Video Games

I was a bit harsh there, but a large part of why the Ezio series is so well remembered is that it was because they were such a big step up. I replayed AC1 last year, while waiting for Mirage to drop; the first game is iconic, but I realised that Altair gets more character development in the scattered flashbacks of the Ezio series than in the whole of AC1.

To avoid another essay, I'll just say that I managed to miss the leaks that preceded the first game's release, was genuinely surprised by the "It's all a simulation" revelation, loved it, and I went back for Desmond.

I've got a 17hr flight coming up, so digging out the switch. Any recommendations on fun shortish games?

Kosmokrats? Time-limited puzzles, jokes about potatos, Tetris minigame, Cold War satire in space. On a flight, you might occasionally get very annoyed with anybody bumping your elbow.

New Zelda game? Just finished it last night there, maybe 10-15 hours or so for the main quest on a first playthrough?

Alternatively, Stardew Valley will make that 17hr flight feel like 17min.

Two Point Hospital is my favourite travelling game

the devs planned for a female protagonist and the marketing dept said "People don't buy games with female leads"

This is so dark

Ubisoft had a big sexual harrassment scandal just a few years back, with Marketing execs named by whistleblowers as the biggest offenders. Same people.

It's hard to tell what Ubisoft's leadership culture is really like. On the one hand, releasing a game where Crusader knights are the primary enemy, and Nizari Ismaili assassins are the heroes (even if their cult is made no longer specifically Islamic), in 2007 was a big fuck you to G. W. Bush. They often make an effort at anti-colonialist positions and sympathies, even if the end result can be paternalistic cringe. On the other hand, there's the big problem with women (as far as management was concerned, not the devs by all reports), and the fact that there are no Jews in the AC universe. There's one recognisable (and named) synagogue in Ptolemaic Alexandria, but try finding any of the worshippers - estimated at around 35% of the city's population at that time. Try finding them in c12 Levant, or c9 Baghdad, or the East End of Victorian London. It's a mystery.

Dark Souls remastered is always a good idea.

edit: admittedly it is rarely fun and not that short.

Thanks everyone, lots to look at!

Guess it doesn't have to be that short, I've got another 17 hours the other way to think about too!

5 1/2 hours on Saturday too, I should never have downloaded it, it's great.

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Have they never heard of Lara Croft?

Reality has a well-known liberal bias.

Subnautica update... I'm now 70 hours and I feel like I'm where I was before, that same plateaue... Though I feel like I'm being stalked by telaporting squid aliens. Angry fuckers.

Though I feel like I'm being stalked by telaporting squid aliens.

Have they at least given you some advice about how to play the game?

Was looking for a thread like this, and looked right past it. I'm a few years late to the party on this one, so it may well be a repost: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/392371/?offset=200#comment17540351

How many mini-bases have you built at depth?

I got you so don't need them aliens coming over here at taking away jobs from regular folks

Inside is fantastic (four hours)
Dredge I’d recommend to anyone, simple and fun, probably great for a flight.
Slay the Spire (be warned addictive af)
Disco Elysium (one of the best games ever but long though)
Boltgun (just started this, but loving the sillyness).

Great list, but played them all bar Boltgun. I'll add that onto the list to look into!

Oh Gris was beautiful too.
Started Caravsn Sandwitch the other day. Enjoying it, bit of a Zelda-lite. Fun so far. Great soundtrack.

Have you watched the speed runs? 1 basic tube in the shallows, and then two oxygen tanks to get anywhere and everywhere. Bonkers.

Yeah, insane. It's so surreal watching someone have such mastery of a game's systems.

My reply seems to have disappeared, soz, I wasn't trying to ignore you.

Deep bases? (how deep is a deep base) None now... I tried one but kept getting nailed by a reaper and could never keep the stupid thing powered but that was only at about 400m. Clearly not enough sunlight.

Exploring: It's very disorientating. I need a map to know where I've gone or should go. Also following the terrain in a sub you need eyes facing everywhere at the same time which is tiring. I see I now have the blueprints for a reactor core so I guess that's the games answer.

I've now walked through the alien base which was cool.

And died at the claws of 3 ghost leviathans a few times (might be the boundary of the map I think).

Anyway, I'm now something like 120hours in and very frustrated. I'm now starting to cheat by looking at online maps without revealing tooooo much. Farming resource is tiresome too...

1 basic tube in the shallows, and then two oxygen tanks

Jesus...

I've also spent way to much time building a nice base. Probably wasted hours on that cause I wasn't sure what to do.

Gonna try and give as few direct hints as I can.. Smaller bases give you a more local respawn when shit hits the fan. They can also act as waypoints, and you can never have too many beacons. There are other ways to power bases than solar arrays. Having enough resources to build a tiny base with storage lockers, plantpots and a scanner room is very, very useful. You can always pack it away and rebuild elsewhere if needed.