The past week (and weekend) was piled high with various games in various durations. But the thing I was most curious about resulted in an abundance of screenshots: visiting The Farm social space in the Destiny 2 beta for the collective handful of minutes it was online yesterday.
More on that shortly.
The biggest news (for me) last week was the Destiny 2 beta. I may not have felt great about it, but I’m glad I played it. I hope Bungie listens to the feedback they’re getting, though they have a good track record in that area.
I spent more time with Ghost Recon: Wildlands and, other than a few hiccups, have been enjoying it ever more. I may not love the finicky nature of a couple of the side missions, but I quite like the atmosphere. The day/night cycles, the dynamic weather, the perks to unlock, they all add up to my investment in the game. I’m excited to play more of it over the coming days and weeks.
I also got in some more jolly cooperation in Dark Souls 3! I continue to be surprised by how much I’m enjoying it, and I think I’m improving, albeit in small increments. I feel more comfortable with combat and I’ve enjoyed looking more into the lore as well as the systems of the game. Back when I got the game at release, I also bought the game guide (I figured I need it), and recently I’ve been looking through it a bit trying to familiarize myself with more of the world. My Souls partner and I wound up in one of the most beautiful locations I’ve seen in the game so far, and I had to screenshot it for posterity. I mean, just look at this:
And that screenshot doesn’t do it justice! It barely shows the aurora happening in the background.
Also, please note my Boulder Heave spell. I had been so ridiculously excited to obtain that, but it proved to be less than what I was hoping for. I had envisioned myself performing a Skyrim-shout of sorts, but spewing forth a giant boulder, and, instead, it was like I slowly barfed up a very close range rock.
Needless to say, I switched back to Fireball on my next trip to Firelink Shrine.
One of the things that surprises me most about my time with Dark Souls 3 is how much I find myself thinking about it when I’m not playing it. My Souls partner and I can only connect on the weekends, and I wind up thinking about the game during the weeks between sessions. I never anticipated this reaction to the experience.
And I can’t wait to get that FLOP emote.
Yesterday I popped in to the Destiny 2 beta once more, but only to explore The Farm social space. It was a bit smaller than I thought it would be (based on everything I’d seen and read), but I quite liked it. There were sections which were surprisingly beautiful (the waterways and the forest areas), but I had some concerns about the textures and foliage (this came up in the story mission and strike from the beta as well). Many of the textures didn’t even look as good as the first game’s textures. I have no idea why this might be, but it’s concerning. If Bungie isn’t willing to hold themselves up to the same standards as the first game (never mind improving upon), that sets off a red flag for me. So many things about the original game made me say, wow, this is really beautiful. And the concept of the farm is definitely beautiful. I just felt the execution of the concept fell a little below what I’ve come to expect from the team at Bungie.
Even so, I spent plenty of time exploring The Farm and came back with the following screenshots showcasing the environments:
This looked like some sort of extension of the hangar. I liked the shapes and shadows involved.
An unexpectedly lovely tunnel through a shallow waterway.
One of the first times I realized my cape was a bit holographic.
A better look at the holographic effect on the cape. I really loved that wooded area behind the hangar.
I concluded my time at The Farm with a sit down by the shore. A lovely view, if I do say so.
As much as I’m concerned about Destiny 2, I don’t think I can accurately impart how much I want to like the game. The first entry has been one of my favorite games of this generation. I want the sequel to be good so much I can taste it. I’m just incredibly wary at this point.
This week I’m hoping to get to more Wildlands, to pick up where I left off with Wolfenstein: The New Order, and I’d like to finally finish Everything, a game which has already shot to one of my favorite games of all time. I’m feeling good about making progress in games again!
What are you hoping to play this week? Are there any new releases you are looking forward to in the near future?
Categories: games
Rebekah Lang 
Here’s hoping that Destiny 2 turns out how you hope Rebekah. I’ll just playing Sniper Elite 4 here. Looking to get Uncharted: Lost Legacy once it releases in August.
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Cheers to that! But I have my doubts. :(
I’m glad you are up and running and able to play again! And you don’t have all that long to wait for Lost Legacy. :)
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I need to finish RE7 and I’m looking forward to Thursday’s launch of Doomfist.
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Oh snap, I didn’t realize Doomfist launched on consoles so soon! I may have to jump in to try him out against the AI.
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I’m glad to hear you’re having a good time with Dark Souls 3 and Wildlands. It sounds like playing co-op makes both those experiences better.
I didn’t get to download the Destiny 2 beta, was it only available if a preorder was made? I don’t have any experience with the first game, so I can’t tell how much has changed but I do hope the full game is as good as you hope it will be.
I finished Breath of the Wild so I’m not sure what I’ll start up next. After such a large game I don’t know if I want something similar or smaller in scale. I’ll figure it out evetually though. Happy gaming!
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I am! Both games (for different reasons) I had reservations about. I’m always glad to be pleasantly surprised. And yes, I think co-op makes both better.
Aw, nuts. I’m sorry you didn’t get a chance to try it out. There was early access for pre-orders, but it was open over the weekend for anyone.
Hey, congratulations!! What did you think of BotW overall? Any thoughts on what smaller titles you might want to play?
Happy gaming, indeed!
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I liked BotW overall, but there were a couple of things that brought down the whole experience for me. I loved the open world take on Hyrule and the bigger emphasis on exploration and figuring puzzles out yourself which was a welcome improvement over Skyward Sword. It reminded me of the first Zelda game in that regard. The story was actually really good as well and might be one of the more story heavy entries in the series in terms of character development.
On the negative side, I couldn’t stand the equipment breaking constantly and the stamina wheel. The weapon durability in particular was the worst part since prolonged battles would constantly drain my supply of weapons and rarely give me anything equal or better than what I had. Another annoyance was the weather, particularly rain and lightning, which seemed a near constant occurrence which hinders exploration and combat if a lightning storm is occurring.
It’s a good game, but nowhere near the 10’s most review outlets have given it, which always seems to be the default score when a new console Zelda releases. I can see it being a possible game of the year contender, but it didn’t do enough for me to earn it especially with so many other great releases this year.
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I’m glad you enjoyed it overall, but your concerns about it seem more than valid. I’ve never been a fan of destructible items in games. It has never added any enjoyment for me in all my years of gaming. So that concerns me about playing the game. And the weather issues also sound tedious. It makes me wonder why certain ideas make it into the final build of a game.
You’re right about the typical release scores for a new Zelda. It does make me wonder how much is steeped in nostalgia for some reviewers.
Man, I keep putting off playing it (I only have it for Wii U), but the more I think about it, the further back on the docket it goes.
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I enjoyed the opportunity to play the Destiny 2 beta as well as that lake view from the rocks. I didn’t play too long given that the content will be readily available when the game releases in September. But I had fun jumping on in time for the Farm. I enjoyed the new clambering ability when jumping, pick up games of soccer and the more centralized locations of the vendors. I frowned at the prominent location of the Eververse tent, the invisible walls within open doorways and the glowing fire that wasn’t actually aflame. Regardless, it was neat to simply share the space early with other Destiny players. I won’t have much time to play for most of this week. I’m hoping for gaming time come August. I’ve been enjoying Uncharted 4, it’s engaging with puzzles and narrative but not too difficult and doesn’t require me to memorize its gameplay.
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I’m glad you got a chance to play the beta! And I’m also glad you got to see the farm!
I was surprised by the clambering ability. I saw my co-op partner do it, and I tried it out because I thought I somehow imagined it.
I was also a little bummed out by the Eververse and the invisible doorways.
Aww, I’m sorry you won’t get much gaming time until August. :(
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I’m making it my mission to get you the flop emote the next time we play.
PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE FLOPPENING
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From the moment I saw it, I’ve been prepared.
I WILL FLOP EARLY AND OFTEN
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Sounds like you’ve been quite busy. Ghost Recon, Dark Souls 3 and the Destiny 2 beta.
I’m mainly focusing my time on LoZ: Breath of the Wild. I’m quite far in it now, with only a few main quests left to do… if I can stop getting distracted exploring the open world. Oh well…
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I have been, indeed! The only hard part is juggling all these control schemes. :)
Are you enjoying Breath of the Wild so far?
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