Back in like middle school or whatever it was around that time we had a portable drive (or was it just on a CD?) with an installed folder of UT99 we used to bring to school. During recess we’d go and copy paste it to the PCs in the computer room and play little LAN tournaments until a teacher would find us and chase us out. Instagib only or course, and I think we also played 120% speed.

Good times indeed.

The only real qualm I have is the lack of Ukrainian and Russian accents on the English dub. I don’t really understand the thought process as I felt like it added a lot of character and immersion to both the originals and to the Metro games.

Otherwise I’m optimistic, I think the game looks good and they’ve been saying all the right things. Game journalists who have played it also report things that make me feel very hopeful, both in terms of micro gameplay (atmosphere, tension and isolation without reliance on jump scares) and macro gameplay (decisions mattering, branching stories and factions).

I pre-ordered the ultimate edition regardless to support the studio after the horrors they’ve survived over the war, including losing colleagues to the frontline.

Good, this is a game I will definitely want to try to make work with ray tracing, so I’ll need all the tools I can get to make it work.

I’m in a bit of a down period as STALKER 2 is coming out soon so I don’t want to pick up a new story campaign from my backlog in the meantime (Metro: Exodus, Bioshock Infinite and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided are on the docket) in case I’m not finished in time for release day.

Still playing lots of Deadlock, but for a single player story game I’ve gone back to some bits of RDR 2 when I’m not in the competitive mood. I started it earlier this year but abandoned it as I burnt out on it a bit. Coming back to it has been a very mixed experience, there is still so much about it I love - but also some very deep frustrations. And absence hasn’t really made the heart grow fonder in that regard. I don’t really like the mission structure. I know it’s been brought up by others, but I too seem to be among those who are bothered by it. I also find the sheer body count forced on you through main story missions to be so ludicrous as to regularly ruin my immersion. I’m not even that far in and I’ve already basically committed genocide levels of murder! And then the mission is over and nobody is talking about the massacre of hundreds of lawmen?

I think that was supposed to be an attempt at an accent?

For sure, STALKER is just not the same without Cheeki Breeki!

I still can’t get over how “wrong” it sounds and feels to have native English speaking accents for the voice work instead of the heavy Ukrainian and Russian accents. This is one to play with Ukrainian VA and English subtitles for sure.

Not feeling good about spending four more years attempting to resist the noose to be honest.

Love this game. Ever since trying the VR mod though I’ve been dying for official support. Imagine using the proper VR controls to pop handbrake and steer the car, would be the most immersive thing!

Still, even with that said if you like the game and have access to a VR headset It’s still worth giving it a go, it really fits the game I think.

Yeah but it’s not really the same thing years later when most people are long finished with the game. Was the same with playing BG3 around release last year, participating in conversations with friends and strangers alike about discoveries in the game as it’s happening and everyone is talking about it and playing it at the same time. I’m sure similar things happened this year with Black Myth Wukong and Silent Hill 2 Remake to some extent, though I didn’t play those.

It’s not about spoilers so much as participating in the buzz and culture and community that only really occurs around release.

Totally. And between stuff like the stage fight in AW1, the Ashtray Maze in Control and We Sing in AW2 Remedy has gotten so damn good at integrating music and gameplay too.

I personally was blown away by POE - This Road as well. The track is mesmerising and every time a new variation on it played after an Alan chapter I had almost goosebumps. I still regularly go back and listen to the whole 9 minute track on YouTube.

I love Lucas Pope and would like to one day play Mars After Midnight, but I’m not paying over 200 bucks for one of these anytime soon.

I think going by overall mainstream appeal and zeitgeist it’s correct. Everybody was talking about BG3 that year, even people who are usually not fans of the genre. So in that sense I agree that 2023 was the year of BG3.

On the games’ merit alone as standalone pieces of art abstracted from context I think Alan Wake 2 puts up a good fight.

I was referring to The Game Awards and their claim on crowning the “Game of the Year”.

BG3 got GotY, though there are debates to be had I suppose over the legitimacy of an “official” game of the year.

Good shout, I did fumble my word order.

I really really hope they don’t get discouraged. They would have done so much better had it only been on Steam, please Remedy don’t change your ways.

Also it should have been GotY last year, fight me.

Still feels a bit pricey but I’m happy to hear about another season. Some day I might get one just to play the Lucas Pope game.

They threw out the original writer and composer, and seem to have changed most characters and the whole script. It also apparently plays more like Dishonored now.

While I admire the ideas behind patient gamers and think it probably works out really well for some people, I personally also enjoy participating in the zeitgeist from time to time. Playing Elden Ring on launch was fantastic - you really felt like you were exploring the world alongside everyone else as you’re finding Ashes and weapons that don’t even have wiki entries yet.