What Have You Been Playing... IN DECEMBER 2023?
On 1/1/2024 7:49 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
I may have played some 'My Time at Sandrock' in the beginning of the
What Have You Been Playing... IN DECEMBER 2023?
month. I've finished the "Main Story" was just lazing around doing some post-finish commissions.
Most of my gaming in December has been 'Dave the Diver'. This is a
weird little game. "Dave" is a deep sea diver who has no (mental)
spine. He's a social pushover, a sad sack who simply can't say "No" to
anyone to save his life. Literally. As Dave you get dragged in to
diving in a strange oceanic Blue Hole by a "friend" to supply a sushi
chef with ingredients for him to make exotic sushi. And run the sushi bar. So each day you dive in the Blue Hole (which changes at intervals)
and each evening you run the sushi bar. All while being walked on by
anyone and everyone.
Its a "quirky" game. All the NPCs are somewhat over-the-top characters.
All the odds and ends like upgrading your equipment are done thru apps
on Dave's smartphone. Upgrading the rating of your sushi bar is a
social app, weapons are another app, diving equipment has an app,
collections for scientific purposes - another app, etc. There is even a card collection game on the in-game smartphone that somehow
automatically tracks every new type of fish you catch without any input
from your character.
Some parts of it are frustrating. Some predators are REALLY dangerous
and nearly impossible to kill and can be difficult to get around without fighting them. Finding quest items or locations can be a real pain on occasion but for all those irritations I still keep coming back to it.
Though I am deliberately keeping each play session pretty short.
Its a decent to pretty good game if you can handle the quirky and
playing a character that everyone you meet will take advantage of.
Though if you think about it, isn't that what happens in any game where
NPCs give you "missions" or "quests" to advance the story?
Another month gone by. Another YEAR gone by, to be more precise. My,<snip>
my, where has the time gone, and other similar profundities. I wonder
what percentage of 2023 I spent playing video games? Maybe it's better
I don't know...
Anyway, time for our usual month-end round-up. Play the games, then
tell everybody about it. Share a few brief* thoughts on the games, if
you like. Why? Why not!
* Last Call BBS (new)Well, I'm glad I read this, since I've had it on my wishlist for a while
I was so disappointed by this game.
Not because it's a bad game; quite the opposite. For what it is, I
think "Last Call BBS" is excellent. No, the problem once again lay
with my own expectations. The game was described as a nostalgic
adventure, a return to the classic bulletin board systems of yore; a narrative entwined around an exploration of the BBS community. I
expected door games, downloads, chat, all to the sound of a 9600 baud
modem and visualized through 256-color VGA graphics.
But "Last Call" is really a handful of logic puzzles that rather
clumsily unlock somebody else's memories of that era. There's only the single, eponymous BBS to visit; there's no community, and no real exploration. The logic puzzles themselves are rather clever and,
unlike many other games, these aren't pale clones of pre-existing
games. Some real thought has gone into making each puzzle game unique.
The games themselves are often brutally difficult though, not helped
by the minimum of instruction offered toward both what the goal is and
how to win. But if you're in the mood for some mind-twisting puzzles,
then it's hard not to recommend "Last Call".
But, as I indicated, that was /not/ what I was searching for. I was
hoping for something with more story, more character, more
progression. If you're not a lover of logic games the reward - a slow revelation of your host's history exploring the early era of computers
and online services - really is not worth the effort.
On 1/1/24 12:23, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
On 1/1/2024 7:49 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
I may have played some 'My Time at Sandrock' in the beginning of the
What Have You Been Playing... IN DECEMBER 2023?
month. I've finished the "Main Story" was just lazing around doing
some post-finish commissions.
Most of my gaming in December has been 'Dave the Diver'. This is a
weird little game. "Dave" is a deep sea diver who has no (mental)
spine. He's a social pushover, a sad sack who simply can't say "No" to
same
anyone to save his life. Literally. As Dave you get dragged in to
diving in a strange oceanic Blue Hole by a "friend" to supply a sushi
chef with ingredients for him to make exotic sushi. And run the sushi
bar. So each day you dive in the Blue Hole (which changes at
intervals) and each evening you run the sushi bar. All while being
walked on by anyone and everyone.
Its a "quirky" game. All the NPCs are somewhat over-the-top
characters. All the odds and ends like upgrading your equipment are
done thru apps on Dave's smartphone. Upgrading the rating of your
sushi bar is a social app, weapons are another app, diving equipment
has an app, collections for scientific purposes - another app, etc.
There is even a card collection game on the in-game smartphone that
somehow automatically tracks every new type of fish you catch without
any input from your character.
Some parts of it are frustrating. Some predators are REALLY dangerous
and nearly impossible to kill and can be difficult to get around
without fighting them. Finding quest items or locations can be a real
pain on occasion but for all those irritations I still keep coming
back to it. Though I am deliberately keeping each play session pretty
short.
Its a decent to pretty good game if you can handle the quirky and
playing a character that everyone you meet will take advantage of.
Though if you think about it, isn't that what happens in any game
where NPCs give you "missions" or "quests" to advance the story?
I think I've seen that on my Steam for-you page, it looks pretty fun.
What Have You Been Playing... IN DECEMBER 2023?
On 1/1/2024 2:21 PM, candycanearter07 wrote:
On 1/1/24 12:23, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
On 1/1/2024 7:49 AM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
I may have played some 'My Time at Sandrock' in the beginning of the
What Have You Been Playing... IN DECEMBER 2023?
month. I've finished the "Main Story" was just lazing around doing
some post-finish commissions.
Most of my gaming in December has been 'Dave the Diver'. This is a
weird little game. "Dave" is a deep sea diver who has no (mental)
spine. He's a social pushover, a sad sack who simply can't say "No" to
same
anyone to save his life. Literally. As Dave you get dragged in to
diving in a strange oceanic Blue Hole by a "friend" to supply a sushi
chef with ingredients for him to make exotic sushi. And run the
sushi bar. So each day you dive in the Blue Hole (which changes at
intervals) and each evening you run the sushi bar. All while being
walked on by anyone and everyone.
Its a "quirky" game. All the NPCs are somewhat over-the-top
characters. All the odds and ends like upgrading your equipment are
done thru apps on Dave's smartphone. Upgrading the rating of your
sushi bar is a social app, weapons are another app, diving equipment
has an app, collections for scientific purposes - another app, etc.
There is even a card collection game on the in-game smartphone that
somehow automatically tracks every new type of fish you catch without
any input from your character.
Some parts of it are frustrating. Some predators are REALLY
dangerous and nearly impossible to kill and can be difficult to get
around without fighting them. Finding quest items or locations can
be a real pain on occasion but for all those irritations I still keep
coming back to it. Though I am deliberately keeping each play session
pretty short.
Its a decent to pretty good game if you can handle the quirky and
playing a character that everyone you meet will take advantage of.
Though if you think about it, isn't that what happens in any game
where NPCs give you "missions" or "quests" to advance the story?
I think I've seen that on my Steam for-you page, it looks pretty fun.
Just be aware it is NOT a "chill" type game. Some of the Boss fights especially at NOT relaxing, AT ALL.
What Have You Been Playing... IN DECEMBER 2023?
Well, that was a fun way to round out the old year. I hope the New
Year will bring as many interesting experiences!
But enough about the games /I/ played. What about you. C'mon, tell us
all:
What Have You Been Playing... IN DECEMBER 2023?
* God of War (2018)
Well, that was a fun way to round out the old year. I hope the New
Year will bring as many interesting experiences!
But enough about the games /I/ played. What about you. C'mon, tell us
all:
What Have You Been Playing... IN DECEMBER 2023?
* Tom Clancy's The Division (replay)
* God of War (2018)
As of December 4, I hit The Talos Principle 2. HARD.
** Bloodborne
Talos 2 is even better than Talos, mostly by being less lonely. There is
a storyline; it is just as insightful and interesting as the arguments
with the library computer from the first game. The puzzles are easy to
hard, with the easy ones being tutorials on how to solve the hard ones.
Stars are much easier to get, and center around three principle
objectives, which are getting harder and harder to complete.
I've seen the megastructure. I've had my brain fried, both in-game and
out. If you liked Talos 1, this comes with a high recommendation.
Talos 2 is even better than Talos, mostly by being less lonely.
Talos 2 is even better than Talos, mostly by being less lonely.
Have you tried Cocoon yet ? I'm playing it on Gamepass and enjoying it.
A very chill and pretty-looking puzzle game.
Another month gone by. Another YEAR gone by, to be more precise. My,
my, where has the time gone, and other similar profundities. I wonder
what percentage of 2023 I spent playing video games? Maybe it's better
I don't know...
Anyway, time for our usual month-end round-up. Play the games, then
tell everybody about it. Share a few brief* thoughts on the games, if
you like. Why? Why not!
I Tell It To You Quick
---------------------------------------
* American Truck Simulator (Kansas DLC) (yes, again)
* Last Call BBS (new)
* Tom Clancy's The Division (replay)
* God of War (2018)
* Aliens: Dark Descent (new)
* SnowRunner (new)
I Drag It Out Endlessly
---------------------------------------
* American Truck Simulator (Kansas DLC) (yes, again)
Hey, are you tired of reading about how I've been playing ATS again?
Not as tired as I am writing about it! Well, no; that's a lie. What
can I say; I /like/ this game. Just be glad I'm only adding an entry
for it when there's actually something new to report about the game...
like the new Kansas DLC expansion pack!
Not that there is that much to say about Kansas. I mean... it's
Kansas, which is quite possibly the most boring part of the USA (sorry Jayhawks, but in your hearts you know it's true). I was somewhat
interested to see how the game would portray the infamously flat
state, though. In truth, there's probably more in-game elevation
changes in Kansas than most other parts of the game, but that has more
to do with the simplistic modeling used in earlier maps (the Truck
Simulator games are notoriously bad at mountains and steep hills). But
kudos to the dev-team; despite all the low hills that functionally
make this virtual-Kansas one of the least-flat parts of the game, it
/feels/ incredibly flat thanks to the long, wide-open vistas.
Flat... and boring. Despite a few humorous Easter eggs (including
Superman's childhood home**, or Dorothy's (of Oz fame) farm, complete
with yellow brick road, the state itself lacks any interesting
destinations or stand-out visuals. Still, the wide, straight roads
make for easy driving. There's no point to visiting locations in the
state itself, but I eagerly wait for opportunities to drive /through/
it; it's fun and captures that 'zen' feel too often missing in other
parts of the game.
In addition to the DLC, the latest patch also adds some new features
to the base game. Notably, these include an improved lighting system,
and a revamped damage mechanic. The effects of the former are
noticeable and make for better looking skies and weather... but
unfortunately also show off the dated textures and modeling used
elsewhere in the game. The new damage modeling is worse; it divides
damage into 'wear' and 'damage', but there's functionally little
difference (wear is a bit cheaper to repair), since it's still all
based off a percentage without any visual effect. Had they changed
'wear' to be something you could see and damage affecting performance,
it might have been a useful change, but now it's just two meters to
monitor instead of just one.
Still, if you weren't a fan of the game before, neither these changes
nor the DLC are going to convince you otherwise... and if you /are/ a
fan, well, you're probably already playing.
* Last Call BBS (new)
I was so disappointed by this game.
Not because it's a bad game; quite the opposite. For what it is, I
think "Last Call BBS" is excellent. No, the problem once again lay
with my own expectations. The game was described as a nostalgic
adventure, a return to the classic bulletin board systems of yore; a narrative entwined around an exploration of the BBS community. I
expected door games, downloads, chat, all to the sound of a 9600 baud
modem and visualized through 256-color VGA graphics.
But "Last Call" is really a handful of logic puzzles that rather
clumsily unlock somebody else's memories of that era. There's only the single, eponymous BBS to visit; there's no community, and no real exploration. The logic puzzles themselves are rather clever and,
unlike many other games, these aren't pale clones of pre-existing
games. Some real thought has gone into making each puzzle game unique.
The games themselves are often brutally difficult though, not helped
by the minimum of instruction offered toward both what the goal is and
how to win. But if you're in the mood for some mind-twisting puzzles,
then it's hard not to recommend "Last Call".
But, as I indicated, that was /not/ what I was searching for. I was
hoping for something with more story, more character, more
progression. If you're not a lover of logic games the reward - a slow revelation of your host's history exploring the early era of computers
and online services - really is not worth the effort.
* Tom Clancy's The Division (replay)
It's been a long time since I last played "The Division". So long,
that when I first started it, I noticed I wasn't even using the
DirectX 12 rendered. Whether this was because - last time I played it
- I hadn't the appropriate hardware to use the renderer, or even that
DirectX 12 hadn't been invented yet, I can't say. But it's been a long
time.
But over all those years, I remembered "The Division" had been a
memorable experience. Not so much because of its gameplay, but because
its excellent sense of place and world-building. Its depiction of a
wintry, post-apocalyptic New York City was beautifully detailed, and
many a time when playing other, similar games, I flashed back to
Ubisoft's game.
Yet I'd held off playing "The Division" for a number of reasons. Most obviously, it felt sort of tasteless playing a game about a fictional pandemic while we were in the middle of an actual pandemic that had
killed millions. Too, the fantasy of rogue civilians with guns who,
using unrestrained violence, would 'fix society' after the government
had failed them also felt a bit too on-the-nose given recent politics.
But equally important, I'm just not a fan of MMO shooters, and did not
feel particularly eager to face off against "The Division's" spongy
enemies.
But with winter well and truly upon us, I decided it was finally time
to return to the snowy ruins of Manhattan once again. To make the
experience more endurable, I promised myself I wouldn't force myself
to finish the game (as much as you can ever finish an MMO), but rather
I'd only keep playing until I'd had my fill of the engrossing
atmosphere.
Starting the game after so long absent was an interesting experience,
if only because I had to wade through five minutes of non-stop
advisements telling me about all the free stuff that was being added
to my account. So many cosmetics! But once that inundation was done, I
could focus on the gameplay proper.
New York in "The Division" remains as beautiful as ever (that is, if
the word beautiful can be ascribed to a city covered with trash and
corpses). It's no longer quite the technical masterpiece it appeared
back when it was new, but it still holds up well compared to more
modern games. It's a shame so much of the world is merely
window-dressing, but it disguises it well with cosmetic interactivity (shattering windows, physics affecting random items, etc.).
The gameplay, on the other hand, remains as unexciting as ever. I'd
recalled the AI being a lot more reactive than it was in actuality; I remembered it flanking me more often, forcing me to frequently
relocate. But for most fights I was able to tank most of the damage,
rarely finding it necessary to change position. This - combined with
enemies that could absorb clips full of ammunition - turned the combat
into tedious battles of endurance rather than tactics and skill.
Frankly, it all got rather dull fairly quickly.
And, unfortunately, there just wasn't enough to the game outside of
the combat. Scrounging for new weapons and armor /should/ have been
exciting, except as soon as I found a more powerful gun, the game
increased the resistance of the enemy, which made me feel like I was constantly treading water. There was no sense of progression. Oh sure,
it had the usual garbage-collection quests Ubisoft's open worlds are
famous for, and a long, meandering and poorly written campaign
(something else Ubisoft's open worlds are famous for), but neither
were in any way engaging.
But the city sure looked pretty. Maybe that was enough.
* God of War (2018)
I'm struggling to find something to say about this game.
Not that it's not a good game, or that I didn't enjoy it. It is, and I
did. But given how well-reviewed this game was - first in 2018, when
it released onto the PS4, and later 2022 release on PC - you probably
know all that. It has extremely solid gameplay, a strong story,
excellent presentation, and looks gorgeous. It's a game well-worth
playing and I enjoyed it enough that I've finished the campaign twice.
But I can't just leave it there. I have a reputation for overly long commentary. So I guess I'll just nitpick the game. Sure, I loved it;
five stars, would play again. That doesn't mean I don't have any
gripes, even if they are all largely inconsequential. But it will pad
out the word-count, and that is what matters. Plus, I get to be snarky
(I love a good snark). So let's begin!
Where to start? Let's see. While the voice-acting was overall
excellent, you could tell that the actor for Atreus - the young son of
the protagonist - was aging up as the game was in development. There
were a number of lines where his voice didn't quite match earlier
readings. Truly, a deviating error that ruined the entire experience
and worthy of mention, right?
What else? The game-world was gorgeous, beautifully detailed and
usually quite varied... but parts of the central hub (the Lake of the
Nine) looked far too similar, sometimes making it a tad more difficult
to determine if I was in a new area or some place I'd already visited.
Who could possibly want to play a game with such a flaw?!
While the overall plot was very interesting and took the protagonists
to exciting locales, two of the - completely optional - maps were
little more than opportunities to kill monsters and grind XP and loot.
Sure, I could have left at any time and the core game was balanced so
that extra XP and loot wasn't required. Nonetheless, I'm sure we can
all agree that making these optional parts of the game entirely
focused on the combat instead of the plot is a truly unforgivable sin!
Anything else? Nope, I think that's all I got. Snark aside, I don't
have any real criticisms of the game. So in summary: "God of War" is
an excellent game, far more accessible than its predecessors, a lot
more fun, and if you haven't played it yet, you probably should plan
to do so soon.
* Aliens: Dark Descent
The Aliens franchise seems purpose-made for video games. It's the
perfect mix of action and horror, with a protagonist that is both
challenging as a single entity or in swarms. The monster's mutable
genome allows developers to create all sorts of new monsters from the original template, and it even has an in-universe boss-monster. Thanks
to all this, it's really, really hard to make a terrible Aliens game.
Now, normally this is where I'd go: 'but not impossible', and then
slag off the game in question. But I'm not going to do that here,
because "Dark Descent" is not a terrible game. It's pretty good. But
it's one of those titles that isn't equal to the sum of all its parts. There's a lot to like about "Dark Descent", but nonetheless, in the
end, it still feels a bit lacking.
Visually, it's quite impressive. Not only does it feature sharp
textures and well-formed models and maps, but there's a good deal of
variety. Well, for a game based on the Aliens franchise, anyway;
expect a lot of dark, stormy, rocky worlds or shadow-filled
spaceships. But the camera is a bit disappointing; I never found a satisfactory camera angle. I was constantly spinning it about, zooming
in and out, trying to get the best view of the action. It was always
too close, or too far, and never allowed me to tilt the camera down as
much as I'd have liked.
Similarly, the gunplay was very good. The game is a top-down
squad-based tactical shooter; think "XCOM", but in real-time and
you're on the right track. But the game can be brutally difficult. Not
so much because of the firefights themselves (although the fast-moving
aliens can tank more bullets than you'd expect, and even a single one
of the critters can wreak havoc on your squad if you're not careful).
But cautious movement will let you survive most encounters without
incurring too much damage.
No, it's everything AROUND those firefights that makes the game so
viscous. Resources are always scarce (not least of which is having
enough soldiers in your barracks; I don't think I ever had more than
20). Soldiers start with various stat-lowering flaws and - if stress
levels become high enough (and they will!) - can gain additional flaws
from the trauma. In addition to wounds - which take several in-game
days to heal - your troops can also become tired or exhausted. Wounded
or exhausted troops can't fight at all, and you'll likely have half of
your roster unavailable to you at any time because of this. Because of
this, leveling is very slow. Between-mission special events can also
put even more of your troops out of action. And even when you are able
to mount a mission, odds are high that you won't have enough supplies
at hand (health packs, tools) to survive the mission. Oh, and there's
a time limit too; take too long and the planet gets nuked beneath you.
It's all just a bit much. When it all comes together just perfectly,
it's quite impressive... but overall I felt like I was juggling just a
few balls too many for the game to be really fun.
Still, I did appreciate that the game did try to advance the universe
of the Aliens franchise, even if incrementally. Yes, you're still the
same butch space marines fighting the same Geiger-esque aliens whilst navigating the suicidal plotting of the perennially stupid Weyland
Yutani corporation, but at least this time, Wey-Yu gets it
comeuppance, and there's a new alien civilization added to the mix.
The game still plays a bit too closely to the franchise's over-used
tropes, but those few additions made it feel like one of the more
original Aliens video games I've played in years.
And the game wasn't without some real flaws either. It's stealth
mechanic was poorly done, and didn't really fit in with the overall
action. The endless respawning enemies - while challenging - also made
the game a lot more tiresome than it should have been. The end-game
sequence threw out all the mechanics of the core game, forcing you
into a sudden trial-and-error chase that came out of nowhere. And
there were numerous niggling bugs - none serious, but still annoying -
that indicated a lack of QA testing.
"Aliens: Dark Descent" was an interesting game, with some impressive
ideas... but it lacked that polish and balancing that would have made
it great. Fans of the Aliens franchise will probably get some
enjoyment out of it (as will, perhaps, fans of cruelly difficult 'git
gud' rogue-likes) but it's hard to recommend to anyone else. Which is
a shame, because, like I said, I don't think this is a BAD game. It's
just nowhere near as good as it should have been.
* SnowRunner (new)
Well, this is an awkward review to write. But as much as I appreciate
the gift of the game - thank you, MetalGuru - I gotta be honest about
how I feel.
So, "SnowRunner" has a feature in the game called "Recover". When you
select this option, it instantly transports you - and the vehicle you
are driving - to your nearest home base. I found myself using this
feature constantly. Not because I kept getting stuck - although I did
- but because, having finished a challenge or job, I much preferred to fast-travel back to my base rather than drive there. This is because, frankly, driving in this game is Not Fun.
"Snowrunner" is, in essence, "Getting Stuck In Deep Mud Repeatedly:
The Game". And it simulates this experience very well. In truth, I
would be remiss to suggest that pulling yourself out of these
challenging situations wasn't a satisfying trial. The problem wasn't
that I was getting stuck in the mud and had to figure out a way to get through that obstacle. The problem was that I was /constantly/ getting
stuck in the mud.
The mud (and snow) simulation is, as I said, impressive. Thanks to the deformable terrain modeling, your spinning wheels can dig themselves
into a ditch that - if you're careless - you've no hope of escaping.
But this mud (or snow) is EVERYWHERE in the game, and simply driving
from one part of the map - from the start of one challenge to the next
- quickly becomes a slow and tiresome slog. It doesn't help that even
when you're on what is nominally dry asphalt, your truck still slips
and slides as if you were Mario on an ice-world level. Is it any
wonder that whenever possible I used fast-travel to avoid as much
driving as I could?
Of course, better trucks can improve things somewhat, but these are
all locked behind (in-game) paywalls, and the grind to earn enough
(in-game) cash to purchase hardier vehicles or necessary upgrades is
so slow as to make the start of the game extremely aggravating. Of
course, the game is quick to inform you that you COULD bypass some of
that frustration by simply BUYING more powerful trucks as DLC. But I'm
sure those two facts are entirely disconnected from one another.
Beyond that... well, the game is fine. There were the occasional
graphic glitches, and the controls sometimes felt less responsive than
I expected. I wish the in-cabin viewpoint was a bit less obstructed.
Minor issues all. But it was the constant tedium of digging my way
through the muck that was the game's real fault. Had the developers
used a bit more finesse in their design, and not insisted that the
entirety of the map become the challenge zone - rather than, you know,
areas around the actual challenges and jobs - I'd have had more fun.
As it was, I could only stick with the game for so long before I
longed for less frustrating design. It's neat tech and the core
conceit of the game is interesting; it just needs another iteration to actually become worth playing.
---------------------------------------
Well, that was a fun way to round out the old year. I hope the New
Year will bring as many interesting experiences!
But enough about the games /I/ played. What about you. C'mon, tell us
all:
What Have You Been Playing... IN DECEMBER 2023?
-------------------
* giggle
** The Kent farm is off Route 50 west of Hutchinson; Dorothy's home is
on a hidden road off Route 53 halfway between Guymon and Garden City.
Just in case you were wondering.
Apparently my new video card is coming with a Gamepass trial, so I'll get
to see how that works. Got a good trade-in deal on my 3060 Ti 8GB to a
4060 Ti 16GB.
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