regemond

https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/13/20963561/google-stadia-launch-day-promises-ama Apparently some features won't be available at launch. I don't know too much about Stadia, so I don't know what is relevant and what isn't, which is why I haven't quoted stuff.

I feel like this could be a perfect replication of my feelings towards this game. The only difference is I literally haven't watched a single one of the live-action sequences. They've played on the screen, but nobody has screen presence and all their body language seems awful so I just find myself tuning out. I had a good 10-15 minute rant at @Whiskey_chaser about it while we were playing EDF the other day. Something just feels off about the handling though. After playing the Forza Horizon games as my only racer over the last few years, this feels equal parts too slippy and too heavy. It's super weird. There's something there keeping me playing though. I'm finding myself putting it on when I have a spare 10-15 minutes to knock a race or two out.

Not gonna lie - kinda feel like this is gonna be my first gaming purchase of 2020.

Not just the book, @one-armed dwarf - the whole series. Remember... I think the lore dump is kind of necessary for the first episode with this world, and they'll probably explore exactly what daemons are within the next few episodes. I can see the next couple exploring the main themes a little more in general, instead of throwing all these sets of characters at you. Bringing Mrs. Coulter into it so early was perfect too - it would have felt plodding if they'd explored Lyra's character in Oxford more before sending her off.

This couldn't be a better description for me. Even the intro credits seemed lifted straight from GoT. I'd agree with the consensus that the acting feels a little off too. I still think Lyra is perfectly cast, and McAvoy was a great choice for Asriel, but something didn't quite feel right to me. There are a few changes with the books, but I can see WHY they've done the things they've done. To be honest, given my love for the novels, the first episode didn't enamour me to the rest of the series, but the little Next On... trailer absolutely caught my attention. I'll be watching the rest because I know the story and I'm excited to see where they go with it, but I can also see a lot of people being turned off by it. Having said that, the first episode of GoT absolutely didn't grab me either, I just stuck with it because I'd heard it was great. Maybe this will be the same?

The reviews give tons of praise, yeah, but a few mainstream gaming sites were littered with harsher criticism after release. Still lots of praise too, but definitely a fair bit of negativity. Mainly centred around the dedication to realism that's so extreme it detracts from the gameplay. It's also why I think you shouldn't give a fuck about reviews or Metacritic aggregates and just play it regardless. We all know reviews don't tell the full story. For whatever reason its piqued your interest and got you on board. With the awful shit I play I can't judge anyone for what they want to experience (except Metal Gear Survive - dude, wtf?) so I hope it grabs you as much as you want it to.

I think on reflection RD2 is now seen as a divisive game though. The reviews were overwhelmingly positive, then started to talk about the negatives, which were amplified by user reviews when it finally came out. I genuinely think DS will be a case of divisive reviews before release, a lot of positive user reviews in the vein of Rick and Morty/intelligence required to enjoy it, and it becoming a bit of a cult hit. It's not a game for me, but it's something I'll get when it inevitably goes to the PlayStation Hits range.

Game Pass Ultimate, so £11/month. Makes it even cheaper. £7 x 24 (£168) for the console. That's actually pretty tempting tbf.

I had an expensive weekend... Edit: oh, and unravel 2...

Yeah I want The Ezio Collection to drop to the price you paid for it @Maf, but on PS4. It's killing me every time I see it on an XBL sale, and under a tenner is the sweet spot for me with them.

I doubt it'll have any effect tbh, @AndyKurosaki, as you'll still get blinkered parents and grandparents buying these games every Christmas for little Timmy, not realising just how bad they are. As long as they continue to get (insert number) sales every year they're never gonna change it up too much.

I got the new one on release but haven't had the chance to read it yet, @one-armed dwarf. I've been tied up reading a wrestling biography before my Kindle Unlimited runs out and one I picked up in Budapest (would have been £20-something off amazon - got it for £7-odd!) Speaking of... Crazy Like A Fox: The Definitive Chronicle of Brian Pillman 20 Years Later This was an outstanding biography based on one of a bit of an enigma in the wrestling world. Brian Pillman invented the 'Loose Cannon' character, someone who intentionally acted crazy to build an aura around himself. To the point where even other wrestlers were questioning whether he'd legitimately lost it. Really interesting read about a wrestler I've never had much exposure to, and it definitely made me want to see more of him in the ring. And... The Paul Street Boys This was recommended by Rosie as a book she read when she was younger, and it's apparently really tough to get an English copy over here. Set in Budapest in 1907, it follows the titular Paul Street Boys, a teenage gang with a big rivalry against another gang. It's definitely a young adult novel, but it doesn't treat the audience as idiots. Absolutely heart-wrenching stuff at some points, which I definitely didn't expect. Anyway, next on the list of Book of Dust Vol 2.

I can't wait until that game drops to a tenner and I can witness all this for myself. With any luck that'll even be by Christmas! Basically what's happened is WWE cut ties with the long time 2K developer Yuke's (mainly because Yuke's wanted to develop other wrestling games where they could have a little creative freedom) and gave it over to some no-name company who have been helping with certain modes on the last few year's games. Yuke's were to stay in an advisory role. This happened in August - three months before it dropped. The devs who took over creating the game were given a decade old engine they have zero real experience with and told to whip up a game quick smart. Which has resulted in this cluster-fuck.

Does this count?

It was probably @Blakey...