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Game industry

Digital rot

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I’ve been playing a few games lately, and finished Avowed over a month ago. But I haven’t made much progress on writing a review- I don’t have an excuse other than sometimes writing is hard.

But I do have a little inspiration to capture some thoughts on a gaming related topic. I’ve ran across a few posts about the reality of digital licensing lately, including one by Wilhelm over on The Ancient Gaming Noob. This discussion has become more relevant in recent years as the percentage of games being purchased in purely digital form has increased.

What does our purchase of digital media actually entitle us to? Pretty much nothing in the current system, which seems a bit one-sided. Clearly digital licensing doesn’t impart ‘ownership’ in the traditional sense, but shouldn’t it give us something we can count on?

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Game reviews

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

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I have enjoyed over fifty hours of play time in Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning (referred to as “Reckoning” from here on) in the past month. Re-Reckoning is a technology refresh of the 2012 release which corrects some bugs and adds console support but otherwise leaves the original game largely untouched.

I didn’t play Reckoning back when it originally released. It was/is an open world fantasy themed roleplaying game set in an original world which R.A. Salvatore contributed to. It sounds like a game that I should have jumped on, but for some reason I didn’t even try it out. I vaguely recall being ambivalent due to the problems around its development and the almost immediate collapse of its original developer, Big Huge Games. And for various reasons I missed out on picking it up even as the years (decades) passed. Not even the release of the refreshed version in 2021 drew me in.

But I am here to say that Reckoning is a pretty good RPG even nearly 15 years after its release. Fun and engaging combat, a pretty intriguing story, and decent (for the time) graphics create a fairly enjoyable whole, especially for less than $10 which is what I paid on Xbox Live.

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Game reviews

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

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I really enjoyed Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, but it is a game that in some ways begs to be poorly reviewed. It isn’t really great at any one thing other than building a cinematic mood. The combat is kind of ‘meh’, the platforming and puzzles are okay, and the enemy AI is occasionally quite comical.

But the pieces come together in a way that makes me feel like I truly am Indiana Jones when I’m playing it. I’m going to do my best in this review to explain why the not-so-great mechanics somehow produce magic.

TitleIndiana Jones and the Great Circle
DeveloperMachineGames (Bethesda)
TypeAction RPG
Platform(s)Xbox Series X / S, Windows; Reviewed on Xbox Series X
Kelly Score ™95 / 100
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Game reviews

Dragon Age: the Veilguard- Endings

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I completed Veilguard after 2 days, 23 hours, and 16 minutes of play time, reaching level 50 (the maximum) during my playtime. Endings in games that I enjoy are rarely ‘great’: they are coloured by the fact that stories I have enjoyed participating in are now over. Veilguard doesn’t buck this trend, but it does end well with a good sense that the main story threads have reached a reasonable conclusion.

And, along with my previous thoughts on the game, I feel like I can summarize my recommendation. Veilguard is a game that I’d strongly recommend to anyone who enjoys action oriented role playing experiences with deep in-game stories and character development. Tons of lore, enjoyable character interactions, and an excellent combat system made every hour I spent in Thedas enjoyable.

I have a bit more detail and caveats to offer in the balance of this post.

TitleDragon Age: the Veilguard
DeveloperBioware
TypeAction RPG
Platform(s)Playstation 5, Xbox Series X / S, Windows; Reviewed on Xbox Series X
Kelly Score ™93 / 100
Review summary
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Game reviews

Dragon Age: the Veilguard- first hours

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Dragon Age: the Veilguard- hereafter referred to as ‘Veilguard’- released on October 31: at 9:00 AM Pacific time where I live. I’ve been having an absolute blast playing it since that moment. I think it is safe to say that Bioware has created a great game.

This isn’t a ‘proper’ review as I don’t think I’m far enough along in the story yet. I haven’t found all the companions I understand exist in the world, for one thing. Instead I want to talk a bit about some of my early impressions of Veilguard’s mechanics and why they are making me happy.

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Game reviews

Starfield Shattered Space expansion: initial opinion

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I am a long-time enjoyer of Bethesda games. Fallout and Elder Scrolls are near and dear to my heart. And yes, I like Starfield. I don’t love it with quite the fervour I have for Bethesda’s earlier games, but I have enjoyed spending over 100 hours of my time exploring their version of outer space.

I recently spent a day, perhaps ten hours in total, playing the first Starfield expansion: Shattered Space. I’m not finished as I am intentionally taking the ‘scenic’ route by completing several side quests. But I do have some initial thoughts, mostly in contradiction of some of the generally negative reviews I’ve read and watched.

My opinion: Shattered Space is good, a worthy expansion of a game I’ve enjoyed. But it won’t change anyone’s mind about Starfield if they didn’t like the base game.

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Console hardware

I prefer the Xbox…

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Every day I seem to see another article or Youtube video implying that the Xbox console is a dead platform. The decline in Xbox sales is definitely a real thing. Playstation 5 sales are easily double the number of Xbox Series X/S consoles that have sold. And Microsoft themselves have said that their focus is no longer on selling more consoles.

But I still prefer my Xbox Series X over anything Sony is making currently. Should I be worried? I’d say no, not at all: but I’ll put my stake in the ground here to refer back to when I’m proven wrong in a year or two…

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Grumpy gamer rants

No, Dragon Age Veilguard is not ‘woke’

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Gamers are not in any way a uniform community: I would argue that, like a lot of ‘geek’ pastimes, one of the key characteristics of the gaming community is acceptance of differences. But sometimes I have to wave my fist at elements of the gaming fandom that I just think don’t belong. Today is one of those times.

There is a small group of loud and obnoxious ‘gamers’ who seem to be having a moment lately. These are the toxic cousins to the unpleasant gatekeepers who pose purity tests for anyone who wants to call themselves a fan. I’m talking now about the bigots and haters who don’t want people different than them represented in games. They often shout “Woke!” at any game that tries to be inclusive, and frankly I’m sick and tired of them.

One of their latest targets is an upcoming game called Dragon Age: the Veilguard. The game hasn’t even shipped yet, and a certain group is dumping hatred on it for the fact it doesn’t strictly represent straight white men in the role of ‘hero’. The ‘controversy’ is so loud that a developer often credited with creating the original series, David Gaider, has felt compelled to call the noisy weirdos out. In a world with fewer asshats, he wouldn’t feel a response was necessary.

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