The Batlord

So you said something stupid. What I figured.

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Key

Yeah it's not really a good part of the post.

Key

Dead Cells

Coincidentally, I was talking about Dead Cells with my brother last night, and I came to the realization that this game doesn't have nearly the amount of attention that it should be receiving. It's quite sad but unfortunately that's the nature of "early access / indie" games in this day and age. Hell if it's not a battle royale, good luck. Anyway, yeah I want to talk about Dead Cells because I know I've talked about the game a few times before, but never in an official themed style journal thing. I think it's also the right time to talk about it because at this point, the game has improved on so many different things that it's hard to wrap them altogether in one package, so I'll do my best to point out certain things that may have changed since the last time I talked about it.

First off, the music is still bumpin and it's actually gotten better as time goes on. It may be some subtle changes here and there, but especially in the first track of the game, you can tell it's gotten a tad bit more intense than it used to be.

This is the original as I don't have a very good way of showing the improved version. You'd just have to hear it for yourself:


Still a solid track though.

Anyway, along with making some subtle changes to the music, they also made some quality of life improvements that the game needed right from the get go. Things like making the controls tighter to how you can turn your trash weapons into money, to just small graphical changes. It all works together and the changes seem to be only improving the game. Especially the upgrade system.

It used to be back when the game came out that the ideal run was to take all Brutality upgrades to make yourself stronger. But nowadays it really depends on the kind of run you want to have. Do you want more defense? Offense? You can actually mix up the upgrades you get throughout your run to turn into a tank or a defensive player. In my opinion, this change was absolutely needed as it started making the game monotonous when you could just go with Brutality upgrades and make your character a total power house. Now it's more balanced and interesting. Plus, this also came with the inclusion of weapon types. Before, your weapons would be automatically placed into a specific category of Brutality, Skill and Health. Now your weapons can have a mixture of these abilities and certain upgrades will effect on those weapons that have those specific traits. So you can have a green and yellow item, or a green and red item, and the colors represent their respective upgrade types. It's an interesting way to create an all out combined build, or just focus on one trait. But luckily they give you that choice and don't force it onto you. Definitely makes the game way more fun and immersive.

The combat is still as fun as it has ever been and it really feel like the tightest combat controls I've ever seen in a roguelike platformer.



That GIF should give you a pretty good idea of what you can do. And that's just a tiny little fraction of what the combat is like. You can also get right up in there face and hack n slash your way to victory. Combine that with creative rolling mechanics and all kinds of ways to get out of trouble, the combat is still as fresh and immersive as its ever been.

So yeah, do I think this game definitely deserves more praise? Hell yes. Do I think the developers are doing everything in their power to make it great? Of course. I think this game could potentially be one of the finest examples of early access roguelike platformers that has ever graced the existence of Steam. I highly recommend it if you're into some fast paced fun roguelike platforming.

Key

Fallout 4

There's something with Fallout 4 that makes me want to crawl back and play it again, and it's got a lot to do with how I decided to go about it when it came out. I fully understand that this game in particular is not seen as the strongest game in the series, but I think it still has a lot going for it, and in this post that's part of my official journal theme thing, I want to look at Fallout 4 from a different perspective and comment on the things I've commented on before, but with a different outlook. Because even though I found some of the things in the game really frustrating, I still found them to be acceptable enough to enjoy them for some moments.

Now, I'm going to get right into it and talk about the whole crafting thing in this game. I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to feel about this at first because I had recently played through Fallout 3 close to when this one was announced, so I sort of had a fresh idea of what I was looking for in a sequel, and well....to be honest the inclusion of crafting wasn't in the list of things I had wanted. But, I will say that it did prove to be very useful at the end of the game because you're basically forced to use the mechanic if you so choose. While they may seem like it's a bad thing, it's really not. Since it fits in nicely with the story. It also proved its use when I needed a big space to put all my power armor. And that's a nice segway into the next thing I want to talk about.


Power Armor

Yes. Power armor. I want to talk about it this time because I think Fallout 4 absolutely nailed it with its usefulness in this game. In Fallout 3, you'd find some body armor and it didn't feel as badass. I mean, it was badass. But when Fallout 4 made it so you can switch parts and customize your body armor. And to be able to see them stand still next to each other is one of my favorite things. It's so creative and fun to collect pieces of power armor and filling your collection with more of them. I remember I was close to finishing the whole collection, but when I switched to my new PC, I didn't transfer my save. I still could, but I'm very lazy.

Otherwise, I think it's safe to say that I definitely did get what I wanted out of Fallout 4, even if there were some frustrations along the way. Plus, the addition of the Far Harbor DLC just made the game so so so much better. They basically went back to what they're good at, and made a very dark island style DLC, and with a fantastic storyline and characters to make it even more awesome. I definitely recommend checking out the DLC if you haven't already.

So yeah, I guess I like Fallout 4.

Key

So, for those that probably don't know, I've been spending most of my time playing Shadow of War, or whenever I can that is. What you probably don't know though is the fact that I'm attempting to do a full 100% completion. That means every little collectible and side quest in every region needs to be done. The funny thing is, I didn't decide to do a full 100% completion of the game until recently. Back when I started playing the game, I thought it was great and I was instantly hooked. What I failed to realize is the addiction that comes with the game. It's so much fun to play and every single move is so fluid that playing it just feels so natural. There's something to be said about the fact that you can truly feel like every button you press creates an impact. That's how tight the controls are to put it simply. Anyway, yes the addiction that came along with it. I didn't realize it was even a thing at first but once I really started to level up and get a feel for my character, and how fun it is to do the little side quests, I began doing my full 100% completion, and this is where I'm at right now:



To give a bit of background, I'm currently at about 27 hours into the game, and I've managed to get myself up to level 36 fairly quickly. The amount of xp you get from getting all the collectibles etc is pretty telling when you basically got all the upgrades unlocked in a matter of hours. But hey, that's part of the fun for me. But the next image I want to show is something I'm very much proud of. It basically lays out all the quest lines that are in the game and shows the completion of each one whether it be a shelob quest where you have to solve an image puzzle, or an ancient collectible that you have to run to to collect. Each section has its own part in the game and it will definitely take you a lot of time to get through it all. This is my current progress as of right now:



I've so far managed to 100% 5 separate lines of quests, and each line of quests can sometimes have in the 30's and 40's of different locations spread across all the regions. I'm currently working on some of the side quest lines and will be continuing to work on the main story. You can see at the top of the image that I'm currently at 69% total completion. I feel like 100% completion may not be too far off at this point. Just gotta put the time in.

So yeah, just wanted to show off a little project I'm doing with Middle Earth: Shadow of War. I realized very quickly that I love the game enough to fully complete it. It'll probably be the first game I've fully 100% completed since...maybe one of the Pokemon games? Maybe? I honestly don't remember the last game I actually 100% fully completed. So this is a big milestone. I'm looking forward to showing the 100% fully completed trap sheet.

Key

It's been about a week and I can safely say that I've made a tremendous amount of progress. Not only have I successfully completed the main story line, I've also got 100% in several other quest lines that I didn't have before. Luckily I do have pictures so here ya go:



Last time I posted here, I was at 69% total completion. Since then I've worked my way all the way up to 89% completion. You can tell from the image above that I've got literally 3 separate lines of mini quests that I have to complete in order to fully 100% complete the game. Everything else is done.



I've also unlocked a full set of legendary armor for Talion and I've unlocked the "undead" skin since I beat the game's main storyline.



And then finally the proof that I do indeed have 89% full game completion. I'm either planning to fully 100% finish the game tonight, or I'll save it tomorrow. But yeah, I should be fully 100% done with Middle Earth: Shadow of War in about a day or two. I'm excited.

Key

Things I Have Really Loved About Middle Earth: Shadow of War

So, you're basically going to have to get used to the fact that I'll be talking about Shadow of War for quite some time because I'm near the end of my 100% completion. And I have to say, there have been many many many many moments in this game that have warranted it being in my top 5 games of all time, easily. While this was a very recent endeavor for me, I was instantly hooked. Everything from the lore, to the music, to the setting, to the overall gameplay. Everything that this game brought to the table, it did it perfectly. I do want to try to layout a few things specifically that I thought were absolutely brilliant.

Leveling System

I gotta say, even if this game didn't have an RPG style leveling system, I'd probably still love it. But man, the upgrades this game gives you give you so much extra impact and your character truly starts to feel more powerful. As you progress through the game you start to get these badass new powers that really gives you an advantage, but even though you start to get pretty powerful, the enemies are equally as powerful because they also level up and get more powerful. And a nice thing to add is that Middle Earth: Shadow of War still uses the nemesis system that Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor set up. And it's done so much more brilliantly and improved and it feels awesome when you can start to take over fortresses etc. And again, yes, that comes with leveling up more and more. The more powerful you get, the more powerful fortresses you can take over.

Regions and Other Map Stuff



^This. This is just a small portion of the entire map of this game. It's basically split up into several different regions, and each region has it's own collection of quests, collectibles, and so many other secrets that you can find on your own. To 100% the game, you do have to collect every single little item and do every single little quests in every specific region of the map. It's taken me a while now but it's one of the reasons I wanted to 100% this game in the first place. I just felt that it was necessary for me to enjoy every little tiny detail that this game has to offer. And man, it's been worth it. When I originally played Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, there wasn't anything particularly special about picking up all the collectibles from what I remember, but that's because I was sort of lost as to how to progress further so I got bored of it. But Shadow of War brings something extra to the table. While having its own regions etc etc, this also allows for some amazing cities and villages that you can venture through. And man, I've never felt more badass than when I run up a while super quick and take down like...20 orcs at a time. It's so awesome, and the world building really allows for that. It's openness is what works, and it's filled with so much stuff to do.

Equipment (Upgrades! Upgrades! Upgrades!)



There's something to be said about a game that not only has a story so rich that it actually fits into the actual Lord of the Rings lore, but when it adds in so many different types of weapons and equipment that you can get. There's really no stopping me from praising this game because everything I mention just reminds me of how much I actually love this game. But one of the most badass things about the equipment styles is that you can also unlock certain skins to play as. And those skins are of other characters in the game which I thought was neat. I've always just played the default because that's the proper way to play, but if I ever decide to do a rerun of the game, I'd probably switch the skin for fun.

Fortresses, Orcs, Overlords, Domination

I seriously love the nemesis system that Shadow of Mordor introduced, but man it's so much better in this game. Which it should be, it being a sequel and all. Yeah, you can basically turn almost every single orc and overlord that you find and bring them to your side. That's basically what I did with a lot of the orc overlords and warchiefs etc. I would fight them until they were weak enough and then I would dominate them and bring them into my army. Before I knew it, I had several different orc armies set up and one of the coolest things that I've seen happen with having orcs on your side is the fact that they'll come save you from death if they are around. You can also tell them to meet you somewhere to fight another overlord and dominate him and bring him to my side as well. It's a lot of fun.

I know I'm probably missing quite a few things about what I love about the game, but there'll be more discussion to come once I 100% complete the game. So far though, this game holds a solid 10/10 for me, rating wise. I don't think that'll drop either. In fact, it could potentially be the first game I rate 11/10. But i'm not going to because that's stupid.

Key

No Man's Sky
From Completely Forgotten, To Completely Playable

No Man's Sky was originally released back in 2016, and it was perhaps one of the most hyped up games that the gaming world had ever seen, at least that's how it felt. You've probably heard of Sean Murray, or you've at least seen his name thrown around. Well, Sean Murray is one of the founders of Hello Games, which of course it the developer behind No Man's Sky. Ring any bells? Well, read onwards.

When No Man's Sky was originally released, the reason behind all the hype was due to potentially one man and one man only, Sean Murray. In interviews and reveals about the game during its initial "hype adventure", there were several things promised for No Man's Sky by Sean Murray himself like multiplayer and unique things to the game that will make it feel truly open and unique. But yet, when the game was released, none of what was promised was in the game. In its original form, No Man's Sky was barren, boring, and nothing to really do. It was basically an open sandbox with planets. You couldn't even see other people playing. It was a pretty big mess and perhaps one of the biggest disappointments in video game history. Of course, to be expected, as people realized they had been lied to, the game was instantly refunded to tons and tons of players that were fully supportive of the hype train. Now, while this is going on, Hello Games sort of became hidden and quiet for a while. Not really mentioning a whole lot on their games initial release, they just sort of stayed quiet.

Now, fast forward to recently, about 2 weeks ago now? Hello Games releases one of the best updates the game has ever had. It's called the NEXT update, so if you've seen that being thrown around, more than likely there's discussion about No Man's Sky going on. So, Hello Games while maintaining their hidden personality, they also have been updating the game time and time again, adding little things to sometimes big things that can help the game grow. While they were great updates, there wasn't nearly as much hype around those ones than their was for the NEXT update. Twitch viewers and Youtuber viewers alike were all waiting and anticipating one of the biggest updates the game is going to get, possibly. Although some people did have to wait a bit longer, the update brought not only a ton of bug fixes and more things to do, it even added multiplayer. Now, I've not played the multiplayer yet, but I've watched people on Twitch and Youtube play the multiplayer, and it looks like so much fun. Not saying No Man's Sky isn't fun by any means, it is. But the multiplayer looks like a blast. I'll be trying that out soon possibly.

So, then I decided to give the game another shot. I had thought initially that this game was pretty lame. I didn't really put enough time into it originally to even be able to form an opinion because my old computer couldn't even run it. So I can't say I'm particularly biased. However, I have been playing it recently and I'm having a blast. Tons and tons of things to collect, tons of things to build, and a really interesting (so far) story / questline that makes you want to explore the galaxy. The game literally tells you sometimes that it'd be worth it to fly around space for a while. I can't say no to that. Mostly because the flying mechanics and the galaxy adventuring is one of the most fun things about this game. And don't get me wrong, walking around on planets and constructing a base is actually really fun in this game. But nothing beats going into hyperdrive and watching your ship quickly traverse the galaxy to get to other planets.

And yes, the planets in this game are all different and have different things to offer. Rare ores, materials, etc. While that's cool on its own, you can also go into other peoples worlds and see the bases they've constructed on their planet or planets. And if you choose to live there as well, you can do that.

I gotta give a lot of credit to Hello Games and Sean Murray specifically. Because not only did they release one of the biggest games we've probably ever seen, but they also didn't quit when the going got tough. I imagine the reason behind why they went quiet for a bit is so they could just focus on updating the game and not disappointing their fanbase again. And boy, they delivered. They didn't just excuse it and say "well, we tried. sorry guys." They instead took the opportunity to work on a game that they wanted to make and the near (or actually finished?) project feels and plays like a true passion project. Everything is tight and each and every little detail looks and feels like it's been tested time and time again to get it just right.

I'm having a lot of fun. Definitely pick it up if you didn't pick it up initially. It's in its best form now and I can only imagine that it's going to get better from here.

Contrarian1

Read your review of divinity original sin and I think I'm going to skip over Pillars and play Divinity first! Cool journal!

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"New member of the year"
-OccultHawk

Key

Thanks! And you'll love it. Both the first and second have a lot to offer but they refined so much more in the 2nd one. Definitely do play both tho as they're both really good.