E3 Ramble

This year’s E3 has been and gone and I thought I’d ramble about it. So I am.

Skyrim’s being remastered for the PS4 and Xbox One. Huzzah! It’s free for PC users who have the game+DLC on Steam already. Huzzah! It’s full-price for console users.

What?

The Last of Us Remastered, Tomb Raider, Valkyria Chronicles: Europa Edition were all £20, not the £50 Bethesda want for Skyrim. Hell, XCOM 2 is being released on consoles for £40.

Now, I really like Skyrim. I’ve put hundreds of hours into it, and I’ll probably get the new edition [after waiting for a price drop]. But I’ve bought it twice (original and Legendary Edition for the DLC on PS3). Asking £50 more is taking the piss, especially contrasted against the price tag of £0 for PC users. I can appreciate that a free giveaway for PC users will help ensure mods (which are to be available for console players) get developed for the new edition, but that does not justify the full-price tag.

XCOM 2 is something I’ve wanted to play for ages but, being a mere console peasant, haven’t been able to. I do have some concerns about potential bugs so I’m not sure I’ll get it right away, but I’m glad to see it migrate to consoles. Already planning some squad members (Benjamin Disraeli, nickname: Dizzy Rascal).

Those saddened by the cancellation of bowel-emptying nerve-shredder PT may be gladdened to know that Kojima’s making a new game. It also features Norman Reedus, who had been set for a role in PT, but nobody has any idea what Death Stranding is about.

God of War returns. Kratos has a beard and a child. If he ends up killing his son, I may contemplate purchasing it. I’ve got the three main entries in the series, but have no especial interest in seeing the world’s angriest man murder everyone, again. [Unless he does it to his offspring. Again]. This time he’s battling the Norse gods, presumably because he killed all the Greek ones last time. Anubis, you’re next.

There’s a new Spiderman game, cunningly called Spider-Man. I had Spiderman 2, I think it was called, for the PS2 and that was hugely enjoyable. The physics worked so well it was great fun just slinging webs and swinging around the city or swan-diving from buildings. If the new game lives up to that, it’ll sell by the bucketload.

Mass Effect Andromeda reminded everyone it still exists. Should be out in the first half of next year. Not sure I’ll get it. I really like the first three games (Femshep may be the best acted videogame character I’ve ever encountered), but I’m increasingly not a fan of Bioware/EA’s approach to DLC, within both the Dragon Age and Mass Effect series. Money and time are tight, patience is thin and DLC that should be in the main bloody game does not amuse.

Speaking of DLC, I may actually get it (not on-disc) for the first time with The Witcher 3’s two expansions. Undecided, as yet. They do look very good, though, and I like the way CD Projekt Red has been doing things. [On a related, nostalgic, note there’s a Lone Wolf game for downloading, currently discounted to under £8].

Another promising game for the future is Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It’s a first person RPG set in 15^th century Bohemia (central Europe), largely based on historical events. I think it’s out for PC next year, with planned PS4 and Xbox One releases after that.

Last but not least, Dishonored 2 is out late this year. I played the first game and enjoyed it a lot (I felt the world was very interesting and could’ve been developed a bit more). However, it was something I only played through a couple of times, and I prefer to sink in many, many hours. May give it a look once the price drops.

Thaddeus