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Baldur's Gate 3

Description Gather your party and return to the Forgotten Realms in a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Mysterious abilities are awakening inside you, drawn from a mind flayer parasite planted in your brain. Resist, and turn darkness against itself. Or embrace corruption, and become ultimate evil. From the creators of Divinity: Original Sin 2 comes a next-generation RPG, set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Choose from 12 classes and 11 races from the D&D Player's Handbook and create your own identity, or play as an Origin hero with a hand-crafted background. Or tangle with your inner corruption as the Dark Urge, a fully customisable Origin hero with its own unique mechanics and story. Whoever you choose to be, adventure, loot, battle and romance your way across the Forgotten Realms and beyond. Gather your party. Take the adventure online as a party of up to four. Read More Games I have been hyped about Baldur’s Gate 3 since Larian Studios announced their teaser in August 2019. I’ve already mentioned that I was a massive fan of Black Isle Studios, the original maker of the PC Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale games… so naturally …

Can you believe it? Baldur’s Gate 3 is out now on the PC. I paid full price ($60) for this game in Oct 2020, and have played a demo or early access of the game. I maxed out my character, and have patiently waited for the full game… which finally came out August 3, 2023.

I personally think they took way too long to work on the game, but I can understand why they held back… considering how awful the Cyberpunk 2077 launch was in December 2020. A year or two later, Cyberpunk is now a decent/good game, but in 2020, when it came out, it was clearly not ready for mainstream.

They recommend that you need to start fresh with Baldur’s Gate 3, so that’s what I did. This meant deleting old save files and completely uninstalling any previous version of the game. The download was over 100GB and took a whole day to get it downloaded… but it was worth it.

Playing the first part of the game, yeah, they’ve really changed a lot of things. I remember fighting on a deck before reaching the control room… but in the final release of the game, you just head straight to the room. I wonder if it’s based on some decisions I made early in the game ? That’s fine, because I felt cutting out that whole deck area speeds up the game to get you to land and on your quest.

I’m playing it slow right now… saving before rolls, so I can get the ultimate outcome. I know that’s now how you’re supposed to play, but this is how I play: I want the best option for my character.

On launch week, Baldur’s Gate 3 experienced incompatibility problems, so I wasn’t able to cross save from the ROG Ally to my Lenovo Legion Desktop computer. I think they fixed the problem, as I recently was able to get one of my cloud save (but not the latest save).

Baldur’s Gate 3 on the ROG Ally

As you can see from the ROG Ally screen shot, it looks fine at medium setting. The screen is only 1080p, but given that you’re playing on a small 7-inch display, it doesn’t look bad. Of course, running the game on a NVIDIA 3060 dedicated video card, at max ultra settings… well it definitely looks much better.

I’m still pretty early in the game, only reaching level 3 as I write this. The game maxes out at level 12, so leveling up takes a long time. I’m making a lot of mistakes… but that’s part of the fun. In fact, I just found out that I missed one of the characters, Gale, who I totally didn’t see. I know he exists because I played the early access and have gotten him in my party before.

I love all the characters in the game, particularly Shadowheart. Her mannerism, her visuals, her voice acting is, by far, just the best. She’s played by Jennifer English. In fact, all the actors in the game are amazing.

So far, everyone who’s played the game have praised it. It’s so rare for a game to be this perfect… and especially for a genre that major studios have ignored: the role-playing-game genre.

Lately, I’ve been really disappointed in Diablo 3, I cannot enjoy this game when it constantly requires an online connection. My ROG Ally isn’t always connected, so that just means I’m not playing Diablo 3. Guess what? Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t require you to be online and it doesn’t have DRM. It’s refreshing and I’m happy to say that from what I’ve seen, Baldur’s Gate 3 is my number one game of the year.

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Baldur’s Gate 3 at Ultra Setting

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Weekend Gamer: ROG Ally is here!

ROG Ally Read More ROG Ally Now enter the ROG Ally from Asus. The ROG Ally will address all the things that I wanted in my Steam Deck: Windows, faster chip, better screen, higher resolution, pleasing looks, and the ability to dock in their enhance graphics … Steam There’s no more waiting… You can now buy Steam Deck, right now, without reservation. According to steampowered, it’s been more than a year since it was first announced, but due to numerous supply chain issues and …

There’s an unexpected change in my schedule, so my weekend has been reduced to just Sunday for my one day off. The amazing thing is that my ROG Ally that I pre-ordered last month came in today (Sunday). That’s amazing, considering that I wasn’t expecting it until June 13, when it officially launches.

At the moment, the only place you can buy the ROG Ally is at Best Buy, and that has not been a good experience for me. While I am happy that I am getting the device a few days earlier, I would have just preferred to get it from Amazon. Speaking of which, there is a strange “Pre-Order” page for the ROG Ally on Amazon, so eventually I am assuming you can get it from any retailers.

There seems to be a lot of hate for the ROG Ally from the Steam Deck community, which I honestly don’t understand. I own both devices, and while I have previously praised the Steam Deck, there are some short comings on a Linux (SteamOS) system. My Steam Deck, at this moment, is just limited to Steam games… while my ROG Ally will be used for everything else, such as GOG, Epic Games, Battle Net, Bethesda, playing videos, playing YouTube, using MicroSoft Office, using PhotoShop, and Steam games too.

Look, if you already own a Steam Deck, and is happy with it, there is no reason for you to get the ROG Ally.

For me, I think the Steam Deck is ugly, I think it’s too big and heavy. I don’t really like Linux. There are certain games that just won’t run on the Steam Deck… I’m not entirely sure that the ROG Ally will answer all my problems… but being a Windows device (with Xbox Gamepass), it’s certainly a step in the right direction for me.

Windows is both a curse and a blessing. While I love the Windows compatibility of it all, it wasn’t really designed to be run on a handheld gaming device. You start to notice these things really quickly, as text can be unreadable or unable to pull up the on-screen keyboard can be really frustrating. Asus tried its best to make it usable with their Armory Crate software, but that’s also not a great solution either. What MicroSoft need to do is release their own gaming handheld, call it the Xbox Deck or something. Then they can finetune their operating system to suite the need of a tiny 7” inch screen. Still, despite all of Windows’ problems, the good outweighs the bad.

So far, I’ve had the ROG Ally for a few hours, and all that time, it is spent updating and downloading some games to try out. The first game that I will run is Diablo IV… but it’s a big game and will take a few hours to load up.

The next step is to buy another 1TB Micro SD card to install more games… and a screen protector. Unfortunately, since Asus did not release their files or mock models to third party manufacturers, there are really no cases or accessories designed for the ROG Ally. Give it a month or two when companies get their hands on the device - they will start making all sorts of accessories for it, such as a good dock or some skins, etc. At the moment, the only things available are officially from Asus… and it’s limited to just a cheap carrying case and a charging brick with HDMI out.

P.S. It’s confirmed that the battery life on the ROG Ally is not great. I dropped to 50% just doing normal Windows things, like updating and downloading software. On the bright side is that the 65-Watt charger can quickly charge the ROG Ally to 90% in ten minutes. It’s pretty amazing to see this.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

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vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Weekend Gamer Update: Memorial Day Weekend

Windows 11 Pro Product Description Instantly productive. Simpler, more intuitive UI and effortless navigation. New features like snap layouts help you manage multiple tasks with ease Smarter collaboration. Have effective online meetings. Share content and mute/unmute right from the taskbar (1). Stay focused with intelligent noise cancelling and background blur. (2) Reassuringly consistent. Have confidence that your applications will work. Familiar deployment and update tools. Accelerate adoption with expanded deployment policies. Powerful security. Safeguard data and access anywhere with hardware-based isolation, encryption, and malware protection built in. Read More MicroSoft That’s because I just bought the Microsoft Office Professional 2021 lifetime license for $30, after reading about it on C-Net. The article referenced Stack Social, which I’ve never heard of until today. …

It’s Memorial Day Weekend, which means I have this Monday off and it’s a long weekend for me. As usual with these holidays, there are a lot of sales and deals all across retailers. I’m planning on going to a few Half-Priced Books to take advantage of their 20% instore purchases. The problem with HPB is that their stocks are limited and are vastly different from store to store. You never know what you are going to see, day to day, store to store.

Best Buy is selling a lot of Bluray for under $10… but the cool thing is that the new Pixel 7a is being sold for $450, the first sale price since it was launched on May 10. That was fast! Even though it’s a $50 savings, it’s still not enough for me to want it. I’ve already committed to buying the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro Max, so I need to set aside roughly $1,200. I was never an iPhone guy, until I started using the $25 unlimited data/phone service from Visible. Now, it’s impossible for me to break away from the Apple ecosystem.

Anyway, over at Stack Social, I just purchased Windows 11 Pro for $40. This is the full product key, not an “upgrade” key, meaning you could use it on a freshly built computer. I just basically upgraded my Windows 11 Home on my current computer.

For most people, Home is just fine for everyone. There are some differences, such as local accounts and Hyper-V and some extra security options (as well as more faster updates), but for the most part, I personally didn’t need to upgrade to Pro… But the sale price was so good (it’s normally $199), that I couldn’t pass it up. As of this writing, I don’t have buyer’s remorse.

When Windows 11 first launched in late 2021, video gaming was a problem with stutter and lag… but it was related to driver issues for video cards. Now that it’s been out for a few years, there are no issues with gaming. Since I started using Windows 11 Home in Nov 2022, I have been impressed with its performance over Windows 10.

Fallout New Vegas Ultimate Edition

Speaking of games, Epic Games is offering Fallout New Vegas Ultimate Edition for free. You guys know I love Fallout, so naturally, I’m going to encourage you guys to get it for free. Of course, I already own this on various platform (GOG, Steam, Xbox, etc.), and you can usually find it on sale.

This is the Ultimate Edition, which means all the DLC are incorporated in this game, so there’s a ton of great content to go through.

Of all the Fallout games, New Vegas is one of my top three. A lot of fans did not like the game when it first came out, but over time, I believe they’ve turn around and would agree with me that it’s a great game. The game is 13 years old, and it could benefit from a remaster or remake of the game, in my opinion.

Also, ROG Ally Update: On the day that it was available to pre-order on May 11, 2023, I overreacted and immediately ordered it from Best Buy. It was at a location and a time (noon-ish) and at Best Buy, that I normally don’t buy from online, and at such a high amount, that the unusual activity alerted my bank to issue a stop on my bank card. I had to basically go to the bank and told them that I did purchase the ROG Ally. Unfortunately, the bank already put a stop on the payment. That’s fine, I suppose I’ll just have to go to the physical store on June 13th to see if I can just buy one at their store. It kind of sucks because my local Best Buy closed this year, so I need to travel to another city to visit a Best Buy now. You know, all this could have been prevented, if ROG Ally would just make it available at all retailers… meaning if I had purchased it from Amazon, my bank would’ve just allowed it.

I suppose it’s probably better this way. Now that I’ve seen early reviews, it’s not exactly “twice as fast” as they’ve been claiming. The truth is, it sounds like the ROG Ally is about the same as the Steam Deck… the only difference is that the ROG Ally runs Windows 11 out of the box. Basically, once I get the ROG, I’m calling it my ROG GOG because it’ll be my GOG and Battle Net machine. I just cannot wait to play Diablo IV on handheld.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

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vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

ROG Ally vs Steam Deck

Description Play your way with the ROG Ally gaming handheld. Access any game that runs on Windows across all game platforms, including Steam, GOG, Xbox Game Pass, cloud gaming services, Android apps and more. Play anywhere, anytime, using handheld mode or by connecting the Ally to a TV and linking multiple controllers to play with friends. The Ally even transforms into a gaming PC by connecting to ROG XG mobile eGPU and dock - supporting mouse, keyboard, monitor, and more of your favorite peripherals. Equipped with an AMD Ryzen Z1 extreme processor, a smooth 7-inch 1080p 120Hz touchscreen with AMD FreeSync premium technology, and ROG intelligent cooling, the ROG Ally takes handheld gaming on to a whole different level. Read More ROG Ally Now enter the ROG Ally from Asus. The ROG Ally will address all the things that I wanted in my Steam Deck: Windows, faster chip, better screen, higher resolution, pleasing looks, and the ability to dock in their enhance graphics …

I pre-ordered the ROG Ally, the handheld PC gaming device from Asus, via Best Buy, which, as of this writing, is the only retailer selling this product. The Ally will arrive June 13th, 2023.

I’m excited, because I can easily run all my Windows-based games, such as Diablo IV on this handheld PC. The major problem with Steam Deck is that Steam OS is Linux-based system. Yes, I’m aware there are work-around, such you can install Windows on the Steam Deck … but I’m not doing it. Besides, the Steam Deck wasn’t designed as a Windows machine, there are some drivers and features that won’t work.

Anyway, even before I ordered the Steam Deck, I mentioned that I wanted a Windows-based device, but the expensive pricing (above $1,000) have kept me from pulling the trigger.

The ROG Ally is aggressively priced at $700, with a cheaper $600 model available at a later date. I’m glad I never purchased the OneXPlayer or Aya Neo handhelds.

Obviously, I don’t have the ROG Ally yet, but looking over the specs, almost everything is better than the Steam Deck, including faster processor, better screen (1080p at 120hz refresh rate), a faster UHS-II MicroSD card reader, faster-charging at 64W, slightly smaller, lighter, better cooling (two fans), free three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, fingerprint reader, Dolby Atmos with smart AMP, and, again it runs Windows 11.

Although I praise that with Windows I have access to more of my games, the bad side to Windows is that it wasn’t designed to be on a small 7 inch screen. Navigating Windows with joysticks probably isn’t fun either… however, I’m willing to put up with all that so I can use GOG or Battle Net.

I think for most people, the Steam Deck will be just fine for people (especially if they don’t like Windows), but I really feel the ROG Ally will fit most gamer’s needs.

Plus, importantly, with a direct competition, I hope Valve get off their butt and release a Steam Deck 2 or something. They don’t have to release it, maybe just make an announcement on what they are working on. Maybe not just Steam, but I would welcome even more computer makers get into this market. I would love to see an official MicroSoft handheld. They already make the MicroSoft Surface and the Xbox… why not make an exclusive Xbox Handheld? Heck, Sony should make a Vita 2!

Right now, I’m still playing in Steam Deck and putting in over 80 hours, at 30 minutes at a time during my lunch break, on Fallout 4. I love the ability to start up a quick game while I have a little time.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

Details from tomshardware.com:

Spec	Steam Deck	ROG Ally
CPU	Custom Zen 2 "Van Gogh," 4 cores, 8 threads, 2.4 - 3.5 GHz	AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme (Zen 4, 8 cores / 16 threads, up to 5.1 GHz, 4 nm)
GPU	8 RDNA 2 compute units, 1.0 - 1.6 GHz	RDNA 3, 4GB VRAM, 12 compute units at 2.7 GHz clock with Z1 Extreme, 4 compute units at 2.5 GHz with Z1
RAM	16GB LPDDR5	16GB LPDDR5-6400
Storage	512GB m.2 NVMe SSD	512GB NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 SSD
External Storage	SD card slot (UHS-I)	SD card slot (UHS-II)
Display	7-inch touchscreen, 1280 x 800 (16:10), 60 Hz, IPS, anti-glare etched glass	7-inch touchscreen, 1920 x 1080, 120 Hz, IPS touchscreen with Gorilla Glass Victus and Gorilla Glass DXC
Battery	40 WHr	40 WHr
Power	45 W	65 W
Operating System	SteamOS 3.0 (Linux)	Windows 11 Home
Weight	1.47 pounds / 669 grams	1.34 pounds / 608 grams
Price	$649	$699.99
Release Date	February 25, 2022	June 13, 2023

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vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

ROG Ally

ROG Ally Read More Steam There’s no more waiting… You can now buy Steam Deck, right now, without reservation. According to steampowered, it’s been more than a year since it was first announced, but due to numerous supply chain issues and …

You guys know that I love my Steam Deck. I don’t always have time to play video games, so having a portable handheld PC, I can play games whenever I get the chance (in fact, I played a little Fallout 4 on my lunch break today).

I do have one major complaint about the Steam Deck: it does not run Windows by default. You can install Windows, but I don’t want to buy a Windows license and it seems complicated to install (I’m sure it’s easy). So for a time, I did entertain the thought of buying an OneXPlayer or Aya Neo, but pricing and long wait time and expensive shipping fees have steered me away.

Now enter the ROG Ally from Asus.

The ROG Ally will address all the things that I wanted in my Steam Deck: Windows, faster chip, better screen, higher resolution, pleasing looks, and the ability to dock in their enhance graphics with the XG Mobile dock, 120hz refresh, lighter, thinner… just everything better! Best of all, you can walk into a Best Buy and buy it (if they have it in stock), starting on May 11, 2023!

You can’t underestimate how amazing it would be to run Windows 11 natively on the ROG Ally. This opens up a whole new avenue of games, from GOG to Battle Net to Epic Games to Xbox Game Pass…. And you can also run Steam! I’m very interested in running Diablo 4 on the ROG Ally, which is something I couldn’t do currently on my Steam Deck.

Now for the bad news. The retail prices haven’t been announced yet for the ROG Ally. They said they are going to be competitive, but I’m going to guess that it’ll cost about $800 to $1,200. It won’t be cheap… but I’m definitely going to try to buy one.

The other thing is that there will be two version of the ROG Ally, like a good version and a “lite” version. I’ll have to wait to see how the cheaper version perform… or the price differences. Again, there’s a lot of unknowns, we’ll have to wait and see.

Once I get a hold of the ROG Ally, it might just replace the Steam Deck... Just like how the Steam Deck replaced my Nintendo Switch (that thing is so slow!)

Ryzen Z1 Extreme vs Ryzen Z1 via techgoing

UPDATE: “Leaked” prices suggests that the highest spec ROG Ally will sell for $699.99. That is a really good price. I wonder if the cheaper version will sell for $500 or so? Looking at the chart for the two chips in the upcoming ROG Ally, the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme is over twice as much teraflops than the regular Ryzen Z1 chip. Which ever chip that people will get - it is still a massive improvement over the Nintendo Switch... which, by now, is a bit of a joke, when it comes to running modern triple A games.

While I did sign up on Best Buy to notify me when the ROG Ally is in stock, I feel that with so much demand for this product that I may not actually get one until later this year or next year. The May 11 I mentioned earlier, I think that may be the pre-order date and not actual ship date. May 11th is just around the corner, so I guess I will find out if it is available or not.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

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vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Fallout Pip-Boy Bluetooth Speaker Stand

Pip-Boy Stand Product Description Replica Pip-Boy stand: As featured in the game, the Pip-Boy stand is perfect for displaying your Pip-Boy 2000 Mk VI. Fully working Bluetooth speaker: Connect to your music-streaming device for an enhanced sound experience via the 10 watt loudspeaker. 10 authentic Overseer audio clips: A Fallout audio clip for every occasion available at the press of a button. Fun to build: Follow the clear directions to assemble over 60 components and pre-built sub-assemblies to construct your own Bluetooth speaker and impress your friends and colleagues with your prop building skills. Plug and play construction: No electronics skills needed. RobCo has already assembled the complex Bluetooth electronics so that all you need to do is plug in the loudspeaker cable where indicated. Read More Fallout Fallout 3. Obviously, I'm still playing the game. At one point in the game, you have to go into Vault 112's virtual environment and it's seriously straight out of the Twilight Zone. You need a high Charisma or Speech skill …

Now that I own the amazing Fallout ’76 Pip-Boy 2000 Mk VI … I realized I needed a display stand for it. The company that designed the Pip-Boy 2000 actually produced a stand four years ago, but since that didn’t really sell, they discontinued it. So now that everyone that bought the Fallout ’76 Pip-Boy is interested in the stand, the prices for these have gone up. I paid about $100 for it, but I’ve seen it going up to $110 on Amazon. I am assuming with more people buying these, it will spike up in price based on the demand vs low inventory.

The stand came with detailed illustrations and instructions and is fairly easy to build. There were moments where I thought I did it wrong or used the wrong screws… but just follow the instructions and you’ll do fine.

Once everything is put together, it is a nice stand for your Pip-Boy. While it is a nice 10-Watt Bluetooth speaker, it also has a built-in mic so you can use it as a speaker phone.

The other nice thing is that it comes with ten audio clip (although I only figured out how to play back 5 clips). They didn’t need to include that, but it’s cool that they did.

While I can justify the $100 stand as a Bluetooth Speaker… I don’t know if it’s a good idea to buy two more for my future two Pip-Boy purchases (for the Enclave and Sugar Bomb color variants). I may have to just come up with a different stand situation for the other two.

I don’t regret the Speaker Stand, I love it… but one is enough for me!

That’s all for now… I’m on the lookout to get the FM/AM component in my Pip-Boy, but they’re not selling those anymore. And if I see someone selling it, they’re asking for well above retail prices for them. I’m going to wait and see if they’ll produce a limited run of these… but at the moment, someone mentioned that there’s no plans on re-issuing the stand or the radio.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

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vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Fallout: Pip-Boy 2000 Mk VI (Limited Edition)

Fallout Pip-Boy 2000 Mk VI Vault-Tec Limited Edition Product Description Limited Edition Only 2,200 worldwide Individually-numbered Includes Certificate of Authenticity Fully-Assembled Light-up display Button on top box powers up display and vacuum tubes Display screen lights up and vacuum tubes illuminate (with metal spring filament inside) Display and vacuum tubes periodically flicker, replicating a loose internal connection – tapping the top of the Pip-Boy “cures” the flickering Read More Fallout Fallout 3. Obviously, I'm still playing the game. At one point in the game, you have to go into Vault 112's virtual environment and it's seriously straight out of the Twilight Zone. You need a high Charisma or Speech skill …

Like all Fallout fans, I’ve always wanted my own Pip-Boy. When Fallout ‘76 came out, Bethesda licensed The Wand Company to produce a build kit. That was four years ago, but I’ve never seen it sold at Gamestop, which was the official distributor.

I have seen the Bluetooth Pip-Boy holder, but never purchased it. It didn’t make sense as I didn’t have a Pip-Boy.

About a year ago, in Oct 2022, Bethesda announced 3 New Limited-Edition Pip-Boys: The Vault-Tec™, Sugar Bombs, and Enclave variants.

They are exactly the same, but in different color variants. Personally speaking, the Vault-Tec (Fallout 76 colors), is my favorite. I just love that color scheme… but the others aren’t bad either. I wish they made a Nuka-Cola variant, as I’m sure that would be more appealing than Sugar Bombs.

Before I knew it, I saw that Big Bad Toy Store bought a ton of these to re-sell to their customers, which I was more than happy to pre-order this item. The nice thing about BBTS is that they won’t actually charge you the $200 until they’re ready to ship. Some companies, such as Hasbro will charge you the money upfront and then takes over a year to actually mail you the toy.

So, I got my Pip-Boy today (April 12th), and it’s just amazing. I knew it had a light-up screen, but I had no idea it flickers or that the vacuum tubes lights up! That was beyond cool, and the effects looks great too. I do wish the screen was animated… perhaps maybe later down the line, I can mod it to include an old phone screen to display the Fallout animated Pip-Boy. It might be fun, but I honestly don’t want to mess it up!

Anyway, for now, I’m super happy with the Pip-Boy.

If I have the extra cash, I may end up getting the other two color variants. I hope The Wand Company might go back and re-issue the stand or offer the working AM/FM Radio add-on (as now I’m interested!)

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

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vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Diablo IV Beta

Read More Diablo Blizzard’s “Do you guys not have phones?” game, Diablo Immortal launched on iOS and Android on June 1st. The PC version followed soon after. I have tested the game on iPhone 13, iPad (2020), ..…

You guys know me, I love Diablo. Ever since I played the demo disc from PC Gamer, I’ve been addicted to Diablo since 1996. I’ve bought every Blizzard games from Warcraft to Starcraft… but Diablo was my first love.

I started to dislike the company when, in an effort to fight piracy and make money, requires their games to always be online, starting with Diablo III. At the time, in 2012, my internet wasn’t reliable. I hated the fact that Blizzard was treating me like a criminal, asking me to check with their server whenever I play my game that I purchased.

So, in protest, I didn’t buy Diablo III when it came out on the PC. When the game was ported to PS3, it didn’t require an online connection - so I finally got to play the game, finally, in 2014. It’s a good game, even though I didn’t experience it until much later.

By now, my attitude towards “always online” games (even for single player games), have changed since I have reliable internet. I just recognize that it’s not going away, and it is just the way it is. Sure, I still don’t like it, but what can you do?

So I’ve been itching to play Diablo IV, seeing as it’s been over a decade since Diablo III came out. Sure we had the “fake” Diablo: Immortal and the re-mastered Diablo II: Resurrected, but Diablo IV is the true successor to the third game.

In order to get early access to Diablo IV on March 17-19, you had to pre-order the game, get a Diablo tattoo, or buy a KFC’s Double Down sandwich. Then the public open beta will be available March 24-26.

My Long Wait Time

Absolutely no surprise to anyone, there were very, very long waiting queue just to play the game. I was a 148-min wait time at one point. Do you see the problem here? Even if you own the game, you’re not allowed to play it until Blizzard can log you in.

Once you can actually get in to play, you’ll randomly get disconnected from the server. It’s super annoying. I just hope that this kind of thing doesn’t happen when the game actually officially releases on June 6.

As for the game, it’s very good from what I’ve seen. In the beta, you’re limited to a small map of the game and you’re capped at level 25. In the hours that I played, I reached Level 13, so it doesn’t take long to level up (especially if you just follow the main quest). I also like that it’s more role-playing now, and you have a lot of skill options. For example, you can build up your rogue to be focused on bows/crossbows or dual-wielding dagger assassin. Even though it’s the same class, they play very differently.

Also, it’s worth mentioning that each weapon feels different too. For example, a bow is very different from a crossbow. Although both shoot arrows, I find the bow just more satisfying, based on animation, sound, and movement.

So far, from what I’ve played of Diablo IV, I love it. This is only based on playing the Rogue. The other classes available right now is the Barbarian and the Sorcerer. I don’t like playing magic, so I think I’ll try out the Barbarian in my next character creation.

Anyway, Diablo IV is going to be a hit when it comes out on June 6th.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

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Diablo IV

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Weekend Gamer: Humble Bundle

Read More Humble Bundle Game On: Humble Bundle I already own at least five of these games (on discs and digital), but I couldn't resist paying the average price to get these games again. When I donated, they gave me a breakdown of how .... Pathfinder As I’ve previously mentioned, I pre-ordered and looked forward to playing Pathfinder: Kingmaker. The game came out on Tuesday (September 25), and by Friday (September 28) …

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Humble Bundle: Türkiye-Syria earthquake relief
humblebundle.com

Again, what a great deal, you get over $1,000 worth of games and books for $30, and best of all, 100% of the money goes directly to help the Türkiye-Syria earthquake relief effort.

If you don’t own any of these games, including Gotham Knights, Ghostrunner, and Pathfinder: Kingmaker, you definitely want to grab this Humble Bundle.

Details:

The devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria have created an urgent humanitarian crisis. Hundreds of thousands of people are in immediate need of medical supplies, food, water, and shelter, and the road to recovery will continue to be extremely challenging for the people of the region. To lend a hand how we can, we’ve joined forces with game makers & book publishers for a bundle 100% dedicated to supporting Türkiye-Syria quake relief efforts.

The Türkiye-Syria earthquake relief bundle features over 70 items worth over $1,000, including: Gotham Knights, the 2022 open-world action-RPG featuring Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood, and Robin; cyberpunk slasher Ghostrunner; epic RPG Pathfinder: Kingmaker Enhanced Plus Edition; sci-fi strategy hit XCOM 2; action-packed heist game PAYDAY 2; and acclaimed sim Euro Truck Simulator 2.

All 10 current digital volumes of Image Comics’ Eisner Award-winning series Saga, plus the Starfinder tabletop RPG from Paizo.

100% of the proceeds will go to Direct Relief, International Medical Corps, and Save the Children in support of their ongoing Türkiye-Syria quake relief efforts.

If games aren’t your thing, Humble Bundle has a few books and comics worth checking out.

Goosebumps Collection

Elfquest Collection

The first is Goosebumps Collection. You get 31 books by R.L. Stine for $18… plus you’ll be helping out the charity group Active Minds. I own a few Goosebumps books, on and off, but never religiously followed the series. It’s popular enough to get a couple of movies, the first one starring Jack Black.

Anyway, these books are available as ePub books and only available to U.S. residents.

The second is a great Elfquest Dark Horse Collection, this includes all the books published by Dark Horse Comics for $18. Dark Horse offered the Lone Wolf and Cub humble bundle deal that was fantastic. Those were available as PDF or CBZ files, so I’m assuming the Elfquest books are available in the same format. You can use the files on any tablet, including the iPad.

Alternatively, there’s 2000 AD bundle that featured some Judge Dredd and Slaine books. 13 books for $18.

I may end up buying the Elfquest and Goosebumps books, because they are such good deals, even though I won’t have time to read them… I have about 15 days to think about it. We’ll see.

Yours,

Weekend Gamer

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Weekend Gamer: Hogwarts Legacy and Encased

Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack) Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack) Read More Harry Potter The J.K. Rowling/Harry Potter-themed dance party named Wizard Fest just took place at the Cabooze in Minneapolis on Thursday night (September 27th). ... Harry and the Potters We’ve been kind of fascinated with these guys, Harry and the Potters, ever since we wrote about them as the leading pioneer of “Wizard Rock” (yes, that is a thing) in 2007. The brothers (Paul and Joe DeGeorge) just released …

Hogwarts Legacy
hogwartslegacy.com

Harry Potter fans are loving the new Hogwarts Legacy video game. However, there are some people that are banning the game and some “reviewers” are giving it a 1 out of 10 based on their dislike of J. K. Rowling’s transgender comments.

The people calling for the boycott or gave it a bad review is probably not going to buy the game anyway, so I wouldn’t pay attention to their outrage.

From what I’ve seen, this looks like a great game for Potter fans. Of course, having said that, I personally haven’t bought the game as I’m not a huge Potter fan… but I am mildly interested in picking it up when it goes on sale. I do this for most games, and I know all prices goes down a year later (in some cases like Gotham Knights it went on sale a month after it was released). So eventually, one day, I’ll probably own this game to play on my Steam Deck.

Anyway, if you bought the game and love it and want more… I’m happy to report that WaterTower Music has released two separate albums of music from Hogwarts Legacy. The two albums offer a total of 75 incredible tracks from the game soundtrack composers chuck e. myers “sea”, J Scott Rakozy, and Peter Murray.

The two albums are named The Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack) and Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack). The first one, Original Video Game Soundtrack version is available on vinyl (via Mondo), streaming, and digital. The second one, Study Themes version, is available for streaming and digital only.

The composers, Myers, Rakozy, Murray, along with Alexander Horowitz, had this to say:

“We feel so unbelievably lucky, privileged, and grateful to be a part of the amazing team behind Hogwarts Legacy. So many talented and brilliant people have poured their hearts and minds into this game - made by fans for fans. It is so impressive on a multitude of levels. The moment you step foot inside these great halls of Hogwarts, you can sense the love and passion that each person involved gave to this project. It’s an experience like no other. It is our sincere hope that fans of Hogwarts Legacy will experience the joy, the awe, and the magic we felt when immersing ourselves into the game and its music. We’re excited to see players' reactions as they see and hear this world for themselves.”

Hogwarts Legacy is out now on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. PlayStation®4 and Xbox One will launch on April 4 and Nintendo Switch on July 25.

The Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack) and Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack) are available now on WaterTower Music.

Track List: The Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack)

1. Overture to the Unwritten* 2. The House Cup 3. Fig’s Search 4. A Proper Hogwarts Welcome 5. Potting Mandrakes 6. Seeking the Keepers 7. Ranrok’s Rage 8. A Lost Friend 9. Everybody Grab a Broom 10. All Roads Lead to Hogsmeade 11. Anticipating Rookwood *(from "Hogwarts Legacy")

12. Miriam’s Memory 13. Grasslands Vivarium 14. A Fitting New Home 15. Isidora’s Pain 16. See You After Class 17. Hog’s Head Jig 18. Guardians Awaken 19. Accio! 20. Legacy of Magic 21. Ruins of a Noted Seer 22. A Portrait of Love 23. The Greenhouse

24. Ollivander’s Wand Shop 25. Coastal Vivarium 26. The Four Houses 27. You’ve Made Your Choice 28. Soaring over Hogwarts 29. Haven 30. The Halls of Hogwarts 31. The Room of Requirement 32. Niamh’s Lullaby 33. Trespassers 34. Tribute

Track List: Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack)

1. Your Journey Awaits… 2. Sorting Hat Ceremony 3. Slytherin Common Room 4. Gryffindor Common Room 5. Hufflepuff Common Room 6. Ravenclaw Common Room 7. Honeydukes 8. Hogwarts’ Best & Brightest 9. Focus on What You Need 10. Gateways to the Far Stars 11. How to Care for a Beast 12. Contemplation 13. Aire on the Side of Love 14. Hall of the Keepers

15. Morning at Marunweem Lake 16. The Room of Hidden Things 17. A Trick of the Light 18. A Delicate Art 19. The Quest Begins 20. Forbidden Forest Waltz 21. A Focused Mind 22. Mysteries of the Cosmos 23. The Escape 24. “Intra Muros” 25. A Faded Path 26. Lost 27. Outside the Castle Walls 28. The Observation Deck

29. Potions Class 30. Meeting with Professor Weasley 31. Caring for a Puffskein 32. Friendship to Be 33. An Intense Aversion 34. Dance of the Mooncalves 35. Central Tower 36. The Arrival 37. Hope Fades 38. A Forgotten Mystery 39. Ancient Magic Coda 40. Submerged 41. Gringotts Vault

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG Read More Encase Currently, the free game is Encase. I don’t know too much about the game, but it looks like it was inspired by that Fallout gameplay… so I’ll check it out. …

Encased
encasedgame.com

I’ve been playing a lot of Encased, by Dark Crystal Games, over the weekend (I’ve already sunk 33 hours into the game so far). The game is over two years old now, originally early access in 2019 and a full release on September 2021. I didn’t know about the game until I got it for free via Epic Game’s Christmas Giveaway 2022. I tried it out and I love it, so I bought it again on Steam during their Winter Sale 2022.

If you’ve ever played the first two Fallout games, it plays the same way. My biggest criticism is that, as far as I know, there is no way of resetting your stats. For example, I had to restart the game a few times because I was putting my points into the wrong traits. Wish I’d known that I can’t get a certain “Perk” if I have some stats too low, etc.

My third time restarting the game, I think I have the best solution: go for the Renaissance Perk, since that boosts all your stats to 6. Once I started with that strategy, I was able to level up much faster and it made the game much easier (I’m playing on Normal). The game can be very punishing and unforgiving if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Right now, my build is an Energy Weapon user. I’m at level 12 right now and got my first Power Armor after becoming champion of Junktown. It feels so much like Fallout, I love it. The more I play, the more I wish Bethesda would make a new Fallout game in this style.

Encased is normally $30, but sometime it’ll go on sale - such as GOG currently listing it for $6.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com