Fisco

I've noticed that if I'm playing a game standing up (now that I have a standing desk) I tend to not have another audio source on unless I'm playing a grind-heavy game like an MMO or something like that. If I sit down I usually have a podcast or music on even when I'm playing a game like Rise of the Tomb Raider (just finished it) where I pause the podcast or video during cutscenes.

I said "I don't care one way or another" but it's not because I have a negative view about their games at all. Rather, it's the feeling that I enjoyed Killzone and was so surprised by HZD that I am getting close to putting them in a category of "I'll play whatever you make" developers. Here's hoping that even if it is a HZD sequel or a Killzone title, it's as interesting and impactful as HZD itself.

I have this same issue with books as I have a growing library but find myself buying & reading new books before I finish anything I already own. I find that I feel happiest when I give a game a good solid try (time depends on the type of game) and if I like it I keep going until I finish it or I just put it away.

I do the same thing with books, if i read 100-200 pages and get bored or have a hard time reading it, why keep pushing through? I used to be obsessed with playing and finishing every game I bought but with a so many open-world games with hundreds of quests and activities that goal is just not achievable.

Play what you want to play when you want to play it and if that means moving from game to game and playing a bit of each here and there than that's fine. As long as you're enjoying yourself, you're doing it right.

(Even if that means playing Uno on the Switch because BotW is never-ending and just jumping in for an hour means you'll be busy for half a day)

• When did you first start coming to the site? Do you remember how you found it?
  • I read GameSpot a lot back in the day and was really sad to hear they fired Jeff at the time. I followed him throughout the controversy on his blog and then to GiantBomb after it was announced on X-Play. I remember watching the awesome "How to Build a Bomb" series when the site started. Still worth watching today.
• Who was the "cast" at the time?
  • Jeff and Ryan at first, Vinny and Brad showed up a bit later and soon enough Dave was there too. It was really fun and boot-strap feeling back then, still love what's going on today though.
• What office were they in?
  • Sausalito, the land where the lights went out in minor storms, people chugged coke regularly, and multiplayer games ended in mountains of Captain Morgans.
• Have you watched/listened to content from before you came here?
  • Since I came here from day one I guess that's a no. Though I do go back and watch their stuff from old GameSpot days out of nostalgia.

In no particular order:

Band of Horses—Cease to Begin

The Flaming Lips—Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

The Flaming Lips—The Soft Bulletin

Fleet Foxes—Fleet Foxes

The National—High Violet

Internet Dan

I feel like motion blur and lens flare were high on my list of things I disliked in games. However, they are so typical in games now I think my brain has been broken and I just ignore the effects altogether. As long as it's not egregious it doesn't bother me anymore.

That being said, film grain feels like a cheap way to add a "retro" or "flashback" vibe to a cutscene and I'm not a huge fan of that. It's like applying a heavy filter to a crappy picture to make it look better.

Played a few hours today and it's got a great feel to the combat. I tried out a lot of weapon combinations to see how they all feel and I'm already seeing that I'll probably have my go-to combo when the game is fully released but I can get by with just about anything in combat which makes the game feel approachable. There are definitely kinks that need to be ironed out and features missing completely but I think fans of these types of games (Symphony of the Night, Rogue Legacy, etc.) will adore this game when it's released. Really digging it so far.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. I really disliked what they did with that series but thought the first game was just incredible. I really wish that game could've grown without being so twisted and "metal". Oh well.

Played about 4-5 hours of it so far. Gameplay wise it feels just like last years with some small improvements with regards to hitters hitting around the field more often and not just pulling non-stop.

I don't play a lot of Diamond Dynasty so I can't speak to that mode but for Road to the Show it feels heavily contrived. The choices they added to build a story around your player just feel odd and not realistic, like my coach making me switch positions despite me being fantastic at 3rd base for a while.

Overall though, if you liked last year's and want an incrementally better version, this is it.

(All that being said, I will still probably put 100+ hours into the franchise mode because I am obsessed with managing awful teams to greatness)