The Division
Yup, I’ve been on The Division again this week, this time I’ve been spending a lot more time playing the Survival DLC game mode. I have to say that to me it feels like the best addition and the best game mode that is on offer. I love that you start out with nothing and have to really scavenge to survive, but I also love that it’s quick. You can be done with a run through in an hour or so – depending on how long you live. I’m still yet to actually extract in the Dark Zone and have only managed to be around for one chopper extraction and that one was purely by accident.
I was running through the Dark Zone on my way to pick up my antivirals – this is essentially your quest, make a virus filter to enter the Dark Zone, collect the antivirals, make a flare gun and get the hell out. Well as I said, I was running along, and happened to run through an extraction point just as another player triggered an extraction. When this happens Hunters are spawned and start to track you down to kill you – one for each player at the extraction site – this meant two spawned. I wasn’t feeling ready to extract as I still have low level loot and still had space to carry more gear, but I didn’t want to abandon this one guy to fight two Hunters, so I stuck around. Let me just say that the Hunters are tough! They act and play just like a real player, they move quickly, flank and use a lot of gadgets – they’re easily the best designed AI in the game. We took one down together, but then I was downed and eventually the other guy was too.
I felt bad as he probably would’ve been ok had he been on his own, but it was an accident….
I’ve been playing purely PVE in Survival as I don’t really see the benefit of playing PVP apart from extra XP. It just seems like PVP would mean a gank fest where you just get screwed over – like the normal Dark Zone.
Speaking of the Dark Zone, I’ve made my mind up on it – it’s a failed experiment! It was a great concept, but it doesn’t work. Our group has been playing more regularly in the Dark Zone recently and we mostly just like to hunt NPC’s and generally keep out of the way of other players. The reason for this is that we always seem to come up against super geared players who can melt us in a second flat. Now I know I don’t have the best gear and the best outfitted player, but I don’t see why I’m getting pitted against level 99 DZ rank players when I’m level 18… I also don’t see why I lose DZ credits and XP when I get killed – especially when it’s so easy to roll up on players and just grief them over and over. It quickly becomes boring and you just have to run away and leave because we’re no match for them, surely this wasn’t the intention? We we;re constantly getting killed when coming out of a safe house with no gear.
I’m not really one to complain about dying in PVP situations, I’ve played enough survival games to know that you just have to suck it and get on with it. But in the Dark Zone it’s too easy for a group to harass you and kill any enjoyment, and then the game punishes you for that. I think I’ll stick to Survival.
Maize
I’ve been doing a Let’s Play on my YouTube channel of Maize and this weekend I completed the game – although I’ve not finished editing the videos yet. Maize is a great little puzzle game, it has a good sense of humour throughout that reminded me of The Stanley Parable, there are some funny and memorable characters that you meet a long the way and the puzzles aren’t overly difficult to the point of frustration. There were some good twists in the game and I felt engaged throughout.
Maize is a first-person adventure game about what happens when two scientists misinterpret a memo from the U.S. Government and create sentient corn. And that last sentence is pretty much the least ridiculous thing about the game.
Explore an abandoned farm and a not-so-abandoned underground research facility as you uncover the mysteries around Maize, and possibly learn a bit about yourself along the way. Or maybe not.
If you’re looking for a short (around 3-4 hours) and relaxed puzzle game then I’d definitely recommend Maize!
Rocket League
I am forever Challenger Elite… I’ve been trying to get to get up to Rising Star before the season is over, but I keep yo-yoing from Division 5 Challenger Elite to about Div 3. I will go on some winning streaks, but then have some terrible losing streaks too. I don’t know when the current season is due to end, but it’s looking likely that I will miss out on the lovely Rising Star rewards.
Rocket League is one of those games that is fairly simple to pick up and play, but incredibly difficult to master, but that’s what makes it such a great game and it’s now my most played game on steam. I don’t ever seem to get bored of it – frustrated, yes, but not bored. Hopefully there is still enough time for me to get those last few wins and hit Rising Star. I finished the last season at around Challenger 3 I think, so I’m getting better at least…
-Will
