I don’t game as much as I used to, with writing greedily taking over every available moment, but after I won NaNoWriMo a few days early, I gave myself a weekend of video gaming in reward. That meant finally getting to the end of Greedfall: a game that I came across by chance and that surprised me in many positive ways. (more…)
Apparently I’m one of the few people who didn’t enjoy the Witcher 3 much. The critically acclaimed and multi-awarded game didn’t manage to hold my attention for very long. I played it for several weeks (so about 60-70 hours of gameplay), and then promptly returned to Skyrim which at that…
I’ve been a fan of Fallout series since almost the very beginning of the series, back in 1998 when Black Isle Studios made the first two installments of the game. The post-apocalyptic world, so unlike the contemporary lousy YA renditions, mesmerized with the mix of great storytelling, complete freedom, and that pinch of an absurd humor that fitted right in with the world changed by the nuclear bombs.
Then, Bethesda Studios know of its Elder Scrolls series, took over Fallout and breathed new life into it. I was once – or actually twice – more lost in the world of retro sci-fi.
Yet, at the announcement of Fallout 76, I couldn’t help but wondering. An online game sounded like fun, but even if it wasn’t a massive multiplayer, and the prospect of venturing into West Virginia with a couple of my friends was enticing, gaming with other people brings a fair amount of problems. Extensive player killing, annoying players, simplified game mechanics or quests… On top of that, the studio announced there wouldn’t be any human non-player characters which required a new approach to quests and revealing the storyline. This all raised concerns. Would it live up to Fallout’s legend?
At the same time, Bethesda never disappointed me. From Morrowind through Fallout 4 to Elder Scrolls Online, not a single game had disappointed me so far. I knew I’d have to try it out, no matter what others were going to say about the game. (more…)
A year ago, I was writing about Divinity Original Sin, and how the game surprised me with its rich storyline and great writing. I was already waiting for the second installment of the game, having backed it on Kickstarter in 2015, and even though the game came out later than I expected, it was definitely worth the wait.
Being a backer meant that I had access to the in-development version of the game, but even though I couldn’t wait for to play, in the end I didn’t spend much time with this version. I wanted to taste the finished product instead of guessing how it was going to look like. (more…)
Darkest Dungeon was a game I had on my wish list for a while. Some months ago, my dear friend Anna decided to gift it to me as a belated birthday present, and after playing the game for a while, I can say it wasn’t a bad choice. (more…)
I haven’t been playing many new games lately, and the one I seem to be coming back a lot is Banished. The game was recommended to me by my ex-coworker, and even though I got it a long time ago, it took me some time to get into this entertaining and demanding sandbox-type game. (more…)
The Flame in the Flood was one of the games I found through GOG.com. The graphics looked interesting, and so did the game play featured in the trailer: sail your raft, craft all the necessary items, and survive the wilderness. How could I resist this game for long? (more…)
Even though my favorite video games are the ones offering rich stories and immersive worlds, I also like to play managerial games from time to time as they provide unique challenges, encourage planning and problem-solving. So every once a while a managerial game sucks me in for long hours, and this time it was Stardew Valley’s turn. (more…)
I would have never come across Sunless Sea if not for GOG’s Summer Sale. The game popped up on the list and its cover graphic looked intriguing, so I had to learn about the game more. The trailer was climatic, the graphics beautiful and creating a dark but enchanting atmosphere, and the fellow gamers’ reviews offered a fresh approach to a rogue-like genre. (more…)
If you follow my Gaming Writer’s Saturday posts, you already know I love video games and share my time between writing and gaming (and few other things), but those two hobbies are not as separated from each other as one would think. I play video games whenever I feel uninspired or when I need to fuel my creativity, and in a way, video games are a part of my writing process. They might come before I even write the first word down, but they definitely contribute to my plotting, worldbuilding, and outlining (in one case, a game and its soundtrack inspired a whole novel). So when a friend asked in a writing group about video games, I couldn’t stay silent, and my response became the root of this post. (more…)