S2E7 - Hitman & Complex Game Systems - “March-ish”

Hitman & Complex Game Systems


In this episode:


If there is anything in the world Void loves, it’s a complex
system that he can learn and exploit in video games. When he
found out about Hitman, he jumped in and loved it so much, he
gifted it to Beej just so this episode could exist.

While neither of us really likes the “murder” aspect of the
game, it doesn’t feel like it’s really violence. We really do
both see it as a puzzle game, and we tend to overlook the
violence as it’s a means to solve the puzzles presented.

Beej isn’t entirely into complex systems like Void. They have
to serve a true gameplay purpose. Some games are complicated for
the sake of being complicated and add nothing to the experience,
but Hitman is the opposite of that. It feels as though you are
learning skills and building on them as you progress.

The game really helps you learn the systems through its very
thorough tutorials--they don’t really feel much like tutorials,
either. If you go through them, you’ll learn a pretty decent path
to progression that leads into a lot of replayability.

Void describes his perfect 4-step program on how to become a
professional hitman, starting with Beej’s preferred playstyle:
bumble around like an idiot until people die, then run like the
wind and hope you don’t get shot. Void’s system is a bit more
elegant.

Paris is the first fully realized level, and instead of
writing a lot about it here, just know that Void loved it so much
that he’s barely played any of the other missions in the game. It
is also part of a smaller bundle that you can get to essentially
try out the game, and it goes on sale on various sellers all the
time. So get it.



Geeky Offer of the Week


Rachel Caine’s Paper and Fire. It’s super good, super duper
good. So get it FREE at audibletrial.com/geektogeekcast



Weekly Geekery


Beej - Started running again, and really working on getting
back into shape while freelance work saps lots of free time for a
few weeks.

Void - Started running, too! The weather in Minnesota gave
him a reprieve, so he was able to get outside and moving around.
Spring is almost here! / Fire Emblem Heroes (Lunatic Difficulty
and the lack of energy you have to play) / Hidden Folks

Void also went to the Game of Thrones Live Concert
Experience, which is a live performance of the music. It was
amazing. The first half was not cohesive and felt like a bad
fanmade video, but the second half made up for it. The second
half used full sequences that built on each other as the music
played. It used the Battle of the Bastards and the Great Sept of
Baelor scene from the end of the season 6.



The Nintendo Switch is almost here!


We are just kinda waiting for the Switch (looked at other
games but not pulling the trigger on anything). Games like Nioh,
For Honor, Horizon Zero Dawn, Resident Evil 7, Conan Exiles,
FFXIV are cool, but so much comes out in March-ish: Horizon Zero
Dawn, Zelda (and other launch games for the Switch), Mass Effect
Andromeda, and Persona 5 (which takes precedence for Void over
Zelda Breath of the Wild, which is crazy to Beej!)



And some new Zelda, Breath of the Wild info, in case you missed
it.


No more compass, map autofills with exploration

No musical chests

Probably won’t get the green