A Month in Gaming
I last wrote a post in this series in June. Back then I wanted a break from MMOs as I had invested heavily in Star wars: the Old Republic and The Lord of the Rings Online. Because I was still enjoying the Star Wars vibe, I decided to try Jedi: Fallen Order. Sadly, despite the story showing a lot of promise, the PC version of the game handles poorly and the controls are sluggish. Often it felt like my character was wading through mud and there was a tangible amount of skills lag. So I uninstalled it and moved on to something else. One of the odd things about gaming is that despite amassing a library of free and discounted titles, we often end up buying something new, instead of playing that which we already own. And that is exactly what I did. I purchased Stray amid all the excitement surrounding the game, but to date I still haven’t played it. Make of that what you will.
So what exactly have I been playing? Sniper Elite 5 for starters. I feel this is by far the best iteration of the franchise and as such it kept me busy in June and July. I like the weapon customisation, especially the addition of non-lethal ammunition. I finally feel that weapons choice makes a tangible difference to your play style. I also like the pace of this game or more specifically, the fact that you determine it. You can spend ages lining up a shot or you can go in all guns blazing. And the maps are by far the best that developer’s Rebellion has come up with so far. They lend themselves to continuous replay due to the variety of potential routes you can explore. Invasion mode, which I wrote about at length in a proper blog post, offers a new and interesting spin on PvP, with another player entering your campaign game and trying to hunt you down. Sniper Elite 5 has provided me with some of the best gaming I’ve had this year.
It was nice to see Fall Guys go free-to-play, in so far that it makes the game more accessible to players across multiple platforms. This is a fun game; something you can jump into and quickly start enjoying, with little or no impediment. However, the business model is based upon the selling of cosmetic skins and the pricing structure is far from generous. Running about with a default character will be a problem for some players, so they will naturally want to customise their look. Earning the in-game currency is a long grind (when is it not?), so the only alternative is the game store. FOMO is not an ethically ideal foundation for your game’s business model, but it doesn’t seem to bother publishers that much. If you are content to just play with the default skins, then Fall Guys is certainly still an enjoyable game. But sooner or later, you will want a chicken outfit or something and will have to reach for your wallet.
Despite my overall fatigue with LOTRO, I have been intrigued by the Echoes of Angmar private server and the debacle that has accompanied it. Despite a politely worded and somewhat wishy-washy cease and desist notice from Middle-earth Enterprises, the developers of this project have pushed ahead with several stress tests and delivered (so far) exactly what they intended. A version of LOTRO as it was back in November 2007, shortly after its launch. I found the few hours that I played to be entertaining, although that mainly came from the sense of nostalgia. I’m not so sure if I’d enjoy the game in this form quite so much, as I did back in the day. However, I am curious to see how this project evades the “legal issues” arising from its situation and what sort of long term audience it can sustain.
The other gaming development of note that I’ve enjoyed over recent weeks, has been my return to Guild Wars 2 after a seven year absence. There are still several elements of the game that infuriate me, but after a further two expansions there is sufficient content for me to do and enjoy. I have set about collecting mounts and earning mastery for their various skills. I continue to enjoy the various events that regularly occur and the fact that you can always find something to do if you’re pushed for time. Playing through the main story is another matter altogether. I await to see if my interest in the game lasts. As autumn approaches, the immersive nature of MMOs and their requirement for time investment becomes both appealing and sustainable. If Guild Wars 2 cannot fill that gap, there’s always The Elder Scrolls Online. The next post in this series will indicate which game prevails.
