I took a week-long vacation this month, and boy was I busy. Fanatical, HumbleBundle and Steam all had sales going on. It was an embarrassment of riches. And oddly I stumbled upon probably the game I’ve had the most fun with this year. More on that later. With Covid-19 surging over us, there wasn’t much to do but stay inside. I’m starting to know more and more people who’ve become victims. (Both of my daughters recovered.) But on a brighter note I’m not hearing of fatalities now. And it’s said an inoculation is on the horizon. My wife underwent cancer surgery. It’s often a terrible world, I daresay, but fortunately, I have my books, my music and my games to help me escape.
1. Lost in Space on Netflix: I started this a few months ago, and I’m still engrossed in the first season. With a play on the original score by “Johnny” Williams and the names of the characters being the same, this is a sea change from the original Irwin Allen 1960s production. Doctor Smith is a female this time around, and she’s downright heinous. John Robinson is a man formerly estranged from his family, trying to make a comeback. The B-9 Robot plays a much more sinister role this time around. Like I’ve said before, it’s a graphic powerhouse. I understand Netflix is now offered in 4K resolution now. This might be a reason to upgrade.
2. BATTLETECH on PC: I had started to play this when it debuted. And I got lost along the way and stopped playing. I’ve decided to continue it, and for once I didn’t start the game over. It’s a good thing I didn’t. I was able to pick up where I left off. If you’re not familiar with the Battletech/Mechwarrior universe, it’s about clans of very wealthy families who fight each other using giant walking robots. Warriors affix themselves inside in a cockpit and control the giant mechanical men. I had messed around with the old Activision and Microprose Mechwarrior games over the years, but I think this one has me hooked. It looks like I have a very long campaign ahead of me, but I’ll finish it.
3. Angels & Airwaves I-Empire on CD: I always thought Blink 182 was a bit pretentious, though I’ve always admired Tom Delonge’s mad guitar skills (albeit mostly comprised of power chords.) When he departed and formed Angels & Airwaves, I think is when he exercised the maturity I was looking for. Thank you to my friend, Susan Wooding, for introducing me to them. Delonge is quoted as saying their first album We Don’t Need to Whisper would be the best music in generations. The album did produce some hits, but that statement still remains to be seen. The band is considered a super group, being it’s comprised of members of former successful bands. I recommend listening to “Secret Crowds” and “Breathe” to get the real feels.
4. Return to Castle Wolfenstein REALRtCW on PC: When a group of super modders released this free on Steam, I had to check it out. It’s a redux of the original Return to Castle Wolfenstein released by id Software way back in 2001. It was one of the first games I was really hyped for. And it was a tour de force of what game graphics, AI and multiplayer was capable of back then. The REALRtCW mod enhances the graphics for modern systems, and they did an incredible job. Being that I beat the original game twice, I had to present the ultimate challenge and play on hardcore mode. Needless to say, I had to cheat a few times. I’d always end up facing a boss with just not enough ammo to finish the job. I hate cheating, but sometimes a gamer’s gotta do what a gamer’s gotta do! It’s worth a playthrough, and it certainly does the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia justice. You won’t be disappointed. Just don’t play it on hardcore mode. All it does is handicap you, and it’s really not necessary.
5. The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck: My mother recommended I read this. It was a rather saccharine story of a boy who wants nothing more than a bicycle for Christmas but ends up getting what he refers to as “an ugly Christmas sweater.” Then tragedy of nightmarish proportions befalls his family. It all boils down to being appreciative of people’s good intentions. Glenn Beck was a famous host of his own prime time show on CNN and a nationally syndicated radio show. He’s an okay writer, but this book just didn’t really do it for me. It was like a Lifetime Movie gone bad.
6. Anno 18OO on PC: Picked this up on a Fanatical Sale I’d been wanting it for a while. It’s a city builder circa 1800. The whole game looks like a Robert Kinkade painting come to life. Unfortunately, the game is extremely difficult sans manual or in-depth tutorial. I think it’s a shame when AAA titles release by developers who expect you to watch YouTube videos or read Reddit forums to learn how to play the game. This is the total opposite of the old days when you had a nice collector edition box with a manual, strategy guide an OST CD and other assorted goodies. Not to mention, the Digital Deluxe version I picked up was originally $99. That’s too much for a game with no viable instructions on how to play the game.
7. Hearts of Iron IV on PC: This is another convoluted game with a crappy tutorial. It’s a Paradox Interactive game (which is a software company noted for their complexity.) I knew this when I started playing it. I’ve been told to simply scrap the tutorial and just dive in, sink or swim. Honestly, I think people who get good at this game are very smart people. The game has a great art style to it, reminiscent of a grand style boardgame. I’m not ready to give up just yet, but man this game is hard!
8. In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway: Hemingway was proof that less could be so much more. I’m referring to his scant use of words. The man was not a fan of adjectives or adverbs. He constructed simple sentences of nouns and verbs. That was it. But sheesh, the word pictures he could paint with such an anemic writing style. If you’ve never read any of the great novels by Hemingway I’d suggest starting with this collection of short stories. You won’t find any other written work in which every single word moves a story so effectively. At 150 pages, you’ll be amazed at how fast you’ll move through this one, especially since most stories are a mere 2-3 pages long.
9. Tom Clancy’s The Division on PC: Another game I picked up on sale. This truly, has to be the most fun I’ve had a in a PC game this year. How ironic the year’s end is almost upon us. The game centers on Black Friday in 2015, New York City in which a pandemic has been released (oddly prophetic.) It plays like a MMORPG, in that weapons, armor, and backpacks can change buff states, firepower, protection, and skills. The game maps New York City perfectly. You could take walking tours in this game and learn the actual layout of the real city. My buddy Vic Berwick’s first impression was, “this game looks like a movie.” Amen to that. It is a gorgeous game despite its 2016 release. This is an MMO that’s going to hold my attention for a long time to come.
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