Redwolf's Journal (continued)

Generally, I'll stick with a game at least until I complete the story. There are exceptions, usually in some large sprawling open world like a Bethesda Fallout/Elder Scrolls game where I get sidetracked off the story. With Divinity: Original Sin 2, I'm taking a break due to... well, I'm not sure if it can be termed a bug or just a design quirk. Usually when you interact with an NPC who is connected with one of your party companion quests, that companion will step up and you'll be prompted to allow them to lead the conversation. It's happened a number of time and its occasionally rather final/abrupt (Sebille killed one person I was trying to talk to, depriving me of any conversation/trading possibilities there). So, that established, I didn't really think anything immediately of what happened (or didn't) when I went down into some ancient ruins Fane wanted to see. Coming to the end of an area, there was a sarcophagus, which seemed like a very obvious (for

Through season one and into season two, I'd say I'm enjoying the series and I'm fairly invested. I'm not quite sure what it looks like to someone without I-watched-the-old-series nostalgia glasses, though. Of course, it's not perfect. I could use with the comedy being tuned back - not removed entirely, but the more serious episodes resonate better for me. The first season ramps up sharply in the last couple episodes from establishing setup and working to add some depth to cast members to "whoa, stuff is happening!" the series has a tendency to introduce plot points semi-subtly and then either forget about them entirely or bring them back a couple episodes later as a "big reveal," all the while leaving me thinking "shouldn't they be talking about this?" in the meantime. Also, the setting feels kind of hollow. That was probably the case in the original more than I remember, and many more flesh-out-feeling settings are accomplished

... Not the concept, but rather the Japanese anime/manga/game IP. I got into Fate because of character designs for the most part, seeing Saber and others online before I had any clear idea of the source. Since then, I've watched a number of series and played the original visual novel through once - which is only the Fate/Stay Night "path." I also took up Fate/Grand Order on my phone, though "playing" that often entails poking at it a few minutes a day. The basic idea is straightforward enough: a group of magi summon magical warriors of various classifications who are based on legendary figures to battle in a contest. The last Master/Servant pair standing gets a wish. Of course, then it veers off a bit by making some of the characters deviate wildly from their historical/mythical selves. The most obvious of those would be the original Saber - Arturia/Altria/Artoria (depending on spelling translation) Pendragon. And King Arthur being female is sort of just th

One of my coming-off-the-holidays games to play is Divinity: Original Sin 2. It's got a lot of complexity to it, and I don't think I'm more than a third, so any sort of final review will have to wait. It's got some ups and downs. It's also made me think a lot in the last day or two about difficulty in video games. Most games, video or otherwise, are meant to involve some measure of challenge. And in the earlier days of video games, difficulty was a good way to bait more quarters/tokens. Learnable patterns, however, provided a means of getting better at a game. Things have come a long way, and the experiences have evolved. A lot of video games that follow a story (be it an RPG's script or a linear, but unscripted, experience) can be played through in a way that involves minimal failure, with only the hardest or most surprising moments requiring a reload. Keeping up the flow of the game helps maintain immersion in the tale being told. There are still some th

AC: Origins is a good game. Mechanically, it changes up the counter-heavy combat of previous installments for a hit box system, making combat much less like a quick time event. It leads to some odd moments here and there and means a lot of situations can be button-mashed through, but it works well enough I wasn't bored by the combat. The different weapon combinations feel different, as well. Using an eagle for the spotting/tagging mechanics breaks the flow a little sometimes, but works fine. The level system is functional - it serves to channel play in a certain direction and gives a sense of advancement without really being overbearing in my opinion. The ship mechanics from Blag Flag make a return... but only in a limited fashion, which sort of drags the experience down. Because it only occurs in a handful of missions, it feels out of place. And when the ship isn't a part of your character, there's no real attachment to it. I could say much the same about the non-ship