I don’t usually do blogs. The last time I did was a few thousand posts ago. Given how much I enjoy reading the blogs from other various users on the site, I thought I’d contribute to the machine. So, here’s some thoughts I have on stuff.

As time goes on, I’m less and less looking for narrative heavy experiences when It comes to games. I keep looking for experiences that can satisfy that wonderful gameplay cycle loop itch. You know what I mean, right? Something that can be fun minute to minute.

I like to try and stay current with the releases though, so all this led me to start playing Wolfestien the new order. I remember back when this was first showing it didn’t have the greatest fervor around it. It was one of those games like Deus Ex Human revolution that had a lukewarm demo showing. Fortunately, also like Deus Ex, it ended up being pretty damn great.

I really didn’t know what to expect tonally coming into this. Was it going to be all bro-ey hoohah America, or maybe an extremely sobering look on the nazi empire and what it could’ve been if given the power to expand it’s empire. The answer was somewhere in between.

The cast of characters were surprisingly endearing. The performances came across as genuine and above all I actually became attached to my fellow compatriots. So, when things escalated later in the game I actually gave a damn.

But aside from all that story stuff, the game was just flat out fun to play. Running through various levels double wielding shotguns, mowing down Nazis is all too satisfying. There is an element of stealth you can take advantage of occasionally, but they never really force you to outside a few de-empowered instances.

If you want to run up and knife a dude, then throw that very knife across the room to take out the clueless guard unaware of how badass you really are then feel free to do so all stealthily like or commando style. You too can feel like the protagonist from one of the best action movies to grace cinema.

In the end, Wolfenstien is a hell of a game I hope most people put at least a little time into by Goty time. It’s well worth it, and at this point it might just be my top pick.

And speaking of Game of the year, I somewhat recently made a preemptive list for later on in the year. By doing so I realized just how few games I’ve played that actually came out this year. At least ones I’d personally consider top ten contenders. Sorry Mighty Gun volt, you were okay…just okay though. I’m sad to say, but I’ve mainly paid attention to high profile (AAA) stuff, so I haven’t even touched my steam copy of Transistor yet. The same goes for games like Valiant Hearts and Divinity (which to be honest I’m a little intimidated of). I’ll get around to them hopefully at some point before the end of the year, but you know, life and stuff.

Besides having played through the aforementioned Wolfestien, I've been playing a whole lot of another game. Maybe you've been playing it. Maybe you bought it and were a little disappointed. And maybe you were disappointed due to unrealistic expectations set by the developers themselves.

Throughout Destiny’s marketing over the past few years I’d had grand hopes for what it might be. I was captivated by the early dev diaries and concept art. Bungie seemed to set out to create something larger than life, or at least grander in scope than the average game coming out nowadays. Their vision was exciting to me. Becoming a chosen warrior of the traveler, travelling throughout space and distant lands, finding threats to overcome with your fellow guardians. It was exciting to hear pitched. I’m the kind of person to get caught up in that kind of stuff too.

When it comes to games I generally consider myself an optimist. I give things the immediate benefit of the doubt, so when I came into Destiny, having an idea of what it already was from the alpha I was as I said optimistic. Optimistic that what I saw in the alpha would be expanded upon. That there would be more than the simple repetitive mission structure and lackluster point a to b story mission. I was hoping that there’d be more than one area for each planet. In fact, I could keep going on about the things I perceive to be wrong with Destiny, but instead let me mention some things I like about it.

For one the gameplay is so, so good. As I mentioned earlier nowadays I’m gravitating towards games that are mainly fun to play. Games that give me that moment to moment satisfaction. Destiny certainly fits the bill in that respect.

Even though the mission types are very repetitive and uninspired, I find myself happily doing them anyway. The crucible provides a fun alternative to the story missions and rewards you fairly frequently to boot. At least compared to the main part of the game. I actually ended up hitting the level cap midway through Venus. And at this point I’ve kind of abandoned the main story. I’m mainly playing for that gameplay loop dopamine cycle. I’m sticking to completing bounties and doing PvP. It has me satisfied all the same.

I’ll finish off the story at some point I suppose, but as of now I’m happy forgetting it exists. The jury’s still out whether Bungie can put out content later in the year that can fix or at least put a bandage on some of the more problematic things with Destiny. At the very least, do something about that thing where legendary engrams might spit out items for classes other than your own.