Y2Ken

Always good to hear from an old face! Glad you're doing well, man.

I appreciate this thread because it just took my name from my account and I didn't realise you could change it until seeing this. Didn't mind it using my name but it didn't really fit the character I created (who was not based on me). I've gone with Big Boss for now, though Spartan is tempting.

I have notifications turned on for the Giant Bomb Live twitter bot that Lego mentioned, which is a good shout for the time being in lieu of any more specific integration.

I do have a tendency to stick to the "good" side of options, which hasn't been helped by games like Mass Effect where later options can be locked out if you don't full-bore commit to one alignment the whole way through. However, in recent years I've started to go more along the lines of roleplaying a character and approaching things from their mindset, even if it isn't what I'd do myself. Consequently replaying ME1 recently I've been mostly paragon but I've been sharp and firm with people; a Shepard who doesn't have time for frivolity and isn't going to push her squadmates into conversations they don't want because she has too much else on her hands to worry about it.

I would go for a burger if that's the choice I have to make, but the idea of going to a BBQ (or grill, for the absolutists) and not getting multiple different foodstuffs is bizarre to me. That's the whole plan of holding a BBQ, to overload on all the different things. It's an event of simple but delicious extravagances.

I think it's Hades, which is more a factor of its repeatability than anything. Bastion still probably hit me the hardest of any of their games on first playthrough; I think Transistor has the most interesting design and mechanics, as well as probably my favourite of their soundtracks; and Pyre is where I'd say my favourite character work of theirs lies.

But as a complete package Hades kinda has it all - it's maybe not the best of their games at any one thing (aside from gameplay, perhaps), but every aspect of it comes close to their best work in that area. Plus I'm just someone who wants more of the things they like, and Hades is that kind of game to an absolute tee, right down to its fine-grained customisability on the difficulty and challenge of the runs you're doing.

Transistor would be the closest to it for me, but I've run through past the epilogue on Hades, done two more full playthroughs past credit roll, and just started it up again now that it's come to Game Pass... and I'm enjoying it maybe even more than I was when I first got into it. Managed to get a win on my third escape attempt yesterday after starting fresh on GP, which I was super happy about.

Really enjoyed it. Jan's energy is always great and I think he does a really good job of having a run of show and always keeping topics flowing (maybe that comes from years of producing behind the wheels) and the current GB + GS crew are a great time.

I think this is perhaps where I am on Albummer - I hope people enjoy it, and I'll give it a listen, but not being games-related or having anyone from GB (or even in the "established GB family") directly involved makes it difficult for me to get invested. I'm looking forward to hearing Jan talk Power Rangers though, and I'm cautiously optimistic about the Very Online Show if it actually gets weird because I've definitely been that person who spends too much time on the internet. Maybe I still am.

Prior to Monster Hunter Rise, I don't think I've bought a full price AAA game (not counting lower-priced indies) since.... erm, Sekiro and Judgement maybe? I picked up Yakuza Like A Dragon but that was on a slight discount. Other than that I've been just playing games that come to GP and then the occasional smaller title.

I'd say Master Chief (and arguably Marcus Fenix) are more iconically "Xbox" figures than anyone PS has had in a long time, with the possible exception of Astro Bot. That said I don't think they really need a specific mascot either.