How similar is it to the previous version? I always liked that one, just haven't really gotten back into it.

Mostly the same, but with a newer navigation system and missile warning system. Then there's the data link between blacksharks, but I don't remember if that was there before.
EDIT: Also air to air missiles and the module itself is much more highly detailed than before.

The Ka-50 III can hold 4 Iglas which is quite nice for those close encounters with enemy helos.

The only downside to the new 'shark is you still have to do all the target spotting yourself, which can mean disaster if you have poor eyesight. At least in the hind and apache we have a co-pilot who helps, immensely.

I'm still replaying Cyberpunk 2077 (for the third time) and Witcher 3 (for the second time).


For those of you on the fence about getting a new video card because you have doubts about Ray Tracing, I can strongly recommend that you do that upgrade because the ray tracing in both Cyberpunk and Witcher 3 is stunning. I really feel like I'm playing a different game with my second playthrough of Witcher 3.

Finished Grim Dawn 3/4 playthrough again (have 570 hours total in it). I'm keeping to games I know for now.

Restarted Fallout 4 -- first time in almost 4 years (I have over 1000 hours in it).

I was playing a bunch of Cyberpunk 2077 over the weekend as well. Technically I beat it 3 times, but two of those were characters that skipped most of the gigs, NCPD jobs, and side missions. They were just to see different endings and try different builds. After you beat it, they put a save right before you meet with Hanako so you can try different endings, or finish other content. I fired up one of the more fun ones to play and jus cruised around the city doing various jobs and gigs.

It would have been nice if the prequel stories for Corpo, Street Kid and Nomad would have been more substantial because once you start the main story with Jackie it really doesn't matter which track you picked.

Yeah, that's a let down. Street kid is from the same neighborhood, but they don't know each other. Nomad makes sense because he's not from NC. The corpo somehow has some history with him in that prologue section. Either way you only just meet Jackie, get a long cutscene about various adventures and what not and they skip 6 months to a year or something before you're handed control again.

Started playing RDR 2 again yesterday, such a pretty game, and late game Bard's Tale IV. Also, began playing Wing Commander again, which never gets old.

Another month gone. In that time, just three games on the rotation.

-- Way of the Hunter. Really good hunting game. Out since August. new reserve just released (Alaska). Good shooting, ballistics, animal behavior and animations. I prefer it over Call of the Wild in many ways, but not all.

-- Call of the Wild. Another hunting game and I've been splitting my time between this ad the one above. I don't find the hunting as authentic as Way of the Hunter, but the game is much more robust. More reserves, weapons and types, animals species and gear. It's far more diverse at this stage and that has appeal to me.

-- Automobilista Motorsport Simulator 2. This one is emerging as probably my favorite of the recent crop of racing sims over the past three or four years. I've been spending all my time hotlapping for leaderboards in classic McLaren F1 cars like Senna's MP4/6, a beast of a 12 banger and it is glorious!

Got back into playing some games on my Nintendo Switch.

Tried the first title of the Xenoblade Chronicles series and ended up very much liking it to my surprise.
Which put a temporary hold to my playthrough of the latest Fire Emblem game. A fantasy tactical RPG series which I really enjoy.

Dabbled a bit with an emulator (Cemu) on my PC and was impressed about the results possible after some minor tweaks.
Compared to the original Switch version of the Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wilde I own and played years ago, the difference on PC is night and day!

I played through the first two in the series, second one twice, and currently playing the third.

I´ m really impressed by the scale of the world of the Xenoblade games. It´s massive!

Installed Xenoblade X to get an impression and I´m in awe about the world of that game. Wonderful different areas and the fact you can pilot a skell (mech) later on in the campairgn to explore areas you couldn´t reach on foot before is really the icing on the cake for me.

I must add an addendum to my earlier post claiming to have only played three games over the past month. Not true!

-- Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2. I really like sniper games. Actually, I tend to like many games with solo stealth play. Black ops, sub sims, helo sims, hunting games, Thief, Splinter Cell, Dishonored and on and on. But I don't care for Sniper Elite all that much. Instead, I found the Ghost Warrior series and it's good. And it's first person, so scores major points for that. The Contracts spin off does combine pure sniping with some black ops type stuff like disabling computers, downloading viruses and that sort of thing. So there is some CQC mixed in which I don't care for all that much. But if you turn off the HUD elements it's a fine tactical sniping game. Good series.

-- Civ 6. I played quite a bit last year. A few weeks ago out of curiosity I checked in to it to see if anything is new. And to my surprise Firaxis had added a bunch of new leaders with the Leader Pass. All these came free for me (depends on which DLC you have already). Civ 7 has been announced, but in the mean time having all these new leaders to try will keep me busy.

Which one did you try and what about it did you not care for?

I played 2 and 4, but neither for long. Not sure what it is, but probably grounded in third person. Not bad games, but don't hit the right notes for me.

I've added yet another game to the month's rotation, F1 22. Good racing sim with the best career modes in the genre.

Thanks for the reply. I recall you mentioning before that you don't like third person so yeah, that was probably the major factor.

I've stayed with Fallout 4 -- pushing 75 hours in-game since starting (~25 hours a week).

There were quite a few hours spent modding -- a "significant item" texture, some item specifications, some "Creation Kit mods" to Minuteman camps.

Just finished my third playthrough of Cyberpunk today and I’m still in progress with my second playthrough of Witcher 3. I’m also playing Elden Ring again since raytracing was just added yesterday.