Its more about DLCs, then microtransactions but the two are very similar.
Okay lets say its a Steam Sale and they have publisher highlights. Lets saaay…Ubisoft or EA or one of these big corporate publishers.
Huuuge banners::Sale up-to 85% off
So since I am a patient gamer I start browsing and look at some 8-10 years old AAA titles I didn’t bother to pay full price for at relese. Like some older AC, Ghost Recon, or something for under 10 EUR/USD. Cool, then you click on it and what I see?
THATS ONLY THE FUCKING BASE GAME!?!?!! They still sell 3 premium editions with the DLCs and the one with all the content is something like 25-30 EUR/USD. With 85% off. So the full price is still something like 100+ EUR/USD. Fuck this artificially inflated price, I’m not paying that much for a decade old fucking game.
While other publishers roll all content into a complete edition or even release free remasters with all content included for considerably lower price for their older titles these greedy fuck publishers still trying to sell us exclusive content from a decade ago. Fucking boils my blood.
There is no strict definition of what a console is. Just because the linux OS is not restricted and the hardware can be used as a pc with extra steps are we excluding the SD from the console topic?
Consoles are more and more like PCs, with many multimedia, productivity and utilility apps and even web browsing, so the Steam Deck IMO perfectly fits the discussion.
Out of the box it has a strict console-like UI and limited functionality for everything else other than gaming. You need to take special steps to use it as a PC (reboot in desktop mode, attach peripherals, etc)
Parkitect - an amazing RCT spiritual successor with cute graphics, some new mechanics (covering operational buildings and logistic routes). I have 100+ hours in it with my wife. It’s such a chill experience.
Nine Parchments - its a dual stick isometric shooter with wizards and elemental spells from the creators of Trine. Great co-op, unlockable characters/spells and creative mechanics. You can combine elements and the spells affect everyone, so for example a poorly placed healing spell can restore enemies health, or a misplaced fireball can hurt fellow players. Great fun!
Wildermyth - turn-based rpg with multiple characters and bite-sized modular quests and random encounters. The storytelling is simply amazing and each campaign plays out over a certain amount of time. The heroes age, retire, their kids can become adventurers as well. They can fall in love, compete, or based on the player’s choices even become other creatures or die heroic deaths which will also change how the story plays out. The art style is really nice and unique. I had many hours of fun with this one.
I think a million times people discussed this and ubi and epic store clients are far inferior compared to steam. People have all the rights to not want their game collection spread across half a dozen platforms.
I personally don’t buy anything Ubisoft mainly because their launcher is pure garbage and I hate it with passion.
Steam made me stop pirating games, Epic and Ubi made me overcome my FOMO and be a patient gamer.
On what settings? Mine mimics a jet engine every time I fire up BG3, no matter what settings or scaling I used so far and I already have the quieter fan in the SD.
I loved Tyranny, but the combat was much worse compared to PoE. For newcomers I would recommend the lowest difficulty setting so they can enjoy the excellent writing and story.
Until the next generation finds a new trending game Fortnite will be the go to gaming advertisement surface with endless crossovers, pop culture references, merch bait products and memes so the kids can be glued to the screens and make the parents spend money.
It’s a brilliant move to involve Lego as it’s widely popular, but I can’t see people using Fortnite as a sort of storefront/creation kit as it will probably have its limitation compared to a regular game purchased and played on its own.