Here is a quick look at the games I’ve been playing recently. I’ll try to post some updates on progress now and then.

This time around, I finished Metal Gear Solid (1998), some World of Warcraft, Destiny 2, and Diablo 3.

Metal Gear Solid (1998)

I finally completed Metal Gear Solid after many deaths from the Metal Gear mech and the fist fight with Liquid Snake.

MGS is a game I watched being played and beaten. Though it’s been so long I could only remember pieces of it. Needing to  transform the card key between rooms was one of those pieces, though I thought it was in a different game in the series.

Finishing it myself was gratifying. There were a lot of frustrating and tiring moments. I have the Metal Gear Solid HD Collect (MGS 2, 3, Peace Walker) to finish at some point.

World of Warcraft

I jumped on WoW and ran an instance of “The Motherlode!”, which was interesting experience with other players. I was playing with a new tank (but not new to the instance) and unfortunately I kept aggroing mobs when I chased bubbles from the Azerite armor talent Secrets of the Deep. I may need to switch that out. The dungeon map for “The Motherlode!” is pretty open with branching pathways. If you meander or lag behind, it’s easy to accidentally pull enemies. So far this is my least preferred Dungeon, strangely, this makes me want to play it more so that I will learn how to do it right. My favorite Dungeon so far is Waycrest Manor.

Destiny 2

I purchased the Forsaken expansion for Destiny right before it came out, but I’m still behind in Curse of Osiris content. I’ve been slowly leveling up my gear so I can play Warmind.

I enjoy the gameplay of Destiny 2, but one thing that bugs me is how my character doesn’t talk. Instead, my ghost speaks for me, and sometimes I feel it breaking the immersion and making me aware that I’m just observing prescripted banter without any real contribution. I like the dialog between NPCs, but ya… it dampens some moments because there’s an assumption of what my character is thinking or an attitude they’re giving.

Comparing it to other MMOs like WoW, the interaction with NPCs gives me the feeling that my character is saying something or the NPCs dialogue is general or open enough where I can fit in my characters personality. In Elder Scrolls Online, if I remember correctly, they have a more tailored system where your choices actually impact dialogue. For example, in one village you have the choice of letting villagers go to battle or not. I picked letting them fight, and regretted my decision. But this has left a memorable story branch and good experience.

Diablo 3

I was grinding on Diablo up until this week. My priorities shifted and I didn’t have time for the rift grinds. I’m currently working through Torment XIII and trying to get to Torment X.

I spent a little time rifting with guildies from Horde for Life. I usually play solo and decided to break that trend, glad to say I was successful.

I also got Diablo on the XBox a little while ago and started playing it more. I’ve been wanting to play a console version for so long to see how they handle gameplay with a controller. It’s different but not disappointing. I really like how the UI shows gear upgrades and the gear loadout is cool.

What’s Next?

I have a lot of games I need to finish or pick up. There were too many, so I created a spreadsheet.

World of Warcraft, Diablo 3 and Destiny 2 are games that involve some grind. I would like to fit them all into the upcoming week, but that may not be realistic. Instead, Destiny 2 will be a priority while Diablo 3 will probably need to go on hold for the next week or two.

I plan on starting God of War (2018) this week. Depending on how much concentration the game needs, I may need to fit it into quiet times in my household.