We aren’t even halfway through the month and I’m already able to report more progress; this is a good sign for the month! However, an enticing possibility looms in the distance and it could derail everything. Here’s hoping it doesn’t, even if I give in to temptation.
Allow me to explain.
I love video game music, and two of my favorite scores are from Infamous and Infamous 2 (I’ve been listening to them on a playlist lately). I love those games. I’ve been meaning to go back and play the second one, and I got the idea that playing them via PS Now would be a solid good time. So I looked into PS Now (I’m not currently a subscriber), and found that a three-month subscription is just under $50 and that seemed like a decent price given all the games available on the service, many that I’m interested in and have never played before.
But the first ones I’d want to partake in are Borderlands (the first), Infamous, Infamous 2, Infamous: Festival of Blood, Ico, and Shadow of the Colossus. Not to mention all the other amazing games available!
However.
This may sound great (in theory), but this month, the focus has been about getting current with 2016 releases. If I go back to all these awesome games from the past, I will become even more behind.
But man do I want to play the Infamous series and Borderlands.
We will see how I fare in the willpower department.
Oh man! I just realized I could take screenshots of all those games this way! I love my screenshots!
Shoot. I feel my willpower crumbling away…
Back to 2016 releases.
This past week I finished Valley, a game by developer Blue Isle Studios (of Slender: The Arrival fame), and had an excellent time with it. I’ve read that some folks out there finished it in three hours but my time clocked in around six. I’ve realized over the past chunk of years that I like to take my time with games, and online estimates are often conservative. I sometimes feel badly about that (as I want to get to as many games as possible), but, if I’m enjoying myself, presumably there’s nothing to feel bad about. Games are meant to be enjoyed and experienced.
This week, my plan is to finish Trials of the Blood Dragon (I think I’m fairly close to the end), and start in on Far Cry: Primal. This past week I also started in on Unravel. It disappoints me to say that even though I loved the aesthetic, I just wasn’t enjoying the game. I’m hoping that changes as I complete a few more levels, but so far, I’m not terribly into it.
I also need to go back and give Deus Ex: Mankind Divided another go, as I didn’t have the best time with it right out of the gate. I also still have No Man’s Sky constellating (no pun intended) and I’m undecided on how to proceed there. An inventory management sim isn’t really my bag, but the curious person in me wants to see what is in the center of the universe…even though from everything I’ve read and heard, it’s a bit of a let down.
Oh, but that curiosity.
And then, there are the new releases this week! PSYCHO-PASS: Mandatory Happiness is already on its way (I’m excited!), and BioShock: The Collection will arrive soon after! The bounty!
Add to that, that next week brings the release of Destiny’s Rise of Iron, and I am very quickly buried in completely rad new experiences. This past weekend I played a significant amount of Destiny, farming for engrams and trying to get that Trespasser (a potentially good sidearm), to no avail. I’m stockpiling my engrams to decrypt on the 20th in hopes that they come out to year three items. Also, this past weekend, there had to be something seriously wrong with the drop rates; I was seeing a plethora of green engrams, and all the blue gear I found was in the 245 light level range. That’s well below the 300+ average I’d been seeing for months. Hopefully Bungie gets things all worked out before Rise of Iron hits eight days from now.
So, as you can see, I have my “work” cut out for me. This is a great time to be a gamer and gaming. We have all these amazing choices of games to play and experiences to have and I couldn’t be happier about it.
With that I ask: what are you playing? What games are you looking forward to either in September or on the near horizon?
Categories: games
Rebekah Lang 
I started Deus Ex Mankind Divided (not sure what I think yet),Overwatch and I have The Bioshock Collection coming in the mail which sorta suprises me. The next game I plan on buying is Mafia 3.
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I’d be curious to know what you think of it. The first mission didn’t really hook me.
Why does the BioShock collection surprise you? Those games are amazing.
I’m super excited for Mafia III, too.
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What I’ve played of the opening hasn’t gotten my interest. I probably should have clarified I’m getting it from gamefly(new releases are kinda hard to get). I’ve only played Infinite to completion so hopefully I finish the first two this time around. It’s one of my most anticipated for the rest of 2016.
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Ah okay, I understand. And I hope you LOVE the BioShock collection. The first game is still my favorite game of all time. It’s amazing.
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I’ll keep you updated on my progress.
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Planning to get Mafia 3; I want to hear more about it. I have BF1 & ROTR both on preorder. I have yet to jump into Journey or PvZ:GW. Soon though! Outside of gaming, I’m preparing for a 5k. :)
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Mafia III looks super interesting. I’m excited for it. I also just traded in my Xbox One copy of RotTR and I’m thinking of getting the PS4 version once it drops in price so I can play the DLC.
Please definitely play Journey. It’s one of the most beautiful experiences in gaming. Period.
A 5K?! Holy crap, man, good for you!!!
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I finished Journey in one sitting. What an experience! I agree with you Rebekah, it’s beautiful, graphically & artistically. Still have yet to get into PvZ. Maybe this weekend, I’ll play some! 5k, it’s not that bad! It’s only 3 miles, I usually walk 2 miles on average during the summer months. How wass your time with ROTR; how does it compare to the TR reboot?
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I think that’s the best way to do it, honestly. And yes, it is such a deeply beautiful game.
A 5K is still huge! Congratulations!
I actually liked the initial reboot better than Rise of the Tomb Raider, as I felt the controls were a little more rubbery on RotTR. I felt like I was snapping to things I had no intention of snapping to. And there were a couple of sections (one in particular where you were getting in and out of the water quickly) that I thought were a little wonky. But I am planning on replaying it on PS4 anyway. I never got to play the Baba Yaga DLC and I really want to.
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Ah, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided isn’t the easiest title and it has its flaws. I’ve just left Prague and am enjoying it but it’s not a game for everyone. I am excited for Destiny’s Rise of Iron, new areas and revitalization of a fun “go to” game is a fun time. After that my excitement for Titanfall 2 has tempered with its tech test but I am really anticipating Dishonored 2. However, there’s most definitely no shortage of games!
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I am super accepting of game’s flaws, I just don’t know why I couldn’t get into Deus Ex. I was so excited for it and the gameplay felt fine. I just had no idea what was going on. It was like getting thrown into a story mid way through.
DESTINY! I am so excited for Rise of Iron, too. I am just pumped as hell about it.
Dishonored 2 looks so good. It’s been my most anticipated game of 2016 since it was announced and I stand by that. I’m going to play as Emily, how about you?
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It great to be excited for new games. I can’t wait to see how Horizon: Zero Dawn turns out, it looks really great.
I’ve been playing more of No Man’s Sky and Elder Scrolls Online. I really need to get back into AC: III before I’ve completely forgotten the controls.
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Oh gosh, that concerns me, too, forgetting controls. When I went back and forth between The Witcher 3 and Destiny, I was just blowing it at every turn. So I very much understand wanting to finish before those controls are lost.
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