes). Also, the new machine enemies are pretty great and can be quite a challenge. That damn final boss fight was so challenging that I nearly smashed my controller – the thing just didn’t let up attacking me during the fight. I felt a serious sense of accomplishment after that!
Having been to the real-world places in the main game and in the DLC, I really enjoyed seeing sights I knew and loved, even if they are rusting or destroyed in the game world. The game’s setting and environment is top notch and worth the price of admission alone. The gameplay is also great fun – I loved pretty much every aspect of it. The story, while maybe somewhat stolen from mediocre science fiction, offered surprises and was quite compelling. All the little goodies left around the world told a very human story of the people around before…
Horizon Zero Dawn is pretty unique in how it makes me feel. By the end of the story, my Aloy was quite the badass, yet I still felt anxious wherever I went, because the machines were always watching and I didn’t want them to attack me. It felt right that I wasn’t able to walk anywhere with impunity in this harsh, but beautiful world.
If you haven’t played Horizon Zero Dawn, I highly recommend it. It is a reason to buy a PS4 if you don’t have one. And if you have a 4K HDR TV, get a PS4 Pro to play this beautiful game.
I picked up Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) again after nearly a year of just logging in to pay my housing maintenance. I bought the Mordor expansion and figured I’d better get through it. Plus the buzz on the new Mirkwood/Laketown areas is that they look great (hopefully they’re fun, too). When I took my break, I had done most of the pre-battle Minas Tirith quests and was heading into the hills to help the Riders from Rohan and the Druedain. I picked back up in the middle of the Druedain camp doing fetch quests for them. Go kill 10 things, come all the way back to camp, then go kill 10 more and figure out why they’re there. This kind of tedious fetch quest needs to die. LOTRO is the only game I still play that pulls crap like that. Star Trek Online and Elder Scrolls Online are much more enlightened. Even LOTRO has become a little enlightened, since some quests can be turned in from anywhere, but most of them require tedious travel back to the quest giver.
Since I’m in the mode of bitching about LOTRO, let’s talk lag, stutters, and warsteeds. I have a pretty decent machine (i7 and GTX 970), am running LOTRO from an SSD, and yet it still stutters quite a lot when I’m riding the warsteed. Even worse is the lag and rubber-banding. The responsiveness of even my light warsteed is terrible when travelling (it isn’t as bad in battle, and I mostly enjoy mounted combat). I’ve had cases where I’ve been riding along the clear road, then suddenly the combat music starts playing, even though there are no enemies around me, then a short while later, my warsteed will backtrack to some earlier point then race forward, missing a curve and barreling into a bunch of enemies. So the servers projected where I was going, but the game engine was lagging behind, so I was steering to what I saw, not what the server saw. Pretty frustrating. And all the while, the link meter on the screen shows no packet loss and less than 100ms delay.
Complaints over: I do love the world LOTRO has created from Tolkien’s vision and it is mostly fun, so I’m enjoying playing it.
I’m also enjoying Monster Hunter World quite a lot. While I complained earlier about the lightweight plot, it was pretty good in the end, and the combat is good fun, as is the diversity in monsters and the unique challenge with each. I’ve been grinding away to get great armor and weapons and have fairly good stuff (4 of 5 armor items are rarity 8, plus 2 rarity 8 weapons) now, but need more! I’ve been using the light bowgun, as it seems to me the best way to avoid trouble is to not get too close to it. On the other hand, I’m thinking of trying a sword and shield or other melee weapon just for fun. Or even an insect glaive, just for the challenge.
Finally, I felt obligated to participate the final Destiny 2 Faction Rally of this season. The gunplay and many other aspects of D2 are so great that I enjoyed it, but I still feel like I’m banging my head against a wall. Maybe the new “go fast” patch will make it fun again, but we’ll see.
So my gaming has been all over the place, but I’m having fun, so that’s OK…
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