#gameplay? great. weapons? great. armours? great

[maranull]

how can you make something so good, add so much lore and flesh out so many characters so well

and at the same time have the most underwhelming, boring ass conclusion to a story line THAT YOU COULD HAD MADE INTERESTING, AND WAS, UP UNTIL THE "SOMEHOW, RADAHN RETURNED" SCENE

fucking. s8 of game of thrones looking ending

[hollowtones]

ayy monhun fan! what are you thinkin of what we've seen of wilds so far?

The initial trailer they dropped months ago was pretty cool. "World" is my least favourite game that I've played (even thought I liked it a lot!!), and 90% of why I felt that way was "this is the first time they're making a game of this scale / scope / direction", so it's exciting to see them make a successor to it now that they're not also learning how to make a game like it from the bottom-up & not also building the tech side of it from scratch.

Big desert environments have me excited!!!! I love the way these games do deserts. I'm always dreaming of Val Habar. I love the colour palette they're using for this area. Big fan of Yoshi being a new mechanic. In general I'm noticing a lot of things in "Wilds" that feel like a really cool mix of ideas from "World" and "Rise" in a way that feels a little more grounded. It's cool that they're bringing back a buddy you can ride around on & control. I wonder if they'll let Yoshi fight with you. I don't remember if they showed that off already. Getting to hotswap between 2 weapons without having to run back to base camp feels like a big deal that I haven't really wrapped my head around yet.

The focus mode thing seems fine. More granular control over aiming sometimes seems neat, & the footage we've seen makes it feel like positioning & animation commitment are still a part of it, which I like. Expanding part-breaking into "opening wounds that take more damage & enable special attacks" seems cool! (There was a similar-ish tenderizing mechanic with the Clutch Claw in "Iceborne", and I fuckin hated using it. Loved the idea of it at first. Having to do this whole separate action that interrupted the flow of the fight in a weird way to enable more damage felt awful after a while!! And they designed all the fights around the fact that you have it & use it! So I'm glad they're seemingly taking what I liked about it & chucking out the rest, haha.) I remember there was some hubbub about focus existing at all when news was first dropping. Some people were mad about it? I feel like this happens every time they announce a new Monster Hunter. They reveal a new feature, and a couple guys crawl out of the woodwork to go "THEY HAVE MADE THE VIDEO GAME PITIFUL AND EASIER - THIS IS THE DEATH OF THE FRANCHISE!" The franchise has died every game since the first one, by my count. (They end up buying the game anyway, of course.) I hope they put out a demo soon, though. I wanna get my hands on it & see how it works in the middle of a fight to see how I actually feel about it.

Weapon & armour design so far has been great. Happy about that. The bits of NPC designs we've seen have been cool. I don't really like the smith's look very much. Which makes me sad because I'm pretty sure she's supposed to be Little Miss Forge. LOL

When they first showed the game off I remember thinking "yeah, that's cool, I'm looking forward to this, but it's coming out Next Year & we're not even halfway done with 2024." Well now we're almost two thirds of the way through the year. And they keep dropping gameplay trailers. And they look hype as fuck!! And now I'm feeling more impatient!!! I wanna try this shit out soon!!! I wonder if they'll drop a public demo after Gamescom or something. I wonder if my computer could even run it...

I liked the way Hunting Horn played in "Rise" but it's cool to see the more traditional recitals back. (But faster!! And with new combo paths!!) I think I've spent a cumulative hour or two watching that horn trailer over and over again for little details. The funny bubble reminds me of bead of resonance but it seems like it might also be some kind of AoE team buff? It could also just be extra damage like bead was. But I loved bead. So I'll take it. Being a Hunting Horn fan is accepting that you'll be playing an entirely different weapon in every subsequent game, so I suppose I fuss less about whether or not it plays like any one specific game. But mannnnnn it looks cool as hell this time around.

[rosymourning]

The Pride of Creche K'liir - a Lae'zel build

"Eager for battle."

She hits. Hard. Lae'zel is a Battle Master Fighter, commanding the battlefield and striking fear into the hearts of her foes. This build is a very basic fighter, but a ridiculously strong one nonetheless.

[check out my other builds!]

Gameplay Notes

Listen, it’s pretty standard. Get the biggest sword you can find and hit people with it as often as you’re allowed. You’re not here for a never-before-seen gameplay loop, and I’m not pretending that’s what I’m writing, either. The lore section will be more fun. [to be clear, I LOVE Lae’zel, but this is not my most creative build by any stretch of the imagination]

Stats and Leveling

Final build: Level 12 Battle Master Fighter

Lae’zel’s (default) stats: STR 17 / DEX 13 / CON 15 / INT 10 / WIS 12 / CHA 8

Level 1 - Fighter Level 1

Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting

Level 2 - Fighter Level 2

Action Surge [my love, my light, the love of my life]

Level 3 - Fighter (Battle Master) Level 3

Manoeuvres: Disarming Attack, Menacing Attack, Riposte

Level 4 - Fighter (Battle Master) Level 4

Feat: Great Weapon Master

Level 5 - Fighter (Battle Master) Level 5

Extra Attack

Level 6 - Fighter (Battle Master) Level 6

Feat: ASI+ STR>18, CON>16

Level 7 - Fighter (Battle Master) Level 7

Manoeuvres: Pushing Attack, Trip Attack

Level 8 - Fighter (Battle Master) Level 8

Feat: Alert [remember when I said this build was obvious? I’m not reinventing the wheel here]

Level 9 - Fighter (Battle Master) Level 9

Level 10 - Fighter (Battle Master) Level 10

Manoeuvres: Goading Attack, Rally

Level 11 - Fighter (Battle Master) Level 11

Improved Extra Attack [Lae’zel will now shred enemies, which is hype]

Level 12 - Fighter (Battle Master) Level 12

ASI+ STR>20

Items

Armor - Psionic Ward Armour (2 Reithwin Town)

Melee Weapon -

Soulbreaker Greatsword (1 Creche)

Silver Sword of the Astral Plane (3 Kith’rak Voss) [obvs]

Ranged Weapon - Githyanki Crossbow (1 The Risen Road)

Amulet - Aberration Hunters' Amulet (1 Creche) [this is a great example of gear that’s kind of nonsensical to choose from a mechanics point of view, but I think Lae’zel would love that it’s Githyanki specific. also it looks dope on her]

Helmet - Circlet of Psionic Revenge (1 Creche)

Ring 1 - Ring of Protection (1 Emerald Grove) [tip: you can steal the idol after the Goblin Camp is cleared out and it will no longer start ww3]

Ring 2 - Ring of Free Action (2 Moonrise Towers) [OR if you’re feeling fancy/didn’t equip it on a Rogue in your party, I really really love Risky Ring (2 Moonrise Towers) on Fighters with Great Weapon Master]

Gloves - Hr'a'cknir Bracers (2 Reithwin Town) [kinda useless for this build but the #aesthetic wins out for me… Battle Master Fighter is plenty strong already so idc]

Boots - Boots of Psionic Movement (3 Knights of the Shield Hideout)

Cloak - N/A [hot take, the cloaks are mostly good for casters, and since I don’t like the vibe of Fleshmelter in this build, I’m skipping it. and also I feel like I never see Gith with a cloak? so no cloak lmao] [but if you insist, Cloak of Protection (2 Last Light Inn) is standard for a reason]

Lore and Flavor

Part of the reason I’ve been dragging my feet about writing up this build is that it’s so… obvious. But, instead of just prioritizing the best possible armor and weapons across the board, I’ve continued my commitment to character and lore by picking Githyanki equipment as much as possible. Yes, in a good playthrough, Lae’zel turns her back on Vlaakith, but she remains deeply proud of her people. So yeah, I recognize it’s not the best armor set for an optimized run, but it’s the most fun armor set for Lae’zel!

One thing that I love so ardently about Lae’zel’s character design is the differing interactions between her independence and her loyalty — to me, the two strongest facets of her personality — in her possible endings. Lae’zel’s best ending shows her independence and her loyalty to her people shining through as her greatest strengths. However, my heart breaks every time I see the dark side of those very same qualities as she ascends to Vlaakith and… well… :(

Anyway, my main point is that most of the references for Lae’zel wearing metal armor and swinging a great sword are so surface level that they’re hard to reference directly. It’s just sort of… fundamental to her character design. There are arguments for other builds, to be sure, and I plan to write something up for both a Monk build and a Psionic Eldritch Knight build eventually, but I wanted to put this out in the world before I started getting too creative.

[check out my build disclaimer for info about how and why I don't min/max or completely optimize builds, prioritizing lore and vibe instead]

[eruscreaminginthedistance]

Okay so. I've been sitting on my full first impressions of the game until after the gameplay reveal, cos I know shit can get twisted in marketing.

I was NOT a fan of the trailer. The vibe was off; I cringed a lot; it gave a off very bog-standard hero team saves the day kind of vibe which I inherently dislike because it seems like Dragon Age has just given up on giving you the freedom to be a bastard, or any kind of character that isn't on rails to be everyone's favourite boy. It also failed to bring any dark fantasy to the table. BUT I know from experience, namely the DA2 trailer (not the CGI one. the other one), that marketing is intent on making Dragon Age look like the goofiest shit possible to appeal to the dregs of society (normies). I watched it. Hated it. Moved on to life stuff.

Now with the gameplay reveal out of the way, I have some more solid takes on everything we now know about the game overall.

Things I liked:

The companions all look pretty cool; I've been excited for Devrin for years now, and seeing that he's a Dalish Elf as well as a Warden is quite exciting to see; everyone else are also not only well designed but don't feel like rehashes of our previous companions (apart from Harding)

The return of multiple weapon sets. Thank fucking god. This may even make archer a viable build again. Also I noted that you only have a set number of arrows which the UI tracks, which I'm a huge fan of

The look and style of Minrathous. I like that Bioware is showing their hard work in coming up with a unique area based entirely around magic-tech and I think the result looks great; I am really intrigued by the dark panopticon vibes and hope that becomes a major theme going forward

Different demon designs. I hope there's a bit more variation as the game progresses, but I liked little details like the Pride demons having some kind of armour aesthetic

Dialogue wheel. No notes; she's here, still the same comforting presence as ever. Praying with fingers crossed that it doesn't turn into a super bland protagonist situation like Inquisition

Choosing a faction in character creation that isn't locked to one's race; this one is a really cool idea and if origins don't come back it can be a decent alternative if the reactivity to your choice is the same as in the prologue

Things I didn't like:

Action wheel. Like. I'm a PC person, so I have no idea what the final UI will actually look like for me. But Bioware hasn't elaborated on their UI style at all and if Inquisition is anything to go by, I'm stuck with shitty console-centred UI for the whole game. I would rather just have the ability bar back, for my sanity.

The two-person companion limit. It automatically restricts people into a specific party build depending on their class and I hate that

The Mass Effect-style gameplay. Party tactics was a HUGE draw to the DA series for me, and is what got me into retro RPGs in the first place. Seeing it replaced completely to the point where we can no longer manually manage our party is a huge disappointment. I am willing to keep an open mind, just because I love Mass Effect that much, but it hurts knowing for a certainty I'm never gonna engage with Veilguard like I did with Origins or 2 as a result

The voice acting. Was this an out of date take, or did everyone sound super flat to anyone else? Especially Neve, who didn't seem to know what she was reacting to, just really wooden. It was disappointing, cos I love her voice overall. Wasn't a fan of Rook's voice but I don't plan to play a man anyway

The breaking pots method of looting. This is gonna feel like such a nitpick but I immediately pulled a face seeing that cos I could TELL some suit somewhere asked the Bioware team to "make it more like breath of the wild" and now for some reason it's not dynamic enough to just click on a crate and choose what loot to take; now Tevinters are storing exactly one (1) random health potion in decorative clay jars around the city (more likely than you think!)

The aesthetic of the veil and spirit stuff so far; it's just all a bit bright and noisy, doesn't really grab me as something fun to explore or fight (again, I'm an Origins girly so I'm biased)

Harding coming back. I know she's cool and everyone likes her and I like her too. In Inquisition. This is just a preference, but if I'm gonna start a new game as a new person I don't want to be inheriting pre-bought friends from the last protagonist ://

Things I HATE:

Why does everyone look like play-doh; it's disconcerting.

Like guys I know DA2 is having a renaissance but I don't think anyone was getting nostalgic over everyone's pudding faces.

Everything put out so far has basically crushed any hope I had for this becoming Dwarf age :/ No new dwarf characters, no mention of Kal-Sharok, Harding being the only dwarf companion basically confirms that dwarves will be unromanceable AGAIN. not a fan

TLDR: This is still definitely not a day-one buy for me. The series has just strayed completely from the genre and format that I loved about the previous games into a full action RPG derivative of games from four years ago. Without the focus on party tactics and the low-tech, dark and gritty worldbuilding from the first two games it just fails to excite me. It looks too much like other games for me to really register it as a Dragon Age game.

I love the story and the world of Dragon Age though, so I do still intend to buy it when it goes on sale, but this is definitely a "wait and see the reviews" situation for me, which is a first when it comes to this series :/

[lesbiansforboromir]

Just saw your posts abt the return to Moria songs - was about to ask if you'd got your hands on the game yet! After the trainwreck of the gollum game I'm rlly interested in your opinions/thoughts on return to Moria, lore wise and mechanically as a game, the trailers always looked great & development sounded like it was going well but since it came out I've mostly been seeing poor reviews. What's the lesbiansforboromir verdict so far?

RTM?? HAS?? POOR REVIEWS?? I'll- m. I suppose. People are entitled to be wrong. Anyway well I fucking love this game.

Honestly I dont want to talk about it as a game like the gameplay is fun, I like exploring and mining and making my little bases with all my friends okay, do you want to be a dwarf and do dwarf things in The Dwarf Place with 7 of your little dwarf friends?? Yes?? Good! The game is literally only 31£ which in comparison to most titles that come out these days is so emminently affordable I was honestly shocked I could get it.

I suppose to be clear I was a beta tester for this game like I've been rooting for it for ages so I guess I was primed to enjoy it but!! Like!! What I actually want to talk about is Return to Moria as a piece of art earnestly engaging in dwarven spirituality and narrative as something moving and poignant in and of itself. The mood and narrative of the game is built more on the experience of playing the game than any story or dialogue.

You have come from any corner of dwarvendom, at Gimli's calling, to reclaim Khazad-dum after Sauron's destruction. For some reason though, the doors both east and west are blocked, the pass code no longer works. In attempting to mine through there is an accident and you fall through the floor into Moria, alone.

Now, I would posit that there are two very different games within this game. On the one hand, you can play with friends. You fell through with a few other dwarves and after finding each other you begin to figure out what to do. You deligate tasks of resource collecting and exploration and base building, someone will cook breakfast for the group in the morning for you to all have together, when you mine together your voices join up into lovely shanty-like melodies and at the end of a hard day or some victory you have a mug of ale together and sing around a fire. If you fall, there is someone to pick you up and the burden of the shadow is born by all, it feels right. You can also distribute different 'masterworks' between all of you, so you are never in the dark, you can always mine swiftly through obstacles and someone can offer you a restorative if you need one. The feeling is so right, like this is simply how dwarves always should be, and as you more rapidly clear rubble and repair the world around you the sense of togetherness and reclaiming a home are very powerful. You still long for Durin's return, you sing his song together each time you mend his statues (all my group instinctively waited for everyone to be gathered before mending any of Durin's statues) but you also feel a part of the great dwarven whole and it makes the game a kind of hopeful determined experience. Like yes the damage of the past is great, and the future is uncertain, you have no guiding light. But you do, you have each other, the dwarves will endure and bring their own light to dark places once again. Together.

But if you are playing alone? It is an entirely different experience. And the singing is really the clearest expression of that difference. Whereas with friends your voice will be raised with your fellows and produce really pleasant melodies, alone there is only you. It seems obvious, but there is something about being on your own, mining an iron vein because you need weapons and armour to defend yourself against the orcs that you can see and hear watching you from the darkness, waiting to strike, and you begin to sing, just to yourself, in a voice that is often not particularly beautiful, but you have to do something just to make yourself feel less alone, to calm your own nerves when you feel like a wolf could silently creep up behind you and attack at any moment (a real threat that happens a great deal during solo-play). It is not joyful anymore, it is desperate, you always start off by humming as though you need to psych yourself up to actually raising your voice in the hollow halls. You are always running out of space in your inventory, one dwarf alone cannot carry everything needed to set up safe havens everywhere you want, and as for masterworks? You have to choose between easy light and a raft of other far more useful things like a cask of miruvor, an unbreakable shield, a pickaxe that cuts your mining time in half! You will still choose the light in the end. Where all the leftover dilapidated bases you find felt cosy with friends, now they feel empty, too much space for just one dwarf. You drink and dance alone now, at the end of a weary day, trying to buoy yourself into enduring another one tomorrow, there is no one to celebrate successes or commiserate failures with. And it FEELS wrong, a dwarf alone in here feels wrong, that community you want to turn too for guidance isn't there, and neither is Durin. The sensation that King Thorin Stonehelm III was right, that you should have waited for Durin's return before trying to restory Khazad-dum, is most powerful in soloplay.

The only time you feel that togetherness, that you dont feel alone, is when you mend one of Durin's statues. Whilst you start off singing the song of durin alone, as you continue other voices join you in an uplifting veneration that every dwarf knows. It's the only time in solo-play that you will hear more voices than just your own. It's like a way to connect to the great whole that is the dwarven people, that you are so cut off from right now but that is never wholly gone, as Durin is also never wholly gone. He is the conduit that connects every dwarf in the world and the longing for him is far more potent in playthroughs where he is the only dwarf you can turn too. Despair is a literal mechanic in the game that will slowly sap your life away if you spend too much time alone in the dark.

So a solo experience of the game more emphasises this fear of the future, fear of the unknown, of walking alone into a world that is dark and dangerous and full of pain and loss. You still have victories, but it is gruelling and each one feels more miraculous.

So that's my take, also obligatory mention of the coolest fucking multiplayer gaming moment of my life where me and three friends walked the pilgrim's road of Durin, found the source of the Kibil-nala where a great monument is built as shrine to Durin's passage, restored it and sang to it together (all of us deathly silent in voice chat just to listen) and the song ending just before we were attacked by a horde of orcs rushing into the chamber whereupon us FFFUCKING NERD ASS BITCHES turned around yelling (in our real human voices, not discussed beforehand) 'Baruk Khazad' and 'Khazad ai-menu' with our weapons raised and defeated the orcs at the threshold LIKE... Theoden screaming 'death' levels of adhrenaline and emotional investment I tell you.

Anyway I have to go now, LOTRO's Umbar update finally downloaded ciao

[terra-drone]

My gripes with Rift Apart

Consider this a review of Rift Apart (PC ver). After playing this game twice on Renegade Legend, I have... opinions. Being a fan of the franchise since Going Command/Locked & Loaded, I admittedly have some strong biases for both the PS2 saga and the Future Trilogy for various reasons. But before I go lambasting this entry into the franchise, a TLDR summary;

Pros:

The game is pretty and well executed on a technical level (for the most part).

The platforming and movement is refined and a step up from previous titles.

Cons:

Quite literally almost everything else.

Also has a propensity for crashing (both freezing and blue screen of death).

Movement & Platforming

One of the core aspects of RaC that I am happy RA got right. The movement is buttery smooth and chain daisying from one platform to the next using wall runs, dashes and rift pulls is excellently designed. The addition of the dash function adds an extra dodge ability that was absent in previous entries although granted we can still use the age-old side jumping while aiming/shooting.

I do wish however that the hoverboots were more integrated into the platforming since most of the time you only ever need it for super long leaps or the timed step puzzles. Something like the jump pads from ACIT would be nice to see paired with the new wall run and dash mechanic. You hardly need to use it outside of Savali and Torren IV and the last part of the Nef Mech fight.

What I wished they truncated however was the glide mechanic the hoverboots had. Given that the hoverboots could both glide and make you go fast, it makes this better than whatever Clank could possibly offer. @erablisme has done a wonderful breakdown on this matter (see here), but essentially having the hoverboots be an upgrade of both the charge boots and fulfilling Clank’s contribution to Ratchet’s mobility (gliding) renders Clank, from a gameplay standpoint, moot. It renders Clank into nothing more than a glorified backpack/exposition device, which beats the entire purpose of the franchise’s own title.

Gameplay

Weapons

The arsenal, while fun to use, is too bloated. A lot of the guns overlap in functionality:

Shotguns: Enforcer, Pixelizer, Void Repulser

Seeker/Turret weapons: Agents of Doom, Bombardier, Mr Fungi

Crowd Control: Topiary Sprinkler, Cold Snap

Grenades: Shatterbomb, Bouncer

Rapid fire: Burst Pistol, Blackhole Storm

Lock-on weapons: Drillhound, Richochet, Buzzsaw, Lightning Rod

Heavy hitter: RYNO, Negatron Collider, Warmonger

Do we really need multiple weapons that do the same thing just with different particle effects?

The level up mechanic, while a staple of RaC games, is frankly outdated by this point and actively hinders the game. If anything, it punishes players for sticking to guns they enjoy once they hit max level. It makes the motivator for using weapons not be its function but rather to chase that arbitrary level cap. Plus, there’s no telling what the level up actually did for a weapon aside from damage buffs.

It’s not like they couldn’t do away with this feature, Deadlocked made the guns increase so many levels it frankly deemphasises them in favour of choosing the best weapon for any given scenario, ItN decreased the max level to 3 (6 on challenge) in favour of more meaningful weapon upgrades, and ACiT had the Constructo weapons and mods (which Deadlocked also had called Omega Mods) that incentivises experimentation on what combos worked best while allowing you to spice things up post max level. Why not tie weapon upgrades to collectibles? They already had the Raritanium collection, sprinkling effect mods for weapons throughout the locations shouldn’t be too difficult. They already did this for the armour system, so why not do it for the weapons too? Heck, why not make all the weapons customisable like the Constructo weapons? It would solve the bloated arsenal problem.

Enemy Design

The enemy design in this game just isn’t great. While it makes sense considering you’re fighting an army so it’s obvious they’re gonna have standardised units, you would think they would spice up their combat stratagem when they know they couldn’t beat our protagonists by throwing the same old shtick over and over. Instead, we keep having to fight the same miniboss Juggernaut over and over and over again. Sometimes there’s two of them! Make it three during the Juice fight!

It’s not a problem with just the Nefarious troopers, it’s an issue across multiple factions too. Across all three factions (Space Pirates, Goons & Nef’s army), they all follow the same formula; 

the one with the gun: Pirate Corsair, Goon, Nef Lasertrooper

the one that does melee: Space Pirate & Shield Pirate, Goon Rusher & Undead Goon, Nef Slugger

the tiny short range/melee swarmer: Cutlassies, Robomutt, Nef Trooper

the vehicle one: Goon Dropship, Nef Dropship

the flying one: Zoom Goon, Nef Sniperbot & Blitztrooper & Sniperbot

the heavy flying one: Vroom Goon, Nef Peacekeeper

the rinse repeat miniboss: Pirate Marauder, Nef Juggernaut

While stylistically different, they don’t differ much from how they shoot/do damage at you. It would have been great if they did some things different from one another. Some really simple fixes;

While I think giving shields to pirates makes little sense, it is some variety at least. Expand on that. Maybe make the Goon Rusher actually rush towards you faster than the others, or make the Nefarious Slugger can do 360 attacks or have more range since it’s a) a robot, and b) basically has the Scorpion Flail for arms. 

Make the Vroom Goons try to ram you instead of just having to avoid the taser things it shoots cuz that’s the exact same thing that the Nefarious Sniperbot does since all you need to do to avoid both attacks is sidestepping it.

Make the Pirate Corsair shoot high damage while the standard Goon does horizontal strafing rapid fire compared to the Nef Trooper’s vertical one

Make the Zoom Goons dodge your attacks, maybe give it a ground pound that opens it up to attack so it's at least somewhat different from the Nef Peacekeeper other than being a slightly squishier variant.

For a game so pretty it is bizarre they couldn’t put more effort into gameplay itself. The repeating minibosses get stale very quickly since once you’ve figured out a tactic that worked, it is rinse and repeat across the whole game.

Two Protagonists, Same Shtick

The gameplay doesn’t differentiate itself between Ratchet and Rivet. They play the exact same way, with the exact same arsenal, and the exact same progression. What is the point of having separate playable protagonists if they’re just gonna end up the same? You could replace Rivet with Ratchet and vice versa for 90% of the game and nothing would change. It would be something if they had separate weapons or separate movement gimmicks that make them distinct, but we didn’t get that for some reason.

Character Issues

The character writing is just abysmal, even when compared to the Future trilogy. While the Future trilogy (and by extension A4O, FFA and ItN) had plenty, and I mean plenty, of plotholes from a worldbuilding standpoint, the character writing was solid and fairly consistent. I cannot say the same for RA. Some examples;

Ratchet(?) & Clank(?)

I can hardly recognise Ratchet as the same character we had over the PS2 and PS3 instalments. He feels more like the 2016 reboot version just haphazardly retconned as the ItN version that RA was supposedly a continuation of. Being afraid of being a washed-up hero was Qwark’s thing, not Ratchet’s. Why would he even care? The man was downright tired of being a hero come ItN. And why is he even worried about meeting the Lombaxes? He saved Polaris multiple times and beat Tachyon, y’know, the reason why they left in the first place? The reason he gave up searching for the Lombaxes was because he had more going on with Talwyn and was assured the Lombaxes would do just fine without him. Why the sudden change of reason? What, is acknowledging Talwyn one too many female characters for Insomniac?

And why would Clank, despite knowing Ratchet not wanting to pursue the Lombaxes, go out of his way to make a whole ass parade about the Dimensionator? If he was just trying to cheer Ratchet up from his fear of being a washed-up hero (which, again, made no sense for his character) he would have just done the parade and given him the Dimensionator in private. The entire premise of Rift Apart hinges on the fact that Clank decides to give Ratchet what can be considered as a WMD since the Lombaxes used the Dimensionator to get rid of the Cragmites in an open public setting. Had he not done this, had he not told Qwark he wanted to surprise Ratchet, Nefarious probably wouldn’t have found out about the new Dimensionator, and the entire game wouldn’t have happened.

Another gripe I have with how Clank was handled was that his Zoni heritage was conveniently forgotten about. They could have tied the Zoni more deeply into the mysticism of the RaC universe and be the reason why he was able to fix the dimensional anomalies, but instead it was tied to Gary and... the Lombaxes. Huh.

Rivet, or as I like to call her, “Furbait”

There is so much missed potential with Rivet. Where to start? Instead of a grizzled, closed-off survivor of a robot dystopia, we just get miss middle-of-the-road, clearly made for pandering, furbait. Design wise, she would have been perfectly serviceable had this NOT been a robot dystopia. The only physical giveaway to show that she was a survivor/rebel fighter was her arm. It is the only thing that shows she’s a rebel fighter survivor. Her suit is well made, her eyelashes are on fleek, her hair is silky smooth, her tail is all fluffy and clean. Nothing about her says she was a survivor. No scars, no dirt, nothing other than the obvious robot arm. It is lazy. Lazy and stupid.

Her personality doesn’t make sense for the universe she supposedly inhabits either. Heck, no one in this franchise fits well in this robot dystopia, tbh. She distrusts robots due to past experience, yet  is chummy with both Clank and Kit (and by some extension, the Zurkons & Pierre) relatively quickly. For someone who should have gone through a lot of adversity, she hardly acts like it. She’s confident, has a lot of friends, and whatever negative aspect she does have (which is just distrust instead of the obvious robot racist she should have been) that would have given her an opportunity to grow as a character is watered down and conveniently forgotten, so she hardly grows as a character, if any.

Ultimately, Rivet boils down to being “What if Ratchet, but a girl?”. There’s work put into trying to make her her own thing, but there’s also the narrative yanking her by the collar to be Ratchet’s other self. She’s the last Lombax in her dimension, she also wonders where the Lombaxes went, and she’s trying to be a hero. At that point, how is she any different than Ratchet? They don’t even differ much personality wise for a version of Ratchet who never met her Clank, so to speak. One would think she would be the spunky RaC1 Ratchet since it was meeting Clank that got Ratchet to grow as a person. Instead she’s just your lovely neighbourhood Rivet, friend to all except robots except the ones she meets I guess. What is the point of having two main characters if they are just gonna end up the same?

Kit

While arguably the better other of the new duo, she has issues as well in the writing department. She had the most growth out of our titular cast, however how she got there is ramshackled at best. 

In comparison to Clank, he was a defective warbot, which made sense why he was small. Kit on the other hand was tailor made by the supposedly competent Emperor Nefarious, so why does she have a cutesy mode? Why does she even have a character crisis from hurting Rivet, for that matter? Stopping rebels was what she was designed to do, and she suddenly gained a conscience from doing her job? If Kit is so effective at what she did, why did Emp Nef stop at making just one of her? Shouldn’t there be multiple Kit models roaming about? She could mow down hordes of newer Nefarious Troopers and Juggernauts, so why didn’t Emp Nef expand on that?

These inconsistencies make Kit as a character start falling apart as soon as you give it more scrutiny than a surface level glance. The writers could have easily solved these issues by just alluding that she might have been an outdated model, or was damaged and abandoned on Savali where Gary and the monks fixed her up and gave her a new purpose — protecting the Archives. Instead of an exterminator, she became a guardian. They could have taught her how to be more “human” as it were, too,  which would tie up nicely to why she regrets her actions in her previous line of work. Instead, they went with the “Oh no, what have I done, I did my job and injured a trespasser, now I’m gonna be a recluse on Savali” route.

She doesn’t gel well with Rivet either because the only one actively having something to overcome was Kit. Had Rivet been written better (having to overcome her prejudices, letting go of her past trauma, solving her trust issues) it could work with Kit growing out of her self doubt and regrets, but it just isn’t there. Plus, there weren't enough scenes of them together to build towards that conflict resolution that would make their friendship more believable. She has more of a relationship with Ratchet than Rivet.

“EmPeRoR” Nefarious

He is boring. Simple as. There is no driving motivation to him other than “conquer everything”. We could have gotten an Ultron (which would make a perfectly sensible callback to the Biobliterator shtick our Nef pulled from UYA) but we just end up with a sassy English bastard with the personality of wet bread. There was no fun interplay between him and our Neffy, anything to make both their personalities shine as they work together or grind against each other, it just sucks.

The Plot(holes)

Imma just list it down.

How does a helmet clearly designed to fit a Lombax head is supposedly “one size fits all”?

How did the fish kid Rivet saved in the intro made it around Nef City in the first place if this was supposedly a robot dystopia that eradicated all squishies? What, was he just having a stroll, taking some fresh dystopian air? Could have made it that this was a fellow rebel she was tasked to save cuz he had some intel that he swiped and Rivet decided to use herself as bait to draw attention away from him so he could get the intel out of there, but no.

On that matter, why do planets like Savali and Torren IV still have organic inhabitants?

What was Skidd trying to achieve by hacking the propaganda blimp? This served no purpose at all narratively since it didn't even turn any robots against the Neffies.

Why was Skidd even in Nef City, for that matter? What was his original mission that he was going undercover for? Busting Rivet out of prison? Couldn’t be, since he made no mention of it.

Why did none of Emp Nef's cronies question our Nef just popping in despite looking clearly different? He’s a whole head shorter and the wrong colour. What, do they not have colour vision?

How did Emp Nef know about the existence of the dimensional map? He barely knew about the Dimensionator so how does that make sense?

If Ratchet already has hoverboots, why couldn’t he dash/sprint with it until he gets to Savali?

Where and when did Rivet get a rift tether?

Where and when did Rivet get a pair of hoverboots?

Wasn’t the Space Pirates/Decadroids designed by Tachyon? Why do they exist in this dimension? Why aren’t they allied with Emp Nef since they too are robots? None of this is explained.

Where did the Lombaxes of Rivet’s dimension disappear to? Did they have a Tachyon-like threat in this dimension too? Did Emp Nef wipe them out? Don’t know, and the game doesn’t bother explaining it cuz Rivet is supposed to be girl Ratchet and nothing beyond that.

Why would Emperor Nefarious announce for the whole galaxy to see where he was going during the finale? Did he lose that much intelligence in the short timeframe we’ve known him? This is the guy who conquered the galaxy?

Why would he leave a portal for our protagonists to conveniently follow him through? 

Where did that telekinetic abilities of him suddenly disappear to?

Where was this dimension’s Lawrence counterpart? That stupid little secretary is so dumb as to not recognise her own boss she couldn’t possibly be the Lawrence replacement.

Environmental Storytelling & Worldbuilding

Environmental storytelling & worldbuilding has never really been Insomniac’s strong suit. RA is pretty and all, but aside from Blizar Prime, none of the other locales did anything different from Ratchet’s dimension. If this was supposed to be a galaxy where Emp Nef has conquered it all, you would think that there’d be more neon, more cyberpunk, more Emp Nef aesthetic, more robots flying about. Instead, we just got the same thing we had from Ratchet’s dimension, just in prettier graphics. It is set dressing with no story to tell. It's a puddle pretending it was an ocean. While I appreciate seeing the graphical glow up the locations got, it’s a missed opportunity to actually show the impact Emp Nef had. 

Take Nefarious City for example;

How was Ratchet able to move around Nef City without raising alarms? This negates the entire point of Rivet needing a robot disguise in the first place.

Why does a static statue in the middle of a city have a terminal that activates a platform that leads to Emp Nef's office in the first place?

On that note, why is an EMPEROR working from an office? Where’s the throne? The grand palace and palisades? The royal guards? If he’s an authoritarian that likes to take control, where’s the giant screen with a hundred monitors that watch every inch of Nef City?

Why does Emp Nef have a tiny four seater shuttle? If he needed to commute planet-side, wouldn’t he have something more posh? More grand? A Rolls Royce of shuttles instead of what can be considered a slightly pricier but still shitty Tesla model? They could have made Ratchet or Rivet have to steal a fighter jet and that would make infinitely more sense than what we got.

The same can be said with the inhabitants of this universe. They only exist to serve as plot devices or to point the protagonists to the next goal rather than actual people. There is no culture, no differing beliefs, nothing to tell you about what they are about or what they do. If all they exist to do is to be exposition devices/mission pointers, what was the point of even making distinct characters? Then again, the Future trilogy suffered the same problem with environmental characters being practically stand-in cardboards so points for consistency, I guess.

Verdict

Essentially, Rift Apart is a creatively bankrupt, designed-by-committee tech demo for Sony Playstation. What used to be a franchise that does satirical commentary on capitalism that later tried to delve into narrative/character driven sci-fi story, has ended up being the most capitalistic-designed entry imaginable. Which is unfortunate because I want to like this game. God, do I want to like it.

Did I enjoy playing it? When it works and doesn't crash on me, sure.

Do I like it enough as an entry to the franchise though? No, no I don't. The gameplay hardly expanded on the RaC formula, and the narrative just killed it for me.

But of course, that's just me. If you enjoyed RA, more power to ya. If you told me to play it again, I'll probably do it. It's just not for me for the long run.

[corvidgames]

#24 Space Marine 2

Space Marine 2 was a gritty, action-packed march through hell that I absolutely adored. Despite having never played the first game, the story of Space Marine 2’s campaign jumps right into a mostly individual story, able to stand proudly alone for the vast majority of the game bar a few reveals at the end.

Third person shooters aren’t usually my thing. I don’t inherently dislike them, but I’ve rarely had the chance to play through many that I’ve enjoyed. But the combination of SM2’s hack-and-slash gameplay alongside its shooter elements brought a fresh enough feel that I had no problems adjusting to the perspective shift.

Playing on PS5, the integration of the haptic triggers brings a sense of weight to every bullet fired, the click and strain of the triggers on the controller brought a sense of immersion into the world that felt refreshing and unique. Whilst I’ve definitely played with games that use the haptic triggers before this, it feels like SM2 made the absolute best use of them possible, fully utilising the tech of the controller in a way that was smooth enough to feel different to other games whilst being subtle enough to not feel unnecessarily gimmicky.

The multiplayer was fun and and as of right now the servers are lively and packed with people both with and without voice comms, and the three types of PVP modes don’t split the player base up so much that it’s difficult to find a game. It was probably my least favourite part of the game, between the campaign, PVE and PVP modes, whilst PVP was fun, it didn’t quite hold my attention quite like the other two modes. I much prefer carving through tyranids than other players, but that’s just my personal preference. Once I had gained all achievements in the PVP mode, I think I only ended up playing it once or twice between rounds of PVE.

The movement system in SM2 isn’t anything particularly special, but the hulking weight of Titus’ armour really does come through with the slow rolling and heavy melee attacks provided throughout the game. You feel like a force of nature to be reckoned with as you hack and slash through hoards of enemies, whilst never feeling too powerful that the games’ bosses become trivial (at least on veteran mode they don’t).

SM2 provides 2 NPC allies throughout the campaign if you play solo and I found that throughout the campaign they worked pretty much adjacent to other players in all instances except the tower defence missions. In any main event of the campaign the NPCs were perfectly capable but the moment we had a tower defence missions, their abilities to do anything seemed to fly out of the window. In earlier stages of the campaign I had to change difficulty if only so that the towers wouldn’t all fall before my companions decided to point their weapons toward the xenos…

But I will say, I played these missions close to release so I don’t know how they play now and with some of the patches released it’s likely that the issues have been addressed at some point and I could be spouting nonsense right now.

Overall, I had a really great time with almost all aspects of SM2 and I really hope that the series continues in the future!

Date of completion: 23/10/2024

Genre: Third person shooter/hack and slash

Time to beat: 62 hours

Level of completion: main story + all side content, 100% completion

Trophies/Gamerscore: 50/50 Platinum

1-100 rating: 90%

Platform: PlayStation 5

[sol-consort]

I have no idea what Elcor are but that's the cutest thing I've seen in a while, I wanna gently place them into my pocket.

Also, I just got Mass-effect. Is there anything I have to brace myself for? Gameplay or story elements wise?

AAAA ilyyyy I'm so EXCITED FKNWODJWKS <3333 PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT YOUR PROGRESS AS YOU PLAY.

and eclor are the most adorable thing there is! They're like elephants and their speech is so cute! They use tone indicators before talking because their voice is monotone and they don't want the humans to feel like they're not being genuine

So for example if they're happy or grateful they won't just say "thank you" instead they're say:

"With great joy and sincere gratefulness: thank you"

My advice hmm.

First

You get different companions to take with you on missions and they each have different and unique dialogue on the said mission. You can take anyone anywhere on any mission so pick your favourite!

And if you want more lore, pick the ones that make the most sense for the mission. Like if you're going to X character hometown then bring X character with you.

Second thing

Ignore the main quest for as long as you can get away with. Whenever you get a side quest or a side mission, let it take priority over the main quest. I realised too late that mass effect let's you gun it from one main quest to another without nothing stopping you or any indications of the "point of no return" and side quests expire without warning too.

So unless you want the game to end in 3 hours, do the side quests. Most of them are very important and aren't just filler.

Here is a guide for the mission and quest order for all of the three games that has no spoilers! I personally used it.

Number three

Dialogue choices are important. They aren't just for immersion and aren't filler you gloss over, they can make or break a mission.

Don't stress over them. The game puts the "pragon" choices at the top while the "renegade" choices are the bottom. This order never changes but they might change from left to right.

Paragon depends on charm points. You're an optimistic who want people to work together and try to save as many lives as you could. Basically diplomatic and merciful.

Renegade depends on intimidation points. You're brutally honest, it's your way or the high way. Kinda of a human supremacist and always look for your own personal benefit and respect. This can make you lose people so sometimes you have to pick paragon options just to continue a conversation then switch to Renegade.

Save often before conversations or inbetween missions, you can't retract like in baldur's gate and the options you pick aren't always clear.

There are also options in the middle between the top and bottom. They can be neutral ones or inquiry ones that lets you ask a question to understand a situation better and then pick paragon or renegade.

In the second and third game, you gain charm and intimidate passively through your normal dialogue choices in conversations.

But in the first game, you have to level it up alongside your actual combat powers. You get a lot of points dw but I recommend prioritising the charm and intimidating over all other skills.

This is is a fps afterall, the only skill that matters is your aim.

Sometimes you get in conversations and realise you don't have enough charm points to pick the paragon option so it gets greyed out. And you miss out on looking cool :(

So save before conversations and if you don't have enough points then move along and postpone the conversation until you do. Even if it meant doing main missions.

Fourth thing

Your romance is very limited by your gender. If you like a character, consider looking up what gender they date.

Fifth

The game is pretty easy and forgiving in combat, decent armour gets you far and your teammates are better used for support than offence so prioritise yourself when it comes to upgrades and weapons first and give them your hand-me-downs.

Sixth

Modding really isn't that hard and fixes so much, especially the save filer editor because sometimes you realise you missed a very important decision in the first game but you're already in the third game and you don't want to replay the whole trilogy just for that one thing that's blocking your progress in the third game mission.

So save editor lets you edit your save file as easily as checking a box to make the game think you did do that important thing in the first game and now you don't feel like you missed out.

If you have any questions about modding, feel free to ask me. Even for a guide I'd happily oblige.

Seventh

There are different starting classes. They depends on how you like playing shooter games. They don't matter in the first game but they matter a lot in second and third when combat gets serious.

So experiment a lot. Some classes are built for short range knives or shotguns, others for snipers. Keep track of what works for you and note which class does what.

I recommend infiltrator. You have a sniper and become invisible and get a dmg boost.

There are also points and powers, put your teamates on auto leveling at the start if you want and only focus on your own character. The first game is very forgiving and it's best to understand your powers first then worry about your teammates in the second or third games.

Eight

Please import your character from game one to game two then to three. Trust me it is so worth it and an option ingame! So many things depend on your previous choices!

Ninth

In the first game, when you land on a planet in the car rover for a mission, Don't just head straight to the mission marker but also explore around! You find so many things and that's how you get the money for the armours and weapons by finding ore viens.

Same in the second game but instead of on foot exploration, you'll send probs to planets you scan. So scan the planets you come across for money.

Lastly and number 10

Have fun! Mess up! Level the wrong things and pick the wrong options. It's okay.

Explore the world, enjoy the beautiful views and interact with things. Touch everything you wanna touch despite the salarian scientist threatening to call the human embassy for your behaviour! Talk with everyone you wanna talk to.

Pick the armour that looks best even if it has bad stats, pick the decision you like even if it's a renegade one.

And if you ever like a character or want to request them <3 I am here and I am all ears.

[paracausalwraith]

souls asks 1, 5, 12, 35

1. What is your favourite boss gameplay-wise?

OOooh Friede and Maria I think. I like super fast paced fights where it feels like you're just up against an equal.

5. What are top 3 weapons and why?

Whirligig Saw. It's the whirligig saw.

Claymore. Ol' reliable. Sexy, balanced, in like every game. I have one tattooed on my arm :)

Friede's Great Scythe. My dex/magic build that I used this with is still one of the most fun characters I've played in ds3.

12. What are your 3 favourite armour sets?

Oh this is hard there is so much sexy armor across the games. Gonna try and pick across different games.

Armor of Thorns (DS,DS3)

Hunter's Attire (Bloodborne)

Carian Knight Armor (Elden Ring)

35. What ingame faction would you belong to?

Answered :). Bonus answer: Ranni's little conspiracy of weirdos.

[transneonneko]

Monster Hunter Rise is a lot of fun! A great starting point too if you’re new to the series since the other one that’s on Switch, Generations Ultimate, is more of a celebration title and goes in thinking you’ve played the previous games so it doesn’t really tutorial you around as much.

It does have online, and it works very well from my experience with it. Monster Hunter games aren’t really known for their stories, since it’s more of just a backdrop for the player to go around and hunt monsters, but it’s serviceable and gets the job done.

Don’t really know how familiar you are with the MH series but to break down the basic gameplay loop it’s essentially gathering materials like plants, bugs, ores all that sorta stuff, going back to your town to prepare and then going off to fight the monster. You then take the stuff like scales you got from defeating the monster to craft more weapons and armour. Certain weapons are better at damaging certain body parts. For instance the hammer is best used on the head since it does knockout damage, and if you consistently land hits it knocks them out eventually letting you do a ton of damage! Swords and stuff like that are better at slicing things like tails too.

Hoping this was… well, helpful!

Yes, this helped a lot actually!!! I was mainly asking cause I was watching ProtonJon's stream the other day and he played a bit of that and it looked really good for a Switch game??? Like I feel like I could have fun with it (after I finish up Majora's Mask, Fire Emblem Awakening, just got Bayonetta 3 and Crisis Core for Xmas and then also Pokemon today as a late gift lol)!! And I knew a friend of mine was playing it eariler in the year Am wondering if I should get it for Switch since I have the online pass for Switch which I don't for PS5, but it might run better on there???

[rosymourning]

The Eldritch Druid - a Jaheira build

"War is an old woman's game."

Jaheira is a Circle of the Land Druid and Eldritch Knight Fighter, relying on spells and swords to get the job done. The High Harper can certainly hold her own.

[check out my other builds!]

Gameplay Notes

We’re leaning heavy into the build disclaimer I mention at the end of all my posts with this one. My priorities with this build are to get as close as I can to Jaheira’s original character… which was designed for 2e DnD and is basically nonfunctional in 5e. The best, most optimized multiclasses with Druid and Fighter all use the Circle of Spores subclass, but I will very much not be doing that (more on that in the Lore section at the end). Basically, this build is objectively not very good, but it feels right and that’s what I care most about.

Stats and Leveling

Final build: Level 7 Circle of the Land Druid, Level 5 Eldritch Knight Fighter

Jaheira’s (default) stats: STR 10 / DEX 14 / CON 14 / INT 8 / WIS 17 / CHA 12

Level 1 - Fighter Level 1

Fighting Style: Two Weapon Fighting

Level 2 - Fighter Level 2

Action Surge [nice]

Level 3 - Fighter (Eldritch Knight) Level 3

Cantrips: Ray of Frost and Shocking Grasp

1st Level Spells: Shield, Magic Missile, and Longstrider [these will use INT as the spellcasting modifier, so make sure not to pick something that uses the spellcasting modifier]

Level 4 - Fighter (Eldritch Knight) Level 4

Feat: ASI+ DEX>16

1st Level Spells: Burning Hands

Level 5 - Fighter (Eldritch Knight) Level 5

Extra Attack [now we’re at two main hand attacks and an off hand attack]

Level 6 - Druid Level 1

Cantrips: Guidance and Thorn Whip

1st Level Spells

Level 7 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 2

Wild Shape

Cantrips: add Resistance

Level 8 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 3

2nd Level Spells [would recommend Spike Growth]

Land Type: Coast

Level 9 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 4

Feat: Alert

Cantrips: add Produce Flame

Level 10 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 5

Wild Strike [aka Extra Attack but for Wild Shape]

3rd Level Spells [Plant Growth is my favorite]

Land Type: Coast

Level 11 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 6

Wild Shape: Panther [Jaheira famously loves turning into a Panther]

Level 12 - Druid (Circle of the Land) Level 7

4th Level Spells [the levels in Eldritch Knight will mean a total spellcaster level of 8, fyi]

Items

Armor - Armour of Agility (3 Stormshore Armoury) or Sharpened Snare Cuirass (2 Moonrise Towers) [pick which you think looks the coolest - one leans more into fighter aesthetic, and one more into druid aesthetic. they both have the Exotic Material property, and the other bonuses aren’t central to the build]

Melee Weapon -

Belm (3 Jaheira’s Basement) [this weapon is from previous games, fyi]

Sylvan Scimitar (2 Jaheira) [she’s already holding it!]

Ranged Weapon - Spellthief (1 Emerald Grove) [ok don’t judge me - obviously, this is a weak pick, but I tend not to stack my most powerful items on Jaheira… :/ sorry!]

Amulet - Khalid's Gift (3 Jaheira’s Basement)

Helmet - Helmet of Arcane Acuity (2 Mason Guild’s Basement) [this is not an Arcane Acuity build, so if you want to put it on another party member, do it — it’s not essential to the build at all. another option that will help the Eldritch Knight spells using INT is the Warped Headband of Intellect (1 Blighted Village). I also like the vibe of Scabby Pugilist Circlet (3 Rivington) and Browbeaten Circlet (2 Moonrise Towers) for Jaheira]

Ring 1 - Ring of Elemental Infusion (1 Crèche Y'llek)

Ring 2 - Explorer’s Ring (1 Dread Hollow) [not a great pick, but seems like the type of thing Jaheira would like]

Gloves - Unwanted Masterwork Gauntlets (3 Forge of the Nine) [something about these gauntlets feels SO Jaheira to me, I can’t get over it]

Boots - Boots of Elemental Momentum (1 Rosymorn Monastery Trail) or Boots of Genial Striding (1 Myconid Colony) [again, a fighter aesthetic option and a druid aesthetic option - I’m partial to the druid!]

Cloak - Vivacious Cloak (2 Grand Mausoleum)

Lore and Flavor

Jaheira is one of the most recognizable characters from previous games of Baldur’s Gate. ln the decades in real life and century in game, she has changed a lot in BG3 — and so has Dungeons & Dragons as a whole.

Multiclassing in DnD 2e is a whole different ballgame than multiclassing in 5e. Without diving into too many 2e mechanics, it was essentially possible to be fully leveling both classes at once, without missing much when compared to monoclass characters. These mechanics made Jaheira’s Fighter/Druid multiclass not only functional, but strong.

In 5e, multiclassing necessitates foregoing powerful abilities, and so multiclass builds that shine are the ones with high levels of synergy — which Fighter and Druid do not have. And yes, I recognize that Circle of Spores Druid functions better in melee than Circle of Land or Circle of Moon, but absolutely no line of dialogue from Jaheira from the past, present, or future would suggest that she should be a Circle of Spores Druid, and I cannot accept using that subclass. So we’re left with a disappointing lack of synergy.

At the risk of undervaluing Jaheira and getting way too meta, there is an argument to be made that her sticking with a build that is outdated and underutilized makes character sense, given her age and years spent as a high-profile adventurer.

Eldritch Knight might seem like an odd choice, given how strong Battle Master is. To be completely honest, adding Manoeuvres into Jaheira’s repertoire makes a lot of sense, given her background as a leader and commander. The reason I went with Eldritch Knight was basically just to have access to utility spells that would help plug the gap for a few of this build’s main weaknesses. If you wanted to use Battle Master instead, very little of the rest of the build would change. Also, I never played 2e so I might be wrong, but my understanding is that subclasses are a more recent creation, so there isn’t an obvious answer regardless.

[check out my build disclaimer for info about how and why I don't min/max or completely optimize builds, prioritizing lore and vibe instead]

[gameinfoxtbr]

Jackal Squad Ultimate Tier List 🎮

Are you ready to dominate Jackal Squad Ultimate Tier List Top Gunner - Arcade Shooting and find out which jeeps, weapons, and upgrades are the best? Look no further! In this post, we’ll provide you with the Jackal Squad gift code Tier List that ranks the most powerful jeeps, weapons, and other game features to help you make the right choices and get ahead in the game. Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran player, this guide will show you how to unlock the full potential of your gameplay. Let’s get started and find out which items will bring you the victory you deserve! 🚁 S-Tier: The Top Guns of Jackal Squad 💥 When it comes to the Jackal Squad Ultimate Tier List, S-Tier jeeps, and weapons are the apex and will assist you in the obliteration of the enemy and easy achievement of mission objectives. These are known to be the most effective and effective ones, and thus, ought to be on your list of handy gadgets. 1. Stormbringer Jeep 🌪️ The Stormbringer is quite simply stated a big jeep with plenty of firepower as well as armour. This jeep is ideal for warriors who have an intention to penetrate the enemy territories without fear of being felled easily! - Best for: Large output and small damage High damage output and long-lasting capability - Why it’s S-Tier: Sitting on the top of the list, this jeep has the most robust firepower and elaborate shield that makes it special. 2. Ironclad Jeep 🔥 If you desire someone who can take the heat of battle, this is your jeep; hence the name Ironclad. It gives great protection and is ideal for both, attack and defense-related functions. - Best for: Steady and holding back severe pressures - Why it’s S-Tier: Can Tank a good amount of damage, while being a good Wrecker on the other hand. 🔗 Check out the Jackal Squad Gift Code Game Guide

GameInfoX A-Tier: Strong Choices for Battle 🎯 A-Tier items are also generally as strong, or stronger than B and C-Tier items but can often be less raw damage or tackiness than S-Tier items. While not exactly S-Tier, that doesn’t make them bad options for most players – in the right skill set, they can be just as deadly. 1. Razorback Jeep ⚔️ The Razorback is a highly maneuverable ground vehicle and a specialist in hit-and-run tactics. It may not be as long-lasting as the S-Tier choices, but also, it also lets you avoid shots and damage enemies in return. - Best for Quickness and getting into the enemy’s trenches. - Why it’s A-Tier: Not the most durable, but it excels in fast combat situations. 2. Hellfire Jeep 🔥 bold words for this jeep— it can make it hotter you know! It has great damage output but expect that it lacks somewhat with regards to armor while maneuvering around the battlefield with the jeep. It is most effective when used in an attack since the enemies will be defeated before they attack to get back. - Best for I was expecting Dealing burst damage - Why it’s A-Tier: Cause high damage or impacts to an opponent but should be well employed to increase its efficiency. 🔗 Explore Jackal Squad Gift Code Latest Updates and News B-Tier: Solid but Situational 🚀 If the cut-off quality is not very high then you can go for B-Tier items as they are long-lasting but may not run as smoothly and efficiently in different circumstances. They are and can be quite handy in Erle’s cases, but can falter when it comes to difficult foes or higher stages. 1. Blitzkrieg Jeep ⚡ The Blitzkrieg jeep in the game is speedy and flexible thus useful where speed is all that counts for success. Nonetheless, it has low defense and therefore you have to be very careful when dealing with those with high defense power. - Best for: Speed-focused missions - Why it’s B-Tier: Not very durable but it can be quite swift in certain situations. 2. Bulldozer Jeep 🚜 In a way, clearing a path is exactly what the Bulldozer class is designed for; to plow through the enemies. It is durable and powerful – for her it is not difficult to sweep away all and everything, however, it is slow and hence may not be suitable for the operation that will demand a lot of movement in a short time. - Best for: Epidemiological evidence of structures belonging to AL-Shabab, an enemy was dismantled. - Why it’s B-Tier: He is strong for the direct approach but slow and not very maneuverable. C-Tier: Play at Your Own Risk ⚠️ It is, however, important to note that C-Tier items are not necessarily evil, but only tend to be quite tricky to overpower. They do not contain the power, speed, or toughness to face higher levels and enemies of the game and thus get defeated easily. For the players who just play games occasionally, these peripherals will do but for those who are actually in to compete, the upgrade is inevitable. 1. Scorpion Jeep 🦂 The Scorpion is adequate for the initial levels of a game up to the mid-level one in comparison with the other cars. It lacks the firing power for a jeep of a higher class and is not as sturdy and robust as the latter as well. - Best for: Initial stages of the game and non-professional gameplay - Why it’s C-Tier: Suffers from the lack of combat skills when it comes to the stronger opponents. 2. Sandstorm Jeep 🏜️ The Sandstorm can be described as a simulation game that provides a taste of each of the genres occurring in large-scale online games. That makes it versatile but due to the power it has, it cannot much of an impression on the harder missions. - Best for: All-around play - Why it’s C-Tier: Being not that sturdy to take the necessary stand in all the challenging situations.

GameInfoX Tips to Level Up Your Jackal Squad Gameplay 🏆 Now that you know which jeeps and weapons rank the highest, here are some bonus tips to maximize your gameplay: - Focus on Upgrades: Focus particularly on increasing the quality of the jeeps that will be used to progress to the next stages given that the levels will become harder. - Daily Challenges: Just don’t forget to also look for the daily missions for extra rewards that can be used for Jeep enhancements and new abilities. - Use Jackal Squad Gift Codes: Make sure to use the Jackal Squad gift codes to be able to get some additional boosts such as coins and power-ups. 🔗 Find Out About Jackal Squad Gift Code Game Codes Here Conclusion: Choose Your Jeep Wisely! The Jackal Squad Ultimate Tier List provides you with all the necessary information to be aimed at making the right decisions for your team. The Icarus – a ‘high-damage powerhouse’ is as different from the Stormrider as the Razorback – a ‘fast-moving jeep’. Here, we have provided a guide on how to dominate the battlefield, rescue prisoners, and lead your squad to victory! 🔗 Learn More About the Jackal Squad Developers Word Count: 622 words Read the full article

[techtired]

Best Website to Buy Elden Ring Items in 2024

The Elden Ring has stormed its way into the gaming world, where deep lore and rigorous gameplay await in a vast, open-world environment. The deeper you go into this mysterious realm, the greater the chance there is that your needs will grow to attain powerful weapons, armour, and other valuable items. But again, achieving these things may be an uphill task for the players, as many hours have to be passed, even with brutal fights. That's where IGZ steps in. IGZ is among the best gaming websites, offering safety and speed in the item-buying process for players inside the game, including those treasure evasions in Elden Ring. With its excellent reputation at stake and satisfying customer service always on the line, IGZ has now become a reliable site to play Elden Ring. What is IGZ? IGZ is a reputable e-commerce website where one can purchase in-game goods, in-game currency, and specific services for many popular video games. Known for safety and competitive pricing, IGZ provides you with an enormous range of products to improve your gaming experience. Also, there are constant discounts, the ability to buy in bulk, and safe payment methods, like PayPal. IGZ is one of those places players would go to when they seek to enhance their gameplay without too much hassle. Service of IGZ IGZ provides various services to enhance your gaming experience, including four major products: Item Sales: Purchase crucial in-game items such as weapons, armour, and consumables in various games, including the Elden Ring, among others. Rune Sales: Runes Sales Purchase runes along with any other in-game currency, which will help you power up your character fast and progress with the gameplay. Build Calculator: This account build calculator helps you plan and optimize your character stats, equipment, and skills to achieve the best possible build. Boosting Services: Improve your game ranking or level up your account quickly with professional boosting services from experienced players. Why Buy IGZ Elden Ring Items? Trusted Reputation Speaking of which, everything has something to do with trust in online gaming marketplaces. That is where IGZ has an excellent reputation in the gaming community and has inspired confidence in thousands of players from all over the world. As can be said, never has there been such great feedback on reviews and testimonials about this marketplace. IGZ became an appropriate place for game players to shop without doubts about their purchases, whether for the seasoned gamer or fresh to online item purchasing. Extensive Variety of Items Among the many reasons why IGZ beats other websites for buying Elden Ring items is its extensive selection. IGZ can provide a wide array of in-game items, including powerful weapons and armour sets, rare consumables, and crafting materials. The platform is constantly updating its inventory in pursuit of the latest and most sought-after items so that players get nothing but the best gear available for their use. Be it a specific weapon to dominate in PvP battles or a scarce item to complete the collection, IGZ will help you out. Competitive Pricing and Discounts Pricing is always one of the major concerns while buying something in-game, and IGZ is second to none when talking about competitive pricing. While other platforms are charging the nose, IGZ ensures that the prices are kept moderate. Secondly, IGZ frequently offers a lot of discounts and special promotions so that the players will be in a position to get the best deals for their money. If one is looking for a combination of quality and affordability, then IGZ is the clear choice. Fast and Secure Transactions In this world of online gaming, where everything means something with speed, swift delivery of purchased items may be considered vital. IGZ is proud to declare its fast delivery times and promises the quickest way for buyers to get their items right after purchase. For sure, such speed allows gamers to continue uninterruptedly with their adventures. Besides, IGZ pays much attention to transaction security. From secure modes of payments to robust data protection, players are assured that all their personal and financial information is safe once they purchase IGZ. Customer Support Another strong side of IGZ is customer support. This is backed by effective, responsive customer service in solving issues and inquiries that may appear during the purchase. Indeed, this explanation further cements IGZ as the best choice for buying Elden Ring items. How to Buy Elden Ring Items from IGZ Buying Elden Ring items via IGZ is relatively easy. You need to log onto the IGZ website and search for Elden Ring. Look at the available items and select those you want to purchase. Having chosen the items, put them into your shopping cart and then click checkout. IGZ provides various options to choose from when making a purchase; you then may select a method of paying that appears viable to you. After buying, the goods get delivered in the blink of an eye to your account so that one jump back into the game could be facilitated. Payment Options and Security IGZ offers a few payment options: credit cards, PayPal, and other currently available Internet systems. So rest assured that all transactions are secured with encryption for the safety of your financial information. That means, thanks to IGZ, you will be able to buy fully confidently and confidently regarding the security of your data. Conclusion IGZ is the best place to go to for buying Elden Ring items that offer a better selection, fair price, and security of the transaction. It would mean choosing IGZ; players can improve their in-game experience and save them from frustrations in farming items. Take your Elden Ring adventure to the next level with what IGZ has in store for you today. Read the full article

[govindhtech]

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: The Secrets of the Night

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: A New Chapter

Introduction

Assassin’s Creed, the genre’s flagship action-adventure game, has captivated millions with its intricate stories, rich historical locations, and thrilling gameplay. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows is expected to be a major advance over prior games. The essay discusses why this game is vital, including its pioneering gameplay and thorough world-building.

Story and Setting

Assassin’s Creed Shadows transports players to feudal Japan, a time period rich with culture, politics, and samurai. Take control of youthful assassin Kaito as he becomes caught up in a clan power war. The game‘s story is set against Japan’s gorgeous landscapes, bustling cities, and calm temples.

The plot involves devotion, treachery, and honour. Kaito’s revenge for his family’s wrongs drives his personal path. He discovers a Templar scheme to use the warring governments’ disarray for their own gain. Meeting historical figures adds authenticity and dimension to the story.

Game mechanics

Innovative gameplay elements distinguish Assassin’s Creed Shadows from its predecessors. Shadow Mode, which lets players use shadows to sneak about, is a major innovation. This element makes stealth gaming more creative and strategic.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ combat is improved. A dual-wielding system lets players customise weaponry to their playstyle. The fighting system is fluid and responsive, whether you prefer katana strikes or wakizashi defence. A parry system inspired by samurai warfare adds skill and precision to engagements.

The Assassin’s Creed series’ parkour has been improved to mimic ninja agility.Kaito demonstrates remarkable dexterity as he scales buildings, bridges rooftops, and swings precariously from tree branches. Because parkour is so intrinsic to the game’s open universe, discovering it is an exciting adventure.

Exploration and Worldbuilding

The rich fabric of Feudal Japan is faithfully recreated in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The game offers bamboo woods, serene gardens, lively marketplaces, and majestic castles. Each place is full of NPCs going about their daily lives, giving the world realism and liveliness.

The game emphasises exploration with several side quests and activities. Players can complete contracts to assassinate high-profile targets, fight samurai clans, and discover ancient temples. Players can gather resources and construct new weapons and armour using the game’s complex crafting system.

A highlight of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the Dynamic Weather System. Weather changes in real time, altering gameplay and environment. An unexpected shower can conceal stealth missions, while dense fog can hide ambushes. Game immersion and unpredictability are enhanced by dynamic weather.

Voice and Characters Acting Assassin’s Creed Shadows features a diverse cast with distinct motivations and backstories. Protagonist Kaito is multifaceted and grows through internal turmoil. His relationships with his mentor Takeda and the mysterious geisha Yuki are crucial to the story and add emotional depth.

Amazing voice acting brings Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ characters and stories to life. The game’s outstanding performers capture their characters’ emotions and personalities with impressive performances. Each well-written discussion enriches the tale and setting.

Pictures and music

Assassin’s Creed Shadows looks great. The game uses next-gen consoles to provide beautiful graphics with complex character models, realistic lighting, and stunning settings. From ornate samurai armour to beautiful cherry blossoms, the game is meticulously detailed.

A famous musical team’s soundtrack matches the game’s setting and tone. Traditional Japanese instruments and sophisticated orchestration create a hauntingly beautiful score that increases the story’s emotional effect. Each piece of music is tailored to the scene, whether it’s a thrilling covert operation or a huge conflict.

Online/Multiplayer Features

A powerful multiplayer option complements Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ excellent single-player experience. Friends can team up for cooperative tasks, PvP combat, and seasonal events. Team-based stealth missions and large-scale samurai battles make the multiplayer mode fresh and entertaining.

The game has leaderboards, daily challenges, and community activities online. These activities boost replayability and lifespan by unlocking rewards and special content. Player transitions between single-player and multiplayer modes are easy because to the game’s internet features.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date

On November 15, 2024, Assassin’s Creed Shadows finally arrived, much to the excitement of lovers of the cherished series. It was made by Ubisoft Quebec and takes players to Sengoku-era mediaeval Japan. You command the formidable Naoe, a highly skilled shinobi, alongside the renowned Yasuke, a legendary samurai hailing from Africa. United, they traverse the ravaged territory and battle for a fresh era. Many systems, including Windows, Mac, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and more, are compatible with Shadows.

Conclusion

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be a franchise milestone with its revolutionary gameplay, rich world-building, and thrilling story. The game’s lush environment in Feudal Japan and polished combat and stealth features make Kaito’s adventure compelling. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a must-play for aficionados and beginners because to its beautiful visuals, voice acting, and dynamic universe.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows shows Ubisoft’s dedication to developing video game storyline and design. No matter your level of familiarity with the series, Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers an amazing experience.

Read more on Govindhtech.com

[an-aussie-button-masher]

Breaking Good - Five Games That Scratch the Destructive Itch

   Some games are all about creation, building up the world and the people around you. These are not those games. Have you ever had the urge to just break something? Has a rough day got you feeling frustrated and needing an outlet? Don’t want to blow your actual house up, and are willing to settle for a virtual version? Try out these games! Here, you can tear apart everything from cars and buildings to entire cities and global populations without even getting out of your seat. Get ready to channel all those destructive urges into this handful of games all about the art of annihilation. Read on to break it down one game at a time - enjoy!

Besiege    Good news! Someone has entrusted you with the construction of medieval siege engines. A master architect like yourself must build deadly war machines to destroy your enemies - assuming your creations don’t accidentally just tear themselves apart the moment they start rolling. You have countless weapons and upgrades at your disposal - flamethrowers, saws, spikes, cannons, bombs, rockets, armour plating, and more. Manoeuvre around traps and the environment with steering (or just blindly flailing around) to launch attacks upon the panicking enemy forces, their camps, their castles, their own machines, and so on. There’s also plenty of “eh, that’s good enough” moments where the scorched remains of your construction just happen to flatten one last bit of the enemy camp to earn a technical victory. Finally, you can enter the unlimited-resource Sandbox mode to make some truly staggering behemoths that will bring everything in its path - including your PC - to its knees.

BeamNG.drive    Strictly speaking, this is merely a driving-themed physics simulation, with a handful of driving challenges for some more standard gameplay. Of course, we all know that “physics simulator” is just code for “how fast can I mangle this car?” Enter Beam.NG’s sandbox, and you’ll be able to answer that question and more with a wide-open playground, littered with obstacles, ramps, half-pipes, bot controls, gravity options, and everything you could need for all your automobile abuse. It’s a great way to spend some spare time answering all the important questions, such as: What happens when this hatchback is struck from all sides by five trucks accelerating at Mach 5? Which sports car fares better under Jupiter’s gravitational pull? How many lamp posts do I need to hit to peel this tour bus like a banana? The sky's the limit - literally, because I once propelled a limousine straight up like a rocket before it flattened against the map height limit like it was made of paper.

Plague Inc: Evolved    Global pandemics are the last thing anyone wants to dwell on at the moment, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a bit of virtual virus-spreading! In Plague Inc., you can pick your poison, choose where your patient zero appears, and let yourself feel like a cackling supervillain for a little while. Carefully select your methods of transmission to spread across the land, skies and seas around the globe before anyone realises what’s wrong, then hit them with the symptoms all at once and watch chaos unfold! It’s highly satisfying to watch those population numbers dwindle and the world turn red as newly-infected dots consume entire countries. Eventually, humanity tries to fight back and you’ll need to battle the world’s efforts to concoct a cure - no laboratory will be safe for long! In this game, you can wipe out the planet’s entire population with careful planning and ruthlessness, all from the safety of the digital screen - no need to wash your hands after playing with this particular plague.

Teardown    What’s this game about, you ask? It’s in the name - tearing everything down! Playing as a legally-questionable demolitionist, the player is hired to destroy buildings (and sometimes steal stuff from the rubble), then make a hasty getaway before police arrive. There are plenty of tools of destruction unlocked over the course of the game, from the reasonable (sledgehammers, welding torches, and so on) to the overkill (dynamite and other explosives, and even a shotgun). Use the tools of the trade to strategically - or randomly - knock out the load-bearing supports and watch as the entire mansion, shopping centre, docks, or whatever you’re demolishing crashes down and shatters into millions of little voxel bits. The modding community really cranks up the destruction to a whole new level: slice entire cities in half with a flick of the mouse, punch whale-sized holes through skyscrapers with giant cannons, or go full Majora’s Mask and flatten the whole place by bringing down the moon. Another job well done!

Goat Simulator    Behold, the original and definitive “mischievous wildlife enters city and causes problems on purpose” video game: Goat Simulator. Why is a goat so intent on trashing the town and bending the laws of physics to its will? Who knows? It’s a goat, it - and the player - can do what it wants. As you unleash your hoofed havoc across the unsuspecting town, you’ll discover unique hidden interactions that transform your goat and grant new abilities - flying majestically through the air, scaling skyscrapers with your stretchy tongue, or summoning demonic powers to drag every nearby loose prop (and pedestrian) towards you. The game truly embraces the hilarity of ragdoll physics; nobody in this game seems to have a cohesive skeleton as they flail about like a wet noodle at the slightest headbutt. In Goat Simulator 3 (yes, it’s so big they had to skip a second game), the goat is set loose on a brand-new sprawling map, now with friends in co-operative mayhem!

   Okay, put down the sledgehammer - that’s enough destruction for today. Unless, of course, you know any other games that might fit this list that you’d like to share; if so, feel free to let me know! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!   Thanks for reading!

An Aussie Button-Masher

[ei-mugi]

the OTHER thing about being a disgaea fan is that the majority of the fans are just regular gamers who like to watch the numbers go up. lijke the main appeal is meant to be the gameplay and getting up to lvl 9999 and minmaxing all your weapons and innocents and armour and characters and all that bs. so there is not a great amount of creative fanwork. theres not nothing there is some stuff but again not a great amount