Pezen

That’s a bummer for me, but also good on them for taking the time. Looks like spring/summer will be a good time to catch up on my backlog, considering Cyberpunk was (at lest I think so) the only game this spring I was really looking forward to.

For me it’s certainly a toss up between ME:A and MGSV. I captial L love the Mass Effect trilogy. And the thought of a new one set somewhere else was exciting to me. The movement of the character also looked very promising. But the game was a real gut punch of a disappointment. It felt hollow, it lacked any real sense of place despite having really big areas that looked pretty good. In some ways, it felt more like a bad Dragon Age skin than a new Mass Effect game, and I even liked Inquisition a bit. I never finished Andromeda, I just couldn’t force myself to beat a dead horse. The game just wasn’t made for me.

MGSV had a similar issue, the thing I come to MGS for is story. The gameplay parts in between, part of me was fine with it being a tricky cumbersome mess. To it’s credit, MGSV plays very nice. Doing some of the missions I was having a pretty good time with the game. But as things progressed and the lack of story presented the way it used to be was just wearing on my patience. Even more when it was revealed that to beat the game you had to play the same missions again later on for some reason. I just couldn’t. So I dropped the game after about half the missions. I found my setup that was always successful, the game never forced me to switch it up, and the story was nowhere to be found. Just like Andromeda, it felt like a game designed for someone else’s expectations entirely.

There are a ton of games to the point that making it a single game is a really hard task. But the longer I keep thinking about it I keep falling back to one game. The Witcher 3. And it’s actually not just by it’s own merits. Part of the reason I really enjoyed it was because it reminded me in some ways of other games I really loved. For one, the way Geralt has a group of allies and friends that was giving me real Mass Effect flashbacks. The lively open world that brought me back to GTA/RDR. The setting that reminded me of Skyrim (and general northern European mythology). And an engaging story that really sucked me into the world the way I was completely enraptured by Alan Wake. TW3 was a greatest hits of features in one package. So while I on some level feel like my heart loves Mass Effect as a trilogy and it holds a very special place in my heart. If I have to pick one specific game, I think TW3 just edges it out as a single title.

There have certainly been other stand outs over the years that have impacted me greatly as well in specific ways. The visual novel Katawa Shoujo that literally made me cry several times through several play throughs. Gone Home that redefined how I looked at games as a storytelling medium. And more, but my mind is slowly draining empty. 10 years is a long time to remember everything off the top of ones head. Weird still how many games from the early 10s pop up and how few from the mid-late do.

Either way, interesting thread to read.

(2019) Alladin - 1/5 - Jesus, how did anyone get through this film? I had to turn it off just past Alladin and Jasmin having first met. I just couldn’t take it. Acting felt super flat, Jasmin’s very european look was giving me Gods of Egypt flashbacks and the songs up to that point felt off and a bad sort of modern (even using some auto tune). It just felt like it was lacking any sort of soul or passion.

The Irishman - 3/5 - Overall I found it pretty enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. My biggest gripe with the movie though is the digitally de-aging of actors compunded by the fact that even when they are playing their younger selves, they still move like 76 year olds. At some point, why not just hire someone to play the younger version? I am sure there’s people out there that share similar features to them. Overall I think I found the Mafia/Union/Government over arching narrative more interesting than the specifics of the actual players.

Goodfellas - 4/5 - My significant other has been in the mood for these Mafia films lately. I introduced her to Once Upon a Time in America a while back so I probably have myself to blame. That being said, contrary to The Irishman, I feel like the people in Goodfellas are a lot more interesting. The movie also, I realized on a second or third viewing now, doesn’t really ask any questions about the morality of the doings of the Mafia. It’s more.. a matter of fact. Sure, it’s from the perspective of someone that admires and wants to be part of that world for the most part, so it’s understandable. But it stood out to me this time, it’s really a movie set inside a bubble with no real reflection on it’s place in the larger picture.

For completely selfish reasons; this is some bullshit and I hate it. That aside, best wishes Dan! Hope you prosper at your new gig and that life continues to be awesome for you post GB! Thanks for all the laughs and not to mention your inspiration as far as dealing with anxiety! I’ll keep an eye on you over twitter. Again, thank you for everything!

A lot of games recquire too much attention so tipsy/drunk just doesn’t work. But I like a beer/whisky along with Yakuza/Judgement. And while my performance is lacking after a while it is initially pretty good, I am a lot more relaxed in CoD or R6 while having a drink and I become a lot more communicative.

@ares42: That is exactly my experience here in Sweden as well. Hell, just the other week me and my girlfriend was in one by chance since she wanted to buy some gift cards (Nintendo E-Shop) for her siblings. And I overheard the dude working there, while not a teen, telling my girlfriend he had no idea if they worked on Switch and instead said ”Kids with Switch buys these and they know better than I do.” That kind of lack of knowledge about the product they are selling doesn’t really fill customers that isn’t themselves knowledgable with a ton of trust to shop there again.

And like you, I have had a ton of bad experiences in those stores even when I didn’t buy something. I just gave up on them a long time ago.

Yes, all the yes. Also, it needs to be a patch as well.

I recently started playing Eastshade, it was released on PC quite a while ago if I recall correctly but is now on at least PS4 (no idea if it’s on Xbox as well). It has been a surreal experience that I would definitely suggest trying if you have not already. If someone doesn’t know what it is, it’s basically a first person RPG streamlined to basics without combat (or maybe a more intricate walking simulator with dialogue and quests) and instead you walk around and do paintings of things and solve the occassional puzzle (which are generally either story/riddle or painting related, or just a bonus). Story wise it feels like someone sat down and said ”let’s make every story rooted in empathy”. It feels weird, I am still waiting to get a sword and kill rats. But instead I help someone plan a date, painted a sunset and helped solve a misunderstanding. It’s all just weirdly wholesome.

The best comparison I can think of is playing Gone Home and feeling like it was going to turn into a horror game in regards to what the game looks like vs what it ends up being.