Hawke64

The other two: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/yet-another-studio-formed-of-disco-elysium-alumni-has-announced-a-cerebral-sci-fi-rpg-just-to-confuse-you https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/former-disco-elysium-devs-are-working-on-a-spiritual-successor-at-new-studio-longdue-though-robert-kurvitz-and-aleksander-rostov-arent-involved Sounds interesting, though I strongly dislike the sound design in the trailer.

I have played it (started, defeated the ork boss, but did not finish, then the MTX were introduced, so it will remain unfinished) and I agree about it being unfun. --- Tails of Iron. A 2D action game in a fantasy setting, with anthropomorphic mice fighting against anthropomorphic frogs. The game looks very pretty (the visual style reminds of old picture books), though the mandatory combat encounters (the game locks you on a screen until all foes are dead) are somewhat boring and the movement controls are uncomfortable (but rebindable). After reaching the second boss, I restarted on the lower difficulty to have shorter combat encounters. --- 1000xResist. A walking simulator in a sci-fi/post-apocalyptic setting. As art as it gets, but having the MC automatically doing dumb things or the range of dialogue optoins being "Yes" and "Yes" annoys me greatly. The gameplay consists of walking to an objective in areas of variable ease of navigation (from unobstructed corridors to labyrinthine buildings, 1 area had a map), some sort of light platforming, and 1 puzzle (matching several sentences). The story is a commentary on the Umbrella Revolution (Hong Kong) and generational trauma. I have not yet finished the game, but the achievements suggest that the only choice comes at the end, while the previous 10 hours are the build-up to it.

Thank you for sharing. The videos on workers' rights and water there are interesting (and concerning) as well (though, some of the titles are slightly clickbait-y). Regarding highly processed food, most vegan food, such as grains and vegetables, is not processed, same for the older vegan recipes (e.g. Indian cuisine), the rest are at the same level as animal-based products (e.g. cakes or sauces). Also, the plant-based food is cheaper and easier to store (source: 10 years of personal experience without a fridge (got one now, though) - grains and spices last for months without refrigeration, reduced-price vegetables can usually last for a few days to a week, and potatoes specifically several weeks). Then there is the ethical part (at this point, humans do not have to kill animals for our survival), so here is a video of a happy rescued cow playing with a ball: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJaR9CMnJpU . --- On an unrelated note, here is an article on top-level domains: https://every.to/p/the-disappearance-of-an-internet-domain. Itch.io should be fine: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/could-a-surprise-uk-territory-handover-spell-the-end-for-itch-io-

To add to the ecology-related articles: https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2024/sep/24/where-does-the-uks-fast-fashion-end-up-i-found-out-on-a-beach-clean-in-ghana The reinforcement of the gender stereotypes aside, it is interesting, though unsettling. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/08/earths-vital-signs-show-humanitys-future-in-balance-say-climate-experts Not sure whether the acceleration to the hard-to-recover point is overestimated, but even now, the climate change is noticeable. I was trying to find an article about the effects of animal farming (aka those torture-murder factories) on the environment (very negative, including air; the prices of the properties around also go down by up to 75%), but the search engines did not favour me today. https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/23/long-shadow-life-under-the-veiled-grasp-of-factory-farming-in-europe This one. TLDR: go vegan, use less bandwidth, buy less physical items, recycle what you can, and do not reproduce, so maybe we will not die from the global warming.

The "Radiant" quests are RNG'ed, but yes - Bethesda puts effort into the world-building, setting, and location design (I still dislike those dungeons from Oblivion, though). Ubisoft does not seem to do so.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/bloodlines-2-is-more-spiritual-successor-than-sequel-to-a-a-competently-good-game-by-2004-standards-say-paradox I must admit that my optimism was misplaced, and this person has not played VTMB. I played it recently and most of the ideas and implementations work just fine (could be better with more immersive sim elements, not less). Then again, abusing the IP worked well for Larian, but they at least somewhat improved the character creation and added more immersive sim elements (the rest was not exactly good). Edit. The developers may release something that can stand on its own, but it is unlikely to be a sequel to VTMB.

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/sep/23/heaven-17-v-rockstar-are-games-being-fair-to-music-artists On music licensing in games. I have not been listening to non-gaming/non-LGBTQ+ related music, so cannot comment whether including recognisable tracks boosts sales or not.

Lunacid So close and so far. Found a mimic. I was trying to shake off the giant skeleton. The thing clipped through the walls. A very suspicious wall. The rats won. Dustborn (demo) The combat is not good and the controls are not fully rebindable (presets for keyboard layouts available). The rest is fine.

Dead Space 2. --- Finished Lunacid. The experience was enjoyable, with the combat being generally somewhat better than in The Outer Worlds. I still skipped the combat-only gauntlet due to one of the foes being non-hostile and very agile rats. I guess, I would have liked the exploration more if there were built-in quick saves and at least some pointers to the next checkpoint. --- Regarding The Outer Worlds, while I quite like the game, the combat encounter design is not its strong part. I guess, if the locations were smaller, with more thoughtfully placed opponents and items, it would have been better. So, like Dark Souls, but sci-fi and with more story.

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/a-few-hours-with-new-arc-line-reminded-me-that-setting-doesnt-mean-much-in-an-rpg-if-the-characters-arent-interesting Not a favourable preview, but I am curious about the setting and ambivalent about the turn-based combat. --- https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/in-pagan-party-based-rpg-banquet-for-fools-you-can-doodle-your-own-spells-in-blood The game sounds interesting, though the system requirements are rather puzzling (50GB for v.1.0) and I have not finished the developers' previous game, Serpent in the Staglands (the saves are told to be possible to import). https://steamcommunity.com/app/3172700/discussions/0/4851030238680772668/#c4851030238681356426

The comparison should be with the direct competitors. Other team-based PvP FPS, such as Overwatch 2, Apex Legends, and Valorant, are free-to-play. Or even the older ones, such as Counter-Strike 2 and Team Fortres 2 (I might be wrong here - it has been years since I played PvP). Arguably, Helldivers 2 is somewhat similar and costs $40, but it is PvE/co-op only, as the developer said, "to reduce toxic elements from the community. We want an environment that's supportive, fun and where we all are fighting on the same side!" (the original Xitter link does not seem to work, so https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/helldivers-2-will-never-get-pvp-because-arrowhead-dont-want-a-toxic-community). Additionally, at the moment, by the time a game is content-complete and reasonably bug-free, it is also safely in the £10-15 price range or lower, unless one wants to support the developers or to be a paying tester. Granted, the large publishers are quite good at exploiting the FOMO, while the audience might be vulnerable to it.

I generally agree, but the "Chosen One" trope was subverted - the PC is one of the many "Chosen Undead", but is determined enough to reach the end and become firewood (or have a party with giant snakes). It might be reasonable to avoid large (>10MB) files, which browsers will try to download, in text-based discussions. My phone, fortunately, displayed it as a link and not an animated image, but still. Regarding the achievement pop-ups. GOG and Itch.io allow to run games without the DRM apps (both platforms are DRM-free), so if the games are available, purchasing there would allow to skip the reinstallation step. --- Lunacid. Reached the Prison. The area was easier to navigate due to the large space in the middle (except the lower floors/basement, which consisted of corridors). I also found the most unpleasant foe so far - the skeleton dogs (Lupine Skeletons). They have a chance to inflict the Slow condition, which, given my resistances, is 50%, so I could not dodge the subsequent attacks. On the lower levels, there were giant skeletons, which still managed to follow me into narrow passages, clipping through walls. The only other time I died in the area was upon picking the wrong elevator, which was a trap. I probably still could teleport back to the "bonfire" before dying, but reloading was preferable. Judging by the teleportation menu being filled, I am close to the end of the game (2-3 areas of unknown size).

It does look reasonably good in this resolution, though the muted sound is more noticeable. --- Lunacid. Found the most OP spell (Ice Tear) for my non-magic build and defeated 2 bosses in the (Vampire) Castle (one technically was a mini-boss). The game also highlights why I had less issues with Dark Souls not having maps - open areas with visible landmarks are much easier to navigate than similarly-looking corridors. I have also found a mimic. After losing ~200 coins to it, I decided to reload and avoid it. Dustborn (demo). The demo used several disconnected scenes to show different gameplay systems. The game is techinically similar to Dreamfall or The Walking Dead, but with rhythm mini-games and combat. The graphics and visual style are beautiful, and I liked the music, but the combat animations or physics are lacking (the regular attacks had little impact; the abilities were fine, though). I guess, if the MC had a sharp weapon, I would like it more - while Batman-style non-lethal combat is narratively fitting, it is less satisfying in the context (a party of D&D bard-like mutants are crossing a post-apocalyptic version of the US to deliver a mysterious package, so leaving the foes alive and being able to report does not seem like a reasonable course of action).

Judging by Alan Wake II, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and Larian's D&D game being critically and commercially successful, I would say that racists, homophobes, and transphobes claming that Concord's failure is anyhow related to "wokeness" are purposefully lying. The market oversaturation, combined with the price and the lack of marketing are more likely reasons.

Steam keys (from HumbleBundle): Dark Deity Blood And Zombies

Lunacid. Bought a "Health Viai" for 1 coin and drank it (a Health Vial costs 12 coins at the Sanctuary). Entered the (Vampire) Castle and confirmed that the Fire Sword is the best melee weapon.

If Twin Mirror is still available, it would be appreciated. Regarding Soulstice (EGS), it is a very nice action game, similar to the older Devil May Cry, though it felt like it lacked some finesse DMC had.

Double post after struggling to save the first one.

Moonscars The screenshots cover the full game. It is gorgeous. I will add spoiler tags. I guess, it reminded me of Soma. The lore NPC. As it is the only member of the Moon Clergy I came across, I cannot tell whether it is her personal opinion or of the Churn of the Moon. Well, he asked for it. The reasonable response in this situation would be to attack first and ask questions later. What could possibly go wrong. Sympathy is the right word. I don't think it will help them. A major spoiler. Side quests' endings. Final battle and the ending.

The achievements can highlight unusual or unexpected by the player actions (as the developers are the ones implementing the achievements, the actions required are expected). The only game I remember where the achievements enhanced the experience beyond the possible points of interest is Wandersong. Though, it was the only positive quality of the game. Finished Moonscars. Generally, a nice Souls-like/Metroidvania, with the healing system allowing to travel a lot without returning to "bonfires", which was complemented by the game saving your exact location upon exiting (it also partially respawns the foes on reloading, which led to an interesting situation once). Surprisingly, almost all traversal abilities were unlocked from the start, so I was trying to jump-climb all walls. The only issues for me were the side quest design, with the triggers really obscure or time-limited (so I failed the cat-saving quest), there being only 1 ending, and the (lack of in-character) reason to murder the second boss (which I did after trying to go everywhere else; the ability was required to progress). Some side quests had several outcomes, but due to the above-mentioned design, the choice did not feel intentional. The story follows Grey Irma, who is not the Chosen Undead, but a Pristine Clayborn, which is technically different, and trying to find the Integral Vessel, which is supposed to end the plague of clayborns. There are no dialogue choices, but not counting the issue with the second boss and the MC's resulting reflection on it, the logic is fine. Edit. Review:

It is usually on the forums rather than in reviews, though? "How to fix A?" or "I don't like B", often in less polite terms. Some of the aspects I look for might be not mentioned in the reviews, such as whether the keyboard and mouse are rebindable or how the game saves the progress, unless it is something really odd.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220720-do-octopuses-feel-pain While the answer is obvious, the article is interesting.

Arisen I do not think that she has a belt. I suppose, there is 1 outdoors background, which works for any time of day and any crowd density. The NPC does have a no-armour sprite, but neither is a robe. If I understand correctly, the game was written in French, then translated into English. At that point, I had seen Baeli once and was not aware that he had any family. "Your village was called Tosh'Seruc. It stood at the frontier between Pointe Benie and Tosh'Seruc". Lunacid Defeated the Abyssal Demon. Discovered that there it is possible to behead a zombie. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider Felt weird to see both NPCs I killed in my playthroughs. Mass Effect it is not. Accidentally jumped into the ring.

From my experience, Larian games tend to assume some level of meta-knowledge. For the D&D one specifically, reloading after each failed skill check and unexpected encouter made it somewhat bearable, though sending a rogue in stealth forward is an option, it is slow and boring. Level 5 does provide a power boost for all classes, so it might help as well. Just in case, most battles up to the end of Act 2 are optional, though the mandatory ones will require some "creativity" (stacking explosive barrels next to the boss or abusing the AI) to get through if the party is underlevelled. --- Arisen, the VN. I guess, I should not have expected anything different from an EA title, but the "missions" plainly contradict each other - one says that the MC regularly worked with an NPC, while in another the same NPC says we have not seen each other since the prologue; in the prologue, the MC murders large predators with rusty weapons and later trains with the guards, then gets beaten up by a random old man; the text descriptions also do not match the sprites and backgrounds. I was trying to progress through the shapeshifter hunter's quest line, but the next mission is locked (the option literaly has a lock on it) and I have no idea which quest I need to complete in order to unlock this one.

Sekiro. I started NG+ in order to check whether the sequence break with the Puppeeter Ninjutsu was possible. It was not - the Great Serpent does not appear until the Gun Fort gate is unlocked. Arisen. It is a visual novel. The visual design looks fantastic, the writing not so much, the settings are lacking, including saving - 1 auto-rewriting slot. Lunacid. I reached the Sanguine Sea. The name did not lie - it was a vast area, with the floor covered in red liquid and the ceiling shrouded in darkness. The last save point was at the start of the previous area and I could not see another one. But I could see an outline of something on the other side of the area. So, being the reasonable person I am, I jogged towards that mysterious structure. There was another one on the right, but it was less mysterious. The words “Accursed Tomb” appeared on the screen when I entered. I could not see far, so I equipped a torch. As the time for the session was drawing to the end, I checked the first room on the left hoping to find a save point, then quickly looked up the area map. The crystal was in the other room. So, I saved and noticed that I was chased by levitating paintings from the other room, which did not want to burn fast enough from the torch and led me to the Game Over screen. Overall, I am quite happy with the design, story, and exploration, though not so much with the combat and mildly annoyed with the saving system. Also, the skeleton at the not-Firelink Shrine, Clive, offers bits of lore, so now I know who the alchemist is. Installed the quick save mod.