A Month in Gaming
September saw The Elder Scrolls Online becoming my primary gaming focus. No real surprises there as I’ve been having so much fun of late with this MMORPG. I managed to get my Argonian Necromancer to level cap and then had the fun task of trying to equip them suitably. I don’t quite know why this aspect of gaming appeals to me so much but I just get a real kick out of trawling around looking for appropriate gear. I tend to enjoy it in all the MMOs I play. There’s just something inherently satisfying about equipping a new piece of armour or jewellery and seeing your stats noticeably increase. This process is even more enjoyable in ESO as there isn’t any server wide auction house, so you have to travel around from region to region, individually checking each guild trader you find. It really is virtual shopping. Once I managed to find the right gear for this character, I promptly created a new Imperial Dragon Knight and started playing through the Daggerfall Covenant storyline as it the one faction I haven’t yet completed. Oh and in ESO cosmetic pet news, the ghost chicken (official name Spectral Chicken) is outstanding.
I decided to buy a single player game on a whim and ended up purchasing the Untitled Goose Game. As I’ve already written a more specific post about that title, I won’t bang on about it too much here but it is a delightful diversion. It provides not only plenty of mirth and merriment but it also reminded me that not all game developers and publishers are complete bastards who will happily steal your eye and comeback for the socket. Furthermore, the games success may now lead to some DLC being developed which is fine by me. The game has topped the download charts on the Nintendo Switch console in the UK and Australia. It has even beaten one of Nintendo's own highly anticipated games, the Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
There’s an ongoing event in Star Trek Online which pays out a Tier 6 Elachi ship with a complete set of crescent beam weapons. So I’ve been dutifully logging in an running a dedicated TFO and 2 easy patrols to earn the necessary XP. And while I’ve been doing this, I’ve decided that I might as well complete the daily “endeavours”. Gaining resources and building up account wide perks always pays off in the long run. And as I’m on the subject of Cryptic games, I reinstalled Neverwinter as I predicted last month. Bearing in mind I last tried this game during the beta test in 2013, I was very surprised to still find my original character. Naturally, I have no recollection as to how to play this game but I shall find the time to give it a second go. It certainly has plenty of content available.
I also gave Guild Wars 2 another try but it didn’t take long to remind me that all the issues with the Heart of Thorns expansion are still present in the game. Plus I’ve never found any particular aspect of this MMO to get especially invested in. I find the lore unfathomable and I’m never quite sure about the intricacies of the major stories. It is very playable and easy to jump in and out of but for me at least, the game lacks a lasting hook of some kind to keep me engaged. I tried the retail version of Mario Kart Tour and the Ghost Recon Breakpoint beta. Both failed to impress and I’ve written a separate post about how unbelievably shitty their respective business models are. Unfortunately I didn’t get around to trying the Modern Warfare reboot beta. There’s not enough hours in the day to keep up with half the things we’d like to, especially when it comes to gaming.
I genuinely tried to make some progress in LOTRO but I’m still floundering just outside Mordor with my High Elf Guardian. Once I commit to the battle on the slag hills outside the Black Gate, then it’s straight onto Mordor and I’m just not ready to grind through there again, even if I’m over levelled. I also failed to take my Lore-master any further through Vales of Anduin. The region is appealing but I always seems to have something inherently more interesting to do in another game. I did try the new Stout-Axe Dwarf race on the Bullroarer test server and enjoyed the creative way that SSG have crowbarred them into the existing Epic Story. I think I’ll buy the new Minas Morgul expansion a little closer to launch. After reviewing the various options, I’ll probably just purchase the base edition as I don’t require any of the additional consumables.
So that’s the summary of what I’ve been up to over the last 30 odd days. I’ll be back in early November with a further breakdown of this month. I haven’t made any firm plans as of yet and will likely just see where my fancy takes me. I have quite a lot on in real life at present and it needs to take priority. So any gaming time is a bonus at the moment, so it’s best not to try and aspire to potentially unrealistic goals and targets. Due to this time of year being a popular release period, I may well make another game purchase on a whim.
