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I got Stellar Blade and gotta say, I'm impressed. For one the game is far more difficult than I was expecting. Even with upgrades to my parry and dodge timing the first big boss "Gigas" really gave me trouble. But it was fun, and not too difficult. All the bosses and mini bosses so far have looked awesome. Abbaddon especially was a design way too cool to be an early mini boss.

Stellar Blade combines the slow methodical combat of a souls game and the fast paced combat of a game like Devil May Cry to create an interesting hybrid. The combat is challenging and rewarding. Even basic enemies can kick your ass if you don't know your parry timings.

Exploration is also surprisingly good. There's a ton of stuff hidden away in different nooks and crannies. You really gotta pay attention especially to climbable surfaces. I do wish item pick ups were more visible than small glowing dots on the ground. I really gotta rely on the scanning feature to see everything.

So far I'd say it's really fun and challenging. I can definitely feel this game becoming really tough later on.

#first impressions #stellar blade

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I just watched a little documentary on youtube detailing the development of Fight Knight and goddamn this game went through some rough shit. From publisher issues to weird accusations and drama, it felt like everything was against this game. And it's a bummer because Fight Knight is a genuinely good and unique indie title. But, despite all the setbacks it seems to be doing OK and even gets fanart to this day.

The drama during the release was crazy, felt like people were out for blood. Even I was attacked in my small review when I stated that I didn't care for the developer drama. A couple of lunatics commented on it saying that I should die. One of them said "eat glass and die", or some weird shit like that. The other person blocked me when I simply replied "you too" to them wishing me death. I wonder how these people are today. Do they feel shame? They should. I did eventually look into the whole thing and yeah, I'm 100% on the developers side. Even more now thanks to the documentary.

But maybe we'll see a brighter future for Fight Knight. They did say in the documentary that they're working on and off on a console release. Maybe they'll even make some adjustments to make the game even more fun, and the game gets a proper chance to shine like it deserves. We'll see!

#fight knight

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Latin has a fun way of humbling you, for every time I think: "Oh, I'm getting pretty good at this, I can definitely tackle this text!" and you read three whole sentences and realize you don't get any of it.

Antiqua verba nimiam superbian minime patiuntur!

Much like with the Satyricon, I tried getting into Apuleius' Asinus Aureus, and man. It started out fine and sweet, but I always get lost in vivid descriptions of things. Too many unfamiliar words and phrasings made reading the story difficult. I'd say my Latin is good, but it's not that good, y'know? These are actual ancient tales written by people who spoke the language during a time the language was still alive. It's a crazy thought. But one day I'll conquer this hill too, I'll just have to be a little more patient.

#latin rambles

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Dragons Dogma 2, a game of triumphs and disappointments. It took me about 80 hours to finish the game to satisfaction and I am wholeheartedly looking forward to any DLC expansions. There'll be some spoilers relating to end game and the story, so be warned.

Despite being called Dragons Dogma 2 it's not a direct sequel, but more like a soft reboot where we're going through the story of the Arisen in a different world. There's a lot of familiar things, and some new things to surprise you. Once again the games selling point is the combat and awe inspiring monster encounters, the gameplay experience this game offers feels so unique to it. How you deal with the monsters and various tasks with your trusty companions the pawns, who love oh so much to chatter on.

Honestly I still love the pawns. I never tire of their prattle and I genuinely do love being reminded of a ladder or a chest over yonder several times in a row. I'm serious, it's charming, just like being reminded that wolves hunt in packs. The pawns feel even more lively in this game with witty dialogue, and they always seem to have something to say relating to whatever you're currently doing. They're given so much personality that it's hard to believe that they're just mere "pawns", meant to be commanded by the Arisen.

The feeling of exploration and adventure is impeccable. The world is big, but not too big like in some open world games. Every time you set out it feels like grand journey and I would plan what route I'd take and what sidequests I'd take on. Camping was also a wonderful addition, because tackling monsters has never felt better after a good night of sleep. I do wish there were more unique locations like the Dragonbreathe Tower, or the Forgotten Battleground. Less caves with saurians and more interesting locations I say.

I found the side quests to be very fun as well as they seemed to be more than just go gather stuff. There was always a fun story or a mystery to solve. Not every quest is equal of course, but I do appreciate the effort they put into them. And some quests feel more "natural" as you can overhear a conversation and the quest starts once you talk with the relevant NPC. Although many quests in this game start by strangers walking up to you asking for help.

I love Dragons Dogma 2 because it's Dragons Dogma. But I am also disappointed, because essentially it is just Dragons Dogma again. It wasn't exactly the sequel I was hoping for that'd perfect everything from the first game. It is strange that most things that were off in the first game are exactly the same here. DD2 just feels like DD1 with a bigger world and some new monsters and changes to vocations. There are many of the same monsters, NPC's still aren't that interesting, the main story is rushed, the dragon barely shows up etc. From here on I'll talk about story related spoilers and end game stuff.

The story is just weird. It starts off interesting with the false Arisen and the Queens plots, but then it just stops. The false Arisen shows up at the end and you fight him and boom, he's gone. You don't confront him, you don't talk to him, nothing. The story feels like it comes to a sudden end once you reach Battahl. You do a few quests and suddenly a colossus shows up, you beat it, then you follow the weird mage dude and the dragon shows up and it's already the end of the game? Doesn't help that most of the main story missions are just awful. They have you sneaking around the castle for most of it, and the most interesting quest is the one where you sneak into a village of thieves looking for the identity of the false Arisen. I was just expecting there to be more to the false Arisen and the Queen? Same with the empress in Battahl. You interact with her like once, and then she has a few sidequests unrelated to the story.

The end game was also a little weird. I liked it for the new monsters you got to fight and the new loot you'd find, but I was so hoping for a big end game dungeon like Everfall. Going through the world again and looking through all the areas where there was water before just isn't interesting. I tired of the end game rather quickly, and didn't feel like farming or looking for all the gear that there was to be found. The games true end is one big interactive cut-scene where a super dragon shows up and you don't even get to fight it. I still had chills throughout it, but c'mon. Why design a cool colossal dragon like that and not make it the pinnacle boss of the game?

I was also expecting more new monsters in this game. They bring back almost all the old big monsters, and the few new ones are really fun, but damn I was hoping for more. Minotaurs were a fun addition, they felt natural like the cyclops'. The Medusa was also a fun fight and it's so cool that you can cut hear head off and use it to petrify enemies. Sadly you can only encounter her in one location in the game. She does respawn though. The Sphinx is also unique, but only an one time encounter. I failed one of her riddles so she fucked off and never got to fight her. Yay. My favorite new addition was the Dullahan, such a cool monster. A ghostly knight that carries their own head in their hand. Although even this one was super rare, I did not fight a single Dullahan in the main game. They became more frequent in the end game.

The two new brine monsters you fight in the end game were awesome as well, but man why did they have to be one time encounters! That's the problem. They have new monsters, but they're either super rare or you only get to fight them once. And don't let me get started with the small monsters. The only new small monster is the slime. Then you have like 5 different variants of the same monsters. Everywhere you go it's goblins, harpies and saurians. But in different colors! Oh look we got lightning saurians in the end game! Wowzers. Skeletons, zombies and bandits are there too. I just really wanted a lot of new cool monsters to fight in this game and not recolors.

There are also some nitpicks like most of the best gear in the game you just buy from NPC's. You do find some unique gear in the world, but they'll be quickly replaced with store bought equipment. Even in the end game. There are some armors that can only be found in chests there though, which is nice. I really hated the more "realistic" movement where your character would slow down and start sliding down even the smallest hills. Pawns talking to you as you're passing them is tedious too. I always threw them off a cliff if they did that. Enemy frequency was also quite annoying. You can't walk two meters without running to a pack of enemies.

I think I've written enough and complained a plenty. Dragons Dogma 2 was a really fun and enjoyable experience, but not the experience I was hoping for. The game stands in a weird spot for me, as I do really like it, but at the same time wish it was so much more. I do hope that Capcom makes a big expansion for this game, because if they do I'll eat it up like a freshly cooked beast steak! And oh, look over there Arisen! A ladder! Maybe an adventure awaits up above.

#dragons dogma #a review type of deal

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After a few days a DD2: It's awesome, but it's also showing some cracks that concern me.

Overall exploration is really fun and the game nails the feeling of an adventure and a long journey, especially since I'm stingy with using ferrystones. I have like 10 in my inventory, all got from exploring and buying from traveling NPC's. The combat is great just like in the first game, and a lot of silly stuff can happen like a griffin ambushing you while you ride an ox cart or an ogre dropkicks you off a ledge. Some sidequests are also very interesting. Mystic spearhand also fucking rocks, although I miss Mystic Knight.

The bad so far? Enemy spawn rate is frequent and annoying, especially when you try to follow a pawn. The main quest is really boring and uninteresting. Literally the only interesting quest was when I had to go sleuthing around in a hidden village. Sidequests are much more fun. Enemy variety sadly also seems lacking. The only new enemy I've encountered is a slime and recolored variations. Also where the fuck is Grigori? He's even MORE absent in this game than in the previous one.

I'd say so far my experience is more positive than negative.

#dragons dogma

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I played Dragons Dogma 2 for some hours, and ignoring all the nasty business it's really fun. Exploring the world is a blast and there are so many different places you can go that my head feels like its spinning. I followed the main story until I got to the first big city and then started exploring. Fought a lot of goblins on the way, encountered some interesting side quests like an elf character admiring human made bows. To who I ten gifted a bow and then he wanted to see me in action, so I switched from a fighter to a bowman for some time.

I traveled a very long distance and the quest was just for me to shoot one target, haha. Then when I traveled back to the city the same elf asked me if I could attend his archery trial, the very reason he wanted to see me use the bow. Cool stuff! I also fought a minotaur which was quite thrilling. Oh, and one new thing which I LOVED, was that now seeker tokens give you rewards. You can also find glowing beetles in the open world which permanently upgrade your item carry capacity! I was amazed!

Overall, it's good. The performance isn't perfect, but is manageable at least on the PS5.

#dragons dogma #first impressions

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I am beyond excited for DD2, but at the same time I can't express just how disappointed I am in Capcom. The microtransactions are egregious and they're selling shit like wakestones, fast travel and character editing. Apparently these things can be acquired easily in game, but why have them in the first place? Pure greed.

Not to mention that there's still only one save slot like in DD1, I can't honestly believe this. I want to keep a positive attitude going into this game, as DD2 is my most wanted and anticipated sequel to any game ever. All I ever wanted was for DD2 to be a better version of a game I love. I wanted it to fix those blemishes and become truly great, but they seem to stubbornly stick to terrible design choices.

Maybe DD2 can still be the game I wanted. I'll just have to wait and see as I play the game throughout this weekend.

#dragons dogma

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I picked up a cheap game on a steam sale called Forgive Me Father. A Lovecraft themed boomer shooter and thought to give it a try. And it was honestly fun! Not a long experience, but there are two playable characters and some extra modes to ramp up that play time. Took me about 7 hours to beat the game on normal difficulty and I had fun.

I don't play that many boomer shooters, I have played the original Doom and Duke Nukem 3D. I also gave the Warhammer 40k boomer shooter a try, but I couldn't get into it. I find these classic shooters far more interesting than modern shooters, but I definitely should play more of them FMF was a fun experience with fun twists.

I enjoyed the atmosphere and level design quite a bit, and there are a ton of secrets to find. Some are really obscure while some are: "just walk behind that corner, ooo secret found!". The gunplay and the sheer variety of guns was amazing, and I was constantly shifting through my arsenal to deliver holy justice to these otherworldly abominations. I also really liked the priest characters voice acting, a pious man of god who eventually succumbs to bloodlust and madness. Amazing.

Of course one big thing that contributed to my enjoyment was that the game was Lovecraft themed, set in the 1920's where you set out to find your missing cousin, but then get tangled up in an eldritch mess. Aren't most of Lovecrafts stories like that? The main character goes looking for a family member or a distant relative and things get fucky. I just enjoy crazy cultists chanting nonsense, grimy old timey city streets and swamps full of fish people. Also madness. IA IE!

But sadly the game wasn't without blemishes. There are some enemy types they introduce later on that are extremely annoying to fight. Especially one enemy that keeps strafing left to right in ridiculous speeds and hitting the damn thing is annoying, and it's far worse when 5 of them spawn in one encounter. There are also enemies that shoot barrages of bullets and keep running away from you, so that sure is fun. And the fucking flying enemies can suck my ass.

The bosses aren't that great either. The first boss is inoffensive, an alright first boss. Second boss has a really annoying shield mechanic and it spawns enemy mobs. Third boss was a bit of a clusterfuck as I didn't know what to do once water level started to rise. It also spawns enemies, but it was alright. Fourth boss straight up just sucked ass. They took the fast strafing enemy and turned it into a boss, that's it. Awful, just awful. Final boss was thematically cool, but in the end it was just a big target that stood still and you had to avoid his patterns. The accuracy of the final boss was ridiculous too and I can see this boss being SUPER annoying on harder difficulties. In fact I'd say all the bosses would be annoying to fight.

I heard they're making a sequel, so I certainly hope they improve upon their boss design and that they don't rely on spawned mobs to be challenging. Also please no enemies that run away from you. If you MUST have one at least don't make it so goddamned fast. But overall it was a fun experience and worth the price I bought it for! If they sequel is just as good, or better, I'll definitely check it out once it comes out of early access.

#father forgive me #a review type of deal

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The fabled Noise update finally released for Pizza Tower and of course I had to drop everything to give it a try, and yep, it was good. I love the Noise as a character, he was my favorite from the original game, even though he doesn't have as much screentime as I hoped for Peppinos supposed rival. Plus he's just the right amount of chaotic gremlin.

Noise as a playable character is fun, but somewhat difficult to control as he bounces off walls instead of climbing them. But his moveset is refreshing and fun, and being able to super jump without speeding up first is a godsent.

There were a lot of new things like the transformations work different on the Noise, some boss fights go a little differently and there's fun gags sprinkled everywhere. The Noise is just too powerful for this world. There was also this recurring bucket of water and it made me wonder what it was all about.

So the update was bellissimo, that's all I gotta say.

#pizza tower #the noise

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Last week an action RPG called the Last Epoch had its full release from early access. There were some difficulties for sure, and the servers are still kinda bad. Thinking back I should have just created an offline character since I play solo anyway, but I thought you could only join the new faction system online so that's where I created my character. Despite that I've managed to get to act 8 and I'm about level 52. Just some thoughts about the game below.

LE is probably the closest ARPG to Path of Exile that I've played in terms of enjoyment. It's satisfying and fun, and is no where near as complicated. LE is also a lot more forgiving with respecing than PoE, so if you mess up your build you can change it around fairly easily. The build diversity is pretty neat so far and I love the unique items in this game because they really feel unique. These items can change your build completely, like a helmet that transforms your summoned wolves into bloodthirsty squirrels. That's the build that I'm going for, who doesn't want to command a pack of squirrels that'll take down gods?

I haven't followed LE since the early days, but I got the game on early access a couple years ago when Lagon was still the final boss. They later on added act 9 with Majasa. The overall gameplay feel and effects have improved, and the graphics look much nicer. It used to have a somewhat amateurish flare, but on full release it looks real good. However there is a downside. Since the game has such a long history you can clearly see what content is new and what is old.

They redid the whole first act and it was wonderful, but then you're dropped into the older acts where characters don't have voice acting or if there is it sounds amateurish. The showdown between Heoroth and Rahyeh is especially embarrassing, because you can tell the voice actors are probably some of the devs and they're not quite there. The difference in quality between new and old content is enormous, but they'll most likely improve things or redo acts later down the line. Not to mention despite this being version 1.0 the story of the game still isn't finished, the game is supposed to have 12 acts in total.

But overall the game is really fun and addicting. I hope they develop some system where you can skip the story when you're working on new builds. I love PoE especially, but boy is it tedious to get through the story with each new character. But time will only tell and I think LE has a bright future ahead of it.

#last epoch #first impressions

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Man, that Elden Ring DLC trailer? Or should I call it an expansion? It seems to be pretty huge considering the price and that Elden Ring is almost 2 years old by now. Where does the time go? But in typical Fromsoft fashion it looks awesome. They have this magical ability to just hype you up with their trailers and make everything look so damn cool.

I like that the DLC centers on Miquella, as he was the only demigod that didn't make an appearance. His hand did, but not much after that. I'm also so happy that the DLC is set in a new location. I saw a fake leak somewhere some time ago where they said you'd explore a "dark version" of the main world, and I though oh no. But thankfully this is a new place with new fun areas to explore and scour through. That was honestly the best part of ER. Exploring the world and discovering its many secrets.

I kinda wanna replay ER before the DLC, but I'm not sure if I'll have the time with other lengthy games coming up. I might play the DLC with the first character I created.

#elden ring

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The first game I played and completed this year was Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. And what a way to start the year because this game was an absolute banger! Every now and then Ubisoft comes out with a random gem. They can make games, if they want to.

I've never been much of a Prince of Persia fan and never played the games. I think I briefly played one of the PS3 titles, but that's it. What caught my interest in this one was the combat and the fact it was a metroidvania title. You almost 100% time see metroidvanias from indie devs, not devs like Ubisoft. This game also turned out to be quite far removed from the previous titles. It does have time shenanigans, but everything is different from the characters to the story.

The story is simple, the titular prince of Persia is kidnapped and taken on some mysterious mountain and you, a warrior named Sargon who belongs in a group of elite warriors called the Immortals, has to go after him and save the future of Persia. Then time related nonsense happens. The characters are quite charming and I liked Sargon a lot as a main character. He reminded me a lot of Bayek from AC: Origins. They're very similar, fierce warriors driven by anger, but they have a soft fun loving side. Also they're good with kids. The rest of the Immortals are neat.

I was really surprised just how well they pulled off the metroidvania style. There's plenty to collect and plenty of challenges to take on, and the overall map design and abilities are fantastic. Every time I got new powers I'd think of all the place I can access now. There are some extremely cool and creative areas you don't often see in these types of games. I loved the setting and pieces of Persian mythology scattered around. This game really makes me want to dive into the history of the real Persian empire and their ways.

What really sets this game apart however is the combat and the boss fights. Lost Crown really has one of the best combat systems of any 2D metroidvania and you can pull off some crazy combos if your fingers are dexterous enough. You have a wide moveset with plenty of tools on the side making a combat system so enjoyable that you don't mind fighting trash mobs all over again. I love me my air juggles. The bosses were fantastic too and plenty challenging even on normal difficulty. I can see these bosses being a nightmare on harder difficulties.

What I especially loved about the bosses was that they were flashy. Like really flashy, some fights got so ridiculous that it started to remind me of a shounen anime with big lasers, powers ups and punches that can crack the continent in half. I don't think they even ever explain why all the characters are like from Dragonball Z. I know they're the "Immortals", but I just thought they were really capable warriors, not borderline gods. I'm sure it wasn't like this in the previous PoP titles.

Honestly? This game was truly one of the greats. I can't really think of anything negative to say, and it's been a while since I felt like that about any game. Anything even slightly negative is just nitpicks like some of the platforming sections are a bit annoying and some enemy attacks feel far too fast to properly react to. But that could be just because I suck. If I had played this game on a harder difficulty it would have handed my ass to me on a silver platter.

I almost can't believe that this game was made by Ubisoft. Apparently it was the Rayman devs, so that checks out. Rayman Legends was a banger as well. I have nothing but praise for Prince of Persia The Lost Crown! I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who's even a slight fan of metroidvania titles. Or games with good combat.

#prince of persia #prince of persia the lost crown #a review type of deal

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My Path of Exile addiction has held me more tighter than ever, I've played this game almost daily since the league started. I started a second character too, a lightning arc inquisitor. It fucks. Seriously, it feels so powerful and satisfying that I can't stop playing. I'm finally engaging with the Wildwoods mechanic too and I get so much loot.

Nothing super rare so far (of course my luck), but it does give a nice brain tingle when unique items keep dropping. Sure 99% of them are worthless, but boy the colors.

[dumbfinntales]

The first week of 2024 is now behind us, and honestly I wish I had a better start to it. I've felt tired and unmotivated all week. I've mostly put my focus on school which is probably a good thing, but I've neglected most other things.

Even with games I haven't been able to get into anything new. I started Blood West, but dropped the game at the first boss. Honestly one of the worst bosses I've ever fought in any game. Bed of Chaos from DS1 has a challenger on how shitty a boss can be. At least Bed of Chaos didn't make me want to quit the game.

I tested out Warhammer 40k Boltgun, but couldn't get into it. I gave Darkwood also a try and I did enjoy it at the start, but my interest waned towards the second area. I've mostly been playing PoE and a rogue-like card game called Ring of Pain.

I ended up pre-ordering the new Prince of Persia game because it honestly looked really cool, and sometimes Ubisoft makes good games. Like Fenyx Rising! Which they shelved to make more shit. Neat. But I trust these devs as they're the same folks who made Rayman, so I got my hopes up! And of course I got my eyes set on Dragon's Dogma 2 which is coming out in a couple months, hoo boy!

[dumbfinntales]

The year is finally coming to an end. How fast it went by, especially with school the months just passed by. But starting next year we'll really get into the meat of things and start learning different kinds of programming. Should be interesting! Also per my yearly tradition I'll also look back at some games I've played and choose my personal GOTY. So more below.

At that start of this year I played through Beyond Good and Evil which was a fun game with some annoying stealth sections. It really reminded me of PS2 era games and it was fun. I also bought a game called Darkwood when I was drunk and still haven't played it. I really don't like having a "backlog" of games, but now they're building up. Maybe I'll start 2024 with Darkwood?

Early this year a game that absolutely blew me away was released. Pizza Tower. There's nothing I don't love about this game. The characters, art style, humor, the vibes, gameplay, music etc... Everything beyond immaculate. And the game reached quite the popularity, didn't it? Never expected Pizza Tower of all things to get a fandom like Undertale. Pizza Tower is in fact so ridiculously popular and connected with annoying little kids that I almost feel guilty enjoying it as much as I do. But, I'll stay true to myself. I loved the game when I played it and I won't let little kids ruin it for me.

A new Zelda game was also released this year, but quite frankly it failed to impress me like Breath of the Wild did. Mainly because everything that Tears of the Kingdom did was already done by BotW, and the few unique things ToftK did have weren't really my thing. I'm kinda craving for a more traditional 3D Zelda.

Racing towards the end of the year I played a ton of good and fun games back to back. Just to name some: My Friendly Neighborhood, Blasphemous 2, Remnant 2, Lies of P, The Last Faith, Lords of the fallen (2023). The new LoftF is an extremely flawed game that I can't call "good" with good conscience, but I can't deny that I still enjoyed it in a weird guilty pleasure type of way. It is the only game in existence that I hated upon beating it, but still went back to make another character.

And of course as it seems like a yearly tradition now, in December I fell back into a Path of Exile addiction. I've been playing it for a couple weeks now and made a splitting steel build. I wanted something "melee", but melee builds in this game are scuffed so I compromised. Splitting steel is a hybrid melee and ranged skill that shoots metal shards that split. It's pretty fun, and dopamine for days! Seriously PoE is a dangerous game with just how good it feels to play.

Now it is high time for me to choose my GOTY. Is it Pizza Tower that I oh so much praised earlier on? I thought about this a lot. And honestly? My personal GOTY goes to Lies of P, a game I only briefly mentioned. It is the closest that any game ever has gotten to that sweet Fromsoftware game quality. In fact I'd go as far as to say that it did reach that quality, with flying colors. I can't believe that a game loosely based on the story of Pinocchio would be this good. The characters, story, level design, atmosphere, bosses, combat, EVERYTHING is so good. You can check my review on the game for extended thoughts, but Lies of P is an absolute gem of a game. Of course I had to give my GOTY to a game in a genre I love above all else. Pizza Tower is still amazing, but action RPG's will always have my heart. Lies of P was also one of the most challenging games I've ever beat, can't wait to see what they'll cook up with the DLC!

Happy new year to anyone reading! Have a good 2024.

#game of the year #At least my personal pick #lies of p

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Merry Christmas and happy Holidays proper! Like per tradition we celebrated the holidays on the 24th and it was a pleasure like always. I just adore Christmas and the jolly season. We visited some relatives and ate good Christmas food, then shared some presents.

We got this wooden sign for our parents that you can attach to a wall with a metal leg. You know those wooden signs that usually hang next to shops or taverns outside? Exactly like that. Our parents have this big cottage on their yard that was used for boat repairing back in the day, but it was converted into a hangout place where you can listen to music, sing karaoke and have a few drinks between family and friends.

Me and my little brother gave our Christmas gift to my older brother much earlier this year, it was a used Nintendo Switch with the new Zelda game, and that was in the summer when it released. A very early gift indeed. For my little brother we got a zombie head ashtray. He's a smoker and really enjoys zombies.

I in turn got a South Park themed t-shirt from my brothers, and from my parents we all got a mutual gift that was this weird bucket that has lights and can play music. You can put some ice in it and store drinks there and then listen to music via Bluetooth. You can also use it in the sauna as a water bucket, or a "kiulu" how we'd call it in Finnish. Although I wouldn't trust taking an electric device like that to the sauna, I know it's meant for it, but I'm not sure I trust it. In the manual they even advice to fill the bucket with cold water so it doesn't heat up to much in the sauna.

I hope everyone had (or will have) a good Christmas! Or whatever you might be celebrating at this time of the year.

[dumbfinntales]

Christmas is almost here, how did this month go by so fast? I mean it's not the end yet, but once Christmas is over it'll be one week till 2024. Crazy that, but that's how time goes. Tempus fugit, as they once said.

On another note I got a new game on sale today. It's quite a recently released game so it was only about 7 euros off, but it looked so intriguing. It's a first person stealth RPG set in the supernatural wild west. Cowboys, gunslingers, cigars and undead abominations. The game's name is Blood West.

The game has an emphasis on stealth, but you can build your character in a way that you can just go in guns blazing if you wish so. There are different builds you can make and play the way you want. You can even find alcohol in the game and build around being drunk, getting perks while inebriated and all that.

My first impressions is that the game is quite tough. I like the aesthetic, but getting spotted is brutal. When you have no perks in gunslinging hitting enemies and reloading mid combat is genuinely dangerous, so I've mostly opted to sneaking and bashing heads in.

The death mechanic is quite interesting as well. You're undead so you can't die for real, you just resurrect, but each time you die you get a curse. Really annoying penalties like "get less XP" or "your stamina is halved". Quite a bit more punishing than any souls game. Some enemies come back if you die or rest, but not all. So some encounters can be "cheesed" by coming back again and again to clear the mobs from one area. If you die a lot some places can get repopulated again. You get no XP loss on death so you could technically farm for XP this way.

We'll see how this develops. The game feels old school and I love the setting, it's fun.

#blood west #first impressions