Happy New Year!!

Sniper Elite 4....

With the Steam winter sale ongoing I picked up Sniper Elite 4 out of curiosity and a certain need for the genre of game. The price didn't hurt either. -85% for the Deluxe edition(€13.49), sure why not.

The game may be called Sniper but it's not 100% enforced and if you never want to use a sniper rifle then that can work as well.You can be sneaky, you can be stealthy and you can be as loud as the 4th of July if you want. It's not a perfect game but it's fun. If your after a 'real' sniper simulation then there are other games for that. Sniper Elite 4 caters to all and for all it does the job well enough. The fun and enjoyment factors are high.

Sniper Elite 4 has surprised me. I'd seen it's kill-shot slow-mo x-ray mechanic from it's previous iterations and thought it 'cool'; But seeing it in action myself, yea it's 'COOL'.

The real surprise for me however is in how much it reminds me of the hard 'Lone Wolf' version of Hidden and Dangerous 2's missions(back in the day), but better(modern game etc) now seen in this game. A game to spend hours or 'just' minutes of your time. I've been playing on Normal(Marksman) and for once I'm thinking the difficulty needs to be upped a notch. Save slots at any time also help.

Enjoyment like the game difficulty is in the eye of the beholder. More 'realism' works both ways; Up that difficulty so don't be surprised if a Drogo booboo gets you.

Like H&D 2 once the enemies know of your existence they tend to focus and flank you. They use tactics from covering fire to blind fire all the while closing in on your 'estimated' position(because of course you moved.... right); Trying to flush you out with grenades. As you ambush the ambushers and flee(tactical withdrawal) from the area(tripwires!!). The A.I. is good but it's not that good. Which is realistic in that there are idiots levels of trained and untrained soldiers in the world. At least that's how I look at it. It's believable that way. Immersive. Especially as the Germans are more 'keen' than their Italian allies(at least from what I've seen) so is all apt.

There's enjoyment in the games doing. Even if your all in on the sneaking side and things go 'bad', picking off the enemy as they fox and hound you 'feels' good and very much appeals to a sense of underdog victory; And I've found myself getting into such situations on purpose because of it.

The melee combat is also effective, so much so that I find I want to be up close and personal just to keep things quiet; Or to get out of situations with minimum fuss.

Using the binoculars to target/tag enemies and items is a simple but great way to bring extra narrative to the gameplay as well as tactical intel. Such intel provides more immersion as long as you don't question how the bino's know what they know. Either way the information can be used or ignored and a lot is just there for flavour. It all works for me.

In a lot of ways the maps allow for a flow of gameplay dependent on the player. You'll see a lot of your own play-style reflected back at you and in turn will get more out of it the more you put in. A game system that really works from what I've seen so far. Better to start with a high difficulty and bring it down than the opposite way and there's not many games a player can say that about. I'll be taking my time and enjoying this for some time to come.

A Casual Carebear Gamer

Star Trek Online....

The last couple of days has seen both or my PC and Xbox accounts claim the winter event reward ship. I've no plans to use it on either side except for my PC's Discovery character; For no other reason than to be thematic. In saying that there's something to be said for broadening game knowledge. There's an interesting fit done by 1800BrokenSoul who did a show and tell vid Eisenberg Star Cruiser T6 - DS9 NOG - Q's Winter Wonderland! 2021 Tac Drain build?. I might learn something by imitation. So I've both claimed the ship to the character and started on the rep items needed. 

Overall I'm still enjoying the winter event. Plus the extra dil daily reward on some characters is well needed.

With the latest Phoenix prize event I've drained all Dil across the board to buy upgrade tokens so I'm behind on both rep and Dil to claim the items needed for the bulk of the fit.

Still, having to run the character through advanced TFO's to get more rep tokens has been showing how good his current T5-X ship is. Even taking him with it into Elite patrols to test things out with surprising success.

As with all things in STO there are a lot of variables from Ship, to characters and traits for both etc; But I'm aiming to have this character be a lot closer to the end goal of a 'copied' fit than most others I've done. Time and compromise choices will tell in the end.

On that note I've always hesitated to mess about with a characters traits too much in such situations. I guess I'm 'funny' when it comes to a characters and how comfortable I am with them already when considering 'messing about with them. Personal knowledge and experience vs the unknown or unknowable. Overall I'm not that complex a STO player.

The Discovery Character was created 'just because' and has no real purpose other than to faff about with(and farm dil). So in that vein I've no problem with wiping that slate clean and reworking him. My main is the other end of that spectrum, with so many ships and fits he is set as a multi-tool that does it all with the least possible hassle hopping from one to the other(and still keep me happy).

 

Speaking of which I'm still having fun on my main with the Mirror Warship and it's ad-hoc fit.

The more things change the more they stay the same. In more ways than one.

After reading a short yet polite tweet from a prominent community STO 'influencer' I was left questioning their judgment. Maybe it was their mood, maybe it was their elitism boiling over or just a chip on their shoulder for Microsoft and/or Sony. Whatever it was they were wanting STO gamers on console to play on PC instead. Even if it was a potato of a PC. To start fresh on a new platform; That's so cocky, so egotistic I'm left to waffle like this on the internet. I wanted to replay in the heat of the moment but that just leads to animosity and a 40 tweet response with someone I don't know. The comment responses were somewhat interesting. A cross between cultists following their leader and pragmatic innocence.  Anyway I was disappointed in the initial tweet It speaks volumes to the character of the person involved. I'll take a bucket of salt with all their views from here on out. I love the game on PC and can appreciate it's differences on console(that's why I play it there). Same game different experiences and all still fun. Play it in whatever way you can and want or like me both, your fun is your fun.

In helping out my wife on various characters I've taken my latest Jem'Hadar(the one with 'that' ship) to both help her and understand how to fly the dam thing. I've come to the understanding that it's best to just sit in space as a turret and not move(not that much anyway).

All told I'm just more comfortable in the smaller ships. Then again 'nothing ventured nothing gained'.

On another side note my respect for some players and their character creation ways goes on. Kudos to this Apollo.

Journey....

More recently I've been into the types of game that are about the journey. Abzu, Skye. Alpha planet, The Artful Escape to name a few as a more purist take on the type. This genre of game is hard to define, is as wide as it is deep in meaning and interpretation. From action adventure, platformer, exploration to a petal on the wind. weapons or no, abilities or none. 

Journey is a game that I'd heard about from it's launch hype as being different and special for it's take on gaming. A walking simulator and environmental narrative, the start of something that helped define the genre in those terms for the recent past. It's in the Meta. A genre easy and hard to describe at the same time for sure. Different things to different gamers.

Some of these types of games 'do it' for me, others not so much. While Limbo is a good game it's not a game for me but Alpha Planet is. 

Firewatch is all me but after watching a full (and entertaining) walkthrough the game had noting for me if I were to buy it and do it for myself...... I think with 10% doubt.....

The genre is a hard one to nail down, is a like or dislike, in a know what I like when I see it kind of way.

Various lists of the best of the genre are mainly listing games I'd not play. Dear Esther, The Unfinished Swan, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, Gone Home, What Remains of Edith Finch, The Stanley Parable.

Others are an in-between like Ori, as much as I want to like both Ori games I can't get into them for one reason or another.

Twelve minutes is it's own thing that I never got into but then again so is A Plague Tale Innocence and I was all over that.....

A Casual Carebear Gamer

On the other hand Power Wash is a game I know I want but I know it'd be too much for me, too addictive and I'd go overboard with it. Hours and hours of gameplay I know I can use elsewhere to better effect(too many games too little time).

Whereas Unpacking is a game that I thought was interesting but once played was very much more into(thank you Gamepass Ultimate).

The lines blur vastly when game mechanics start down the more simulation route, Mini metro, mini motorways and Islanders. Like I said the genre really does cover a lot of ground. 

This gaming hobby is a complicated lark to explain in general never mind specifics like this.

So Journey has been in my peripheral vision for a long time. I knew it was a Playstaion exclusive game but after seeing it on Steam during the winter sale I knew I wanted to try it. -50% off at €6.25, a bargain. I guess I went into an ignore mode thinking I'd never get to play it. While I've only played just over an hour I can already say that it's worth it. The journey has just begun. If your into it your into it.

Just Cause 4....

 

After getting Just Cause 4 free on Epic some time ago(2 ish years?), I just installed and played it over the weekend; To see for myself what all the fuss(at the time) was about. A bit late but curiosity got the better of me. The main reason for even looking in it's direction was a scan through all the free games on Epic which I've claimed over the years; To take a second glance at those that were the more popular/ heavier hitters. 

Long story short, the game is decent as are the game mechanics, but it does feel and look janky a.f. 

It's the nature of the beast. Can't have the good unless you accept the bad due to it being what it is. In order to make the grapple physics work and flow you have to accept a massive level of sloppy phsics and clipping etc. 

It's not a game to take itself seriously which is the best way to look at it(for the most part) as a gamer. 

Between the character(s) and the game mechanics fun it can indeed still be repetitive. 

The chaos of situations and the way you can use the game mechanics in a pinch is the real fun part. That feeling of epic fun as you string together a range of moves.... At least at the start. Later it's more of a taken for granted element and then it looses it's special sauce 'feel'. 'Special' can only be special for so long before it wears out it's welcome. At least it seems that way for me, in this game. 

All told I lasted about an hour into the game. Having seen and played it, it's just not a game for me. I get what and why it is what it is, but I'd rather play a more 'normal' Far Cry game and get what I'd feel is a better story arc from it. Each to their own. 

It's not like other games haven't done what it's done(new and old), from grapple hook to squirrel suit to parachute etc etc etc. I'm not saying a modern writer can't create a classic masterpiece but there's a cráp ton of wheel reinvention these days. But that's reading a whole lot into the game and way overanalyzing it. The game is fun but it's no masterpiece. It still deserves to have it's place on the shelf.

It does make me wonder about the Uncharted franchise. Maybe it'd be a better more traditional 'Tomb Raider'-esque modern action game series..... With Indiana Jones vibes for good measure. If only it wasn't on 'just' the Pony Slaystation(Next iteration seems to be on all platforms next year). No access has always meant I discounted it(I'm a Xbox boy). Also when I say tomb raider I mean the franchise up to Tomb Raider IV. Yea I'm old(not that old but you know...). I was no fan after TR IV and it's been in nose dive after nose dive since(imho) with all the wheel reinvention trying to change it to in the moment sensibilities rather than be timeless story and gameplay. Overall I guess the latest and greatest of the genre don't 'do it for me'. No matter the tricks up collective sleeves, just like, Batman, Spiderman, Monster hunter World, Titanfall 2, just about every Assassin’s Creed game...... Tarzan must me turning on his vine.

Happy Christmas....

 
Nollaig shona dhaoibh!

Evil Genius 2 World Domination....

Endgame was marked with a warning of no return. A last chance to do the secondary objectives before pressing on. I choose to finish up what secondaries I'd already started and then proceed with complete world domination.

With the final rush of enemies over and that point of no return crossed there were only limited numbers of 'normal' agents sent to harass the lair. A few changes (remade a long entrance corridor) and I was able to assign it as a kill on sight zone to take care of such intruders. Never having to worry about any manual red alerts, minions took care of it all(as they should) with brute force. A good thing I wish I'd had sooner.

Time with no pressure, it's allowed me to take time and gather what I needed on the world stage. Doomsday fuel being the main gathered resource; but easy to get. Even when down to the last few countries. Overall the game is defiantly the epitome of the phrase 'hurry up and wait'.

I also took that time and completed all the R&D slots. For no other reason than to see the items they unlocked and how things worked with them. 

Many useful items were unlocked but the traps were a let down when put to use. They are very specific and situational. The main gripe I have with them is the lack of targeting ability. They are very area of effect weapons; And kill minions faster then enemy agents. A shark tank should be a glorious addition but when agents get past it and 5 minions fall in instead it's a disappointment. I found all traps like that to be very sub standard. The pay wall 'door' on the other hand was the most handy. An item a bit on the nose given the DLC and season pass the game has. But a funny item nonetheless. It held up all agents for a good amount of time as my minions gathered on the other side to rain bullets on them.

Once I'd done all I needed it was time to not just destroy the last HQ; There's an achievement for turning all countries to Gooooooooooooooooooooooold. All in the end fell to Max's world domination. Cutscene, credits and that's it. An apt end game for Max. 

If I do end up buying the game it'll be with it's DLC as whatever 'complete' or 'game of the year' edition at a good price next year (this time next year?). I think the DLC content and a new 'genius' play-through could prove motivation on top of time away from the game. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” etc.

Completing the Max story seems to be a rare thing. 0.74% of players.

Not to mention the ultimate Max ending of turning the world golden at 0.14% of players.

ETS 2....

With the personal side of the event done I've been plugging away at destinations with the least gift deliveries for the community goals. Every little helps.

Yep, I still wish the trailers were the actual 'gifts' wrapped in a bow; They were more photogenic for the season. Maybe next year.

Still the game is the game and I'm enjoying it with the broader event contributions as a purpose; With a side of managing a trucking company again.