jdodson | Cheerful Ghost

Watch QuakeCon @ Home @ Home

The QuakeCon 2020 live stream & charity event has begun and if you are a Bethesda, iD and Arkane fan tuning in should be required viewing. One piece of fun news to come out of the keynote was that Doom Eternal is getting some story based DLC called The Ancient Gods: Part One on top of other multiplayer enhancements. Not a lot of details emerged in the keynote about The Ancient Gods DLC itself and it looks like a full reveal trailer will drop later this month.

One thing I wanted to highlight was that each year at QuakeCon Zenimax, Bethesda, iD and Arcane markdown their games and this year is no exception. One particular thing I found fun is much of the classic iD catalog on Switch is marked down such as the original Doom($2.49), Doom 2($2.49), Doom 64($2.49), Doom 3($4.99) are quite cheap. Which is to say I picked up 4 incredible Doom games on Switch for about 13 bucks. Those deals are on a lot of platforms right now, so make sure to check them out.

You can watch the live stream on YouTube and twitch below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9OL_Pdeg8I
https://www.twitch.tv/quakecon

Please check out the charities that you can donate to during QuakeCon below:

https://quakecon.bethesda.net/en/charity-initiatives/

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/07/2020 at 09:21pm

I was about to ask, but decided to try to figure it out before asking, so...in order to claim Quake for free you just need to log in to your Bethesda.net launcher. Click on "Games" and scroll down to Quake and you'll see the option to install it. Maybe I should copy this to the event...?

Source: https://bethesda.net/en/article/51MRrnr3XnfmjkTGppLXcm/ajudem-caridades-e-ganhem-jogos-e-itens-gratuitos-nos-jogos-durante-a#:~:text=Get%20Quake%20for%20Free!,to%20receive%20the%20free%20game.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/07/2020 at 09:32pm

It's in the event but it's good to mention it here too BECAUSE I forgot to do that and just picked it up.

Thanks Greg!

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/08/2020 at 12:52am

It's mentioned in the event, but I didn't see instructions on how to get, claim, or install it, that's why I had to look it up. I knew it was going to be free, I just didn't know how to get it. Also noted, if they raise enough $, they'll do the same for Quake II. I'm assuming that these free releases unfortunately do not contain the expansion packs, though I could be wrong as assuming just makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me." LOL Still, the games are quite cheap at the moment, I have them on my wishlist.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/08/2020 at 09:23pm

I got Quake on Beth launcher and installed it and tweaked it some and it runs fairly well. I'm experimenting with Quake source engines right now(modern builds of the open source code) and finding various pros and cons to that. I have the original Quake CD ROM but having it digitally through the Beth launcher is really nice too.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/08/2020 at 10:09pm

And they've raised $13k so we should get Quake 2, let me check the Beth launcher now if they are handing it out. Doesn't look like it but should be at some point.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/09/2020 at 04:13am

Cool! I looked at the store part of the launcher and didn't see the expansions even mentioned, but you can buy them on Steam. Feel free to let me know when/if Quake 2 becomes available. Man, I really liked those games. I remember playing them when they were new. One thing I liked about Quake was that you could use your own soundtrack. I don't recall exactly how that worked, but I remember listening to different things while playing, like Tori Amos. Granted, I also loved the inclusion of Nine Inch Nails. I also remember how they made a demo for the game that actually contained the entire game that someone figured out how to unlock by hacking it. I think they resolved that later. Quake 2 reminds me of the drink Surge, I drank a good bit of it when I played that game.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/10/2020 at 01:39am

Seems I was wrong and 20k unlocks Quake III!

https://twitter.com/QuakeCon/status/1292304870188425216

That said, I haven't seen it show up for free in the launcher yet.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/10/2020 at 03:40am

Ok, but what about Quake II? The article I shared says it would unlock at $10k. I didn't see anything about Quake III, until your comment showing that tweet. Still, neither game is showing up as free at the moment, just the first game. Thanks for the head's up! I'm still interested, so if you find something new (like an update that one or both games is now available for free), please feel free to comment here.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/10/2020 at 04:27am

I'm not sure. I read a Tweet from a person that said they'd unlock after QuakeCon? Who knows. Maybe we get both? I guess well know either way soon enough.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/11/2020 at 02:35am

We probably all own all three quakes on steam though right? I mean they've all been around $0.04 at some point on Steam sales.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/11/2020 at 02:44am

Not me, not yet. Though I'd rather have them on Steam, since Steam definitely has the expansions (mission packs) whereas they seem to be missing from Bethesda.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/11/2020 at 03:48am

I have all of them on CD ROM but I don't think I re-bought them on Steam yet.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/11/2020 at 04:33am

I had at least some of them on CD, but I don't know what's happened to them. I haven't seen them in decades, but that actually applies to a lot of my old CDs.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/13/2020 at 01:28am

Quake II just showed up in my Beth launcher. So the Tweet was wrong about the game(They said Quake III) BUT it did show up, just a lot later.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/13/2020 at 01:58am

I too have Quake 2, maybe Quake 3 will eventually unlock too.

But like Greg said, the lack of expansions in the Beth Quake 2 (plus the amazing RTX port (even if you don't have an RTX graphics card)) mean that I'll be using that Steam copy.

Seriously, that RTX port with RTX turned off is the best semi-third party launcher for Quake 2.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/13/2020 at 04:13am

Thanks for the notice! I'm thinking that even w/ the RTX features turned off, that (free) version of Quake 2 could still be pretty sweet. I think (perhaps incorrectly) there may be other features that modern GPUs can use for the game. I've hardly played it though, so I can't say for certain from my own experience and memory, it's been a while.

Now waiting for Quake 3 to unlock....

Travis Admin wrote on 08/14/2020 at 01:53am

You’re right. That RTX port has some modern features that make it a delight to play.

And the free version can let you play the shareware stuff but if you own quake 2 you can point it at your installation and it will use the original game files for the full game. Just with better presentation

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/17/2020 at 10:56pm

Quake 3 is now available to get for free.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 08/17/2020 at 11:41pm

😈

Travis Admin wrote on 08/20/2020 at 06:51pm

Really? Hmm. it isn't on mine.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/20/2020 at 09:10pm

Yeah, Quake III Arena, I have it installed, I got it for free. I found a video that alerted me to the fact that it was available.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/21/2020 at 01:06am

That's weird. I have restarted my client a couple times to see if I could jog it.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/21/2020 at 05:37am

I saw something at the beginning of this give away saying something like if you don't see it show up as free, restart the Bethesda launcher. Perhaps it worked for me, because I'd open the launcher, log in, check, possibly install a game, log out, and close the launcher. I repeated this numerous times and have been able to get all three games. I just keep the launcher closed if I'm not going to use it, no need for it to hog system resources, I need that for gaming! I hope it worked out for you.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/21/2020 at 02:52pm

Nah I usually have it open but I restarted it a couple times. It worked for Quake 1 and 2 days ago but not 3. Odd.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/21/2020 at 07:15pm

Hm, perhaps restart the computer or log out of the launcher and log back in. Otherwise, I'm not sure, that would be something to Google.

Travis Admin wrote on 08/22/2020 at 03:10am

Oh yeah I’ve restarted all the things.

Azurephile Super Member wrote on 08/22/2020 at 05:05am

Ok, I think I know why now, they're no longer free, as it seems with an article I found. They were only available for a day or 72 hours. Your comment here was three days after mine and Jon's, so maybe you missed it. Bummer, dude. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/grab-quake-3-for-free-on-pc-before-its-gone-tomorr/1100-6480881/

Travis Admin wrote on 08/22/2020 at 05:17am

Yeah that may be it. But oh well, no big loss. I have two physical copies and a Steam copy so I think I'll be ok :D

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

I Lived, I Died, I Rage 2'd

Rage 2 was one of my most anticipated games of 2019 and as such I pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition that April. I always felt the original Rage was a somewhat forgotten shooter that I think is good by falls flat at the end. When the trailers came out hyping Rage 2 I was excited as it looked like the perfect follow up.

When I wrote about Rage 2 back in May of 2019 I noted that Rage 2 was fun and that it took a bit of practice to master each of the abilities to fit my style of play. I also wasn't so focused to sticking to the main story and didn't write about this, but played a few things out of order and got my ass handed to me quite a few times. The BFG saved my bacon early on but wasn't something I ever really used beyond getting out of those "oh shit" moments caused by playing the game out of order. One big event was that I wanted to complete early was the Cult of the Death God mission to get the Settler Pistol and Raine armor. If you do that early on in the game the super mutant boss is INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT and I wasn't quite ready for it but the BFG was.

I'm mentioning my first experience with Rage 2 only to note that Rage 2 is a good game but not an absolutely perfect one and frankly it doesn't really need to be. Rage 2 is a kick ass shooter that focuses on what it does well which is great gameplay and a really hardboiled Mad Max styled plot with a villain so campy he never leaves the tent. Which is to say, Rage 2 is a lot of fun.

I never felt Rage 2 was so compelling that I had to complete it all in a short amount of time which I'll note to the games credit. Games that are fun in bursts and compelling enough to return to a year after you bought it get high marks in my book. I know some gamers are looking for the next fully immersive experience where you lose yourself in a game but I'm not. Is a game fun? Can I pick it up again quickly for 45 minutes? Do I even want to keep playing it? With Rage 2 the answer is hell yes.

I finally completed Rage 2 a couple days ago on a whim. I had completed enough of the main story to have the "last mission" marker unlocked on my HUD. Up until that point I had just been exploring the map and defeating random bandit dens and decided I might as well complete it. In this way Rage 2 and it's open world feel a lot like a Far Cry game. Far Cry is an open world game with a lot of places to explore but each "bandit den" is very similar to the others and you have those interspersed with story locations and you can decide to main-line the story or just hang around doing other stuff if you want. It took me just as long to finally complete Far Cry 3 and I enjoy it just as well as Rage 2.

Since I purchased the Deluxe Version I have some story DLC and i'm not sure when I'll get to playing that. Until then Rage 2 will camp out on my PC until I decide I want to head back to its particular shooter shenanigans. I hope Rage 2 did well enough to justify it becoming a series that will live on for a Rage 3 because I think there is a lot they could bring to the table with MORE player powers and by doing some sort of time fast forward to space.

I Beat A Link To The Past... Again

The Super Nintendo Classic has been hooked up to my TV since it was released in 2017 and I've played so much of it it might be the video game system I've played the most of since I picked it up. One fun part about the Super Nintendo Classic is that a lot of the games are meant for younger audiences and my son is getting older and enjoys watching me play them. He can even play Super Metroid well enough to get by but he won't be breaking any speedrun records anytime soon. Still it's a fun system and may be one of the best consoles made in the last 5 years or so if I was the only one that voted for that sort of thing. One game that I've been playing a handful of minutes per day is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. One cool part about Link to the Past is that each dungeon is relatively short(compared to later Zelda games) meaning that the entire game can be completed in a short amount of time. HowLongToBeat.com says you can complete the main quest in 15 hours and I may have taken longer than that but not by much.

Everything has been said about Link to the Past already but I will say playing it with your kid brings a new level of joy to the experience. He seemed to think I should have been better than I was and dying and coming at bosses again seemed to bother him which added to some of the stress you get while playing a game. "Daddy don't die here, don't get hit, why did you get hit Daddy?"

I've heard rumors that a remake to Link to the Past would be coming and if that happens that would be something i'd be interested in. That said i'm not sure it's strictly needed but that's also what I thought before the Link's Awakening remake came out and I rated that in my top 10 games of the last 10 years.

*FUN NOTE* I embedded a Link to the Past Let' Play above I recorded in 2013 when Lets Plays were rather new. It's one of the most popular videos I've ever made on YouTube clocking in at over 35 thousands plays. Not a lot when you consider the most popular YouTubers around but a fun number considering I don't really make Lets Plays and my Link to the Past chops aren't top notch.

Never Stop Buying: Get This Stardew Valley Collectors Edition!

Stardew Valley is a modern classic that many consider to be one of the best games of all time. It debuted to critical acclaim but never received a physical release until now. You can pre-order Stardew Valley collectors or standard edition on Switch or PC. The each version is priced a bit differently and the Switch SKU seems to be a couple bucks more than the PC version. That said, the Switch Collectors edition is $69 and for what you get that's quite a good deal.

I have yet to really dig in to Stardew Valley and now that play most games on my Switch am considering picking up the standard physical edition. Anyone else thinking about that?

"Stardew Valley is now available as a physical edition for Nintendo Switch and PC (DRM-free disc with Steam key) in a special collector's edition available exclusively on Fangamer.

The Collector's Edition includes:

* Deluxe six-piece wooden standee made from responsibly sourced birch and cherry wood (measures 4.5 x 4 x 4 inches; some assembly required).
* Wooden lapel pin made from the same eco-friendly wood as the standee
* 14-page Junimo comic by Chihiro Sakaida, the artist of the Before the Farmer comic
* Deed to your farm featuring gold-foil details on paper made from 30% recycled straw (a byproduct of actual farming!)
* Collector's Edition box made from sturdy, high-quality materials featuring artwork by Kari Fry, the artist behind the Stardew Valley Guidebook
* Physical copy of the game on your choice of platform with 18-page, full-color illustrated instruction manual and double-sided cover with Joja theme on the inside
* Soft polyester-nylon blend cleaning cloth designed by Chihiro Sakaida
* For a limited time: Bonus poster for preorders until August 15th (measures 10" by 16", folded)"

https://www.fangamer.com/products/stardew-valley-switch-pc-collectors-edition-game

Analogue Pocket Pre Orders Start August 3rd

Pre Orders for the Analogue Pocket will go live August 3rd @ 8am PT. The base system will play Gameboy, Gameboy Color and Gameboy Advance games and be priced at $200 and will ship with a raft of other add-on gear and some entirely new features that look to make the system even better than we originally thought. I'll clip the spec sheet below:

* Compatible with Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance game cartridges.
* 3.5" LCD. 1600×1440 resolution. 615ppi.
* 360° display rotation (tate mode)
* Variable refresh display
* Rechargeable lithium ion 4300mAh battery
* 6-10 hour gameplay time & 10+ hour sleep time 9
* All buttons mappable
* Stereo speakers
* micro SD card slot
* USB-C charging
* Original-style link port
* 3.5mm headphone output

The interesting bits hardware wise is that the Analogue Pocket will be USB C which may imply that your USB C Mac, Android and Switch gear might work for it. The Pocket will come with an optional Switch Style doc that looks like it works in the same fashion and if so would be cool if you could just plug your Analogue to it and have it just magically work the same.

It also seems that Analogue has created the Pocket with music creation in mind as it can be treated as a MIDI device using a few cables compatible with old or new MIDI gear.

For the full list of features and extras the Pocket will come with check the link below and if you plan on grabbing this pre-order drop me a note in the comments.

https://www.analogue.co/pocket

Rocket League Will Be Free to Play This Summer!

In the mostly great news with some downsides department, Rocker League is going free to play this summer! The downside is that moving forward it will only be available for new players on PC on the Epic Store and not be available for new players on Steam. If you have Rocket League on Steam already you can still play it moving forward just fine, but they are funneling all PC players to play on the Epic Store. Some fans have questions about mod support and Steam Workshop integration as the Epic Store has none of these features, that said this seems like an overall good move as it puts Rocket League in the hands of more players.

I bought Rocket League on sale last year on Switch for $20 and it's a perfect game to play with friends on the couch. I imagine playing online is just as fun and this should give the player base a fun shot in the arm.

https://www.rocketleague.com/news/rocket-league-going-free-to-play-this-summer/
https://www.reddit.com/r/RocketLeague/comments/hvb5xe/rocket_league_going_free_to_play_this_summer/

Travis Admin wrote on 07/27/2020 at 07:59pm

And all Linux players were basically told, sorry, we're taking the game away from you.

Epic being Epic. :/

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/27/2020 at 08:08pm

Wait so the Linux version is going away on Steam moving forward?

Travis Admin wrote on 07/27/2020 at 09:09pm

https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/23/21078989/rocket-league-macos-linux-march-epic-games-online-multiplayer

I was a bit hyperbolic with "taking the game away" but for what most people do with it, that's basically the case. Nothing online at all, they're dropping support. I hadn't realized Mac was affected as well.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 07/27/2020 at 09:26pm

Thanks for that Travis, I didn't see any of that. Also new information I didn't know.

1. Epic Games bough the company behind Rocket League last year.
2. Now game is going PC Epic Only moving forward and dropping Mac+Linux online support.

Now I get why Epic is doing the Epic Store only thing and I really don't care but dropping Mac+Linux moving forward and Epic Store only? Ehhhhh, that's not awesome.

Travis Admin wrote on 07/30/2020 at 03:24pm

I have heard a ton of good things about Rocket League so I went ahead and pulled the trigger on Steam before it leaves. Just in case I want to play it on PC, I am sure that I won't want to support Epic by buying it there. Or playing it free to play there.

They've been problematic over the past few years and that doesn't seem to be changing.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 09/23/2020 at 03:32pm

Rocket League is now available to download for free on the Epic Store, Switch and I imagine many other platforms* for free.

https://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/product/rocket-league/home

* Of course not Steam because why would the biggest PC gaming platform want a game like Rocket League?

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 09/23/2020 at 03:33pm

Just to be super clear here, I think Rocket League should stay on Steam. Sad Epic is removing it.

jdodson Admin Post Author wrote on 09/23/2020 at 03:36pm

And I just checked Rocket League is no longer available to purchase and is de-listed on Steam.

"Notice: At the request of the publisher, Rocket League® is unlisted on the Steam store and will not appear in search."

If you want to join this conversation you need to sign in.

BioShock Playthrough: Are All The Important People In Rapture Insane?

I'm noticing a trend as I play BioShock. Enter a new area to find out about a new person in charge that at first seems a bit goofy. Find out more backstory to realize they are a psychotic murderer. Spend more time and find out they are so much worse than that. Also note that every "normal person" either doesn't really notice the writing on the wall (sometimes literally in blood) or doesn't seem to care. Then again if you lived underwater that might make leaving very hard or impossible such that you had to make working with your boss work even if they seemed to enjoy being a horrible person.

Even though at this point BioShock seems like a game that can't stop making it story, citizens and people in charge look like the worst people of all I time it's still really fun to play. Part of the fun comes with how the game unfolds its story along with the next level tone building through music, art and gameplay. Recently I completed the interactions with Sander Cohen and am looking forward to finally coming to meet Andrew Ryan. Will I actually meet him? I'm not sure but all signs seems to say I will. If I had one critique of the game beyond that everyone important seems like a horrible person is that the game isn't really in a hurry to have you meet Ryan. Personally I think the most interesting parts of BioShock are the story and I wish more than a few times I could just skip to the next story beat.

I'm sure i'm not the first person to say this but BioShock might make an incredible series of films or one kick ass TV show. I could see a great show out of the original BioShock game to Infinite through all the DLC. Seems like video games moving to TV and film might be the next big move for Hollywood as the current Superhero craze has run for a while now.

As with most gaming lately I've been playing BioShock on the Switch and if you have one and are interested in playing it heartily recommend it even if every character in the game is a horrible person.

Chex Quest HD is Free On Steam!

Chex Quest is a non-violent breakfast cereal game released in 1996 that was a conversion of The Ultimate Doom. I had a copy of this and really rather enjoyed it in 96 but as with some things, I got rid of it not knowing it would achieve cult status later on. The legendary status of Chex Quest is still very strong and it so much so that recently got an HD remake and came to Steam last month. Since I enjoyed playing the original and it's currently free on Steam I downloaded it and gave it a go.

Firstly Chex Quest HD is free and that means that it shouldn't really be held up to the same light as a game you paid for. With that is Chex Quest good? I think that depends on what you like but for a free game it's well worth your time and if you never played the original this could be fun to try.

All that said, I'm not sure as a remake this does much more than bring the original namesake back into the light for a time. Reason being is the game is aimed at recreating the levels and gameplay of the original but doesn't really improve anything. The graphics are in HD and entirely remade here which is interesting but the gameplay is so stiff and uninviting i'd argue the original Chex Quest is a far better game. Chex Quest HD is based on the Unreal Engine 4 but the gameplay doesn't feel like it is. The original Doom and Chex Quest by association were on the same engine and those games are bound to the limitations of 90's era control schemes and what DOS was capable of. One improvement i'd have made to Chex Quest HD is that since you are on a modern shooter engine, make the game feel like a modern shooter. The original Chex Quest was awesome because it was on the DOOM engine which was an entirely modern shooter engine back in the 90's. Sad that the HD remake didn't take take advantage of the modern Unreal Engine it was built within to feel more like Unreal or any other modern shooter made with it.

I absolutely love that Chex Quest is getting the attention it deserves. It's a fun classic campy game that should be more widely played. That said, I wonder if simply porting the classic game to modern systems and making it work in widescreen with a modern Doom engine port would have be better? The developers could have made a feature to switch between two WAD files one being the original and the other being a touched up version. In the end remaking a classic game with an entirely new codebase and art isn't bad and we've seen it done to incredible levels with the recent Link's Awakening remake. One reason why the modern Link's Awakening remake shines is because it improves on the original game in various ways that create a new fresh experience that builds on the classic game. I appreciate the love that the developers put into the Chex Quest HD remake I'm just not sure it hits quite the same notes as the original.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/804270/Chex_Quest_HD/

The Remarkable Story Behind Command & Conquer's Remastering

YouTube documentary great Noclip dropped a timely look at the recent Command and Conquer + Red Alert remastering. I knew the remastering was made with a lot of attention and care but I didn't know they got the original developers back to work on it. Clocking in at 40 minutes this look at how EA remastered one of the best games of all time is a must watch.

"Featuring interviews with Jim Vessella, Petroglyph Games and Lemon Sky, we explore how Command & Conquer Remastered Collection came together, and how the international team remastered FMV, graphics, audio, music, gameplay and more."

LGR Reviews Yoot Tower The Lesser Known Sim Tower Sequel

Sim Tower so when I heard there was a sequel a few years back I was surprised. Sim Tower gets some love in retro circles but seems like a forgotten gem. Lazy Gamer Clint Basinger is back doing his review magic on a game that I feel holds up well even if some of the games simplicity doesn't fare well for longer play sessions.

"There was a Sim Tower 2? In all but name, yes! Let's take a look at Yoot Tower, aka The Tower II, developed by OPeNBooK9003 and published by Sega in 1998 for Macintosh and Windows PCs. Along with the Towerkit maps and other plugins from Japan!"

jdodson1

2744 Posts