Well damn, here we are again. Another month down, another year gone (almost). Apologies for the late post this month, it's been busy.
There's 20 hours of Monomyth footage recorded, and I'm ready to record the voice-over then jump into post-production. And it's been that way for a week and a half now. Stalker 2 put a hard stop to further progress. You've no doubt heard about the bugs and performance issues Stalker 2 had at launch - they do exist - but this is the real deal, everything that longtime fans like me wanted in a sequel is here. The playtime isn't wasted time as far as the channel is concerned; the next video will be on Stalker 2, whether it lived up to the hype, and what needs to be fixed before it can live up to its fullest potential. It's gonna be an interesting ride.
Back to Monomyth. I have returned to work on the video and it'll be up soon. Not to diminish Monomyth, it's a great game and worth your time.
The Stalker 2 video won't be a deep dive like the Shadow of Chernobyl videos, it'll be shorter (40-50mins) and focus on the pre-release and release debacles, the patches, and how the game is balanced at the time of writing the script, as well as speculating on its future. It's been fascinating to watch everything unfold and to be playing a game day 1 when the criticism is usually harshest. I've seen and experienced everything before it was patched, and because I know the Stalker gameplay well, I can identify exactly what's broken, what's missing, and what's imbalanced.
Looking forward to getting the Stalker 2 video into your hands but I love exploring, and the game is huuuuuge. I doubt there will much change left from 120 hours. Not kidding. Look to January, possibly February for the video's release.
What's Blondie Playing?
Stalker 2
Stalker 2
All Stalker 2 and no vodka makes a Stalker sober.
Seriously though. I loved Pacific Drive but had to shelve it because of it's extraction-style gameplay. I don't always have 90 minutes of uninterrupted time to dedicate to it, and not being able to save mid-mission was a bust for me. I have an eye on a Steam Deck this Christmas, that'd solve many of these save issues.
I also started Drova - Forsaken Kin just before hurricane Stalker 2 hit. Really loving Drova, and it was a shame to drop it, but Stalker 2. If you enjoy the Gothic series then I highly recommend giving Drova a look. Probably worth a video in its own right.
Indiana Jones just dropped and the reviews look promising. It also has the style of gameplay I enjoy, so this may end up being a video next year.
The final update for 2024 will be just before Christmas. Stay cool, my friends, and keep an eye out for the Monomyth video which drops soon. Don't sleep on this one, it's a hell of an effort from a solo indie developer.
Can't believe September is behind us already, the month has flown by.
As you probably saw, the Marathon 2 video dropped a few days ago. Not my highest performing video by any stretch, but it signals the end of the longer-form videos and a new focused and considered approach.
The indie previews will still be a part of the channel, and the next video will cover a cool Western-inspired shooter called Wanted 3D Dead or Alive. Beyond that is a tough choice. I'd really like to cover a specific topic, but I also don't want it to send a false impression about the changes happening to the channel. It's 100% related to gaming, but I can see some thinking the channel has become rage-bait, which is not the case. It's a topic I feel frustrated by, have felt frustrated by for some time, but it may have to wait while I set the channel trajectory with a video more in line with future videos. And that video I'll keep as a surprise!
After the Marathon 2 video released, I watched a course on my post production software - Davinci...
Folks, the Marathon 2 video has dropped for early-bird supporters. It'll be private for at least 24 hours, after which it goes public.
Hot damn, another month bites the dust. Straight into it.
There's 1/4 of the Marathon 2 script left to record voice for, and I've already begun composing the video. We're close to done.
I've been brainstorming ideas for the shorter length videos and already have a sizeable list to work through. The different projects I mentioned some time ago have been transferred to this list. I'll likely still preview early access indie games because there are many great projects out there, but I haven't decided what the next one will be. I also haven't decided what the next mainline video will be on; it'll be a surprise for all, me included.
What's Blondie playin'?
I've been smashing Abiotic Factor pretty hard this month since I'm now longplaying it on my Blondefire channel. Can't get enough, such a well-designed and fun game to work through. The Half-Life theme is the icing on the cake.
Ambitions
Completion of the Marathon 2 video is going to act as kind of a reset; I'll do all the stuff in this list to clear it away and ...
