BigBlueWolf
lots of hours, 9.5/10
1/1 4/4 15/15 16/16 achievements
32.7 hours, 7.5/10
39/39 achievements
Batch 37: Incomplete but fun!
I don’t post batch updates very often these days, but even so this one was supposed to also have Red Dead Redemption 2, which I started around mid-January and then paused about three weeks later.
A few things happened. First, real life. Not surprising. Second, and more recently I’ve been given the opportunity to build a new gaming PC and the parts are arriving over the course of the next two weeks. I’ll pick up RDR2 on the new machine. It’s been moved to Batch 38.
Overall this was a great batch, taken a little at a time since last October until around the end of January when I stopped pursuing achievements on Wingspan.
Hope everyone had a great holiday season.
God of War: Ragnarok
PS5
Completed
lots of hours, 9.5/10
1/1 4/4 15/15 16/16 achievements
No god-killing this time, promise!
Beaten: 26-Nov-2022
If you haven't started this series yet, God of War is available on Steam. It's well worth the entry fee. The sequel is a superb and engrossing follow-on, picking up a few years after the end of the first game. Those who completed it know there were some big reveals at the end, and this is where they are all dealt with. We get to meet the heavies of the Norse pantheon and understand their history. Kratos is tested in various ways to resist killing his opponents unless necessary. Atreus is older now and you get to play as him through various sequences and story beats as his own destiny becomes clearer. Another cool improvement is that there's more secondary companions that accompany you at various times, each with their own skill set.
With an engaging main story, lots of side objectives, progression that is fun and never cumbersome, and a significant expansion of cast members that add detail and intrigue to the world, it's a great game. This one was worth the effort to 100% all the achievements.
If you haven't started this series yet, God of War is available on Steam. It's well worth the entry fee. The sequel is a superb and engrossing follow-on, picking up a few years after the end of the first game. Those who completed it know there were some big reveals at the end, and this is where they are all dealt with. We get to meet the heavies of the Norse pantheon and understand their history. Kratos is tested in various ways to resist killing his opponents unless necessary. Atreus is older now and you get to play as him through various sequences and story beats as his own destiny becomes clearer. Another cool improvement is that there's more secondary companions that accompany you at various times, each with their own skill set.
With an engaging main story, lots of side objectives, progression that is fun and never cumbersome, and a significant expansion of cast members that add detail and intrigue to the world, it's a great game. This one was worth the effort to 100% all the achievements.
Beaten: 6-Nov-2022
Another follow-on game that I played mostly through the Halloween season. The dev team solved the depth perception problem of the first game that often made it hard to gauge which direction to jump when aiming for an landing spot that was ambiguously near the front or back of the play area. The story is much more involved, and the mechanic even introduces some limited combat opportunities, but like the first you'll mostly be sneaking or running away from enemies.
I really enjoyed this one, as I thought it was in every way better than the original.
Another follow-on game that I played mostly through the Halloween season. The dev team solved the depth perception problem of the first game that often made it hard to gauge which direction to jump when aiming for an landing spot that was ambiguously near the front or back of the play area. The story is much more involved, and the mechanic even introduces some limited combat opportunities, but like the first you'll mostly be sneaking or running away from enemies.
I really enjoyed this one, as I thought it was in every way better than the original.
Beaten: *
This game is still "In Progress" because I haven't unlocked all the maps yet. I expect since I play this when I feel like, it'll take me awhile to 100%, but I've gotten enough of it finished that I can confidently recommend the game -- especially if you are a fan of Mini Metro.
The UI and graphics set up is notably re-used from the first game, but the mechanics are now more complex. The game randomly drops houses and destination buildings of matching color on different parts of the map, and it's your job to establish road connections between them that efficiently move traffic between those points. You are given a limited number of road tiles and other traffic flow control objects that get replenished at the start of each new week, so use them wisely before your commuters give up.
So far, a lot like the first game. Now the differences. Destination buildings have a fixed entry point, making the placement of roads contentious as density and traffic increases. The timers that run down and make the game end are now predicated on vehicles being able to reach their destinations within a given amount of time, made all the more difficult if cars have to sit in a lot of congested traffic. In order to help with this, a major boost item is a "highway" object that can connect any two parts of the map and provides a fast express lane for cars that use them. Placement of these is also key, as they are most useful when groups of alike-colored houses and buildings are far apart.
The end result is a quick-paced and beautifully minimalist optimization game just as captivating as its subway system predecessor, albeit much harder because of the added complexity. With tons of maps and weekly challenges, it'll keep you entertained for a long time!
This game is still "In Progress" because I haven't unlocked all the maps yet. I expect since I play this when I feel like, it'll take me awhile to 100%, but I've gotten enough of it finished that I can confidently recommend the game -- especially if you are a fan of Mini Metro.
The UI and graphics set up is notably re-used from the first game, but the mechanics are now more complex. The game randomly drops houses and destination buildings of matching color on different parts of the map, and it's your job to establish road connections between them that efficiently move traffic between those points. You are given a limited number of road tiles and other traffic flow control objects that get replenished at the start of each new week, so use them wisely before your commuters give up.
So far, a lot like the first game. Now the differences. Destination buildings have a fixed entry point, making the placement of roads contentious as density and traffic increases. The timers that run down and make the game end are now predicated on vehicles being able to reach their destinations within a given amount of time, made all the more difficult if cars have to sit in a lot of congested traffic. In order to help with this, a major boost item is a "highway" object that can connect any two parts of the map and provides a fast express lane for cars that use them. Placement of these is also key, as they are most useful when groups of alike-colored houses and buildings are far apart.
The end result is a quick-paced and beautifully minimalist optimization game just as captivating as its subway system predecessor, albeit much harder because of the added complexity. With tons of maps and weekly challenges, it'll keep you entertained for a long time!
STAR WARS Jedi: Fallen Order
Completed
32.7 hours, 7.5/10
39/39 achievements
A story between two trilogies
Beaten: 18-Dec-2022
I started playing this without knowing a sequel was going to be available this spring. I'd heard good things about it that for the most part turned out to be true. The story is enjoyable and fun even though it breaks Star Wars canon. It has clunky combat, however. Wielding a lightsaber is fun, but often seems to rely more on button-mashing than any real skill. There are timing windows to react to enemy attacks, so you do have to learn how to not get hit. That said many, many enemies are hardy to lightsaber strikes, which seems impossible given what we know about them -- especially fleshy creatures that are defending territory or see you as a protein source.
But despite all that I will buy and eventually play Jedi: Survivor if the reviews are good enough. This was an enjoyable romp that makes me want to learn more of Kal's story and in the process (hopefully) get much-improved gameplay mechanics.
I started playing this without knowing a sequel was going to be available this spring. I'd heard good things about it that for the most part turned out to be true. The story is enjoyable and fun even though it breaks Star Wars canon. It has clunky combat, however. Wielding a lightsaber is fun, but often seems to rely more on button-mashing than any real skill. There are timing windows to react to enemy attacks, so you do have to learn how to not get hit. That said many, many enemies are hardy to lightsaber strikes, which seems impossible given what we know about them -- especially fleshy creatures that are defending territory or see you as a protein source.
But despite all that I will buy and eventually play Jedi: Survivor if the reviews are good enough. This was an enjoyable romp that makes me want to learn more of Kal's story and in the process (hopefully) get much-improved gameplay mechanics.
Beaten: (not applicable)
I'm a fan of the physical board game. And if there's one thing I can say about this game, it's an exceedingly well-done translation into a computer version. I've played several in this genre, but this is the pinnacle (so far) of how to replicate the look-and-feel of the original. And while I haven't done multi-player, there are great options for playing against several AI opponents of varying difficulty. Going after the achievements also taught me a lot about different strategies in the game that I wasn't aware of before.
The only negative? I'm a lot better at this game now than my friends, which gives me an advantage that isn't always fun to have.
I'm a fan of the physical board game. And if there's one thing I can say about this game, it's an exceedingly well-done translation into a computer version. I've played several in this genre, but this is the pinnacle (so far) of how to replicate the look-and-feel of the original. And while I haven't done multi-player, there are great options for playing against several AI opponents of varying difficulty. Going after the achievements also taught me a lot about different strategies in the game that I wasn't aware of before.
The only negative? I'm a lot better at this game now than my friends, which gives me an advantage that isn't always fun to have.
Why’s God of War missing the 0.5 to not be a perfect 10? :)
For me, a full 10 has to have something extra that makes it stand out from other games. Can be story or gameplay related. Ragnarok has some great story and gameplay improvements from its predecessor, but nothing surprising or innovative if you played the first one.