This week in our regular "What We've Been Playing" feature, the team shares their varied gaming experiences, from revisiting beloved classics to diving into new and controversial content.
Connor shared his frustrating experience with "Bioshock Infinite: Burial at Sea." He described a friend who intentionally recommends games known to be disliked, with "Burial at Sea" being the latest example. Connor found the DLC "truly terrible," noting a "depressing boss fight" against a Big Daddy. His earlier memories of the original "Bioshock Infinite" at age 13-15 were limited to the grappling mechanics and the appearance of Song Bird, with a later replay revealing what he considers a "narrative nightmare" for the series overall, though he did find "Bioshock 2" to be brilliant.
Meanwhile, Chris revisited "The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind." He recalled an early, off-putting experience with the game in his pre-teen years, where he struggled to land hits on a villager and was repeatedly called "s'wit" and "n'wah." Revisiting the game for a side project, Chris was struck by the "extraordinarily complete" nature of its opening areas around Seyda Neen. He described it as an "Elder Scrolls diorama" offering dungeons, sidequests, lore, and even the "Scrolls of Icarian Flight" joke, highlighting an unparalleled complexity in such a small starting zone.
Bertie discussed a peculiar approach to playing "007 First Light." In preparation for an interview with the game's lead writer, Bertie speed-watched a full walkthrough. Typically, this would ruin a game for him by removing the element of surprise. However, in this instance, it had the opposite effect. Instead of feeling a need to rush through the game, Bertie found himself able to "chill out" and "slow down," better appreciating the environmental design and character banter. This method of pre-emptively knowing the outcome allowed him to savor the experience and explore areas he might otherwise have bypassed, opening his mind to a new way of engaging with games.