Elden Ring.
That’s it. That’s the whole post. No, not really, of course, but ever since a date was announced for the release of the game AND a new trailer (how you spoil us, FromSoft), it’s been at the forefront of my gaming brain. January 21, 2022. Some people in the industry are skeptical it’ll come out then (because for big releases, release dates are often, uh, wishful thinking, shall we say). I, on the other hand, think it’s probably an accurate estimation because they took so long to announce it. FromSoft is very meticulous about things like this and aren’t in the habit of pushing back release dates. So, in five months, I will be able to play Elden Ring. I’m trying not to get too hyped because I don’t want to be disappointed, BUT I’M FUCKING HYPED.
In the meantime, I need games to fill the time. I’m playing a chill game in Early Access called Dorfromantik by Toukana Interactive. It’s a hexagon placement game so I wasn’t really into it until I watched Johnny Chiodini play it on a charity stream. Let me see if I can do justice to it. It’s a city builder. You start with one blank tile (made of the ground). You have a stack of tiles, I think 50 of them, and you have to use them in order. They will have something on them–houses, trees, waterways, for example. One of them will have a number (the number is white and is encase in an icon of color. The colors match with the different features. Light brown is housing (inside a little house), yellow is corn/wheat fields, green is trees, etc.), so, say +5 on a wheat field. That means you have to link five other yellow parts of hexagons with that tile. Obviously, it gets complicated when you have conflicting resources on a tile and you have to figure out the best way to place them. When you complete one of the quests (the plus however many number), you get extra tiles. Five, I think. I never pay attention to the tiles except for the one on top. They just added a creative mode, which I have yet to explore.
That’s it. That’s the whole game. Placing tiles until you run out. You get points per tile (the more connections you make, the more points) and you try to beat your highest score. At least that’s my M.O. There’s nothing else to it, but it’s surprisingly addictive. Before I go to bed, I think I’ll play one run. Two hours later….
Anyway, Gamescom is happening. Yesterday was opening night, which meant Geoff Keighley got to gush a lot and end with his best buddy, Kojima. Or rather, Kojima’s game. It started with a bang! The new Saints Row reboot which looks dope. One of the characters has a black cat full face riding helmet, which I’m here for. Ian got to interview the developers and they said they wanted to rein in the juvenile humor. I appreciate that because what was funny ten years ago is not necessarily funny now. You hear me, Randy Pitchford? Borderlands needed an update to its sensibility and did not get one in the latest iteration. The baddies as YouTube streamers seemed quaint as well. I really hope Saints Row does not go in that direction. I also hope they have kept and updated their excellent character creation. My avi for that game is still my favorite because it looked like an aspirational me as long as I kept my sunglasses on.