If you swipe down on the notifs twice, you can edit them to be similar to the previous style.

On topic of your post, fuuuuck everything about their forcing AI, but my biggest gripe is how they moved the audio display (from, like, Spotify or audiobook readers/podcast apps) to the bottom of the lock screen as a tiny bar on the bottom instead of showing me all the info as it did before. It’s super annoying when I swipe to unlock and pause what I’m listening to.

I like NHL and MLB. Both my teams are on the other side of the country, though. I cannot watch unless I pay out the wazoo. It ain’t worth it. Plus, cable? No thanks. Can’t afford it anyways, really. I used to listen to MLB radio at my old job with the AtBat app but they changed the subscription and it got too expensive.

Plus, it’s just not accommodating to people like me. I mention liking a team and I get bombarded with questions like “who was the 2nd baseman during 1998?” Or “what’s the current batting average for the designated hitter?” Or “who’s the coach right now?”

Like I have to prove I’m a ‘true fan.’ I don’t care about that. I see ball go fast, and get hit out the park, it is fun. I see a hockey player toss a puck across the ice, it is fun. I love games but I don’t know who the developer is by name. Just the company. Dunno where the best loot chest was in the dungeons of Oblivion/Skyrim/whatever. I just enjoy things the way I enjoy them.

After work, I’d rather spend time reading or playing video games or playing an instrument. Watching ads on TV makes me want to pull my eyes out with a fork. Ads on anything.

Overall… expensive. Ad breaks. And sports fans are not a welcoming bunch. Communities for them are awful, and filled with the kind of men who don’t realize it but have every stat memorized and have to belittle everyone about it to prove they’re the highlander of sports. The one and only true fan. No thanks.

The aesthetic is on point. I think it has a vibe that is definitely not something I’ve seen before. Minus the phantom flayers (⁠ب⁠_⁠ب⁠)

Tunic is super cute! I haven’t played the crab one, but I’ve seen vids. Maybe one day I’ll pick it up.

As for your point, that’s part of the fun for me (as outlined in the post). When I played Diablo and Diablo II as a kid, I’d always have to see every inch of the map. In Elden Ring, it was always my goal to explore any corner or dungeon or castle that I could see. The stories are all good and fine, but for me, it’s the escapist dream of being a knight witch that can enter a big castle and completely dominate the occupants. Like a one-person siege machine. And if I can do that while pulling huge spells for area effect, I’m even happier. Just hiking up stone steps, throwing fire tornados or meteors… The dream!

I do wish the spells in every game I’ve played were more epic, ya know? My dream game would be to throw a literal tornado at a castle and have the baddies be smart enough to run for cover instead of getting hit. More of a dynamic sort of fighting but with massive spells. The only critique I have of fromsoft is the stagnant worlds. Just a dude standing in the middle of a courtyard, waiting to get shreked is a little bland. I’d love to see a castle that operates as a castle instead of a bunch of waiting-to-die group of baddies.

Ohhhh, PC issues? Sorry. I never had enough money for a decent enough gaming computer to be able to play many games.

I’ll concede the hub in Demon’s Souls is much better than Elden Ring. No matter what, I turned down the wrong corridor. Either looking for the blacksmith, or the twins, or the two fingers, didn’t matter. Every damn time, I’d go down the wrong way.

Plus, it felt… Empty? Demon’s Souls hub is much larger but still has an aesthetic that feels like everyone is scared, tired, or restless. I like that you can “save” people like Dead Rising and see them back at camp. It feels more immersive. Elden Ring has that too, but not as many NPCs end up there from what I remember. It’s more that they’d always leave the hub, like the lady who hugs. Plus, after the burning of the tree, it’s completely abandoned except the black might guy. Always feel bad that I couldn’t get him out. It’s like the people in the hub all just served as exposition on the lore of the world, not “real” people. I didn’t go back there nearly as much as in Demon’s Souls

Without looking down? I’m not sure what that means.

I will say the controls are irksome with sprint being circle. I tend to half-claw my controller. Like, left hand is regular grip, but right hand is thumb on the R3 stick, middle finger for the triggers, and index finger for the circle button. While using thumb for the X, triangle, square buttons.

In GTA, I tend to push the camera forward to look a little down while driving. Helps me see stuff a little better but drives people nuts when they watch me play lol

Bloodborne was my first. It was always… Okay. I still don’t know what the hell was happening. Apparently there’s a night mode you can unlock??? I consider Elden Ring my first true one. I played the hell out of the base game. I’ve only got to complete the final boss twice to unlock all the trophies lol. But I definitely need to pick up the dlc one day soon.

Thankfully I got that ring. The Cling Ring, I think it’s called? Super helpful!

I feel like I’m at least 30% through the game, if I had to guess. It’s a lot of fun, but much more brutally punishing compared to Bloodborne or especially Elden Ring. I still haven’t got a clue what the hell is really going on, but I look forward to manta rays!

Yeah, Scorpion King was fun when I was a kid.

The Tom Cruise one was forgettable. It wasn’t directly related to the OG trilogy, iirc. It has a lady mummy and was mid AF. The 3rd Mummy was awful with the recast of the main actress.ever since, I’ve been craving a solid mummy horror. Watching the 1st as a kid, when that guy gets his eyeballs taken, I was freaked. I can still hear the character sayin, “my eyes!” Without a tongue lol. Need a good mummy film!

Curious what it’s missing for you. I loved it tho haha. Maybe it was too open world? Hopefully they’ll port the games to your system soon!

Oh hopefully the mace will last till late game haha. Good lookin’ out tho! Thank you!

Oh, it’s way different from Elden Ring, if you played that one. It’s a lot more linear. But it’s so fun tbh. Highly recommend. I keep getting my ass kicked and having a blast lol I’m super excited for the other games.

I forgot bloodborne is a fromsoft. I played the hell outta that one but never beat it. The world building in that is wild. Like a Van Helsing horror show. Like a werewolf filled Victorian era. It’s wild and hard AF because of the mechanics of the game. Using the weird gun to stop attacks and the style of attacks with melee are timed really weird. But the aesthetic is on point. Horror, instead of fantasy like demons/dark souls/Elden Ring.

Oh yeah, that’s me for sure. I try not to compare games or listen to the recommended meta or even listen to the hate for not playing a certain way. There’s just not enough wizard media that’s epic. Like Harry Potter was mid until Dumbledore lit up a fire tornado. But that was before J.K. became a J.O.K.E.

I just love it when I can be a knight running castles and throwing massive spells. It might make the game slightly easier, I guess? And people hate that, I guess? But I’m like, my dudes, where else can you cast a spell that calls meteorites to smash a dragon?? Or a freakin’ mana laser beam that melts a god?? Just because I suck at rolling and dodging doesn’t mean I’m not having the time of my freakin’ life!

I keep saying we need more of two types of media:

Epic spells from wizards, witches, warlocks (without a kid friendly setting like HP) that has huge, realistic storylines.

And solid, horrifying mummy films. The two 00s mummy films are fun, but a family-friendly type of fun. The 3rd and Tom Cruise’s version can go to hell. There needs to be an amazing horror version, or at least more of the mummy theme, imo.

Sorry for the rant lol. I don’t get out much. 😅

I ain’t seen a swamp yet, oi vey. Unless you mean the lower latria area with the many faced centipede screaming monsters…? I hate swamp levels lol. I’ll face it when it comes though.

The person in latria was a huge pain to navigate for sure. I beat the mining level and giant dragon with minimal issue. Same for the tower knight, phalanx, and armor spider. But getting around some of the levels is super easy to get lost, I agree. I freaking love it though.

I need a pure glassstone? I think? To level up my mace again. The lizard stopped spawning! 😭

I never go in on the “builds” that I keep seeing recommended. Maybe that’ll punish me later, but I love just finding a good weapon and some epic spells and smash n burning my way through the monsters. Elden Ring was the best for that. Dual weild a staff and holy sword, I was unstoppable lol

Plus, that ending was so fire. I’m at the final boss on ng, but started Demon’s Souls lol

Yeah with the lock on button? When I figured out that holding the dodge button let me sprint, it blew my mind haha

It is super, super cute. I started it on a whim and I love that it doesn’t really give ya anything. Like a souls-like game, it’s just ‘figure it out as you go’ but a cute fox and bug creatures.

Just started playing a simple isometric game called Tunic. It’s cute, and you play as a little button mashing fox creature with a sword in a language that’s gibberish as you find hidden paths in the isometric style. It’s frustrating for being so simplistic, because the hidden paths are hidden. I kinda like it so far tho. Just simple, relaxing, chill music, and cute AF artwork.

Escape from Tarkov has a PVE mode now, so you dont gotta deal with the sweaties of PVP. Any of the tactical looter shooters have a slow vibe. Tarkov was intense and difficult for a long time, but my bestie was my Sherpa, so to speak, and we go into maps together and I can handle myself now. It has a hideout building aspect, so your loot goes towards something. There’s quests from the trade vendors, that all builds a lore to the game that has a lot of secrecy. I dunno a lot of it, but it’s fun to figure out. It also has weapon building, where all the weapons are able to be taken apart and sold for parts or pieced together with the parts you want. The ammo has stats on what can penetrate armor, and the armor has a plate system so you can buy or find better plates for it. There’s a durability aspect too, and weapons can jam and need to be evaluated and then clearing the malfunction. There’s bosses, too. And different factions to deal with. Many are ill equiped, and some are decked out in gear with big weapons. Your character can die with one shot if there’s no armor there. Or you can tank a bunch of shots if you’re kitted out. There’s even a flea market that’s player based. So the prices can make your character rich, if you play the market or sell stuff. Like, selling a chocolate bar can net you 100k, because they’re fast food during in-raid. Oh, and there’s a whole water + food system. So you have to find food and water to keep that going. You have to use the right meds for the right situation; splits for fractures, bandages for light bleeds, tournequits for heavy bleeds, pain killers, injector pens for status effects and medkits to heal, after you deal with all those situations. Some medkits even cover a lot of the various things, some inject pens cover various things too.

It’s pretty in-depth.

The game is based in Russia though. Your character is without a faction, despite picking one “USEC” OR “BEAR.” But that’s just how you got into the city; USEC was the corporations mercenary group, BEARs were the military. And it takes place after the fighting, your character sorta got out of the faction. Unless you do a scavenger (scav) run, everyone is unfriendly. Scavs all stick together except the boss and their goons might pop you.

It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with real politics, far as I’ve seen? But the lore deals with the corporate greed, military powers, and regular scavenger people all kinda vying for survival in a war torn city of Tarkov. It’s a weird lore, but interesting for a game and intense gunfights of fire, move, cover, fire, move, cover. Be wary of a clicking grenade and run.