Wow! Have they really banished green mushrooms from the game entirely? That’s a huge step toward a more modern style of video game progress and persistent gameplay, but at the cost of losing their most widely recognized icon. That’s almost like Apple deciding they’d rather not put a fruit on their hot new device.

Only a short post today, as I’m travelling for my brother’s wedding. No new Halloween skins yet in Overwatch. I really need the Ana Corsair, tho. I’m also enjoying my time with Metal Gear Solid V, though I’m not very good at sneaking yet. I keep getting discovered right in the middle of the enemy base, then running a…

Oh hey, did anyone else notice that Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and the Amnesia collection are free with PS+ this month? I downloaded them both instantly, even though I have the Amnesia games on Steam. Now that I’m done with Nier: Automata, I could start a new game in Amnesia as a spooky thing to do for…

They don’t ever explain this mechanic as far as I can tell, but my partner was mad at her chickens for never laying eggs, which prompted her to do an internet search about it. Turns out she was the one upsetting them all along! I guess they’ll also get mad at you if you lock them out of their pens overnight, which…

While it’s not quite what you have in mind here, there are a few random problems and disasters that can show up Stardew Valley. Crows can eat your crops, lightning can strike and ruin your best fruit tree (though I guess it can recover), etc. And while you can’t pick up the black lung, you can make yourself sick…

Yes. “Sort by Newest” would be very welcome in a system that doesn’t let you open up new comments as they’re submitted. I can see why they’d want the page load default to be “Sort by <insert complicated algorithm>“, but making the user load and scroll past hundreds of comments to find the new ones is quite the…

Did you see this post from a few months back about what is almost definitely what one of the Valve writers had planned for Half Life Epsiode 3? Probably the most closure we’ll ever get on that story.

I finished Nier: Automata! I won’t say much here because I already wrote a huge post about it further down, but anyone with a PS4 should do themselves a favor and try it. Folks have been saying it’s super punishing and long, with difficult enemies and one-hit kills, but don’t listen to them! Just play it on normal…

I did so much this week! First and foremost, I finished Nier: Automata, which was excellent throughout. Some mild spoiler talk for the endings of the game, so skip on down to the next bold item if you still plan to play this game (you really should).

Progressive sells auto insurance. Bethesda sells virtual Nazi killing, which is a “virtue” that any American can appreciate. In fact, Americans of all political stripes (and probably even insurance providers) thought it was a good idea to stomp out the Nazi regime. What you’re calling virtue signalling is really…

Oh man, the Nazi tears. I am here for it. I especially love “You better clarify that you don’t hate Trump or freedom.” I’m pretty sure their message was crystal clear. The point of this game (and of the tweet) is that Nazis aren’t welcome here. If you see that message and think of our president, I can follow that…

Not too much going on in the world of video games for me this week. I teamed up with The Space Pope and Zkywalker for some Overwatch the other day, which was a delight. I had a great time chatting and figuring out whether I like the new D.Va, and I’m looking forward to doing it again soon!

Yeah, I never made it to that 21st hour in FFXIII. I just had zero interest in running down featureless hallways playing a stripped-down RPG with tons of cut-scenes spouting un-earned drama at me. I had other games at the time that would let me have the full experience with a fraction of the time investment.

Gathering flowers and handling dogs...?

For those that have tried it, does Destiny 2 bring back the practice of rerunning the early rounds of the raid in order to accumulate good enough gear to tackle the last round and the boss? Or are they allowing for multiple ways to get to the light cap, like they did in the last few releases for Destiny 1? I’ve…

I’ve heard folks kick around the idea of Karma systems before, where you’re rewarded for good behavior in online play (as reported by your teammates). Folks seem to like such systems because it allows for positive reinforcement, rather than just threatening punishment or a ban for negative behavior. Some folks also…

It’s actually not bad at all, especially when you compare it to other ranked modes in online shooters. Folks all over the skill spectrum like to play competitive Overwatch, so after a session or two the system gets pretty good at matching you up with folks at your level. Plus, folks tend to work together and…

Have you played competitive mode at all? SR only applies there, so you wouldn’t have a rating if you’ve been sticking with Quick Play, Arcade, and such. They kind of rub it in your face whenever your SR changes, so it would be hard to miss. One of my few complaints about the otherwise largely positive online Overwatch…

It’s tough to figure out how to navigate the sometimes-hostile world of online gaming with strangers. Even if you’re able to avoid or circumvent all the open disdain for women, minorities, and other marginalized folks in matchmade games, you’re still often paired with people who turn toxic at the first sign of…

Shooting you a friend request now! No worries about being less than 1337 at Overwatch. I’m somewhere around SR 2100 at the moment, so I’m no pro. I’m totally cool with goofing off in Quick Play and Arcade, especially when I’m trying to learn new heroes and strategies. And I know of at least two other Gameo folks…