Hawke64

The comparison is justified, considering the wide adoption of the software and the encouragement of frequent and fast deployment at the cost of thorough testing (I'd like to note that in the case of the antivirus software specifically, it might be reasonable). But hey, the planes do not fall often, so it is probably will not happen under the CEO making the decision, while the profit will definitely go up. /s I have read a rather curious theory (i.e. not a fact) that the current business education leads to these issues, where the short-term profits are preferred to the long-term sustainability.

It sounds quite appealing. I stopped my Nehrim playthrough after the first battle on the ship - was not looking forward to more TES combat at the time. --- Cookie Cutter. Reached the mid-game. The wall-passing projectiles and foes became less irritating, though now insta-killing spikes appeared. I was able to defeat 1 boss on the first attempt by parrying only, then there was a pair of bosses - one was slow melee, with a parryable attack that would be one-hit kill if not for my HP upgrades, the other was a more agile shooter, with the bullets, unfortunately, not being possible to parry with bare fists (i.e. at all). So, they took quite a few attempts. I asked on the Steam forum and was told that there is only one ending, but the game is quite enjoyable as is. Also, the map is helpful for exploration, with the obstacles and collectibles marked. The hidden areas, though, require punching random walls. --- Mail Time. It is a very easy platformer about a fantasy delivery person. I like the character customisation, the graphics, and the movement, though the controls are not rebindable. The only possible challenge is figuring out how to reach some of the quest items. The game does not have combat and I don't think that it has any fail state. I've got it in a bundle on Fanatical, so my expectations were not high, but the game is quite nice.

It was morbidly fascinating to watch (I cannot say whether or not my company uses CrowdStrike or the Windows OS). The update caused a BSOD bootloop on the affected PCs (so no online updates since the system can't start and check for them), while the current workaround requires manual action and, for the BitLocker-protected devices, the BitLocker key. The alternative is to boot from a USB drive with a Linux system and remove the faulty driver, but on the corporate PCs it is usually disabled. From what I can see, it is likely to cause an increase in phishing attacks. What I am curious about is whether it is going to affect the requirements for the software (e.g. no CI/CD and no auto-deployment) and security procedures on the government level, because the NHS was among the affected organisations. Additionally, CrowdStrike has the usual "We promise nothing" in its EULA, so I would love to see these kind of EULAs to be challenged in court (though, I do not think that part worked in the EU to begin with). Overall, this kind of failures are on the C level, since it is related to the procedures, strategy, and the lack of QA, rather than the specific developer who pushed the update. It also reminds that monopoly might not be good and having a diverse fleet of PCs, software, and at least 1 IT support person available at all times improves the resilience of the system (and also makes managing it more complex and increases the number of possible points of failure). --- Also, it does not seem to be the first incident of this magnitude with a manual intervention required for the resolution under the CrowdStrike CEO. Granted, in 2010, the related software was less widely used. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2024/07/major-outages-at-crowdstrike-microsoft-leave-the-world-with-bsods-and-confusion/

Not counting the setting, there is 1 character (whom I remember) appearing in both games and The Technomancer sort of works with any ending for Mars: War Logs. The level design is labyrinthine and the backtracking is plentiful in both. So, you could start with the sequel.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/new-fantasy-colonial-rpg-greedfall-2-the-dying-world-gets-september-release-date I'd like to note that The Technomancer, another Spiders' game, starts before its predecessor, Mars: War Logs, and ends shortly after. Considering the lack of any save state transfer, it, unfortunately, makes sense. Overall, I found Greedfall to be quite enjoyable (replayed several times; the guns are OP), despite the typical for Spiders drama for the drama's sake ending choice.

"Sabotaged" might be a bit too strong. Greed and negligence are more fitting. Bethesda games notoriously encourage modding, while the update did not bring anything positive (the "next-gen" ultrawide monitor support was broken along with the mods that could provide it, the new quests were starting too early and destroying whatever balance was in the game, the new bugs were introduced as usual), it just broke the mods that were making the game more/anyhow enjoyable for the players. Fallout 4 was released 10 years ago, with a lot modders moving on to new projects and not fixing what Bethesda destroyed. Bethesda's actions made the game worse when they could have just done nothing and still get the increase in sales from the TV show. Broken mods, the new features not working (the ultrawide UI) or making the game worse (the quests and the bugs) I've got the same impression from the Steam forums. If you are installing from Steam or GOG directly, it will be the latest (next-gen) version. The mod, when released, should include the downgrader, which will download the compatible (pre-next-gen) version. There are some guides and mods on Steam and Nexus, but for Steam it requires using the console with the game's and resources' IDs, instead of "sudo apt-get install [package name]". So, it should be fine and accessible either way. To finish on something positive, I appreciate that Obsidian kept the original TOW separate from the newer version. --- https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/a-big-steam-sale-of-igf-award-winners-and-finalists-is-now-underway And so my wishlist has lengthened.

The Outer Worlds Unfortunately, no unique dialogue options so far. Cookie Cutter Well, it was gory. Well, it got more gory. None of the screenshots seems to require a spoiler tag, as the gore is not exactly realistic. And this is the sidekick. I am generally puzzled why this was chosen. The MC is chosen one. The first boss. It was one of the situation where parrying insta-kill made sense - the boss was reasonably sturdy otherwise. I had to rebind the Menu Controls first, because S or D were used there and kept resetting the bindings. Zoom In and Zoom Out are impossible to rebind. Sephonie The first boss. I think, it gave a traversal ability. And at this point I uninstalled and refunded. Somehow, seeing a burnt mutilated corpse described in detail in a chill puzzle platformer about environmentalism was unpleasant.

Probably because I played Hong Kong after SR: Returns, the pacing, choices, and combat in Hong Kong felt good, though I think I spent quite some time on the ship talking to people. I know that the hacking system changed between Dragonfall and Hong Kong, but can't quite recall how. Dragonfall felt somewhat less personal and/or impactful than Hong Kong, not counting one companion quest where I chose the unwise option and it will be haunting until I replay it (eventually). --- The Outer Worlds. Started a new game with an approximately same character. Granted, it is mostly to poke things and see if I can write a coherent essay about them. Still, Emerald Vale is gorgeous and I love the writing. On another note, for some reason I was not able to remove the DLC, so now the skill checks mid-/late-game are going to be higher.

Cookie Cutter. Defeated the first boss by parrying. Which feels like an achievement, considering the boss' speed and moveset (i.e. it took me some time to get that the jump was actually an impossible-to-parry attack). The level design seems fine so far and I like that the map is easily-readable with markers for NPCs and blocked passages. The saving system seems to be closer to Souls-likes in terms that the items gathered (including "souls") and ambushes cleared are kept on death, while the regular foes revive. I like less that there are wall-passing foes and projectiles, which push the MC away upon taking damage. The platforming controls/movement feels somewhat off - the momentum is a bit too strong. No strong feelings about the writing (not counting the narrator NPC, which appearance and name are rather repulsive, though the actual lines are fine) and the quite gory finishing moves (does not look tasteful).

You still can download the installers/archives from GOG and Itch.io, despite them being non-physical only (that is, you are the one copying the files on the external drives/cloud). It does not work for many larger publishers, but since I am not interested in most of them (EA and MS/Obsidian+inXile being the exceptions), it bothers me less (the general idea of the preservation of our culture aside). Funnily enough, the latest Larian's game is DRM-free on Steam, so having the older versions is possible as long as you have the space to back it up (~130GB total, ~90GB of textures; the bloat and the inability to remove it, while keeping the game-critical parts, annoy me greatly) and it also prevents the forced updates on Steam (granted, that's Steam's issue, not Larian's fault for releasing an unfinished game, while removing the Early Access tag). --- On a related note, I've got a GamePass key and would be happy to give it to someone who uses it. --- https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/if-you-want-to-play-that-whopping-fallout-london-mod-youll-need-to-downgrade-fallout-4s-next-gen-version Not sure if I am going to play Fallout: London, but I do have the pre-next-gen version of Fallout 4, so I can. Though, the downgrader will be included with the mod, so even the less fortunate Steam players can do so with little friction. Also, this makes me quite happy that Obsidian very reasonably and player-friendly made the More Space-Consuming edition of The Outer Worlds optional and safely separated from the original game as a different product.

Thank you. I loved that in The Outer Worlds helping an NPC or a faction was a conscious choice and not the default reaction, while ignoring them or murdering everyone was always an option and the game acknowledged it as well. Also, the companions were well-written, relatable, and sympathetic. The itemisation and enemy encounters, on the other hand, looked like there was significantly less intent and effort put into it, with the guns with levels being a strong negative.

While I am trying to avoid significant spoilers for the game, Avowed seems to be more combat-heavy and less flexible in terms of the story (e.g. all companions are mandatory). I would hope Avowed to be closer to immersive sims, considering the first-person camera perspective, with their detailed level design and multiple ways to resolve quests, and Pillars of Eternity II, which supported the player's agency in terms of narrative and consistently high-quality writing, but I am unsure at the moment how it is going to be. In terms of sustainability, the lower system requirements, the better (<20GB storage space, <4GB VRAM would be ideal), which is even less likely to happen. Still, it is an Obsidian game and I am looking forward to it. I also hope to be able to purchase it on GOG on release (highly unlikely) to prevent any updates that can significantly worsen my experience.

Elden Ring is perfectly playable and comfortable with keyboard and mouse (5-button mice are supported; no idea how the gamepad users shoot bows or turn the camera during boss battles with larger foes), but I would suggest to start with Dark Souls: Remaster. ER has significantly faster (and worse) combat, while the location and world design is poorer and there are a lot of the same bosses (which was less irritating in DS2). Another note on the bosses specifically, the experience was rather unpleasant solo (long attack combos with delayed hits), while the NPC summons (Ashes) altered the usual combat style quite a lot. --- Started Cookie Cutter. It seems to be a cyberpunk Metroidvania. Not sure about the animations and the narrator NPC, but the cartoonish artstyle is good and the controls are rebindable, though I was not able to change Esc from "Do you want to close the game?". After reaching the first boss, I was repeatedly killed within 10 seconds after the combat started.

En Guarde! The game looks very pretty and sounds very campy. Sephonie I spent about 15 minutes reassigning the controls and the other settings. The default FOV, which seems to be still present in the cut-scenes, was ridiculously high. Hellpoint This was happening rarely, but more often than I would like. Defeated the boss but died from a projectile. And my untimely demise spawned a green NPC invader with my equipment and slightly lower stats (source: I looked at the save file. The thing is there as a "ghost"). For some reason, it took several tries to get the Imgur links to be shown as images. Probably, should report as a bug.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/how-the-checklist-conquered-the-open-world-from-morrowind-to-skyrim Not news, but I thought it was interesting to share. It is also somehow disappointing to see the logic of the larger developers (Bethesda/Zenimax). Morrowind is still very much playable and enjoyable, while the sense of exploration and wonder moved from the Ubisoft-style map icon fests to Souls-likes (to some of them) and immersive sims.

Hellpoint. Climbed almost on top of a spacious vertical tunnel (or whatever that was) and accidentally jumped back from a "ladder" instead of to the left. Decided that the game might not be for me after all. While it is possibly the best platforming I have seen in a Souls-like, it is not exactly comfortable to play. I am unsure if the passage I took was mandatory or optional. In general, the lack of landmarks (there are a lot of corridors) makes the navigation more challenging than it should be. Crystal Tales Tactics. The developers resolved the progress-stopping bug at the end of Chapter 8, but the intro cut-scene in Chapter 9 gets stuck.

Hellpoint. It is a sci-fi Souls-like. Defeated the second boss (while dying to a projectile at the same time as landing the final blow; the boss itself was a pair of foes - one a teleporting mage with ranged attacks, another a flail user who also had ranged attacks which were killing me in 1 combo if all 3 hits landed). There seem to be several additional systems - I had a new group ambush in a previously safe corridor (the fog gates appeared on both sides and the opponents were teleporting in), then a green invader attacked me after the boss battle. The invader wore the same equipment as I did. The jumping and platforming feel more responsive and precise. Estus restores all health and recovers on killing (a lot of) enemies. The controls are rebindable, but the menu controls keep resetting between sessions (and having "Confirm" on Enter instead of Space is not convenient). The lack of pause and the position being saved upon exiting to the main menu is rather unpleasant. I have not noticed anything too bad, but I can't say that I like the game. The story premise, where you are an artificially created human clone or an android sent to gather data, is not exactly bad, but the said data seems to be scattered in 0.67% pieces across the world, instead of more specific directions of "Defeat the four Lords" or "Ring two Bells of Awakening".

I was at London Pride 2024 on Saturday with my university. It was curious to see several groups of the safely contained homophobes, but they do remind why the Pride is needed. I have also realised that I strongly dislike whistles and large groups of people in general. Still, going to get some sort of hearing protection and come to London Pride 2025. Hopefully, the transphobes in the government will be removed by that time.

Arcadia Fallen. Replayed the game almost from the start. The scared child being not scared was required for one of the side quests. So I repeatedly told him that the party would save his brother. I have also discovered what would happen if the party commits all possible crimes throughout the story and fails/succeeds the trial, though without one of the party members dying (I did not meet the other conditions and it would have been sad). Calico. Without a combat system, deep crafting or building or more interesting traversal abilities (gliding with a crow was cool, though), the game feels a bit boring. I resumed my 2y/o save file, unlocked and explored the city, and uninstalled. Almighty: Kill You Gods. The MC is a humanoid horned wolf, who can double jump from the start. Despite the most amusing ability to kill any regular foe my running into them (and the stamina bar and regeneration were quite generous), the first encounter with a larger opponent (a giant turtle) proved that there was a reason why the shooting action was bound to LMB by default (the controls were rebindable). The mission design was rather basic - "Kill X Lost" and "Gather Y resources". So, while I really liked the traversal abilities, the rest of the game did not feel good. It also did not like my CPU (which will turn 10 in December). Queer Man Peering Into a Rock Pool. For the most of the game I had thought that the environment was an allusion for mental issues (in particular, dementia), but no, it seems to mean the actual post-apocalypse, Evangelion-style. The controls were not rebindable, the MC was moving (walking or jogging) rather slowly. Though, I quite like the MC and his partner.

Flynn: Son of Crimson https://i.imgur.com/kBHDeno.png Arcadia Fallen For some reason, the dialogue log occasionally shows incorrect options. It is mostly funny and I would not have noticed it playing normally. https://i.imgur.com/WXcGT2y.png https://i.imgur.com/25H7G9d.png Finished the side quest about the forest restoration. I think these are all the options for the final "battle". I had one less on the first playthrough. Not sure what are the conditions for the 2nd one to be available.

Flynn: Son of Crimson. Finished. A platformer with some Metroidvania elements, such as different weapons, a few combat skills, and 2 additional traversal abilities. The story of an orphan saving the world is not exactly original and this particular implementation is bland, but not horrible. The controls are rebindable and the level design is present. The graphics and visual design are nice and there is no contact damage, which, while good in general, should not be the only good things to say about a game. The Scourge system, where a previously-cleared location transformed and you had to clear a few rooms of it in order to progress, was fine. Not sure if the chosen levels were random, but it did look like a lot of effort to implement. There were a few instances when I was hit (-1 HP) and pushed into a pit (-1 more HP), which was rather irritating. Thank you for sharing. I don't think I would like to play it now, though Dontnod games have some branching story paths, which I like, so maybe some day.

Tell Me Why was slow. It is free during June, by the way, if you would like to try it. I haven't played, but would like to eventually, Twin Mirror. Dontnod also develop some action games - Vampyr (played, the game is funny for the wrong reasons, the combat is not good) and Banishers (have not played, but would like to as well; the genre is hack and slash) and Jusant (something about climbing). And there is Harmony: The Fall of Reverie, which looks like a VN. True Colors was developed by a different company, as far as I know.

Unfortunately, it still requires EA App. The integration could be better and only one version can be installed at a time (there are registry links). Might have been resolved by now, of course, but doubtful. I still hope that EA would allow me to pay them for the third time for the games to have them on GOG without the DRM. It has been almost 10 years since Inquisition.

I've got a GamePass key. I am unsure when it expires, but if anyone would like to have it, it would be most welcome.

Arcadia Fallen. Finished the game. I liked it, though the subplot with the alchemy teacher landed significantly better than the main story, which felt very off. It might have something to do with that the former required to solve puzzles (not sure if the last part changes based on it or not). Review: The Kickstarter campaign for the sequel is live, though I am planning to purchase it later, rather than back now. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/galdra/arcadia-fallen-2