2:18am, started Alien Isolation for the first time on Series X. FPS Boost + Auto HDR.
Already on edge and haven’t done much at all. Goddamn.
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Mafia III: Definitive Edition, I actually had a really good time. It isn’t the best game but I did find plenty I liked about it. I just hope they better refine the open world for the next one. If there is one.
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I’d be happy with how they did the open world in Mafia 1 and 2 but have more unique side missions / activities in each “day” or keep all side content for a Free Ride Extreme mode.
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I mean those are good but I just have a thing against partitioning big blocks of content to certain points in the game for little reason. If anything simply removing the wiretaps would have improved MIIIDE but a factor of a thousand, it wasn’t a bad framework but it needed more meat and less fat.
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Mafia 3 had a LOT of meat on it in the form of the main plot / cutscenes. Haven’t played the game but I did watch the cutscenes as a full movie and I really liked what I saw. That should have been the only focus of the game.
Very little to do with the Cosa Nostra though and Lincoln was too much of a killing machine than the low level mafioso that was Tommy and street thug that was Vito.
superb game.
also: stressful.
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Yeah it was those characters and those cutscenes that got me through.
Cosa Nostra. But yes I would have like a little more on the Mafia since, contrary to popular belief, the Mafia’s American roots begin in New Orleans including Sicilian syndicates and Camorra (Neapolitan Mafia).
Only a bit more since it is Lincoln’s story plus having the mafia be the enemies is a unique twist. We get to see contrasts between the Mafia and other types of criminal organisations, the impact the Mafia has on local crime and how other criminals view how they act.
Well Tommy makes sense he was a cabbie that “lucked” into becoming a mobster but Vito was no slouch in combat since he was a vet. Lincoln has more of an impetus for all out violence than Tommy or Vito since he is A) out for blood not being a professional mafioso, B) more or less an independent operator so he doesn’t have to worry about collateral and c) was using his brutality as a psy-ops against the Marcano family.
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I’ve been playing Bioshock for the first time. The combat is a bit shooty for my taste and it very much feels like a game that’s nearly 15 years old, but I’m enjoying the atmosphere and exploring Rapture. Looking forward to the next two games.
Also been playing Shadow Tactics. The controls take a bit of getting used to, but I’m enjoying the hell out of it. It seems like two or three times in every level I reach a point where I’m convinced that there’s just no way to get through a certain area but inevitably, after much trial and error, I figure things out. I’ll definitely have to get Desperados III in the near future.
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Yes.
I can play it for small intervals at time. It sends my anxiety through the roof. I can’t remember the last game that did that.
Bioshock is one of the greatest games of all time IMHO. Enjoy it.
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If you ask me, Bioshock 2 really improves on the gun play from the first game. As for Infinite… I don’t think it’s very good, the entire gun system is different. Instead of a full arsenal, you can only carry 2 weapons at a time, and you have a regenerating shield rather than simple fixed health.
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Infinite was one of the best looking games at the time though. It wasn’t like the first two at all but damn did it look good.
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I mean, it is a gorgeous game. I doubt I’ll ever forget Infinite. But I think the story is a mess and the actual gameplay to be a real step down from Bioshock 2. But I believe Infinite was rushed at some point in development, the larger arenas which had lots of rails to glide around were scrapped, and I believe the story went through many iterations.
I think Infinite is interesting enough that most gamers should probably play it at some point in their gaming history, but I just don’t think the game stands up atall. And I hate Burial at Sea.
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Agreed.
I remember buying and playing Bioshock for the first time. Nothing enthralled me like that before… ever. What an experience. When I play the remaster it’s pure nostalgia. I sound old 
Bioshock was what, 2006/2007? I was a senior in HS lol.
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Burial at Sea was the most boring game DLC I have ever played. I didn’t really remember a lot from it but I can definitely say Minerva’s den is much better that it.
I heard you haven’t played Minerva’s den. You should try it sometime, even if you know the twist. I think it comes with the Bioshock collection.
Great! I got spoiled before playing the entire Bioshock franchise from others sBioshocko unfortunately I didn’t get the same experience as someone who’s new to Bioshock.
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I think the first review I read of Bioshock was the reviewer stating they wish they could give themselves amensia, just so they could play through it again. The PS2 was my first real console, and I remember when the PS3 era arrived. Heavenly Sword, that game/tech demo was so impressive, I remember a friend getting a PS3 when it came out and playing the very first Assassin’s Creed. That parkour system they made for it was so amazing and smooth, even if the actual game wasn’t so hot.
I honestly know nothing about Minerva’s Den, aside from something to do with computers, I think? I’m sure I’ll get around to it one day, probably when I decide to replay Bioshock 1 and 2.
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I’ve been playing Horizon Zero Dawn for the past week, and it’s been a pleasing experiment. If in case you don’t exactly know what it is, imagine Skyrim but in the future where your enemies are giant dinosaur shaped robots.
One of the best parts is the Ansel they have generated, (not as good as real Ansel) but it still let’s you take some great screenshots with numerous tools; This is not what you can find in a regular PS game.
On the other hand, we have the combat system; The game is best played stealth, but you still have to get in a loud brutal combat at some point when it comes to groups. Smaller robots are considerable for this, but for the super giants the only solution is to climb a hill near it, and attack/hide from above. (Or at least this is what I’ve found)
Also I have a question about Watch Dogs Legion: Is there anything other than the violance/hate speech I should consider when a 6-7 years old is around?
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My last post on the first Splinter Cell! I’ve finished all missions now. 
Vselka Infiltration – this one somehow became my favorite mission in the game. The location can in no way be called interesting, but I think it’s perfectly built. It’s just not full of similar rooms with destroyable lights and patrolling guards. Heck, most areas have their own tricks that we’ve already learnt before – some platforming at the beginning, a basic corridor with a guard and a camera when you first enter the building, distractable turrets, a camera you have to use a jammer to, a retinal scanner, keypads on which you can see the codes with the thermal vision if you’re fast enough and some lasers. I also hadn’t even noticed many of the ceiling pipes you can climb until watching a video of the mission afterwards. Moreover, this is one of the two missions in which you can choose a route at some point – that’s why you also don’t just fail the mission if you don’t get the keycodes with the thermal vision in time or if you accidentally KO the colonel. Not an unnecessarily prolonged mission and does pretty much everything right with level design despite being in a dull location. If I had to nitpick about something it’d be that hiding from the guards who enter the control room is way too easy and they give up too fast.
On the contrary, I absolutely hate Vselka Submarine. Tight corridors and nothing interesting to do, the guards also hear footsteps on the metallic surface so easily that you can’t sneak up on many of them. Two areas also look like places where you could easily drop down and skip parts of the mission but for some reason Sam doesn’t want to do that. Oh and of course – forced combat with a timer at the end. I still managed to do that like before, even though dodging the last two guards without being shot once was very tough considering I was out of gadgets at that point.
Final ranking! I consider only the last two missions bad, but the others are something from excellent to alright. 
- Vselka Infiltration - Great design, makes use of many gadgets and tricks leart before and even gives you a choice of route at one point. Criminally underrated and even beats several Chaos Theory missions. Appearance can fool sometimes.
- Chinese Embassy 2 - Many interesting areas and some good challenge. Has the best objective in the game too. Haha truck go boom.
- Presidential Palace - A brilliant final mission in an interesting location. If only the two combat sections didn’t ruin a part of it.
- Defense Ministry - I kinda wished we could have the SC-20K in this mission but one doesn’t get everything. Great vibe and interesting objectives. Fun curveballs as well, because you can still stay completely stealthy.
- Chinese Embassy 1 - Surprisingly easy but very fun anyway. I mission where you only roam outdoor areas is a nice change. Yeah there’s the sewer but I meant outside any buildings.
- Kalinatek - I like the setting and most of the mission is enjoyable. The last part is a big disappointment however.
- CIA HQ - I expected the place to be much more interesting and I wish it was. This one’s often praised but I can’t agree on that level. The choice of route at the beginning is great though.
- Kola Cell - Too many narrow corridors, but I like the idea that you have to return to the very beginning after completing the objectives.
- Police Station - Not too memorable, but it’s the first mission so I get that it’s rather straightforward. The burning building is a nice way to spark some action right away.
- Oil Refinery - Too short, otherwise ok. In this one it’s a good thing we don’t have the SC-20K yet because it would make things too easy.
- Abattoir - Too many difficult and/or bullshit sections. It tried something different but didn’t really succeed in it.
- Vselka Submarine - Simply way too cramped and had nothing interesting in it. Fuck this mission lmao.
Thanks for this game, Ubisoft and also screw you for forgetting the franchise. The game still holds up with the tight stealth mechanics and even looks pretty good. I love the tense music even though I rarely pay attention to it. The best thing about the combat sections is how banger the theme is, even though I hate when it comes out of nowhere lol. The plot I won’t make a comment about because I don’t really care about that.
I guess I’ll play Blacklist when I feel like it. I’d also like to play Pandora Tomorrow but it can’t be found anywhere and I’ve sadly watched a playthrough of it already. Double Agent on PC seems to be a broken mess and we don’t talk about Conviction. 
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Just 100%'d all missions on Chaos Theory on Expert, so here’s my ranking of the missions:
1.Bank
2.Penthouse
3.Lighthouse
4.Battery
5.Displace
6.Kokubo Sosho
7. Hokkaido
8. Cargo Ship
9. Seoul/Bathhouse [I hate them equally]
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I hope you also enjoy the aesthetic/setting in late 60’s of the game. It’s not just about the fictional cars I like about Mafia III, but the soundtracks, both licensed and original score, are cool too. Knowing you as a classic rock fan, I think you probably like them as well.
Funny thing is, I first time heard CCR’s Fortunate Son was watching Die Hard 4. Then in 2016, the song was licensed in every game I played. GTA V Enhanced Edition, Mafia III, Watch Dogs 2, etc. I like it a lot and learn it’s a classic and popular song.
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Oh I did like the setting, while I felt was the actual events of the era went underused they did do a lot to show the struggles minorities faced in that era. I found out that where you commit a crime leads to the dispatcher acting differently. She makes going out to The Hollow sound like a chore but she is more immediate in Frisco Fields, the white flight suburb. Little details like that are what I like even if the overworld is a bit barren.
Cars are good, they handle well enough for me. Wish the slow-mo driving was a reflexive mechanic instead of prescriptive. I have fucked up a bunch of Traviatas and Stilettos trying to Slo-Mo Drive only to crash because I used it a second ago.
The soundtrack is excellent, the blues focus and songs with blues inspirations works really well with the setting and time. Didn’t pay attention to the original score though.
Yeah, Fortunate Son is usually used because it is reasonably short, really catchy, what it says never really stopped being true and it is almost always used when something takes place in the Sixties. Hell Call of Duty: Black Ops used it to set the tone of the Vietnam levels and the song didn’t exist in the songs time frame or in Mafia III’s for that matter.
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