Digital rot
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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Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning
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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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
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.
| Title | Indiana Jones and the Great Circle |
| Developer | MachineGames (Bethesda) |
| Type | Action RPG |
| Platform(s) | Xbox Series X / S, Windows; Reviewed on Xbox Series X |
| Kelly Score ™ | 95 / 100 |
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
I didn’t play Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (Syndicate from here onwards) when it came out in 2015. It came up at a discount on the Xbox game store at $11.99 a couple of weeks ago during all the ‘Black Friday’ noise, and I decided to give it a try.
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Dragon Age: the Veilguard- Endings
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.
| Title | Dragon Age: the Veilguard |
| Developer | Bioware |
| Type | Action RPG |
| Platform(s) | Playstation 5, Xbox Series X / S, Windows; Reviewed on Xbox Series X |
| Kelly Score ™ | 93 / 100 |
Dragon Age: the Veilguard- lots to enjoy
I have a total of about 48 hours of played time in Veilguard at this point. My character is over level 40, and I’d guess I’m about two thirds to three quarters of the way through the main story. The game keeps drawing me in, providing events and stories that make me want to see what’s next even when sleep beckons.
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Dragon Age: the Veilguard- first hours
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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Starfield Shattered Space expansion: initial opinion
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.
…Starfield Shattered Space expansion: initial opinionRead More »
I prefer the Xbox…
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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