Mother Gamer Plays Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition

I know. How could I have not played Fallout 3 or Fallout New Vegas? There are many games I haven't had a chance to play and as I've gotten older, I've become a little more discerning about which games I buy right away and sometimes I just miss a game or two here and there. I also wait until things go down in price and only really pay full price for a game if it's something I know I really want. Again, that comes with being an older nerd. At any rate, when I saw that I could buy Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas for 10 bucks, I did jump at the chance and I was excited to play. I started with Fallout 3 first of course and it was quite an interesting adventure.

The opening sequence was intriguing with the lone wanderer being born and of course this is so you can choose to be a boy or a girl and design your character and decide their race. I went with Asian girl and as I was picking out all the facial and hair designs, I wondered why there were several varying choices of bald. I mean, I get it. It's Fallout and with spiffy things like radiation poisoning hair falls out and people are bald, but so many choices of bald over actual hair. It was weird. I found a hair choice I liked and everything was great and I started my Fallout 3 story.

So the time jumps from baby to ten years old were interesting for getting to see how life was for my lone wanderer in Vault 101 and there was a birthday party for me where I get my very own Pipboy. Neat. Wandering around talking to everyone including a ridiculous bully named Butch (I was not nice to him and punched him. That was my freaking birthday dessert damn it!) was cool and it definitely sets the story up nicely. Then the time line jumps again and my character is 16 years old and has to take the G.O.A.T. (Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test for Fallout newbies) to decide what they'll be doing.

16 and ready to take the G.O.A.T. test. 

A last time jump happens and the lone wanderer is 19 years old and the main story of Fallout 3 begins. The Overseer's daughter and my friend Amata, wakes me up to tell me that her dad is losing it because my dad has left the Vault. Initially I was shocked and wondering what the heck she was talking about, but it turns out it was true. Dad left and didn't say a damn thing to me about it so of course I have no idea what's going on. Amata tells me she'll help me to leave because she doesn't know what her dad will do, so here I am running around trying to escape the Vault and thinking, geeze this is a messed up situation.

I was trying to play the chaotic good path, so I didn't kill the Overseer out of respect for my friend even though her dad was a freaking paranoid psycho. I managed to escape Vault 101 and here was this vast world in front of me and I couldn't wait to explore especially since the setting was in Washington D.C. a place I was familiar with having grown up in Virginia. So I set out to explore what was now known as the Capital Wasteland.  I discovered the town of Megaton and the people surviving in the Wasteland and picked up some quests as well. Megaton was definitely cool with all the different houses and the crazy atomic bomb that is just there in the center of town. 

Enjoying the view of Megaton. 

From there the big thing in Fallout 3 is finding my lone wanderer's dad and getting some answers about why he left and what exactly he was up to. There's all kinds of main quests and side quests for hours of game play giving the impression of a vast world. There's all kinds of danger in the Wasteland too ranging from Super Mutants to Mirelurks which definitely kept me on my toes. There's all kinds of weapons too and of course I liked that I could modify and build my own. You get companions who travel with you too and that includes everyone's favorite canine Dogmeat. I did like the fact that you could have two companions travel with you. I ended up choosing Dogmeat and my Super Mutant friend, Fawkes. They both worked really well together with taking down enemies. There's also two factions of the Brotherhood of Steel, the Brotherhood and the Brotherhood Outcasts. They seemed to have different ideas about what they should be doing. I did like Elder Lyons the leader of the Brotherhood of Steel though. There was a kindness and gentle wisdom to him that was incredibly likable. I did find it amusing to see Maxson and MacCready (they're in Fallout 4) as kids in Fallout 3. They seemed so different from who they are now. I actually liked Maxson better in 3 because he seemed a little kinder and a little more open.

Taking down a Mirelurk. 

My lone wanderer did find her dad and got to actually talk to him about what he was up to. Project Purity was a cool concept; the idea of clean water for everyone in the Wasteland was great and the fact that he figured out how to make it work was also great. I just didn't understand why he couldn't tell his own kid what he was up to and instead just left without saying a word and his excuse was the Vault would keep me safe. Really? Sure. I was so safe with the Overseer and his goons trying to kill me. It was hard to stay angry with him though when he was so apologetic and then proceeded to say nice things to his kid about how proud of her he was for surviving and trying to be a good person. 

Then, dad and daughter team up to work on Project Purity. I did do some side quests along the way before getting back to the main story. I enjoyed exploring the Capital Wasteland and seeing some familiar places such as the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. There's even a quest where you can break in to the White House to get somewhere. Granted the majority of it is destroyed, but it was still a pretty neat quest. 

Checking out the Jefferson Memorial with Dogmeat.

Of course in the main story, things don't go as planned thanks to the shady people simply known as The Enclave. That's where the Brotherhood of Steel comes in as you work towards the common goal of eliminating the Enclave who apparently have an issue with the idea of everyone in the Wasteland getting pure water that isn't irradiated for free. Again, I ran around and did more side quests for more level grinding and more things. I did like that I got a free house for helping the people of Megaton by quietly disarming that atom bomb before it blew everyone sky high. One of the vendors there sold themes for the Megaton house and I went with pre-war which was nice with a 50s retro feel.

Cool, I got my own house!

Did I enjoy Fallout 3? Absolutely. That isn't to say there weren't flaws. This is Game of the Year Edition so there was no excuse for a lot of the issues I had. This included all the DLC titles and these were fun to play. I especially liked the Broken Steel and Mothership Zeta quests. I also liked the nod to the Cthulhu mythos with the Dark Heart of Blackhall quest. The big thing was the constant game freezes. Mothership Zeta was especially bad with this and it got incredibly frustrating. I did all the tricks suggested; turning off the auto save and clearing some data. That helped a bit, but every once in a while the frame rate would drop and the game would freeze. It turned out this was a common problem on the PS3 and I found myself annoyed with it. Sure, it wasn't a big deal because I could just reload my last save and it would be fine. However, it does take away from the atmosphere of the game when that happens. There would also be odd glitches like Dogmeat walking up in the air above me or my character would disappear and there would be bits and pieces of me visible such as my hair and my hands. That was incredibly weird. The controls were a little clunky and I actually had to change the difficulty to very easy until I got used to them. It wasn't a big deal, but it was noticeable. 

I love the Fallout series and there's so much to enjoy about them. However with things like this happening, Bethesda should be embarrassed. For as long as the game has been out, there's no excuse in not fixing known issues especially when it comes to dropped frame rates and the game freezing. It made me glad that I follow my mantra of save my game and save often.

Technical issues aside, I did have fun playing Fallout 3 and liked the story a lot. The characters were good and the different paths I could take for the storytelling  were great because it did make me really think about what choices I wanted to make during my adventure. I'm glad I finally got the chance to play it and it was a great game. Now, I'm ready to check out Fallout New Vegas! 

*Fallout 3 is playable on these platforms: PC, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360

Backlog Gaming: Tales Of Xillia 2, Pretty Good Sequel

I finished Tales of Xillia so I was ready to start playing Tales of Xillia 2 which is a direct sequel to Tales of Xillia. The story takes place a year after the events from the previous game and Rieze Maxia and Elympios are now connected via a large bridge. The two worlds are now trying to work together to try and find a way to coexist peacefully and that's where the new protagonist main character Ludger (pronounced LOO-GRR, yeah I know) comes in. The majority of Tales of Xillia 2 occurs in Elympios, but you do get to go to familiar locations from Rieze Maxia as well. The characters from Tales of Xillia also are in the game and you get to see what they've been doing in the past year. You also get a few new party members who join your adventure. 

Meet Ludger. He's pretty cool. 

I started my new game and I thought it was very cool that the game found all my previous Tales game saves such as Zestiria, Graces, and Xillia and it rewarded me with weapons attachments and costumes. So I started the story and the main plot has you running into a little girl named Elle who is looking for something called the Land of Canaan because it's supposed to grant the person who makes it there one wish.  In the meantime, Ludger and friends are working for the Sirius corporation exploring fractured dimensions because your dimension is considered the prime one and they want the fractured dimensions destroyed.  Essentially Ludger and friends are tasked with finding the divergence catalysts in the fractured dimensions and destroying them. There are even more things involved with the story and the reason behind it, making for some interesting insights about existence and adds more depth to all of the characters.

The gameplay is as good as it was in Tales of Xillia. Upgrading skills is a little more streamlined with something called an Allium Orb, allowing you to just select an orb and while you have it equipped you learn all the different skills it has in it. Think sphere grid a la Final Fantasy X. The Linked Artes system is here too and with the fact that Ludger has three different weapons he can swap in and out easily, he can pretty much link with anyone in the party and do some great combo attacks. Ludger also has special skills that no one else has allowing him to really wreak some havoc on enemies. 

Linked Artes are as awesome as ever. 

The anime cutscenes are gorgeous and the music soundtrack is really nice. There are also the usual skits that come with the Tales games and a lot of them are very funny. You also have the opportunity to do companion story quests which flesh out the personal story of many of Ludger's friends. This builds up your affinity with them and they'll give you rare items and skill books after you complete their stories. I really liked the interaction between Ludger and Jude because they seemed to be very similar in their determination to help others and they really came to understand each other and became friends.

Anime cutscene with Ludger and Jude. 

As you continue your adventure you get to see the subtle changes in some familiar areas showing how much can change in a year such as an orchard full of tall trees that is very pretty. The new areas are beautifully done as well. The voice acting is as good as the first with the original voice acting cast from Tales of Xillia. There's all kinds of extra costumes and props to collect as well so you can customize your party members in things like pajamas or Tales plushies.

A pretty orchard. 

There were things I had an issue with. One of the big things that I really did not like was the debt system. It was part of the story and basically poor Ludger gets conned into this huge 20 million gald debt. While I get that it was a stepping stone to pull you in to the story, this was the dumbest idea in the game. Not only was it frustrating, Ludger's annoying "friend" Nova calling you every other minute or any time you have any money at all on a device called a GHS (think cellphones) to nag you to make a payment on your debt because she's a broker became insanely irritating. I actually started to hate the sound of her voice. That's not a good sign. 

Oh good, it's Nova calling. AGAIN. 

The good news is that there are ways for you to earn extra money to pay off the debt. You can take a variety of jobs from the job vendor and you get paid for each job completed. The best way is definitely hunting elite monsters as the reward for them is worth a lot of gald. It made the debt dwindle in no time and it also helps with all the level grinding. You get rewards for consistently paying it off which is something at least. However, the debt system is not fun and real life does not belong in a freaking fantasy video game.

It really bugs me that Ludger doesn't really talk. During conversations you're left with an L1 or R1 choice. The rest of the time he mainly only talks in the skits or cut scenes. While I understand that this was to hide a huge plot point about Ludger, I really wish they had just made it so he talked like everyone else. The lag in a couple of the towns is odd. I'm not sure why they were the only places that lagged, but it wasn't a total deal breaker. Elle is okay as a character and while I know she's a kid, it seems odd to have her be the only unplayable character. I also found it odd that I could not swap party members in and out like I had before in Tales of Xillia. Much of it was due to the story, but it was a little irritating when I had party members I wanted to take with me only to find that I couldn't because they had stayed behind for some reason. I didn't mind that the game has three different endings. It's designed to give you a choice about things. What I didn't understand is why it seems like only Ludger gets screwed over in every single one in a sense. I know we can't always have a happy ending and that the theme is you can't save everyone, but there should have been at least one ending where something good happened to him instead of all of it being sad or messed up.  

There are some fun side quests too. I especially liked Kitty Dispatch which lets you send out Ludger's cat Rollo to different towns and bring back helpful items for you. There is also the Kitty Sightings quest where you have to find a lady's cats all over Rieze Maxia and Elympios and return them to her. You get extra money for this as well as items and costumes. I had a lot of fun doing both these quests and the names of all the cats was hilariously creative. 

Kitty Dispatch is so much fun. 

Kitty Sightings is a lot of fun too. 

Considering that Tales of Xillia 2 is a direct sequel, it's a pretty good one. While there are some flaws, it does not detract from the fact that the game has an interesting story and gives you a lot of hours of solid and fun game play. It's worth checking out and worth playing.

*Tales of Xillia 2 is playable on the Playstation 3

Why I Don't Play First Person Shooter Games

I keep getting asked why I don't play first person shooter games and usually when I'm asked this question it's with raised eyebrows or a level of suspicion as if I have something against the FPS genre. I don't. I don't think third person view is better than first person or vice versa. I know many people that love FPS games and if that's your jam, more power to you. There are a ton of great ones from what my friends and family who play them tell me.

There's nothing nefarious going on with why I don't play or review FPS games. The answer is simple. I can not play them and I don't mean my skills are lacking and I suck. I mean that I can't physically play them without feeling like I'm going to be violently sick. In many of the FPS games the camera bobs crazily or rotates quickly and then I end up feeling like I've ridden the world's craziest roller coaster and I am about to die and I'll be laying on the floor praying to every deity in the universe that the vertigo will pass, the room will stop spinning, and my urge to vomit will go away quickly.

My face when I try to play FPS games. It's not pretty. 

I recall how bad the camera was for Borderlands when I tried to play it on the Xbox 360 and I couldn't even make it past five minutes. There was no way to turn off the bobbing which really sucked. A friend informed me that on the PC you could turn that off. To this day, I still don't understand why they didn't have the ability to turn it off on the 360. I've tried playing FPS games on the PC and I end up with the same result; trying not to puke all over my shoes. 

I've tried all the suggestions my friends offered. I've tried having enough light, sitting at a proper distance, and the "stare at the horizon" so I have a focal point trick. None of it works for me. Maybe it works for others, but with me the vertigo returns and in some cases I'm even sweating ridiculous amounts. I tried to play Thief on the PS3 too, because I really wanted to play. Boy, was that a mistake. Five minutes in and not only did I have a headache, my stomach was doing flip flops, and I had that familiar sensation of the entire room spinning. It sucked and I was disheartened that I would not be able to play the game. 

I can't play from this view, which bums me out. 

Would I love to be able to play FPS games? Yes. Yes, I would. I would love to be able to play awesome games like Bioshock and Dishonored, but I can't. I'm just one of those gamers that can't handle them because they mess me up and make me physically ill, so I have to sit out on many of the cool FPS games out there because honestly, the idea of hurling does not thrill me. Besides, there are plenty of other great games for me to play and enjoy that are in third person view. That's okay with me. Sure, it sucks that I can't play in first person view, but I can play in third person view with no problems and as long as I can still play video games I'm happy. In the long run, that's all that really matters.

Girls Are Great At Video Games Too!

So I read this article about Geguri which you can read here:http://kotaku.com/korean-woman-kicks-ass-at-overwatch-gets-accused-of-ch-1782343447

Honestly, it made me angry as a gamer and as a woman. I'm really glad that Geguri was cleared of the cheating accusations and I say good for her for being an awesome gamer. I'm just sorry that she even had to PROVE that she wasn't cheating and that some of the so called "professional" gamers behaved in the shittiest way possible and that includes threatening to show up at her house with a knife in hand. Why the hell would you even say something like that? What part of a person's brain thinks that it's okay to say those things about someone over a damned video game?

I'm also wondering if Geguri had been a male gamer would they have thrown the cheating accusations around or would they have accepted that this was a gamer that just happened to play the game a bit better than they did? We may never know, but it took Blizzard saying there was no proof of cheating and her live streaming her game play to prove that she wasn't cheating at all. She just happened to be a kid who has some gaming skills and kicks ass at it.

 I think that's awesome. I think it's great that there are more girls and women playing video games, because it means more gamers and more amazing games. I was that kid who loves to play video games and I'm that adult that loves to play video games. The fact that I'm a woman shouldn't matter and the fact that Geguri is a 17 year old girl shouldn't matter. All that should matter is that we're a couple of gamers who love to play video games. Unfortunately, that's not the case many times. There are too many times where we have to prove that we're not cheating, that we have the "proper" knowledge about video games (or comic books or whatever nerdy thing we love), and to just prove that we BELONG in the gamers section to the males who are foolish enough to think that we have no right to be there and have the audacity to be astonished when we prove time and time again that we absolutely do.

Yes, it sucks and it's not right that a 17 year old girl had to be stressed out by this simply because she was better at the game than a couple of "professionals" who couldn't seem to grasp the concept of the fact that no matter how good you believe you are, there is always going to be someone that may be slightly or even vastly better than you. It's ridiculous and it shouldn't have happened, but it did. At least they had sense enough to apologize for their accusations and the things they said. That's a little something.

Gaming isn't just a boys club anymore. There are more of us girls and women than you think who love to play video games. Some of us even enter competitions and are great at them. That does NOT mean that we're cheating. Just accept that there are gamers out there who are great at video games and that many of them may happen to be female. To the young women I say this: Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't. Don't give them the power to tear you down and make you feel bad for loving video games, comic books, math, science, or whatever you're nerdy about.  If you love it, enjoy it and have fun with it. Treat each other with respect and kindness. To the young men: Girls and women have every right to be in the gamers/comicbooks/nerdy anything circle. Remember, gaming is meant to be fun for EVERYONE and we should play together and enjoy it the way it's meant to be enjoyed, together. To the people who think it's okay to tear others down, threaten them, and just act like a jerk in general: I feel sorry for you. To suck the joy out of something that someone loves just to make yourselves feel better is pathetic and sad. Try to remember that a lot of the gamers are just kids and kids don't need more cruelty. They need kindness and understanding, not feeling overwhelmed and stressed because they got accused of cheating simply because they happened to be the best at something.

Oh, and throw that whole boys are better than girls at video games idea out the window because as is the case with Geguri that's not always true. She kicked ass and she didn't cheat. She was just that skilled. Girls are great at video games too! Learn how to deal with it maturely, accept it, and move on.

Female gamers are here to stay!

Backlog Gaming: Tales Of Xillia, A Great Tale

As I was going through my backlog of games, I decided Tales of Xillia would be the next game I played. I liked the fact that you can start the game choosing which main character you want to play as, the young doctor Jude or the Lord of Spirits Milla. It gives you two different perspectives and fills in some of the story as well. I chose Jude for the first play through.

The story begins with the introduction to whichever of the main characters you chose; in my case Jude and you get to start the main story as well as some side quests known as sub events. It isn't long before Jude and Milla's paths cross and then the real adventure that is Tales of Xillia begins. Altogether you have six characters in your core party and as the story progresses you get to see how all their different personalities meld together beautifully to make for some interesting and well thought out character development.

Jude and Alvin having a chat. 

The battle system is better here than it was in Tales of Zestiria. It feels more streamlined with a user friendly menu where you can easily upgrade your party's skills. You can also use what are known as Linked Artes where you can link with anyone in  your party and you have skills that complement each other and when used together can perform a massive damage attack on your enemies. It makes level grinding a lot of fun and there are a ton of combinations you can use with each party member. 

Linked Artes in action. 

Upgrading your weapons and gear is interesting too. In order to unlock new items from the various shops you can either donate money or materials you find during your adventures which will unlock and add new things to the shop. The more you donate the better gear and items you can get and you will also get discounts on items in the shop as well. 

Don't let the lack of a world map scare you. There's a lot to see and explore in Tales of Xillia and you can easily pull up the local map to see where you need to go. Once you unlock the fast travel option moving around is convenient and easy. The anime cut scenes are beautiful and add a lot of depth to the story and the various characters; including the villains. You get to see the reasoning behind decisions they make and how they got there. There are the funny little skits that the Tales games are known for also adding bits of humor and character interaction to the game. 

It's not a Tales game without the skits. 

The voice acting for the most part is well done. The reason I say that is because everyone seems to sound really great with the exception of Milla. I mean when you have fantastic talent with people like Matthew Mercer (he voiced Alvin) and Travis Willingham (he voiced Gaius) doing the voices for a Tales game and they outshine one of the main characters, that's an issue. Everyone else did really well but the voice for Milla sounded quite flat and didn't have a lot of emotion to it. It's not a big deal because I liked the character of Milla a lot and as the story developed I liked seeing how she and Jude grew as people and came to understand each other's hopes and dreams. However, it does stand out that her voice was not the best one. 

While Tales of Xillia is fun to play and the story is interesting, there were things that really bugged me here and there. The two really big ones for me are with Ivar and Alvin. I get that it was to push the story along, but I could not understand the reasoning behind giving these two constant chances every time they screwed up. The thing is, I liked Alvin so it really sucked to find out that he was a jerk. Ivar on the other hand was so annoying I kept hoping anyone would punt him off a cliff. 

Alvin is a mercenary, so I get the part about it being taking care of himself first. Yes, he's cutthroat about some things and he has a cynical view of the world, but you can't help but like him because he is charming. However, the fact that he betrays his friends FIVE times and they keep forgiving him is freaking ridiculous. I mean, he shoots one of them in the back. I'm sorry, but there's no way in hell I would forgive the jerk that shot my friend in the back or welcome him back to our adventure with open arms. It makes no sense at all and Alvin's reasoning for why he did those crappy things to his friends is flat out stupid. I still find him an interesting character, but he's a big jerk. 

Ivar is Milla's handmaid and honestly, he's the worst handmaid ever. He is overly aggressive for no reason and is constantly trying to fight Jude out of sheer jealousy. He doesn't do a single thing that Milla tells him to do and they're important things such as protecting Milla's village and the village elders. One of the big things story wise that happens with the villains is completely Ivar's fault. Once again he didn't listen to Milla and did whatever the heck he wanted and essentially destroyed and killed a lot of people with his idiocy. After all of this, Milla continues to let him be her handmaid and everyone else seems okay with it. It doesn't make sense at all and anyone within their right minds would have yelled at Ivar or at least dismissed him as handmaid and hired one that wasn't an arrogant moron. Even with everything Alvin did, I still found I liked him. With Ivar, I kept hoping a dragon would eat him. 

Ivar, the most annoying person in Tales of Xillia.

Those issues aside, Tales of Xillia is a great game and one worth playing. It's beautifully done with interesting characters, a great story, and with being able to choose which protagonist you want to play as it offers a ton of game play and a lot of fun. It's definitely worth having in your gaming collection especially if you are a Tales fan. Now, I'm off to play the sequel Tales of Xillia 2. 

One of the beautiful scenes in Tales of Xillia.

*Tales of Xillia is playable on these platforms: Playstation 3

Fallout 4: Far Harbor DLC Totally Worth It

I had been counting down to the Far Harbor DLC release. The more I read about it, the more excited I became. The concept was intriguing and the story sounded really cool. So of course I started playing as soon as it was downloaded. Far Harbor starts with you listening to the radio on a new channel for the Valentine detective agency on your pip-boy. You hear Valentine's assistant Ellie telling you to come to Diamond City for a chat because you have a new case. Pro-tip: Bring Nick Valentine with you for Far Harbor because there is a lot to the story that involves him.

Once you've chatted with Ellie, you learn that your new case involves a missing person. This is where Far Harbor truly begins. You and Nick team up doing a little investigating and find out that Far Harbor is an island and decide to follow the lead and travel there. Naturally in the world of Fallout 4 nothing is ever that simple and you find that there is actually more to the story than you thought and other mysterious reasons for you being there.

A beautiful view at the start of Far Harbor. 

As the story progresses, you discover that there are three factions trying to survive and competing for control of the island; the citizens of Far Harbor, the Children of Atom, and the Synth refugees of Acadia. There's a lot of complex and interesting situations that bring up big questions about who is really right and who is wrong while revealing flawlessly that sometimes there isn't a definitive answer because it's a matter of perspective. Far Harbor is huge with the main quests and there are plenty of side quests for each faction as well. Bethesda went all out with making each faction area look unique and it's beautifully done.

Entering Far Harbor.

The big thing about the island of Far Harbor is that literally everything on this island can kill you. You see, there's fog and it's not just your run of the mill cheerful fog. This is fog that is dangerous and creepy with all kinds of new nastier creatures wandering around in it ready to tear your face off. There's a more heightened sense of danger here and it definitely keeps you on your toes and a little paranoid too as you're convinced that every little sound is something horrible coming to get you. Man, it was so much fun!

Battling a Fog Crawler, one of the many  scary beasts hiding in the fog. 

There are all kinds of new toys to get for your character in Far Harbor as well; ranging from weapons to new power armor. You also get a new companion (keep Valentine with you though, trust me) to add to your team. Some of the items are rewards for doing quests and some are quest related like the Marine combat armor (which is the best armor in the game by the way) while others are loot from the various enemies you fight. Loot everything here because there is a ton of stuff for salvage, upgrading weapons, power armor, and more. While not as big as the Commonwealth, Far Harbor is far from small. There's a lot to see and do just with the side quests alone. Add the main quests and you have at least four hours or more of game play.

Vim! Power Armor

There was one thing in Far Harbor that bugged me a bit and that was the virtual environment puzzle that felt like a mix of Minecraft and Portal. For the most part they were simple and fairly repetitive, but then the last puzzle spiked suddenly in difficulty and was a long hour of frustration in trying to figure out what to do and having to constantly herd the little bugs retrieving data. I can honestly say that was the only part of the game I really did not like and I was relieved when it was over.

These puzzles were evil. 

Frustrating puzzles aside, I found that I loved every minute of Far Harbor. The atmosphere of it is great. The story is well thought out and explores some heavy territory with subjects like what it means to be Human or what it's like to be in a position of trying to make an impossible decision that affects everyone. The choices offered to you are interesting and each choice has a different outcome (there are 3 possible endings) making for a fantastic story all around. I enjoyed playing this so much that I felt the Far Harbor DLC is totally worth it. Check it out if you haven't already. You won't be sorry. Now, I'm going to try out this badass Marine combat armor!

Marine combat armor, only the best will do!

*Fallout 4: Far Harbor is playable on these platforms: PC, Xbox One, and Playstation 4

Guild Wars 2: A Fun MMORPG With No Subscription Fee

I had played the first Guild Wars and liked it a lot. I had been eyeing Guild Wars 2, but never got around to playing it as I had Final Fantasy XIV and Neverwinter keeping me busy. A friend of mine had been playing it and told me that it was a lot of fun so I was curious about it. Then it went on sale and I thought why not? This is a good time to check it out. One of the big things I really liked is that once the game is purchased you can play it as much as you want and there is no subscription fee. You can also play it for free to check it out and get a feel for the game. With a free account, you get two character slots.  You also can't get one of the professions and you can't play any of the expansion content. You only get three bag slots and you can't do world transfers. With buying the game, you unlock everything. You get five character slots and 5 back slots.  Once you decide, you can create a character and pick which server will be your home world.

There are five races to choose from for your adventures in the world of Tyria. The Asura are like little goblin creatures and are inventors who mix alchemy and magic. The Charr are feline creatures who are fierce warriors. The Humans were once the dominant race, but are now struggling. There are many different cultures and the Humans are striving to survive. The Norn are giants and exceptional hunters who live in Dwarven ruins. The Sylvari are a race of botanical humanoids (yes, plant people) who are not born, but awaken beneath the Pale Tree with knowledge learned from their dreams.

Then you have nine professions to choose from among the three job classes for your character which give you a nice variety. In the soldier class there is: Guardian, Revenant, and Warrior. In the Adventurer class: Engineer, Ranger, and Thief. In the Scholar class: Elementalist, Mesmer, and Necromancer.  I personally decided to go with a female Sylvari ranger.

My Sylvari ranger, Pirotess Drakon. 

Once you finish the tutorial for your race, you'll be directed to a scout NPC who will give you information about quests in the surrounding area. Quests are marked by a heart shape known as renown hearts. The map comes in handy here and it's nice to see that it's easy to navigate. You can zoom out to get a bird's eye view of Tyria and you can move yourself via map marker to your quest location. Guild Wars 2 is really solo friendly, but it's also community friendly. There are what as known as Dynamic Events where you and fellow players can participate together to take down an enemy or help an NPC adventurer. It's a lot of fun and takes the tedium out of level grinding. 

A group event with a plant dragon. 

Each race has their own personal story also, so at certain levels there are story driven quests you can do. These add another layer to Guild Wars 2 that is very cool. The combat is well done and you can help other players or they can help you and everyone gets experience points for it. There's no griefing, no grind, and everyone gets rewarded equally when participating in a quest, event, or dungeon. It takes out a lot of the annoyances with many MMORPGs  and makes the game a lot of fun to play. There is Player vs Player and another mode to that called World vs World. A few of my friends have done those and said it can be fun with a guild and friends. I haven't checked it out yet because PVP isn't really thing, but I may tag along with some of my friends just to try it out at least once. 

My Sylvari doing a personal story quest. 

There are dungeons you can do too with a party, but you can also do a lot of solo quests if you wish. If your character dies in battle, fellow players can help revive you if they're around or you can respawn at a waypoint. There's a lot to see and explore in the world of Tyria; all of it quite beautiful. No two areas look alike, whether it's out in a desert full of undead or in a plant filled grove beneath the stars. I feel that Guild Wars 2 was a solid purchase because the game is a lot of fun and I always enjoy myself while playing. If you choose a free account or decide to buy the game; it's worth checking out. 

A beautiful view of the stars in a grove. 

*Guild Wars 2 is available to play on the following platforms: Microsoft Windows and OS X