Farewell!

   Well I put in my notice at my job yesterday.  I'm working until March and them I'm retiring.  The plan is to buy a small RV and work while traveling and seeing the country.  (It'll be a slow tour).  It's a major lifestyle change that will require a lot of sacrifice but it has a lot of rewards as well.  I've always wanted to travel and not be tied down.  So I've finally decided to bite the bullet and do it.  I think I was a gypsy in another life.  There's really no internet on the road that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  And money will be tight, so there won't be any arm and leg internet for me.  And no more $60 game purchases.  So this will be my last blog post.  Hard to have a gaming blog when you don't play games!  Honestly I don't think I'll miss gaming,  I've been using it as a substitute for having a life for years.  Which sounds  more pathetic than I mean it to.  I have friends, but I've gotten stuck into such a routine that it really doesn't feel like living anymore.  I want to live life to the fullest now, not when I'm old and gray.  I'd like to have new experiences, meet new people, and try new things.  A lot of people consider this an extreme reaction to feeling like I'm stuck in a rut, but I don't.  I think it'll be the experience of a lifetime!  I'm not the first person to do it and I won't be the last.  And if  I fall on my face I'll do something else!  I hope you guys have a nice life, and you get to have an adventure of your own!  Ciao!

Now on twitter!

   Just in case anyone is interested, Gamer's Oracle is now on twitter.  Link is at the bottom!  I have never been a fan of twitter, which is why I took so long to make an account.  I must admit it's not that bad.  It's definitely more active than Facebook, and you feel more connected to people and things you care about.  Which is mostly gaming related, for me.  So if it works out I might end up shutting down the Gamer's Oracle Facebook page.  Oh and Happy Thanksgiving!  Don't stuff yourselves too much!   ;)

https://twitter.com/Jinxy03gamer

Dishonored first impressions

 

 I know I said I wasn't going to get it.  But the original Dishonored is one of my top ten games, so I couldn't resist.  I still have the Tarot deck from pre-ordering the first one!  So far I've done two and a bit chapters, and I couldn't be happier.  The graphics are gorgeous.  The game takes place in Karnaca, which fans of the first game should be familiar with.  We didn't get to go there but it was mentioned quite a bit.  The island setting is a nice change from the somewhat dreary Dunwall.

   The game gives you the freedom to play anyway you want.  You can either play as Corvo, the protagonist from the first game, or his daughter Emily.  Who is the Empress of the Isles.  I picked Corvo, because even though I happen to be a female that doesn't mean I want to play one in a video game all of the time.  Nice of them to give us a choice though.
   You can also choose how to play the game: full on stealth or shoot-em up.  I prefer to go full stealth, but some people will prefer to just run in and shoot anything that moves.  There's multiple paths and ways to complete your objective.  And you can upgrade powers that will support your style of play; there's plenty of choices for both types of players.  Just keep in mind if you decide to go the shoot-em up (high chaos) route you will get the crappy ending.  I plan to play through both ways, just because it's that good of a game.  Seriously if you plan on buying one more game this year, make it this one.  It's worth it, trust me.      

Mafia 3 review

 

   I have mixed feelings about Mafia 3.  It is a good game, for the most part.  The story is very well written; in fact it's the best part of the game.  The characters are lifelike and believable, especially Lincoln.  He does some terrible things but it's impossible to not have sympathy for him.  The controls are tight and responsive for the most part whether you're driving, shooting, or running.  Some of the cars turn like you're driving a semi but that's forgivable.  I know some people have mentioned that the graphics are not the best, which is true.  They have a washed out, kind of vintage look to them.  To me it adds a nice feel to the game since it is set in the 60's, but if you like cutting edge graphics you'll probably be disappointed.
   One of the things that could've used a lot of improvement is the way the rackets are set up.  Once you take over a district you can assign it to one of your three partners, which unlocks bonuses for you.  Each underboss of course has different bonuses, so choose wisely.  Some of the bonuses include calling in backup, being able to call off the police, and cutting off the phones so your enemies can't call in backup.  The problem is it seems every time I get into a tight situation and I go to use these abilities they're unavailable for some reason, which is very frustrating.  The whole system could use more depth and improvement.  The ability to have some underlings go with you on missions would come in handy; it's a common enough system and should have been implemented.
   Also if you're expecting a ton of side activities to do you may erase that idea from your head.  Each under boss will have stuff they'd like for you to do but it's limited to one or two missions until you take over a new district.  Some people probably won't be bothered by this but I think it could've used  a little more content in that regard.
   Another complaint I have is the game gives you a very nice sniper rifle to purchase.  I love sniping; in any game I play if there's a sniper rifle you will find me in a tree somewhere.  The problem with them in Mafia 3 is that there's rarely a place you can use them.  The game does designate sniper points in some missions but after you shoot your first enemy the rest of them are going to rush your position.  Because when you shoot the rifle it sounds like a cannon just went off.  Which is fun but that leaves you with a useless rifle and only a pistol as backup.  The missions could've been a little better designed, especially for people who enjoy using stealth.  Or give us a silencer, at least!
   Despite the flaws it is an enjoyable game and worth a play through.  It's a shame it received so much criticism; I think they kind of shot themselves in the foot by not sending out early copies so they could be reviewed.  Give it a rent at least; I don't think you'll regret it.              

Anyone need a new indie game to play?

 




 
I came across an interesting game the other day called Kholat.  It's based on the real life event known as the Dyatlov Pass Incident.  If you don't know what that is I'll give you a quick briefing. Nine experienced hikers were killed in the Ural Mountains, which are in Russia.  (See you learn something new everyday!)  Something or someone caused them to run out of their tents and into the snow sans clothes or supplies; some of them were found to have died of hypothermia while others had some pretty gruesome damage done to them.  You might want to google it for the whole story; it's very mysterious and pretty tragic. It looks very interesting, I'll let you know how it goes.  Ever since I played the Vanishing of Ethan Carter I've been hooked on indie games; so far none have quite reached the level of amazing that game was.  (At least in my opinion.)  So if anyone has any suggestions on what indie games are good I'd be eternally grateful!  In other news, I know Dishonored 2 came out yesterday.  I really want to play it but I just have too many games to finish to justify the $60 right now.  Hopefully soon! Anyone tried it out yet?  Let me know what you think!

Happy Halloween!

  These are the final photos, I promise.  I got over 150 trick or treaters so it was a good night.  I hope everyone has an awesome Halloween, stay safe and eat lots of candy!  I'm off to have a glass of wine and watch American Werewolf in London.

Halloween decorating is done!

  As promised I'm posting photos of my Halloween decorations.  They're not quite done but everything that's left can't go out until Halloween night.  So I'll post final pictures but for now it's complete.  If you want to see them a bit bigger I've posted them to Facebook as well.  https://www.facebook.com/gamersoracle/

Mafia 3 review in progress

   Mafia 3 starts off with a bang.  I don't want to ruin the story, so I'll just say so far it's the best part of the game.  The game is set in 1968 New Orleans.  Not one of my favorite decades but I think the 80's might be used a little too often nowadays.  The story is handled well and doesn't gloss over the racial issues of the era.  I know a lot of people are going to compare it to Grand Theft Auto, so do yourself a favor.  Don't compare them.  Try not to even think about Grand Theft Auto while you're playing.  This game isn't GTA and won't magically turn into it, no matter how hard you might wish it so.  It's not a bad game, but in comparing the two, it will fall short.  So just don't.
   So far I've played about 10 hours and I've not unlocked that much yet.  There's not a whole lot of side stuff to do; I'm hoping that changes further into the game.  The map is a decent size, but so far it's kind of empty, except for collectibles that serve no purpose.  (That I can see).  You can rob stores but it doesn't net you a lot of cash; I usually haul in $20 to $50 dollars.
   The missions are pretty straightforward: kill the goons and take out the boss.  Hopefully there will be a little variety down the road.  They do take place in memorable places at least.  So far the best one  has taken place at an abandoned carnival.  It killed my love of carnivals, I can tell you that.  Actually that's a lie, the only reason I go to carnivals is because they're slightly creepy.  Even when they're brightly lit and full of people.  Carnivals are like miniature Halloween Horror nights, except a lot cheaper and not as scary.  But I digress.
   Speaking of scary, the AI leaves a lot to be desired.  You can usually get away with killing goons right in front of each other and they don't react.  Witnesses will usually call the police when you commit a crime but it's easy to knock them down.  Pedestrians don't react when they're crossing the road and you honk at them.  Nor do they run in fear when you almost run them over.  They just keep walking sedately along.  Out of all the stores I've robbed, not one has reported me to the police, despite being full of people.  Maybe I've gotten lucky.  I'll continue to test this theory as I go.
           
 

It's that time of year

 

 



   Time to start hauling out Halloween decorations!  My favorite time of year, actually.  I'll have to get a little more creative this year, as someone hacked down the two trees in my front yard.  (They were diseased, unfortunately.)  Which leaves me with a palm tree to work with.  Not very spooky, I must say.  But we'll make it work.  This time next year I'll be living in another state, so this is my last Halloween in Florida.  Some things I will miss, but the heat and lack of trick or treaters I can do without.  I have heard Halloween is a much bigger affair up north, so I've got my fingers crossed that's true!  I'll post pictures as soon as I'm done decorating!
   On an unrelated note, I went to pick up a copy of American Werewolf in London, one of my all-time favorite movies.  Apparently there's been a rush on this movie, as  I couldn't find it in any store I went to.  So I figured I'd just order a copy from Amazon.  Amazon has everything!  But no, they're out of stock as well.  Then I tried BestBuy.  No luck there either!  My last effort was Walmart.  Walmart, like a polar opposite of Amazon, has nothing.  Not even a listing for the blu-ray copy.  So if anyone wants a copy, might want to get your order in now.  No telling when they'll be back in stock.

For Honor Alpha preview

   Thanks to a friend I scored an invite to the closed alpha.  I'll be honest For Honor hasn't held a lot of interest for me.  The story seems thin and nothing more than an excuse for Vikings and Samurai to beat the crap out of each other.  With knights thrown in the mix to make things somewhat more boring.  Seriously, why didn't they skip the knights and go with pirates?  Would've made things much more interesting.  Especially if you could hurl piratey insults at your foes.  I would pay money to see that.
   But anyways, I picked Vikings to start out with.  After learning the basics of combat I went on to try a PVP battle.  It's actually a lot of fun.  The combat isn't complicated but it gives you a simplified taste of what a real sword battle might be like.  Emphasis on simplified.  The controls could be a little more responsive; hopefully they'll be more polished in the beta.  I ended up playing all three factions just to see if the combat differed a lot between them.  Historically speaking their fighting styles are not at all similar but apparently Ubisoft decided to ignore that.  The combat animations are pretty much the same, at least for the characters that are unlocked in the alpha.  We'll have to wait for the Beta to really judge this, as each faction has a few different warriors to choose from.  
   Of course a lot of the game was locked, but apparently there is a campaign for each of the three factions, for those who don't like PVP.  Although let's be honest, PVP is undoubtedly the main focus of the game.  It's a little early to say whether it's worth buying, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it.  I've already signed up for the beta; hopefully a little more of the game will be accessible then.  

Building a PC for the first time!

     So I've decided to dive into the world of PC gaming.  The only games I've ever played on the PC are Morrowind and World of Warcraft.  I love WOW and I really enjoyed modding the heck out of Morrowind.  My current PC wheezes it way through WOW but anything other than that kills it.  I bought Witcher 2 for it awhile back.  I figured I was safe, as my PC is fairly new and Witcher 2 is older.  My computer said thank you but no, and promptly croaked.
     Building it will take awhile, as I don't have the funds to order everything at once.  And I have a lot of research to do!  I really don't want it to explode when I turn it on for the first time.  I wanted it to be 4k compatible but unfortunately that is way over the budget.  A nice mid-range build will just have to do.  If anyone has any tips or advice they want to share that would be greatly appreciated!  I'll be posting photos and maybe videos as I get it built, but it'll probably be a few weeks yet before I get started.

No Man's Sky final thoughts-here be spoilers!

     I had high hopes for No Man's Sky, I really did.  It looked to be one of the best games of 2016.  Unfortunately, the reality fell far short.  For such an ambitious game, there's literally no point to playing it.  There's no storyline.  There is some lore, but to read it you have to learn the alien languages.  You WILL kill yourself, if you actually try to learn all the words--out of sheer boredom. Trust me, I know.  I tried.  I gave it up just before I did a swan dive off a cliff.
   The combat isn't too bad, once you get the hang of it.  It took me a few times but I got there.  The problem is the enemy ships fly circles around you while you try to track and shoot them.  Why can't the player do that?  I tried it once; it got me blown up.  I cannot swoop and shoot at the same time, the game makes it impossible.  So you kind of feel like a sitting duck.  It could use some improvement.
     There is at least a goal, to reach the center of the universe.  Everyone knows that.  It's been one of the biggest mysteries of the year.  What's at the center of the universe?  It's heartbreak, in case you're wondering.  Because the game resets and puts you right back at the beginning, with a broken ship and no supplies.  Unless you have 10 atlas stones.  In which case you can create a new universe, for a new traveler to explore.  No, you don't get to explore it.
     Which is a shame, maybe those new planets wouldn't all look alike.  Exploration could have been one of No Man's Sky saving graces.  People love to explore.  I love to explore; even in a video game.  But there has to be some variety besides three basic models; forest, rock and snow--that's it. Perhaps I got unlucky, and there's a desert planet I missed.  I don't know.  I can't be bothered to find out, it's too boring and that cliff will start to look inviting again.  Save yourself some trouble, and pick another game to play.  Rebel Galaxy is much better, and it's only $20.  (Plus it's influenced by Firefly).  

No Man's Sky first impressions

 

   

     I wasn't going to pick up No Man's Sky; I've gotten back into WOW and we all know what a time suck that is.  Between that and trying to finish Witcher 3 I haven't had a lot of free time, as you can tell by my lack of blog content.  But I decided to squeeze it in, as everything I've heard has been mostly positive.  Luckily No Man's Sky is a game that is best played in short spurts, at least for me.
     It definitely doesn't hold your hand.  Once you get your ship fixed you're free to leave the starting planet, never to return.  That's probably not the wisest course of action, but the game leaves it completely up to you how you want to play.  I decided to hop to a different planet, one that was prettier to look at it.  My goal was to discover all the species and waypoints, as that would give me 300,00 credits.  Two hours later I gave it up and moved on to a different planet.  I thought there was too much to see, to spend that much time on one planet.
     So far I've visited two galaxies, with 8 planets total.  There's not a lot of difference in how they look, which is a little disappointing.  Most of the planets were rock, two were forest planets and one was covered with glaciers.  The two forest planets were very similar, and the rocky ones are basically the same.  I actually took to naming them after the most abundant resource they had, in order to tell which one was which.  Even the plants and animals, while not identical, have a sameness to them from planet to planet.  I'm hoping once I get further into the game there will be more diversity.  The planets are so much alike that unless I need resources to craft I don't really bother exploring them.  That doesn't bode well for a game that is supposed to be all about space exploration.
     It's incredibly easy to make money in the game, or perhaps I just got lucky.  I've found that gold and Heridium are both plentiful, and they both sell for a good amount.  I found one planet that had so much gold I named it Midas so I could come back to it, as I got bored mining all the gold.  That's actually one of the biggest downfalls of the game; you will mine and mine and mine some more, which can get old.  I've heard that there will be updates later that will include building bases, so perhaps the developer will add some much needed depth to the game.  I'll put out an update in a week or two to let you know my final thoughts.  As of right now I'm on the fence with this one.

New loot pictures, for fans of Devil May Cry!

     So I wasn't entirely happy with the Dante statue I ordered recently, so it actually went back.  And I got this one instead.  I really can't describe how happy I am with the way it looks, so I'd thought I'd share!

Witcher 3 Blood and Wine-first impressions

   

     I'm about 8 hours into the expansion.  So far I'm really enjoying it, it definitely lives up to the quality we've come to expect from CDPR.  The quests are as varied and well-written as always, one of the things that makes playing Witcher such a pleasure.  I can't imagine doing 300 hours of fetch quests, nor do I want to.  The new region is beautiful and has a heavy french influence, from the names and accents to the vineyards and villages.  Beauclair, the capital city, is much prettier and feels much cleaner than Novigrad.  No slums to be found here.  The countryside doesn't look that different from the main game but it still remains one of the best looking games I've played this year.
     You'll definitely see some familiar faces.  I didn't expect Regis to make an appearance, as he died in the books.  It was a nice surprise, since he was one of my favorite characters.  He didn't have a huge part but he was indeed memorable.  I'm really hoping he doesn't die again, but we'll have to wait and see.  
     Quite a few additions have been made to the game.  There's five sets of grandmaster armor to track down.  I started with the Wolven armor set, but I believe the Manticore is the best.  It's light armor but the set bonuses are very powerful.  I'll let you know what I think if I ever get the coin to make them both.  I had over 20,000 gold and now I'm down to 154.  Not a good feeling, I have to be honest.  In addition to new armor Geralt also has access to powerful new mutations and four additional ability slots.  And I do mean powerful.  The new ability slots are not opened up by gaining levels but by researching new mutations.  Once you get those unlocked Geralt will be one overpowered character.  You can also break down mutagens and change them from one color to another, providing you find the recipes.        
     Now with the good, comes the bad.  (Well not really, nothing about Witcher is bad.  In my humble opinion).  While the writing is very good, somehow so far it's failed to live up to the standard set by Hearts of Stone.  Which sounds whiny, I know, because there's so much more included in Blood and Wine.  But the characters in Hearts of Stone were so well-written and so memorable that I think it's kind of hard to match that, let alone surpass it.  But I haven't finished the main campaign yet so that opinion could change.  I'll let you guys know as soon as I'm done!  So what do you guys think of the new expansion?  Better?  Worse?  Let me know!

Megacon loot pictures

     As promised I'm posting photos of Oberyn and the Hound up close.  The detail on them is really good, and I love that you can open and close the Hound's helm.  The pictures really don't do them justice, especially the Hound.  For some reason his eyes look a little weird in the photo but they don't look like that in real life.  After seeing these I'm a little disappointed that Dark Horse couldn't have done a better job with the Ned Stark figure, as it doesn't really resemble him that much in the face.  Oh and the last picture is not from Megacon, but something I picked up online.  I haven't decided whether to open it or not yet, since that destroys the value.  I really hate not to display it, so it'll probably get opened!  Let me know what you guys think!

Minecraft photos

This is pretty awesome, so I'd thought I'd share.  A friend of mine, Graceomalley60, is the actual builder.  I helped some, but she did most of the work.  Took her quite a few days, so she's pretty proud of it!

Orlando Megacon 2016 pictures

As promised, I'm posting pictures.  We had a great time; the convention was larger than I thought it would be.  I did get to see Christopher Lloyd and Curtis Armstrong (not close up, mind).  The last two pictures are of loot I managed to snag, Oberyn Martell and the Hound, both by Dark Horse.  I'll take some better pictures once I unbox them. Definitely have to go again next year!