Maybe I could use that time to watch The West Wing? I’ve heard nothing but good things about it but…who’s got the time.

I dunno, I could spend a good long while playing nothing but Football Manager if I didn’t have to worry about being anywhere else.

I mean, is this in real time because I won’t lie, I bet there’s an awful lot of ‘boring’ mixed in with all the amazing moments.

Don’t know about how it is in the US, but in the UK the idea of people rushing to finish their transaction fills me with dread. I’ve worked in a supermarket with self service and the general public really struggles with them.

It was the only of my three cars that hasn’t been totalled by a driver not paying attention when driving past it.

Yup. Two cars have been written off whilst parked down my street inside two years. Love it!

The last game that truly gave me the feeling you described is Lies of P. It was my favourite game of 2023 and the 60 or so hours I put into beating it were very well spent.

Definitely spending the day with my young children, going to a soft-play and then going out for a lunch filled with ‘no no no don’t throw that’ before we return home for a fun evening of 'daaaaaaady, daaaaaaaady’ entirely on my own in total silence apart from the sound of my TV with a videogame on, a fresh cup of tea in my mug and maybe a takeaway pizza on the way.

Might also explain why Cricket is so popular. Obviously it still requires a fair amount of physical exertion but it’s definitely a bit more laid back than something like Rugby.

Prefer digital because space is a factor in my house. I love the idea of physical, and I’ll usually go that way for art or reference books. However paperback equivalent I’m always going digital.

Although if I really love a book I’ll always look to add it to my bookshelf at some point.

Mostly waiting for Lies Of P to land in a day or two. I have spent more time with Starfield, but as I mentioned in a previous comment, I think I’m reaching the end of my time with that one.

I don’t think it’s ‘bad’, but I do think it’s a severely compromised game that underwhelms more than it should for a game of it’s budget and the team behind it. There’s moments where you can see so much potential but it is always somewhat hidden by this mid 2000s design that I thought we’d moved past.

I absolutely love your description of the game being ‘big empty rooms’. I think I’ve come to the same conclusion in the last 24 hours. The space stuff and the on-planet stuff feels disjointed and unconnected. The way you traverse the universe is incredibly underwhelming (so many menu’s) and the actual game design just feels so 2008.

I run both [email protected] and [email protected]

Currently Playing is a place to discuss what you’re currently playing and Photo-Mode is a place to share in game screenshots and photographs you’ve taken whilst playing.

Sorry if the links are messed up. I’ve got no idea the right way to link at this point. The whole system seems a bit of a mess.

Can’t remember the source (possibly Jeff Gerstman at Giantbomb) but I’m absolutely certain they said this was a tax write-off or something.

Your buddy buys you a new disk…

This is less of a confirmation and more of a ‘yeah, at some point there will exist a RDR3’.

Trine 5. Loving it so far.

Am I alone in not remembering literally any enemy in Mass Effect 3?

I’m not a massive Bethesda fan, but I’ve absolutely got the preload done on my series X. Gamepass is perfect for that sort of thing.

The game has co-op???

Trying not to commit to anything too strenious with Lies of P and Starfield on the horizon, but I have found the time to start two games over the last few days. Those games are:

XCOM: Chimera Squad

It’s an XCOM game. I’ll probably play a it until I inevitably make a mess of the base management stuff and find my city in ruins, you know, like every other XCOM game that’s come out over the last decade.

The Life And Sufferings of Sir Brante

I started this today and I’m kind of blown away by it in all honesty. It’s a story heavy RPG where you play the role a child born into a semi-noble family. During the game you’ll do an awful lot of reading and then make decisions and judgements based on the character your playing. I’m maybe 2 hours in so far and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever played.