Surviving Mars

Requires micro management!

As something I got free from Epic Games I didn't know what this was till I loaded it, and I can safely say it is not my cup of tea.

With the objective of colonizing the red planet, you are in charge of everything from the budget, to where to land the build rocket, how to power your base, where to build your dome, how the power cables and pipes are connected to facilities, if said facilities turn off at night (because solar power only works during the day), which people to bring to your dome (based on age/traits/talents/defects), what place do they work (down to which shift) and ultimately how to send rockets back to Earth to make a profit.

Operation make Mars look like a junk pile: Commence!

Phew! There's a lot going on, but there's also a shit load of waiting, even with things sped up. Wait for research. Wait for build completion. Wait for rocket to arrive. Wait for colonists to have babies. So yep. Not for me.

Also, the second tutorial mission just doesn't work which doesn't give me much hope for the rest of the game. Anyway, if that sounds fun to you - go for it. Otherwise, send it off to Mars!

Cloak and Dagger (TV)

Pancakes and waffles - the best part about this show.

As children both Tandy (Olivia Holt) and Tyrone (Aubrey Joseph) are affected by an accident that gives them some pretty odd super powers. Years later, these powers manifest and they use them to do good totally confuse the audience which isn't helped by a plot that seems to just go where it wants to on a whim.

Those daggers look ridiculous too.

Tyrone, whose dad is a member of a sewing gang (wtf), has anger issues but actually turns out to be the more heroic of the duo as Tandy, has very few redeeming qualities past her looks. She is selfish, actively steals from people, abandons people and almost enjoys killing - or is at least nonchalant about it.

The most grating parts about this show is when they go into their "fake worlds" which happens often. I think only one of those actually proved to be entertaining, the rest were just filler or a poor vehicle to illustrate something required of the plot. Argh. It's a pity since there are actually a few good moments in here, but not enough for me to recommend this two season show to anyone.

Minit

You have 60 seconds.

Using black and white graphics, Minit is a simple adventure game where you go on an epic quest to stop the bad guy. The catch? After the tutorial you have 60 seconds before dying and being thrown back to your spawn point.

It doesn't use the best graphics around...

This makes game play very rushed and somewhat frustrating as you need to explore, solve puzzles and win some combats in that time. An early NPC really rubs it in when he talks sooooo slow.

Thankfully it's a short game, and while it's certainly interesting I can only recommend it to those who have patience (ironic huh?). I give it 1.5 cursed swords out of 5.

Insight: Don't go to the desert maze on your first play through.

Hannibal (TV Series)

Artsy and tasty at the same time.

Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) has a unique gift that helps the FBI catch some deranged killers. Alas, using this talent also pushes him closer to his mental breaking point so he is assigned a psychologist to keep him in check. Unfortunately for him, that psychologist is none other than Dr. Hannibal Lecter (a very suave Mads Mikkelsen) who secretly enjoys pushing his patients to their limits. He also secretly eats people.

Why don't you come over for dinner?

This is a very dark three season series, with lost of gore and buckets of blood (and cooking!?) but also a great script and fantastic artsy cinematography. Alas the third season goes a bit overboard with the artistry and the "dark" bits - literally dark that is, making it hard to see what's going on. There is a sharp decline in quality at that point but at least it ends with a decent showdown.

If you like procedural police shows, thrillers, the two main stars or simply are a Hannibal fan then you should give this a watch. The first two seasons are especially great.

Everything

It's quite literal.

In this program you can be anything from a tiny speck of dirt to a massive black hole in space and everything in between while you explore the randomly generated terrain while exploring your own mind listening to a seminar by philosopher Alan Watts.

Everything is connected. You are everything. This is enforced by finding galaxies if you shrink far enough into a giraffe - and if you ascend past the universe you find might yourself to be a molecule of a plant. Yep. It's weird.

Yes, creatures naturally face plant as a form of travel.

To call it a game is a bit generous though since there is no objective. It doesn't matter where you go. What you do. It's so laid back and tripping ballsy that you can just let it auto-play with itself... if you like to watch. You can even just do that on Youtube.

The seminar is interesting, but the game - not so much. I give it 1 out of 5 wiggly nouns. As Alan Watts says "When we play a game, and the outcome of the game becomes certain - we cancel the game immediately". My recommendation? Leave that youtube link running in the back ground to listen to while doing something else.

Insight: Don't play it.

December 2019 Review

Wow, that year just flew past. Putting this early as I'm going to be away for a bit - no need to worry though, my automated services should keep posting if I set it up right! Haha. Game backlog has expanded again thanks to the all the freebies of the Christmas season. I'll have to tackle them when I get back!

    End 2019 with less weight (FAIL +3 kg from last month, running total: +6 kg)
    Make 1 web comic page (nada)
    Make new board game idea (nope)
  
BACKLOG
Borderlands 2 [gift]
Try Shroud of the Avatar [free on Steam] (priority NWO: Infernal Descent Mod)
Soma [free from Epic Games] (done)
The Messenger [free from Epic Games] (had enough)
+Jotun [free from Epic Games] (done)
+Wasteland 2 [free from GOG] (done)
+The Escapists [free from Epic Games]
+The Wolf Among Us [free from Epic Games]
+Postal 2 [free from GOG]
+Into the Breach [free from Epic Games] (done)
+How to Survive 2 (gift)
+Towerfall Ascension [free from Epic Games] (had enough)
+The Wolf Among Us [free from Epic Games]
 +Superhot [free from Epic Games] (had enough)
+Little Inferno [free from Epic Games] (had enough)
+Ape Out [free from Epic Games] (had enough)
+Undertale [gift]
+LISA: The Painful [gift]
+Rimworld [gift]
+Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain [gift]
+Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes [gift] (done)
+Totally Acurate Battle Simulator [free from Epic Games]

Board games:
Zombicide: Black Plague Campaign (10/11)
London Dread Campaign (1/4)
Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage (0/13)
Firefly Adventures: Brigands and Browncoats (4/4)
+Love Letter
+Black Orchestra

BLOG STATS

One Year Ago

Neverwinter Online released a crappy professions workshop and I started "The Cursed" story which began with the old D&D game - Curse of the Azure Bonds. Also Netflix started axing a whole bunch of Marvel superhero TV shows!

Five Years Ago

I am still very much into Vindictus and Tiamat first appears in Neverwinter Online.

Most Viewed Posts last Month
The Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt: Rats
The Wild Hunt: Generals

I'm guessing this was helped by the recent release of the Witcher series on Netflix. ;)

Top Search Terms last Month
rurouni kenshinn
neverwinter drowned shore heroic encounters fountain of fear
what level do you get a workshop in neverwinter

It's nice to see rising interest in Neverwinter again, but Kenshin just came up out of nowhere with literally 32 times more hits than both of those!

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

Somehow, less Batman is more awesome? What!?

A major improvement from the last game, this one sees you control the entire Justice League as they do their hero thing. It also fixes the problems of having the Batman theme on loop (he's not around as much) and being able to carry only one suit at a time. In this game, if you have a suit unlocked it and its abilities are always available to you.

This does make the game slightly harder as you have more options for puzzle solving which don't always make sense: such as Batman's ice gun being able to put out fires EXCEPT these fires which look exactly the same which can only be crossed by someone holding a shield. Uh, sure.

Suicide Squad go!

The game also comes with nice extra levels (the Arrow one is great, thanks Stephen Amell!) and the side missions are more enticing to participate in. Definitely a step up from the last outing, I give it 3 shrunken cities out of 5.

Insight: Not sure where to go? Follow the trail of ghost lego!