Keeping my head up

I know how to do positive thinking, and affirmations and use mantras but when someone or something is so acidic it suddenly means nothing. Normally, it’s only someone close that can penetrate your heart so easily.

So what next?

Close off all emotional channels? Avoid any emotional contact.

Or head into pure escapism with HellDivers 2?

Finally, the sequel is out and I’m already 12 hours in at level 8. I’m with a regular squad but will probably need to add more to my friends list as my game time is badly restricted due to homegrown complaints.

Coming out of retirement to join HellDivers2

Currently, PS5 is offline in on-site storage but hoping to get back on in 10 days.

Gaming Buffet set to damage lobbies

The “Have as much as you like” model has never been friendly to me. In the US, restaurants caused a permanent surge in obesity, offering a massive fixed price menu and the new PlayStation Plus subscription model would cause the gaming equivalent.

Everything is good in moderation, but self-control will be tested. Still, aside from that, it will hurt multiple player group lobbies, with newbies jumping in and out of titles to try it and rage quitting as things get more challenging.

I remember struggling to play with a consistent group in the 2021 title Alien FireTeam and, despite being a true Aliens fan, it was no fun playing with randoms and no comms every time.

Took 8 hours a week to level up my Ronin in Ghost of Tsushima Legends

For every action there is a reaction

Upcoming AAA gaming hit

If there was one, I missed the Beta testing rounds for the upcoming thriller Detroit: Becoming Human.  Sony pushed out a short demo of the title and I was sold straight away.  I didn’t even bother to explore the demo much but the gaming idea is simple; all your actions are consequential and lead to different storylines and conclusions.

The illusion of free choice is cleverly crafted for the gamer as you ponder what to do.

I’ve nearly reached the FarCry5 Platinum trophy so while Europe tackles new Data laws (GDPR) I will have to Become Human with Detroit robots.

Detroit: Become Human – Beautiful graphics and intense story

GDPR and Detroit Release date 25-May 2018

Silos and Bunkers

I’m running around the FarCry5 environment blowing up Silo and searching for bunkers.  Turns out the past 96 hours has been my very own mental bunker.  The great thing about being in a bunker is just having mental space to think but, naturally, you don’t want to be there for too long as the world passes you by.

One of the streamers I’ve followed since Star Wars BattleFront (2015) joined my game and we blew up some heavily armoured trucks to complete one of my missions.

The Co-op feature was fast and seamless and will definitely be useful for harder missions.  As usual, the issue will come down to good communication and agreeing strategies (Stealth or Rampage).

No calls allowed

Geared up

The Global Event over the past few days has proved to be the perfect exit from Tom Clancy’s The Division.  I’ve been able to gear up by solo farming and completing daily assignments.  Hat off to the developers for keeping the 2-year game alive and well, I didn’t have enough time to explore the DLC but have been watching my Twitch broadcasters since release.

Tom Clancy’s The Division

The chatter is now about The Division 2 which may well be sneak peeked at E3 in June.

I’ve explored New York enough in real life to be totally impressed with the environment.  For now, it’s deleted from my hard drive and I’ve installed the heavily anticipated FarCry 5.

Decent bandwidth needed

Last workout 22-March 2018 – 35 mins

Shiver me timbers

Two big titles are going head-to-head over the next few weeks in the Person versus Person (PvP) squad environment.  Following a classic Pirates of the Caribbean theme the games tap into our natural urge to hunt for loot as a crew.

Seas of Thieves is a Microsoft exclusive while Ubisoft launch Skull & Bones on all platforms.

Sailing in your own ship creates a natural team bond where members can’t really wonder off and get killed.  Decisions on which quest to tackle or where to go are done over team voice chat so get your microphones ready.  Time will be the killer resource you need to play either game as you’ll probably need to commit to a loose schedule and gameplay duration, this sits well with any streamer.

Microsoft exclusive title

I signed up for the Skull & Bones Beta so let’s see how they stand up.

Ubisoft Cross-platform High seas adventures

Twitch channels followed – 135