BigBlueWolf

A Short Batch 19… But A Lot of Playtime!

Wrapping up March, I got back into the full swing of gaming again after defeating my diagnosis of repetitive stress injury by treating myself for Tension Myositis Syndrome. To that effect, I successfully put in 112 hours to reach level 34 and finish the main plot line for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt without any significant discomfort in hands. YAY!

Loved the game. My criticism (yes I had a nitpick about the story) I put in my official review on Steam. But the game is pure gold, and I haven’t even tackled the DLC yet. So there’s more there to do in April.

Edit (4-Apr-2018): Completed the “Hearts of Stone” DLC!

Because I spent so much time Witcher-ing, this batch ended up on the short side. Got another SG win under my belt. And started SOMA (already in my library) a few days before it was included in the latest Humble Bundle. I almost never have nightmares, but weirdly enough I had one after staying up late one night playing this game. The helplessness of your character in the game is pretty brutal when you are trying to avoid the monsters. Must have left an impression after I went to bed.

… Boo!

Onward to Batch 20!

Paws: A Shelter 2 Game

Paws: A Shelter 2 Game

Won on SteamGifts
19/19 (100%) │ 8/10 │ 8.3 hours
Pitter patter
Beaten: 30-Mar-2018

A fun, short game based on Shelter 2. You get to be a lynx cub this time and have an adventure when you get separated from your mother and siblings. As you make your way through the wilderness there are other animals to meet and different things to eat. Also different collectables to obtain. It's a heart-warming little game. The choice at the end is bittersweet no matter what path you take. Might bring a tear to the eye of some. One choice choked me up more than the other. :) The game isn't hard to get 100% achievements, but five of them are grinds. Fortunately there are spots to farm many of them. To get 50 eggs in the swamp there is a spot shortly after you leave it and start climbing the cliff that will indicate the game is being saved. From that point you can quit and restart and it will take you back to the beginning of the swamp again. Otherwise the nature of the saves would force you to do a new playthrough at only 8 eggs per run.
SOMA

SOMA

 

10/10 (100%) │ 8/10 │ 8.8 hours
Am I really me?
Beaten: 31-Mar-2018

SOMA is a well-told sci-fi horror story wherein you play Simon, a man trying to figure out what caused him to wake up in an undersea research facility, far from his home in Toronto. The game is a linear story with simple puzzles, and like it's predecessor the Amnesia series there are monsters on the prowl that you are powerless to fight. Your only defense is to run and hide. This leads to some pretty intense moments for what is basically a point-and-click/stealth game mechanic. It works incredibly well. As the central part of the game experience, the story raises a lot of philosophical questions about the nature of what it means to be human. I can't say much more without giving away major spoilers, so I'll leave it at that. You get 100% cheevos just playing the story through to the end. Important note: don't exit the game during the credits. There's a good post-credits scene you don't want to miss.
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the Year Edition

Gift My Review
71/78 (91%) │ 9.5/10 │ 108 hours
Geralt's last contract
Beaten: 25-Mar-2018

This was a long overdue backlog entry, given to me as a gift by my brother around Christmas 2016. My review is posted on Steam!
EvilBlackSheep

If you look at the hours count, it’s definitely not a short batch!! Congrats on finishing The Witcher 3, i’m always impressed when BLAEO members post about it (and it reminds me of my own procrastination at starting it).