With the weather getting colder, the days getting darker, and that holiday season fast approaching where we all spend time with our families, I’m sure many of you, like myself, would much rather sit infront of a screen and do some gaming than listen to your great aunt tell you more slightly racist anecdotes packed with enough innuendo to make an adult star blush.
So I took it upon myself to ask around for what some of our members would do if they were stuck inside for a month with only one game to play and why, just to see if we can help influence your little get away from reality
For me, it would be Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. Though now seen as slightly outdated both graphically and the way it plays, in my opinion it still holds true as the best RPG of all time. From the moment you escape the imperial sewers an entire world of fantasy awaits you. Though not festered with dragons like the beloved Skyrim, there is still many delights to encounter, from crafting your own spells, murder mysteries and haunted houses, an epic story line, and horse armour! The years I have sunk returning to Cyrodil time and time again remain fresh in my memories and it’s a strong recommendation for anybody who is a fan of the fantasy genre and wants to experience a vast open world full of opportunity.
Our resident Russian, Алексей Кузьменко had this to say
What game would I choose now if I stayed at home for a whole month? This is a difficult choice because there are a lot of great games! There are old games that I missed, and there are new ones that haven't been released yet, but I'm really looking forward to them. And after thinking carefully, I decided to choose a game that should be released on August 23, 2022. The game is called Saints Row, which this time does not have a number and a subtitle in the title because it is a restart of my favorite series of games!
Introduction to the series!
The first game of the series I played was Saints Row 2 on PC. Which I really liked the setting, the open world and the cool Johnny Gat! Then there was the announcement of Saints Row: The Third and it was one of the best trailers I've seen. Everything was perfect there, even the soundtrack of the trailer. Then there were Saints Row IV and Saints Row: Get out of Hell, which were fun, but I didn't like the idea of destroying the earth. I have not played so far only in the first Saints Row and Agents of Mayhem!
Restarting Saint Row!
I have a lot of questions about the relaunch of the series ... the trailer of the game and all the videos after it cause a lot of doubts so far! But as a fan of the series, I definitely have to play the restart. I would play Saints Row for a whole month even if it takes 50-60 hours to complete. I would completely immerse myself in this world and try to figure out whether the restart turned out or not. I would have completed all the extra missions and optional events. And most importantly, I would try to get all the achievements 100%! I remember at one time many people scolded and disliked the game Mass Effect: Andromeda, but I liked the game as a whole and I got 100% achievements in it. There was also a new location and brand new characters. The only thing is that in the new part, the characters do not look like bandits at all… But if this part is similar to Saints Row 2 and Saints Row: The Third I will be glad! And so… One month at home, me, Xbox and Saints Row! This is my dream which is not destined to come true this year! @RussianGuy / XECO
Michael Dunbar, another one of our regular gamers, followed up with
Space engineers is a little known game that was in early access on steam for 5 and a half years. Developed by keen software house. (A small studio in the Czech Republic). They released it as a full release in February 2019 on steam and simultaneously debuted it on xbox one.
Space engineers is best described as a sandbox survival game in which you can play and inhabit space or various planets while being able to travel between planets and space in ships that you build block by block. The planets and asteroids are voxels and you collect resources using either a hand drill, ship drill, in combination with refining and assembling or if your feeling ballsy you can pirate the in-game npcs.
The game uses realistic physics and bases it’s in game technology as what we can expect to have in a nearish future. The potential to what you can create is virtually limitless, from large capital ships to small rovers to contraptions to print them for you this could very well be the game that scratches that itch you never knew you had. (It did for me).
Since release Keen has been hard at work adding more functionality, features, dlc, and blocks to the game. Including crossplay between pc and Xbox and are currently hard at work revamping their A.I. in the game to add more enemies and even helpers in a whole new way. (More news on that later).
Mods are enabled on the xbox with a whole niche community creating and playing you can even publish your own creations or try out others from the mod website which is integrated in the game. The learning curve can seem steep but there is no shortage of people and YouTube videos to learn from and as I said before a large niche community of like minded individuals that love to play the game with others.
Reece Nyrio-King, who some of you may of seen, chimed in
Another wave of infection has attacked the streets and has forced everyone to quarantine for a month. It's just me and my Xbox, and I know what I am playing. I’m loading up Smite.
Smite for me is easily my favourite game that has ever existed. I have spent over 3000 hours in game across the last 10 years. Through long breaks I have always found my way back to the game. And you may ask, why would this be the game I would play for a solid month? It is the game I find the most enjoyable. The fact that there is 6 different game modes to choose from, over 100 gods to play, a placenta of items In which I can buy and 5 unique classes, really opens the door to different situations and scenarios no matter how long I play. The game also has a ranked feature in which I could also hone my skills and abilities for the next month so when I come out of the month, I could see the before and after effect. Smite is a game which can be enjoyable no matter the situation as with the statements above, no game will ever feel alike which will keep me reigned in and able to just constantly play. It also helps that the main game mode, conquest, can average between 30-50 minutes of play and you sometimes forget how long you’ve actually been playing for. Smite is my favourite game, and my go to game. So, this is the game I will be playing for a month straight.
And finalising with our Nicholas Mann, who people may of seen as the biggest Destiny fan I’ve seen, said this
But yeah so for me personally why I love Destiny so much whelp, it’s a numerous of things actually. But the core of it, what keeps me playing. Are my friends. This game is an absolute blast to play with a group. The competition of who can do the best in cruciable (all in good sport) or who can do the most damage on the raid boss. It’s great for people who like a competition. Then theres the character builds. Finding the right fragments or aspects that you have the most fun with. The weapons in destiny feel incredibly unique. With how they look aesthetically and how they function. The game is like a cross between your favorite fps and your favorite space fantasy rpg, All mixed into one. It also has a very deep connection feeling with the story. Whether you’re religious or not, it fills both fantasies. You can take the story however you want, and there’s something in there for just about anyone to connect with. At last, bungies ability to create extremely beautiful and unique landscapes. Especially, their skyboxes.
So there you have it, some unique games of all styles, that we ar XECO recomend you play to get away from the busy life, and try to relax.
Take care, and game on guys.
Dwarf out.
