TheMightyEthan

Yeah, I saw they were going there and was like "holy shit, that's ballsy". My wife and I were just talking about what NATO would do if something happened to one of them. Whether that would constitute an attack on the country for purposes of Article 5. As far as the Chinese aid, what I've been hearing discussed is "military aid", so that's cool. I don't think it would cause problems for Chinese people in the US though, unless we actually end up at war with Russia, but then I'm not a racist shitbag so I have trouble predicting what will and will not trigger their fuckery.

If something "accidentally" hits Poland then it's pretty much up to Poland what to do, as I understand the NATO treaty. Basically Article 5 of the treaty is the part that says all alliance members have to come to the defense of any member that is attacked, so in theory at least it would be up to Poland whether to invoke Article 5 or not. In practice I imagine they would consult with other NATO members before deciding whether to invoke it, and my guess is NATO members have already come together and drawn up contingency plans that set out what they'll do in all kinds of situations that could happen in or adjacent to Ukraine. So probably there's a document somewhere in which paragraph 17.a.ii.A says that if a Russian missile hits Polish territory and no structures are damaged and no one is injured then they'll just issue a strongly worded statement, and 17.a.ii.B says if it destroys property but no one is injured then more forces will be moved nearer to the border, etc, covering situations ranging from disruption of the powergrid in NATO countries due to damage to power equipment in Ukraine all the way up through a major attack on a NATO member. They'll want to have planned for every possibility ahead of time and agreed on the response so that no one is having to make those decisions by the seat of their pants when the situation actually arises.

My first Xbox 100% since TT Game of Thrones way back in 2016.

Carrion This game is great. It's a "reverse horror", where you play as a mysterious alien organism rampaging through a scientific facility to try to escape, like The Thing where you're the Thing. You eat people to regain health, and the bigger you are the more powerful abilities you have. It's a 2D side-scroller, kind of a metroidvania, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes those. Also it's on Game Pass. Grade: A+

I've never played EDF, so I wouldn't know. DioField Chronicle looks pretty dope. Bring on the tactical RPGs!

The Forgotten City This is a cool time-loop mystery game, where you get to carry over knowledge and items from one loop to the next (because you are physically going back in time), in an attempt to free a city from a supernatural confinement where if anyone commits a "sin" then everyone gets killed. It was originally a Skyrim mod, and its TES roots are obvious, but it's been released as a standalone UE4 game. With the time loop it makes really cool use of the system TES games have where all the NPCs are off doing their own thing, they're not just waiting around to interact with you, and it actually does live up to the promise of making the world feel more alive. Gameplay-wise you're mostly walking around talking and exploring, with some very light combat that's entirely optional. I can't really say much more without spoilers, but it's great and I highly recommend it. There's 4 endings and I went through to get all of them. It's also on Game Pass. Grade: A

Exoprimal looks like Left 4 Dead but with dinosaurs, but somehow less fun than that sounds like it should be?

Yes, much better, but it's still nothing special, just passable, but you also barely need to do it, so it's fine.

Yeah, I did miss a lock-on, but it's interesting to me you say there's more of a focus on it, since overall I barely engaged in melee combat outside of specific instances where I had to (like the melee pits, or that one boss fight). Otherwise I mostly stayed back and used my bow or other ranged weapons, even against humans.

The problem I had with Crysis 1 this time around was specifically the aiming with a controller, so I imagine that wouldn't have been an issue with a mouse (but I am a man of culture, so I will only use a controller ). I did play a little of Crisis 1 on PC when it first came out, bounced off fairly early just because it just wasn't great then either. I went back because I keep hearing people say they're good games, but I just don't see it. But I mean I wouldn't even have an opportunity to scope out the area to plan an ambush because the instant I decloaked they'd know where I was and start attacking, even if I was crouched behind a concrete barrier on a rooftop a block away.

Crysis 2 Remastered Okay, I think I'm done with Crysis. I tried this one because I heard it played better than the first, and it was true, the aiming felt fine, it was actually playable. However, the game is presented as giving you the choice as to how to approach encounters, but the enemies are so hyper aware that stealth is basically impossible. I would go invisible and sneak to somewhere where it seemed like I should be blocked from sight, decloak (because I'd be running out of energy), and instantly every enemy in the area would know exactly where I was. The combat wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either, and I didn't want to play it as a run and gun shooter, so back to Gamefly it goes. Grade: C-

CrossfireX I'd heard the multiplayer was terrible but that the campaign was alright, so I started it before HFW came out thinking I could finish it since it was only a few hours, but I didn't quite make it. After I finished HFW I thought I'd go back to it, but I just have no interest. I was mildly engaged by the plot, but having taken a break I just don't care to go back, the gameplay itself was on the bad side of passable, so that's not bringing me back. Grade: D Crysis Remastered I couldn't even finish the first level, the aiming was so terrible. Even at max sensitivity it felt like I was moving through cold molasses when I tried to turn. Literally unplayable. Grade: F

Horizon Forbidden West This game is just like the first, but better in every way, so if that appeals to you then I highly recommend it. Everything just feels more fleshed out, and more refined. The only complaint I have about it is that there's maybe a bit too much game here (took me just shy of 69 hours, nice), but everything that's there is really done well. I'm especially impressed with how they managed to avoid things feeling repetitive. Every side quest, every "errand" (as they call the mini quests that don't even get to be full side quests) feels unique. And even the main quest, which at first glance looks like it will follow the rule of three, ends up keeping it varied quite well. They never fall into a pattern, and that keeps everything feeling fresh. I can't wait for the next one. Grade: A+

Also with 3 they still quite possibly end up with an EU/NATO member on their border.

That show will always bring a smile to my face, because of the time Twitter translated the name as "Komi has Communism"

Western intelligence says that the Russians thought that everyone in Ukraine hated the government, they'd welcome the Russians with open arms, they'd take Kyiv with little resistance, and once they did the rest of the military would collapse. That's why they're so ill-equipped/supplied, they thought the war would be over by now. In that context it kind of makes sense, why risk some of your good soldiers getting killed when the crappy ones will do?

Assuming Ukraine is able to continue to hold out. There's some indication that the troops originally sent in were just poorly trained/equipped conscripts, not professional military, and that now they're mobilizing the good troops, so if that's the case then the tide may turn in Russia's favor.

As a sign of how crazy this really is, Switzerland, which has remained neutral in all conflicts for literal centuries, has joined in the sanctions. That's kind of super insane, for a country whose foreign policy has always been "Don't fuck with us and we won't fuck with you. But seriously don't fuck with us."

So, Russia invaded Ukraine. That happened. I remember when they annexed Crimea, it was so bizarre because countries don't just annex parts of other countries anymore. Seems it wasn't just a one-off.

Horizon Forbidden West Basically more of the first game, but better. I dig it.

I started exercising again in mid-January, made it almost a month before petering out!

I didn't mean to say I haven't seen criticisms of the game, because I definitely have, including all the ones mentioned above, I just meant Dan is the only person I've seen who overall didn't like it. I do believe hardcore pokefans hate it, because hardcore fans of anything always hate anytime the thing changes, but also because of that I tend to discount it in terms of it making the game "divisive", because the hardcore is such a small fraction of the overall playerbase (even in the gaming discord circles where I travel). Now I'm going to say because a few more times. Because because because.

Pokemon Legends Arceus I agree this is the best Pokemon in years. After Sword/Shield I thought I was done with Pokemon, but I really like how they changed up the formula, and it really refreshed the series. This is the main console title we've been wanting since the Gamecube, and I very much look forward to how they follow it up. That said, even the best Pokemon in years is just solid. There's not really any major criticisms I have per se, but I'm definitely not into it enough to finish out the Pokedex and fight Arceus. It was fun while it lasted, but I rolled credits and that's enough. Grade: B+ Is it? The only negative opinion I've seen is Dan's.

Yeah, they fold up for storage. I'm not sure why the tires are so fat, I'm guessing just for versatility.

I really thought they were going to set that up with