October 12th 2023.
I was just pondering if Baldur's Gate 3 really lived up to the hype when I stumbled upon the Thursday letters page. There were a lot of interesting conversations going on, and one that particularly caught my eye was the idea of Disney buying EA. I decided to join in with the discussions myself and email in my thoughts.
So, back to Baldur's Gate 3. After Gale seduced my female avatar into a passionate night amongst the stars last night, I can definitely say that this game is truly great. The game play is original and saturated with video game vibes, which makes it all the more fantastic. I mean, I'd just snuck out the Tiefling prisoners from Moonrise Towers in a feat of derring do and saved Thaniel whilst completing the Shar trials, so one was in need of a rest at camp. What better way than to have a gloriously entertaining video game romance blossom?
The Crew Motorfest also caught my attention, as I'd picked up a copy last week. I'd have to definitely say that it is at least fun to play. The handling models aren't amazing and the AI can be up and down, but I've been having an absolute blast playing it. It fills a void quite nicely for me and scratches that Forza Horizon itch.
I'm also finding it hard to care one way or the other about Disney buying EA. They're both soulless megacorps who's products I have almost zero interest in. I still blame Microsoft for all this. They started this stampede to buy up every company and we're going to end up in a position where everyone is owned by one of three or four different companies.
I'm also thinking about the Oculus Quest and the battery life. With the brand new Qualcomm processor running the whole unit, I would of thought, especially in this day and age, the battery life would of been improved if anything, due to the chipset being less and less power hungry?
Finally, I had a chat with someone about The Witcher 3. I was called a bad human being if I'd played The Witcher 2 and left my man Roche to die at the theatre. I gave it a shot and I'm struggling. I turned the difficulty down to easy just to get the story but I'm only able to play in short bursts. I think the jump from Xbox 360 to PlayStation 5 is too jarring for any immersion in the game on my part. I'll see it through because I paid for it, but I can't say I'm enjoying the gameplay itself.
I take my metaphorical hat off to anyone that can enjoy both modern games and those from the legacy systems as well. It's often said in these pages, and others, that's it's really useful to read a wiki or other guide online when starting a game with many layers of complexity, at least when starting out, to prevent frustration at your lack of progress or understanding of the game. Do you think developers have that in mind when designing their games?
I'm just trying to get into the head of a modern day developer and wondering whether they know that they can make a mechanic somewhat obtuse as they know someone, somewhere will get it and will eventually be published on the internet for others to dig into and widen the understanding of. That's the power of the internet for you!
After much debate in the Thursday letters page regarding the possibility of Disney buying EA, I can finally offer my opinion on the matter. I am not particularly excited or scared by the prospect of Disney's influence in the video game industry, as I have had minimal contact with their products.
However, I can offer my opinion on Baldur's Gate 3. After an exciting evening of playing the game, I can confidently say that it lives up to the hype. It is a truly great game that does not rely on the glorification of nudity or romance for its appeal. Instead, it provides an immersive and entertaining experience that feels like a classic game.
The Crew Motorfest also deserves a defence. Although it has some flaws in terms of handling models and AI, it is still a great game that fills the void left by the dearth of racing games this year. I personally have been having a blast playing it and it is the perfect way to scratch that Forza Horizon itch.
I feel like I cannot comment on the Disney-EA debate as I have no real connection to either company, however I do think that the recent trend of megacorps buying out other companies is worrying. It seems like it will only be a matter of time before Take-Two and Rockstar are next in line.
Finally, I have been playing The Witcher 3 on PlayStation 5 and I understand why many people suggest reading guides online before starting the game. It is incredibly complex and I personally find it hard to stay immersed in the game due to the jarring transition between Xbox 360 and 5. I have a lot of respect for people who can enjoy the games of the past as well as modern games.
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