Shit's still outta-control insane busy, but I feel like talking at someone about games, so here's some quick hits.
Looks like Bethesda's starting up the hype train by teasing some E3 announcements. PC Gamer has a good take on it. Obviously, there are two unknown properties that will be discussed, but I also think that the bigger surprises might come from games that are already shown there. I also think it's maybe time to retire Skyrim. The Morrowind expac will have just dropped, so another big-ass ESO announcement would be nice. I'm tired of them milking Skyrim. As for Fallout ... go big or go home. Gimme New Vegas 2 from Obsidian. A single-player expac for Doom would be awesome. Dishonored is on there, so something substantial in that area would be cool. No more trials, please. Gimme a proper expansion. And it looks like there be Prey post-release content? Wow.
As for the new stuff ... I'd love to see a new IP, obviously. I'd love to see another Rage game. Yeah, I'm that guy.
Dirt 4 has a trailer. Unfortunately, it looks like they're going arcade-style again, after the excellent Dirt Rally. This seems an odd choice.
On the plus side, FFXIV has dropped a pretty new trailer for Stormblood.
I also think I'm gonna ramp up my presence here. I'm getting pretty frustrated with existing so-called 'gamers' and gaming communities, so I'm giving thought to starting my own. I'm just tired of the hate, hyperbole, and discrimination. I try to learn from those that are different, but I know a lotta people that react in the opposite way.
I'm not really sure what I'm gonna do. I just wanna start a community that's more inclusive. I firmly believe that most gaming enthusiasts aren't what 'gamers' portray themselves as. I think most are normal, well-adjusted adults. Not the alt-right GamerGate Nazi fucks that are most commonly out in front.
Regardless, I'm also really fucking tired and I've had people all up in my face nonstop for weeks. I'm a private person that values his alone time greatly, and I rarely get it, especially lately. That's just how this time of year is for me. Holy cow, though, dude ... I am exhausted, both in terms of lack of sleep, but also in terms of face time with other humans.
Whatcha Playin'?
I'm still double-fisting Mass Effect: Andromeda and Torment: Tides of Numenera, with a side of The Elder Scrolls Online. I finished the ESO main campaign this weekend, and that was pretty rad. I haven't had much gaming time lately, but after I do some travel next week, I should be able to finally have some personal time again, around mid-May.
My goal is to finish MEA and TToN before E3. I think that's feasible.
I'm also trying to do a Dawn of War 3 mission whenever I can. I love that series. I'm not totally sold on the new one yet, mainly because I LOVED the cover system in DoW2, which has been replaced with something ... else, and I don't love it ... yet.
We've also got Prey coming next week, though I'll be traveling at the time. I'm still going to try and get it going then, but I'll likely have to wait until mid-May before I can really dig in.
Zzz
Anyway, I'm tired as fuck and tired of people as fuck. I'm tired of humans. I'm tired of being tired. I used to love spring time. I think next year, I'm going to just force everyone to fuck off in April. I dunno.
Good night.
-Blaine
Showing posts with label dawn of war 3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dawn of war 3. Show all posts
20170430
20170425
Betas and Busy
Howdy.
I played a shitload of Mass Effect: Andromeda over the weekend. The game has really sunk its hooks into me. For me, the planet of Kadara was a real turning point. Everything prior to that was cool, and I was really digging the 'explorer' vibe, but Kadara is where I really got into the story, and where I really started to like my companions. I'm now about 60 hours into the game, and a little less than halfway to completion.
I don't remember if I mentioned it or not, but reading Nexus Uprising has added a lot of cool background information to my experience. If you've played MEA at all, you can gather from the title what it's about.
Really, I'm having a harder time than ever with the critical abuse that this game has taken. I'm not gonna expound on why people act like hateful lemmings, but let me explain how you should approach this game.
One, it's a new games that takes place in the Mass Effect universe. A lot of mechanics, weapons, species, and more will seem familiar. However, it is NOT ME4, in any sense. It has a 'feel' that is vastly different from the other three games, and story-wise, it's a clean break that references back to ME1 and ME2 a little bit.
Just go into it loving the universe, but not expecting more of what you know, and you'll fall in love. I really feel, strongly, that this was a great move for the franchise, and I really wanna see more in Andromeda.
As always, Torment is what I'm hitting a bit each week, and it'll shift back to being my 'main' game once MEA wraps up. Torment is a hell of a game.
Meanwhile, I've been on two betas. One was Dawn of War III, which I sniffed at briefly, but just never made time for because of MEA. The other, I can't talk about at all because of an NDA, but I'm enjoying the hell out of it.
PRE3
We're in the last seven weeks before E3. It's getting so close, I can start to feel the hum of excitement coursing throughout the gaming world.
Typically, leading up to E3, I set some gaming goals for myself. Nothing really hardcore or crazy, just for fun, and to nudge me a bit to clear my pile of shame somewhat.
This year, we're targeting Mass Effect: Andromeda, Torment: Tides of Numenera, and the Elder Scrolls Online campaign, which I've been sitting on the end of for over a month now.
What's tough is that between now and E3, we're seeing Dawn of War III drop this week, Prey next week, and Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind on 6/6.
And I haven't even mentioned the PS4 games I still haven't finished.
The pile of shame is going to swell, and then hopefully, the summer sees a drought of releases. 2017 has been nuts in terms of releases.
Oh shit, I also accidentally bought Ghost Recon: Wildlands! Don't ask! But it's really fun!
Beyond that, I'm going through the joyful exercise of slowly building my E3 week. Every day, I scour the internet for more dates and times and anything that might add to the week. I build quite an experience for myself every year, and this year shall be no different.
So far, we know about EA, Microsoft, and Bethesda's pressers. We're still waiting to hear from Ubisoft, Sony, and maybe PC Gamer. I hope they do another PC Gamer Show at E3. I've really enjoyed those.
It'd be interesting to see someone else push their way onto the scene. Squenix has done PRE3 pressers on occasion. Acitivision or Blizzard would be interesting.
What's been getting harder each E3 is the fact that EA owns BioWare, and EA's presser is worse and worse every year, and they just haven't leveraged BioWare well in a long time. This year will be interesting, since we're going to see a new IP from BioWare.
What I'm expecting, though, is that Andrew Wilson will come out, lead off with two minutes of a shooter that everyone but me wants, then talk about BioWare for maybe 90 seconds, and then we go into 90min of fucking soccer.
I hope not.
I'll do a full EA preview when we get closer to the actual event.
What about you? You hyped for E3? What do you wanna see?
-Blaine
I played a shitload of Mass Effect: Andromeda over the weekend. The game has really sunk its hooks into me. For me, the planet of Kadara was a real turning point. Everything prior to that was cool, and I was really digging the 'explorer' vibe, but Kadara is where I really got into the story, and where I really started to like my companions. I'm now about 60 hours into the game, and a little less than halfway to completion.
I don't remember if I mentioned it or not, but reading Nexus Uprising has added a lot of cool background information to my experience. If you've played MEA at all, you can gather from the title what it's about.
Really, I'm having a harder time than ever with the critical abuse that this game has taken. I'm not gonna expound on why people act like hateful lemmings, but let me explain how you should approach this game.
One, it's a new games that takes place in the Mass Effect universe. A lot of mechanics, weapons, species, and more will seem familiar. However, it is NOT ME4, in any sense. It has a 'feel' that is vastly different from the other three games, and story-wise, it's a clean break that references back to ME1 and ME2 a little bit.
Just go into it loving the universe, but not expecting more of what you know, and you'll fall in love. I really feel, strongly, that this was a great move for the franchise, and I really wanna see more in Andromeda.
As always, Torment is what I'm hitting a bit each week, and it'll shift back to being my 'main' game once MEA wraps up. Torment is a hell of a game.
Meanwhile, I've been on two betas. One was Dawn of War III, which I sniffed at briefly, but just never made time for because of MEA. The other, I can't talk about at all because of an NDA, but I'm enjoying the hell out of it.
PRE3
We're in the last seven weeks before E3. It's getting so close, I can start to feel the hum of excitement coursing throughout the gaming world.
Typically, leading up to E3, I set some gaming goals for myself. Nothing really hardcore or crazy, just for fun, and to nudge me a bit to clear my pile of shame somewhat.
This year, we're targeting Mass Effect: Andromeda, Torment: Tides of Numenera, and the Elder Scrolls Online campaign, which I've been sitting on the end of for over a month now.
What's tough is that between now and E3, we're seeing Dawn of War III drop this week, Prey next week, and Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind on 6/6.
And I haven't even mentioned the PS4 games I still haven't finished.
The pile of shame is going to swell, and then hopefully, the summer sees a drought of releases. 2017 has been nuts in terms of releases.
Oh shit, I also accidentally bought Ghost Recon: Wildlands! Don't ask! But it's really fun!
Beyond that, I'm going through the joyful exercise of slowly building my E3 week. Every day, I scour the internet for more dates and times and anything that might add to the week. I build quite an experience for myself every year, and this year shall be no different.
So far, we know about EA, Microsoft, and Bethesda's pressers. We're still waiting to hear from Ubisoft, Sony, and maybe PC Gamer. I hope they do another PC Gamer Show at E3. I've really enjoyed those.
It'd be interesting to see someone else push their way onto the scene. Squenix has done PRE3 pressers on occasion. Acitivision or Blizzard would be interesting.
What's been getting harder each E3 is the fact that EA owns BioWare, and EA's presser is worse and worse every year, and they just haven't leveraged BioWare well in a long time. This year will be interesting, since we're going to see a new IP from BioWare.
What I'm expecting, though, is that Andrew Wilson will come out, lead off with two minutes of a shooter that everyone but me wants, then talk about BioWare for maybe 90 seconds, and then we go into 90min of fucking soccer.
I hope not.
I'll do a full EA preview when we get closer to the actual event.
What about you? You hyped for E3? What do you wanna see?
-Blaine
20170420
KotOR No More ... until mid-May
Hey ya'll. I'm putting the KotOR stream series on hold until mid-May. I need the time on Thursday and Friday nights for other things.
I'll be doing random, barely-announced streams at other times. I'll still stream Dawn of War III beta this weekend.
-Blaine
I'll be doing random, barely-announced streams at other times. I'll still stream Dawn of War III beta this weekend.
-Blaine
Happy Almost-Friday
I didn't post the last couple days, but I still wanna be your favorite bloggist.
Some shit got kinda dramatic in a few parts of life, and it was a couple days in which it was best if I avoided a medium in which I tell the world what I'm thinking about or what's going on.
It can be hard to maintain perspective at times, especially if you've got a history that's had some rather dramatic moments, but not in a while, if ya follow me. I thrive on being boring. I'm boring by design.
That being said, sometimes shit happens, and it's no one's fault. You can either keep it to yourself, or you can talk to someone. I encourage you to talk to someone. If you think you can't find someone to talk to, keep trying. You might be surprised. Just don't give up. It's worth it to keep trying.
While talking, make sure to listen, too. I had a good friend this morning throw something back at me from another perspective that really surprised me, and it was actually extremely helpful, and something I needed to hear.
When you feel like you're in crisis, clear your head, and really look around you. Your support network is bigger than you realize.
Anyway ...
I'm really stoked because Dawn of War 3 is out in a week, followed by Prey the next week, and I'm already backlogged by Mass Effect: Andromeda, Torment: Tides of Numenera, and Horizon Zero Dawn. Oh, and Elder Scrolls Online gets the Morrowind expac in June.
The good thing is that, after that, I've presumably got several months until anything interesting releases.
Regardless, this weekend, DoW3 is running an open beta that I'll be streaming on Twitch. I'm stoked to get in there and get my ass handed to me. I've loved the Dawn of War series for a long, long time, and I've loved Relic's ambitious and unapologetic approach. They drastically change the game with each numbered release, and that's kept the series fresh while also pushing the medium forward.
I'm not sure exactly what I'll be going live. I'm guessing probably Sunday? My weekends are back to being crazy for a while. Either way, I'll post to Twitter and probably here.
That KotOR Streaming Series
We're resuming the stream tonight and tomorrow night!
My last two episodes, the mic was fucked. I'm sorry. Thank the Maker for a friend that popped in and told me. That has been fixed, and we're resuming tonight!
I'll be going live around 8PM central both nights. Tonight, we start Tattooine, which is a really fun planet in KotOR.
Other Gaming Stuff
My gaming time, lately, is really cut down. That should alleviate once we into the second week in May. I think.
What little time I've had has been devoted, mostly, to Mass Effect: Andromeda, which I'm still really enjoying. I'm also squeezing in some Elder Scrolls Legends when I can, here and there. I hit a point the other night, though, where I really needed something else. I'm not a one-game guy. I'm just not. I fired up Torment for the first time in a month (I got frustrated by an unwinnable battle and Mass Effect hit), and fell right back in love. I was able to come at the battle another way, with no fighting, and move things forward. God, I love that game.
I think my goal is to finish Mass Effect and Torment before E3. We'll see. It would be fun to take the summer and do something different, which is play mostly PlayStation games. My family and I use the Xbox One constantly, but hardly ever touch the PS4, but it has two games I want to finish, which are Horizon and Uncharted 4.
I'm also giving thought to writing off console exclusives altogether. Console games are very inconvenient for me to play, and I really think I might just vote against them with my dollar. Not releasing every game on the device on which it was developed is just stupid. Not being able to take a game on the road or to work or mod it or any of that shit in 2017 is absurd, and I don't want to support it.
Anyway, that's all for now. Time for movie lunch at work.
Oh shit, and there's a new SWTOR release. I need to play that!
-Blaine
Some shit got kinda dramatic in a few parts of life, and it was a couple days in which it was best if I avoided a medium in which I tell the world what I'm thinking about or what's going on.
It can be hard to maintain perspective at times, especially if you've got a history that's had some rather dramatic moments, but not in a while, if ya follow me. I thrive on being boring. I'm boring by design.
That being said, sometimes shit happens, and it's no one's fault. You can either keep it to yourself, or you can talk to someone. I encourage you to talk to someone. If you think you can't find someone to talk to, keep trying. You might be surprised. Just don't give up. It's worth it to keep trying.
While talking, make sure to listen, too. I had a good friend this morning throw something back at me from another perspective that really surprised me, and it was actually extremely helpful, and something I needed to hear.
When you feel like you're in crisis, clear your head, and really look around you. Your support network is bigger than you realize.
Anyway ...
I'm really stoked because Dawn of War 3 is out in a week, followed by Prey the next week, and I'm already backlogged by Mass Effect: Andromeda, Torment: Tides of Numenera, and Horizon Zero Dawn. Oh, and Elder Scrolls Online gets the Morrowind expac in June.
The good thing is that, after that, I've presumably got several months until anything interesting releases.
Regardless, this weekend, DoW3 is running an open beta that I'll be streaming on Twitch. I'm stoked to get in there and get my ass handed to me. I've loved the Dawn of War series for a long, long time, and I've loved Relic's ambitious and unapologetic approach. They drastically change the game with each numbered release, and that's kept the series fresh while also pushing the medium forward.
I'm not sure exactly what I'll be going live. I'm guessing probably Sunday? My weekends are back to being crazy for a while. Either way, I'll post to Twitter and probably here.
That KotOR Streaming Series
We're resuming the stream tonight and tomorrow night!
My last two episodes, the mic was fucked. I'm sorry. Thank the Maker for a friend that popped in and told me. That has been fixed, and we're resuming tonight!
I'll be going live around 8PM central both nights. Tonight, we start Tattooine, which is a really fun planet in KotOR.
Other Gaming Stuff
My gaming time, lately, is really cut down. That should alleviate once we into the second week in May. I think.
What little time I've had has been devoted, mostly, to Mass Effect: Andromeda, which I'm still really enjoying. I'm also squeezing in some Elder Scrolls Legends when I can, here and there. I hit a point the other night, though, where I really needed something else. I'm not a one-game guy. I'm just not. I fired up Torment for the first time in a month (I got frustrated by an unwinnable battle and Mass Effect hit), and fell right back in love. I was able to come at the battle another way, with no fighting, and move things forward. God, I love that game.
I think my goal is to finish Mass Effect and Torment before E3. We'll see. It would be fun to take the summer and do something different, which is play mostly PlayStation games. My family and I use the Xbox One constantly, but hardly ever touch the PS4, but it has two games I want to finish, which are Horizon and Uncharted 4.
I'm also giving thought to writing off console exclusives altogether. Console games are very inconvenient for me to play, and I really think I might just vote against them with my dollar. Not releasing every game on the device on which it was developed is just stupid. Not being able to take a game on the road or to work or mod it or any of that shit in 2017 is absurd, and I don't want to support it.
Anyway, that's all for now. Time for movie lunch at work.
Oh shit, and there's a new SWTOR release. I need to play that!
-Blaine
20170320
Aaand we're back!
Woof! I'm back home! What a whirlwind couple of weeks! Florida, as always, was amazing. I never thought I'd be one of those people that treasures going to Florida once or more per year, but I am, and it's rad. If you live in the midwest, and don't give a shit at all about 'going to the lake,' then maybe you feel me.
Maybe I'l try 'going to the lake' this summer. Hmm.
Anyway, I'm back. I'm returning to work on Wednesday. I'm taking tomorrow to play Mass Effect: Andromeda all day. About this, I am incredibly excited.
I know MEA's reviews have been all over the place. I'm surprised at how defensive I feel about that, and I shouldn't feel defensive at all. I worry, of course, that might impact whether EA allows BioWare to make another Mass Effect, and I'm also just soured that other people don't love what I love. I guess that's part of being human, but it's also a stupid way to feel. I shouldn't care at all what people think of something that I love, but I guess even I'm subject to the stupid behaviors on the internet.
Oh well. I just gotta suffocate that tendency. And it's not like I haven't seen in every single person that I know. We shouldn't care, we tell each other that we shouldn't care, and we all do. Oh well.
I really do adore the game. I played the length of the single player trial and had a blast. I liked the slow pacing and exposition. I get why the slow pacing might irritate someone under a deadline, or why that goes against the grain of modern gaming style, but it suits me just fine.
Anyway, I'm back.
And I went from no new games to play to Torment: Tides of Numenera, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and MEA all being slammed down on the table in front of me. It's a good problem to have. If I clear them all by the end of April, when I get Dawn of War III and Prey, I'll be just fine.
I'm also starting my KotOR stream this week ... I think. My plan is to start a new stream series with KotOR 1&2. I'll be streaming 2-3 times a week. I'll be rocking lotsa mods. Good times.
Tentatively, we're looking at Thursday and Friday nights on my Twitch stream, and then that'll be uploaded to my YouTube channel.
What kind of stuff do you all wanna see in the stream? Or hear about? I plan to drop some Star Wars Expanded Universe knowledge, and any fun development anecdotes that I can find, as well as fun personal stories that tie into it.
So, that's how the gaming front is looking. MEA will probably take top billing for me for now, but I'm also loving Torment and HZD. And I'm REALLY excited about the KotOR stream series I'll be doing.
That's it, for now. I need to get back to getting my ducks in a row. *HUGS*
-Blaine
Maybe I'l try 'going to the lake' this summer. Hmm.
Anyway, I'm back. I'm returning to work on Wednesday. I'm taking tomorrow to play Mass Effect: Andromeda all day. About this, I am incredibly excited.
I know MEA's reviews have been all over the place. I'm surprised at how defensive I feel about that, and I shouldn't feel defensive at all. I worry, of course, that might impact whether EA allows BioWare to make another Mass Effect, and I'm also just soured that other people don't love what I love. I guess that's part of being human, but it's also a stupid way to feel. I shouldn't care at all what people think of something that I love, but I guess even I'm subject to the stupid behaviors on the internet.
Oh well. I just gotta suffocate that tendency. And it's not like I haven't seen in every single person that I know. We shouldn't care, we tell each other that we shouldn't care, and we all do. Oh well.
I really do adore the game. I played the length of the single player trial and had a blast. I liked the slow pacing and exposition. I get why the slow pacing might irritate someone under a deadline, or why that goes against the grain of modern gaming style, but it suits me just fine.
Anyway, I'm back.
And I went from no new games to play to Torment: Tides of Numenera, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and MEA all being slammed down on the table in front of me. It's a good problem to have. If I clear them all by the end of April, when I get Dawn of War III and Prey, I'll be just fine.
I'm also starting my KotOR stream this week ... I think. My plan is to start a new stream series with KotOR 1&2. I'll be streaming 2-3 times a week. I'll be rocking lotsa mods. Good times.
Tentatively, we're looking at Thursday and Friday nights on my Twitch stream, and then that'll be uploaded to my YouTube channel.
What kind of stuff do you all wanna see in the stream? Or hear about? I plan to drop some Star Wars Expanded Universe knowledge, and any fun development anecdotes that I can find, as well as fun personal stories that tie into it.
So, that's how the gaming front is looking. MEA will probably take top billing for me for now, but I'm also loving Torment and HZD. And I'm REALLY excited about the KotOR stream series I'll be doing.
That's it, for now. I need to get back to getting my ducks in a row. *HUGS*
-Blaine
20170207
The First Half of 2017
I gotta say, sifting through the first half of 2017 game releases is kinda staggering. We're seeing a ton of awesome and innovative stuff real quick this year.
Before I get to that, let me use 2007 as a point of reference. That was a year that I feel completely changed gaming. I'd argue that it was the most innovative year in gaming ever, and not in a totally oblique kind of way. There were several games that had subtle design decisions that, I'd argue, completely altered the trajectory of modern games.
Before I get to that, let me use 2007 as a point of reference. That was a year that I feel completely changed gaming. I'd argue that it was the most innovative year in gaming ever, and not in a totally oblique kind of way. There were several games that had subtle design decisions that, I'd argue, completely altered the trajectory of modern games.
- BioShock
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Crysis
- Gears of War
- Portal
- Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
- STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl
- The Witcher
From the storytelling in BioShock to the stop n' pop in Gears, to the amazing mechanics in Portal, to the open world exploration and storytelling in STALKER, I think each one of those introduced a new concept in gaming that then permeated throughout gaming.
Also, Quake Wars is still the only multiplayer game that I've ever really gone crazy for.
The gaming scene in 2007 merits its own post some time this year, as it really was pretty incredible if you'd been a gaming enthusiast for a long time. Lotsa sweeping changes, and lotsa seeds planted.
Anyway, about this year ...
... or more specifically, the first half of this year.
I know I've seen crowded post-Christmas release calendars before, and I've seen games drop in March before, but I don't think I've ever seen such density in terms of quality releases in the first six months of the year. I also see the potential for a lot of innovation and new ideas. Also, a fair number of these are either new IP or total reinventions of existing IP.
First, the only one of these that I am NOT getting, Nioh. This game looks fantastic, and way too hard. I don't like hard games. I'm a busy guy, and if it's challenging, it needs to be in terms of strategy, and not twitch. If I can't beat a boss strategically on my first attempt, then no. In these kinda games you have to die a few times to learn the patterns, and then you can kill it. Yes, I recognize this as a strategy, but not the kind I like. Not for me. Nope.
Still, the reviews, if they were able to finish the game, are glowing, and there's already rumblings about 'game of the year.' Some folks love these kinda games, and I respect this genre absolutely (even if I personally have no use for it.)
Horizon: Zero Dawn
This really caught my attention at E3 a couple years ago. Every time Guerilla Games would show a new game at E3, in the past, I'd marvel at how alive and amazing the world looked, and then I'd roll my eyes as soon as it descended into yet another shoot-shoot-shoot experience. I saw so much wasted potential there.
Then, at E3 2015, they showed off a world that captured my imagination, and immediately started setting incredibly unrealistic expectations. Techno-savages battling robo-dinosaurs in a post-apocalyptic world that was way after the apocalypse! Yes! It all looked great, minus being trapped as a console-exclusive. That's enormously disappointing, but I bought a PS4 for Uncharted 4, so now I'll have a second game to play on it.
I've since dialed my expectations waaay back, but this game still looks great. I'd honestly be more hyped for it, were it not releasing against my personal (expected) game of the year.
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Holy shit, I am over the moon for this one. I've had to work very hard to not play more of the Early Access version, because I wanna be as fresh as possible on this game, but GODDAM, it is so good. I love everything about it, from the lore, the character building, the reactive world, the combat, all of it. It is a perfect blend, so far, of deep mechanics and rich storytelling.
This is marketed as a spiritual successor to PlaneScape: Torment, but that doesn't mean a lot for me, since I never played it. The few hours of Torment: Tides of Numenera that I've played, though, make that matter little, because I am so in love with it.
This hits three weeks from today, but I'm hoping that maybe it's available to backers the weekend before. That desire is not based on any real information that I've gotten, and will probably not happen.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
I love the Mass Effect series deeply, and felt that it came to a natural conclusion with ME3. I was skeptical when I heard about this game, because its existence (not coming from the ME trilogy team, not part of the trilogy) seemed like a possible EA-forced cash-in, but everything that I've seen over the last couple of months disputes that notion.
One of the things that is potentially off-putting to me is that seems even more action-focused than the previous games, which is not really something in which I have a lot of interest, but I'm more than happy to give it a chance. BioWare is a studio that has repeatedly gotten me to enjoy things that I didn't think I would, including the first Mass Effect, which had me (and others) screaming, 'WHY ISN'T IT KOTOR3?! JUST MAKE KOTOR3!' After playing it, I was relieved that they'd made it instead of KotOR 3 (which I still want.) I love new ideas, and BioWare is very good at implementing them.
I'm actually extending my Spring Training vacation by one day, so that I can squeeze in a full day with this game.
Prey
This looks hot. Some of my favorite people are working on it, including Shawn Elliot and Chris Avellone. Everything we've seen of the gameplay looks innovative as hell, and the creep factor is off the charts. I get vibes of everything from BioShock to Half-Life. I am so all over this.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
Also ...
... a buddy pointed out that Resident Evil 7 and Yakuza 0 have both already released and made very good impressions on many folks (I have a small number of issues with RE7, but I'm way early in the game.) I really wanna play Yakuza 0, but I already have too many games that are console-only (Uncharted 4, HZD, Gears 4), so I'll wait on that one.
We also MIGHT see stuff like Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 3 in the first half, though I'm skeptical. I'm very excited for both of those, as well, and the Original Sin 2 Early Access version is incredible.
I can't wait to see what the latter part of the year holds. We've got an incredible lineup for the first half, and like I said, I've not seen it this dense with cool games ... maybe ever?
How about you? What's got you stoked for the first half of 2017?
-Blaine
This really caught my attention at E3 a couple years ago. Every time Guerilla Games would show a new game at E3, in the past, I'd marvel at how alive and amazing the world looked, and then I'd roll my eyes as soon as it descended into yet another shoot-shoot-shoot experience. I saw so much wasted potential there.
Then, at E3 2015, they showed off a world that captured my imagination, and immediately started setting incredibly unrealistic expectations. Techno-savages battling robo-dinosaurs in a post-apocalyptic world that was way after the apocalypse! Yes! It all looked great, minus being trapped as a console-exclusive. That's enormously disappointing, but I bought a PS4 for Uncharted 4, so now I'll have a second game to play on it.
I've since dialed my expectations waaay back, but this game still looks great. I'd honestly be more hyped for it, were it not releasing against my personal (expected) game of the year.
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Holy shit, I am over the moon for this one. I've had to work very hard to not play more of the Early Access version, because I wanna be as fresh as possible on this game, but GODDAM, it is so good. I love everything about it, from the lore, the character building, the reactive world, the combat, all of it. It is a perfect blend, so far, of deep mechanics and rich storytelling.
This is marketed as a spiritual successor to PlaneScape: Torment, but that doesn't mean a lot for me, since I never played it. The few hours of Torment: Tides of Numenera that I've played, though, make that matter little, because I am so in love with it.
This hits three weeks from today, but I'm hoping that maybe it's available to backers the weekend before. That desire is not based on any real information that I've gotten, and will probably not happen.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
I love the Mass Effect series deeply, and felt that it came to a natural conclusion with ME3. I was skeptical when I heard about this game, because its existence (not coming from the ME trilogy team, not part of the trilogy) seemed like a possible EA-forced cash-in, but everything that I've seen over the last couple of months disputes that notion.
One of the things that is potentially off-putting to me is that seems even more action-focused than the previous games, which is not really something in which I have a lot of interest, but I'm more than happy to give it a chance. BioWare is a studio that has repeatedly gotten me to enjoy things that I didn't think I would, including the first Mass Effect, which had me (and others) screaming, 'WHY ISN'T IT KOTOR3?! JUST MAKE KOTOR3!' After playing it, I was relieved that they'd made it instead of KotOR 3 (which I still want.) I love new ideas, and BioWare is very good at implementing them.
I'm actually extending my Spring Training vacation by one day, so that I can squeeze in a full day with this game.
Prey
This looks hot. Some of my favorite people are working on it, including Shawn Elliot and Chris Avellone. Everything we've seen of the gameplay looks innovative as hell, and the creep factor is off the charts. I get vibes of everything from BioShock to Half-Life. I am so all over this.
The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
Also ...
... a buddy pointed out that Resident Evil 7 and Yakuza 0 have both already released and made very good impressions on many folks (I have a small number of issues with RE7, but I'm way early in the game.) I really wanna play Yakuza 0, but I already have too many games that are console-only (Uncharted 4, HZD, Gears 4), so I'll wait on that one.
We also MIGHT see stuff like Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 3 in the first half, though I'm skeptical. I'm very excited for both of those, as well, and the Original Sin 2 Early Access version is incredible.
I can't wait to see what the latter part of the year holds. We've got an incredible lineup for the first half, and like I said, I've not seen it this dense with cool games ... maybe ever?
How about you? What's got you stoked for the first half of 2017?
-Blaine
20160815
Gamescom! WOOHOO!
Gamescom 2016 is almost upon us. I'm stoked.
If you wanna watch some of the live coverage, IGN has it. I'm gonna check around more tonight and see if I can dig up any other live streams.
I'm still coming to understand Gamescom, as it is a bit different from E3. It's in Cologne, Germany, for one, but it also has an 'open to the public' component, as well.
It's bigger, in terms of attendance, but it's temporal proximity to E3, I think, has diminished its overall profile. It seems to have fewer pressers every year, but there's still lotsa great looks at games there.
It's also a chance for a lot of my favorite European developers, like Larian, Piranha Bytes, and CD Projekt Red to shine and get some love.
Oh, and Final Fantasy XV got delayed. Hmm. I have the game preordered, but I can't say that I'm really expecting a lot from the title. I despise the character design, I like that they added pause-and-play to combat after foolishly ditching turn-based, and the characters themselves seem to be somewhere between bland and melodramatic fucktards. Still, it's a numerical Final Fantasy, and I'm a slave to that series, so ...
But, I'm still looking forward to the game. I just wish it was coming to PC. YEAH YEAH YEAH, I know. You hate being able to tailor your gaming experience to your exact desires. Sure.
Anyway ...
FFXV will also be at Gamescom.
Hey, if you're not watching Dark Matter, you're part of the problem. Give it a look. I love this show.
I'm super-stoked for Nuka World. Give it a look.
Once Nuka World releases, I don't think we're seeing any actual big new games from MGS for a long, long time. Elder Scrolls VI is way, way down the road, and don't even bring up Fallout 5. Of course, it would be awesome to see New Vegas 2 from Obsidian. I'd greedily devour that shit. New Vegas is probably in my top 10 games of all time.
Games I'll be watching for at Gamescom:
Elex
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Dishonored 2
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Final Fantasy XV
Prey
Seven
Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 3
Warhammer 40k: Inquisitor: Martyr
Watch Dogs 2
And, oh look, IGN has a couple unannounced games in their coverage. That's interesting. Hmm.
What about you? Anything that might be at Gamescom that's got you stoked?
Alright, that's enough for now. Yeah, I still owe you more Star Trek pics, I know. We'll get to that ... uh ... soon.
-Blaine
If you wanna watch some of the live coverage, IGN has it. I'm gonna check around more tonight and see if I can dig up any other live streams.
I'm still coming to understand Gamescom, as it is a bit different from E3. It's in Cologne, Germany, for one, but it also has an 'open to the public' component, as well.
It's bigger, in terms of attendance, but it's temporal proximity to E3, I think, has diminished its overall profile. It seems to have fewer pressers every year, but there's still lotsa great looks at games there.
It's also a chance for a lot of my favorite European developers, like Larian, Piranha Bytes, and CD Projekt Red to shine and get some love.
SERIOUSLY? This guy?
Oh, and Final Fantasy XV got delayed. Hmm. I have the game preordered, but I can't say that I'm really expecting a lot from the title. I despise the character design, I like that they added pause-and-play to combat after foolishly ditching turn-based, and the characters themselves seem to be somewhere between bland and melodramatic fucktards. Still, it's a numerical Final Fantasy, and I'm a slave to that series, so ...
But, I'm still looking forward to the game. I just wish it was coming to PC. YEAH YEAH YEAH, I know. You hate being able to tailor your gaming experience to your exact desires. Sure.
Anyway ...
FFXV will also be at Gamescom.
Hey, if you're not watching Dark Matter, you're part of the problem. Give it a look. I love this show.
I'm super-stoked for Nuka World. Give it a look.
Once Nuka World releases, I don't think we're seeing any actual big new games from MGS for a long, long time. Elder Scrolls VI is way, way down the road, and don't even bring up Fallout 5. Of course, it would be awesome to see New Vegas 2 from Obsidian. I'd greedily devour that shit. New Vegas is probably in my top 10 games of all time.
Games I'll be watching for at Gamescom:
Elex
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Dishonored 2
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Final Fantasy XV
Prey
Seven
Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 3
Warhammer 40k: Inquisitor: Martyr
Watch Dogs 2
And, oh look, IGN has a couple unannounced games in their coverage. That's interesting. Hmm.
What about you? Anything that might be at Gamescom that's got you stoked?
Alright, that's enough for now. Yeah, I still owe you more Star Trek pics, I know. We'll get to that ... uh ... soon.
-Blaine
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