xander51.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

Microsoft seems way too excited about their “new” ROG Ally with plastic handles slapped onto it. The 11 minute video they released is dramatic corporate vomit. It makes the Switch 2 look even better than it already did, and I say that as someone who still owns and uses an original 2023 Z1X Ally.

submitted 7 hours ago • 0 comments

I wrote up my first impressions after a day with the Switch 2. I kind of love it so far. I'm also still amazed I even found one! xander51.medium.com/oh-no-i-boug...

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

I went to my local Fred Meyer this morning to get groceries and noticed they had Switch 2 consoles available...so I bought one. I wrote an article about how I didn't want one. The pre-order nightmare in the US strengthened my resolve. Seeing it readily and casually available cut through all of that.

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

I've discovered an issue in my time using GeForce Now, and now I can't stop noticing it. xander51.medium.com/nvidias-gefo...

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

The Nintendo Switch 2 is almost here, so I've taken one last moment to highlight my favorite overlooked port on the first console. I don't have the new system pre-ordered, but I figure that all Switch 1 coverage is about to die a sudden traffic death online. xander51.medium.com/my-three-fav...

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

I wrote up my thoughts on the new Doom. It's fine, but it's also the first Doom game that feels to me like it's missing that magical spark. xander51.medium.com/doom-the-dar...

submitted 9 days ago • 0 comments

I know some folks are mad that Medium now anonymizes addresses for folks who sign up for email notifications (since they can no longer harvest data), but I've grown my list by 60 percent in like a week. I was never building any kind of list or database anyway so this is great.

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

It's possible that I spent the last four days playing the new Fantasy Life game. xander51.medium.com/the-new-fant...

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

The Bungie brand is kind of done, right? medium.com/@xander51/i-...

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments

I think Blades of Fire is about to die a horrible death on the market, even if one or two guys end up thinking it's the game of the year. xander51.medium.com/blades-of-fi...

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

Dead Island 2 is the latest Epic freebie, a game which I already loved years ago on consoles. I meant to look at it for a few minutes and spent my whole morning instead. It's still totally awesome. Might write about its sound design later this week just for fun! xander51.medium.com/dead-island-...

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

To round out the week, I wrote a numbered list! Who doesn't love a numbered list? medium.com/@xander51/th...

submitted 23 days ago • 0 comments

Doom: The Dark Ages has some of the best visuals and action moments from any game this year. It also has a story. medium.com/@xander51/i-...

submitted 24 days ago • 0 comments

If, like me, you enjoy AAA games with an intense focus on physics stuff, then this has been a great year so far. medium.com/@xander51/th...

submitted 25 days ago • 0 comments

Heading into the weekend, I published a piece about the sad downfall of one my favorite game development studios. medium.com/@xander51/th...

submitted 30 days ago • 0 comments

I meant to write this about a year ago, but instead I've written it now. That's strangely relevant to this piece, which explores the "brilliant story" of Starfield. xander51.medium.com/lets-talk-ab...

submitted 31 days ago • 0 comments

I checked out the Lords of the Fallen 2.0 patch. I love it! medium.com/@xander51/lo...

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova series is one of the few that stayed on my shelf after my headset review spree. It's also still plagued by the needless presence of hi-res audio support. xander51.medium.com/the-steelser...

submitted 33 days ago • 0 comments

The Days Gone "Remaster" is certainly a game that exists--and it couldn't have picked a worse week to ship. xander51.medium.com/sonys-forgot...

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

i don’t think game journalists should have to be internet personalities to survive tbh. good writing isn’t just entertainment, it’s boring stuff like “gets on the phone to fact check something” and “knows where to look for Weird stuff” and “has a personality marginalized people feel safe talking to”

submitted 38 days ago • 4 comments

I never thought that Polygon and Giant Bomb would get corporate deleted within hours of each other.

submitted 38 days ago • 1 comment

Far Cry 4 got a new update for some reason. It dredged up all my bad feelings about the game, and reminded me of the cooler option you could try instead. xander51.medium.com/far-cry-4-is...

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments

The cool new version of Oblivion did a weird thing: it made me love Skyrim again. xander51.medium.com/skyrims-desi...

submitted 41 days ago • 0 comments

All the justified hype around Oblivion led me to check in again on my personal Bethesda pet peeve: The frustrating broken audio in the PlayStation builds of Skyrim. xander51.medium.com/skyrims-soun...

submitted 44 days ago • 0 comments

Looks like I'm the odd man out on Clair Obscur. But don't let me stop you from having fun! And don't let critics stop you, either. xander51.medium.com/clair-obscur...

submitted 45 days ago • 0 comments

I saw some folks complaining about the new simpler difficulty system in Oblivion, but I love it. I’m playing on one notch up from normal. The first couple combats are a challenge but it’s balanced by new regenerating health and the additional XP from longer fights. Feels wonderful so far to me.

submitted 45 days ago • 0 comments

Sometimes a failed product can still be interesting. Razer takes so many swings that they've had a lot of pruned branches. xander51.medium.com/the-most-int...

submitted 45 days ago • 0 comments

I want to play Clair Obscur. But also, I’m deep into three other huge games right now. And also, it seems like it’s super introspective and sad. And arty. Which is great! But maybe not “fun.” Seems like a real “in the right mood” kind of a game.

submitted 46 days ago • 0 comments

I just saw that Dynasty Warriors Origins got a photo mode patch today. Super weird that it shipped without one considering so many other Koei games on the same engine have the feature. I stopped playing it right near the last battle. Maybe time to go back and finish a review?

submitted 46 days ago • 0 comments

I already have a lot to say about the Oblivion remaster, and it's only day one! xander51.medium.com/the-oblivion...

submitted 47 days ago • 0 comments

Sizeable games continue to dominate every level of the industry. Is that good? xander51.medium.com/are-big-game...

submitted 48 days ago • 0 comments

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's combat system is wonderful, and I needed to write about it. medium.com/@xander51/th...

submitted 51 days ago • 0 comments

I still love the older pre-RPG Assassin's Creed games, and these are the big three reasons why. Also, check out these chickens from Mirage. Very good video game chickens. xander51.medium.com/the-top-3-th...

submitted 55 days ago • 0 comments

Just once, I'd like a game character to have a moment where they tell me how much they love opening chests. medium.com/@xander51/wh...

submitted 58 days ago • 0 comments

I haven't finished AC Shadows yet because I keep going back to look at the pretty aesthetics of Valhalla. xander51.medium.com/assassins-cr...

submitted 60 days ago • 0 comments

Nintendo's in a real mess right now, aren't they? xander51.medium.com/nintendos-on...

submitted 65 days ago • 0 comments

Quite the emotional rollercoaster today seeing FromSoftware announce Bloodborne 2 in all but name, finding out it's a Switch 2 exclusive, and then learning that it's an 8-player PvPvE game

submitted 67 days ago • 66 comments

It's me, the lone guy who is more frustrated than excited about the Switch 2 details. xander51.medium.com/oh-no-i-dont...

submitted 67 days ago • 0 comments

Wow, Mario Kart World is retailing for $80

submitted 67 days ago • 89 comments

I’m surprised at how many things in the Switch 2 direct didn’t appeal to me. Weird camera? New Donkey Kong? Super expensive Mario Kart? Tying up From with a weird thing? $450? Haven’t felt this personally ambivalent toward Nintendo since Wii U.

submitted 67 days ago • 0 comments

Well, I'm giving Nvidia money now to rent a video card down the road. I'm weirdly frustrated by how well it works. xander51.medium.com/i-betrayed-m...

submitted 69 days ago • 0 comments

I bought the cute animal microtransaction in AC Shadows--and it inspired me to write a whole thing about the intersection of gaming and money. xander51.medium.com/oh-no-i-spen...

submitted 72 days ago • 0 comments

The user experience design of Assassin's Creed Shadows is missing a bunch of things I enjoyed about past games. Some players might enjoy this throwback level of friction, but I think it's a little confusing. xander51.medium.com/the-weird-cl...

submitted 73 days ago • 0 comments

I went back and spent some more time with the Inzone H9, and it inspired this ramble on my dreams for the future of Sony gaming headsets. xander51.medium.com/my-dream-pla...

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

I took a nostalgic look back at the cool headphones gaming companies were making in the pre-lockdown era. xander51.medium.com/that-time-wh...

submitted 76 days ago • 0 comments

I am still enjoying Assassin's Creed Shadows, but my playing has slowed down to a crawl so that I can pour some time into the new Xenoblade release. xander51.medium.com/nintendos-bi...

submitted 79 days ago • 0 comments

I already like AC Shadows much more than Valhalla. Here's why! xander51.medium.com/assassins-cr...

submitted 80 days ago • 0 comments