November 2023 game summary
Also known as the month where I played so much Baldur’s Gate 3 that I didn’t have time to do anything else at all. I even tried to participate in the monthly theme, and failed spectacularly. I didn’t even start any of the games I listed…
Played on SteamI will be reviewing the game in-depth for this December's SGM issue (that is set to be released on the 25th :D), but here's a shorter, less serious version. Yes even if I haven't beaten it yet, bc I'm excited to talk about it and I have played enough I think.
I didn't think I would like BG3 much. This kind of mechincs never appealed to me, nor did any high fantasy setting; and while I have played DnD before, I always found it exhausting and I was very bad at it. So I thought I would find BG3 confusing, tedious, and despise how long it is.
Boy, was I wrong.
BG3 has easily become one of my favorite things this year. One of my favourite games. My happy place, at times. It has made me rediscover DnD, helped me understand it better, has earned itself a spot in my top 4 games with highest playtime (top 2, technically, since two of those are idle games and those don't count). I have put just under 200h into it IN ONE MONTH. And I haven't even finished it yet! I calculate I still have about 15-20h left, if I choose to keep exploring everything behore heading for the end. And of course, I've already planned my future playthroughs.
this is the plot of the entire game
BG3 is truly the ultimate game (for me). Dozens of hours of pure, carefully threaded story content, full from beginning to end with choices that matter. So many tangled stories, so many characters (companion and NPC alike) that have their own evolving story, each with multiple outcomes. So many amazingly written characters, dialogue options, companion interactions, all voiced by awesome va's. Such pretty models and lighting that made any conversation segment look like a cutscene. So many bugs.
The story of BG3 puts us in the shoes of a character unlucky enough to get abducted by aliens and infected with a parasite that apparently in just a few days will effectively turn us into one of said aliens. And we don't want that, they're weird and purple and have tentacles. While desperately trying to find a way to get the little guy outside of our skull before that happens, we will find ourselves in a rather intrincate series of events, and find the truth about the parasite, our companions, ourselves, and the upcoming end of the world. Playing as The Dark Urge adds an extra layer to the whole story, and you can also play as any companion, and live their story as if it was yours.
Despite not being my usual cup of tea, the TRPG mechanics didn't bother me, and specially because I have played DnD before, they were rather easy to understand. The character creation screen did disappoint me a little with the lack of choices, but I already have a mod saved to help fix that in future playthroughs, and I managed to make myself a character I really like, so all is well. It's definitely not enough to ruin the experience for me, especially since I found a mod that helped me with the part that bothered me the most (flat chest in a femme model, it's a long story).
I can't say much more without making this commentary box about as long as War and Peace, and we already have my long review coming out in December for that.
TL;DR: Game of the year, and I say this as a hardcore Zelda fan.
Puzzle game has jigsaw puzzles and about 7.498 DLCs with more jigsaw puzzles. I am not sure I should have gotten myself into this.
DJMAX RESPECT V
2.9 hours, 10 of 215 achievements
Unpacking
3.7 hours, 25 of 25 achievements
Unpacking is a short, cozy game about… Well, unpacking. There's no dialogue, but there's a story, told to you through the objects of dozens of moving boxes. You'll see the protagonist grow up without ever seeing her, see what hobbies she holds onto and the way they evolve, how she finds love (and heartbreak). It was interesting to think about how much the objects you own can say about you, the kind of person you are. Because, yes, as I unpacked the items I could form a more or less clear picture of who the main character was, and even relate to her at times.
It's a cool concept, but I didn't like the gameplay all that much. It's supposed to be a cozy, relaxing game, but I already hate cleaning and tidying up in real life, and this game was somehow not less stressful. There's something satisfying about putting everything in its place, sure, but when you don't have enough space for everything, or the game insists the kitchen cloth cannot go on the counter, it's less satisfying and more infuriating. It was fine, don't get me wrong, but I thanked the short length. The time did pass quickly for me, and the achievements are easy for any hunters out there. It was a game I had wishlisted, and I'm glad I just got it from Humble Choice, because it's definitely not worth the 20€ it costs, imo.
Unfortunately, that's it for this month's completions :')
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Nomad Survival
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Metro 2033 Redux
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Metro: Last Light Redux
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Bad Rats
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Half-Life
0 hours playtime
no achievements
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Old Man's Journey
0 hours playtime
no achievements
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Unpacking
I am not sure I should have gotten myself into this.
Congratulations on selling your soul to the devil… welcome to the club >:)
:’)
on the bright side, now i have something to do while I watch 3h long video essays
on the bright side, now i have something to do while I watch 3h long video essays
I know exactly what all of YouTube’s been watching recently!!
if you’re talking about the latest plagiarism drama, you totally caught me x3
Of course I am! I was super late to hbomberguy’s channel, but I was waiting for this to drop for months!! It’s crazy to think that for once, I’m on time for the cool thing :3
ngl I had never watched hbomberguy before, he kept showing up on my recommended but I just never clicked on one of his videos. since the plagiarism one though, i’ve been binging his stuff and it’s a super good channel
Yes, yes, yes! I think it was the BBC Sherlock one for me - why spend 20 hours watching a show that might try to replicate the allure of all of the original stories about the great detective if I can watch a 2 hour long video essay on why it’s utter shite that doesn’t even care about the fact that it’s named after him? :’)
I haven’t watched that one yet, and i dunno if I will bc I never watched the series x3 but it could be nice background noise for jigsaw puzzle action
Fair enough! I still haven’t seen a handful of his videos, guess I’m also waiting for the right time to do so. My personal favorite, however, has to be Harris’ reaction to the Alt-Right Dogs trailer - it’s so off the cuff and pretty much a comfort video for me… ^^
I’m really excited for your December review of BG3, I’ve heard so many amazing things about it - it’s on my “must-play” list, that I will hopefully get to, eventually.
I hope it lives up to your expectations! It really is a brilliant game, I don’t think I’ve ever played such a well constructed and complete game. I could play it for the next ten years and never get sick of it!