Five Things I've Enjoyed this August
August 2020
After revamping my whole portfolio and starting the whole „Things I’ve Enjoyed This Week“ series, I have basically been absent from this blog and social media. The world seems to becomes crazier by the day and additionally there was and still is a lot going on in my life. Like renovating a whole damn game studio within a month (absolutely exhausting, but worth all the work).
There’s been quite a lot of ups and downs in the past months for me. I started new side projects (I will talk about them in the future) which have been very fulfilling, but other more pressing issues have also taken quite a toll on me personally.
However, I’m glad to start getting a bit of routine back into my life. Because routines, cleaning up as well as planning stuff have always been good tools to lift my spirits again.
I’ve decided to turn this series into a monthly thing because a weekly routine seemed a bit too much. So here they are! Five things I really enjoyed this August.
1. The expanse
I cannot believe it took me this long to finally sit my ass down and watch The Expanse. Which I did this August, as in binging all four seasons and now nervously awaiting the fifth upcoming one.
The Expanse always seemed to come up not only when people started talking about the best sci-fi series, but also when there were discussions around „media that gives off Mass Effect vibes“. And after watching the whole series, I can definitely see why people have drawn that connection. The Expanse has some really nice character development, similiar to Mass Effect a great deal of the series is about communication, political structures and intrigues. Also, the whole protomolecule thing really resembles the Husks.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen some science fiction that felt like it really brings something new to the table, I’m glad I finally took the time to watch The Expanse and can’t wait to learn more about the belters, ring builders and whatever threatens the fate of humanity next.
2. new world
I got the chance to preview Amazon Studios upcoming MMO New World for Gamereactor. If you’re keen to hear about my first thoughts and aren’t afraid of German letters, you can read all about it here.
Generally speaking I am not a competitive person, which is why I am often not interested in games and mechanics that throw me into the pit with other players. Also because I am a genuinely bad player – I mean come on, I’ve played The Witcher 3 on easy. A pathetic image of a gamer for many I’m sure. However, as New World is a MMO with a heavy focus on PvP elements I went straight onto the battlefield and suprisingly really enjoyed it.
I’m specifically talking about the way Amazon Studios is handling the 50 vs. 50 wars, where players from different factions either defend their fort or attack the enemy one. The fact that the game is based on a 17th century riddled with magic makes weapons like the musket or hatchet super fun, the devs also did a amazing job with the whole weapon mastery system.
Theres a lot to unpack with New Word, so for anyone interested I suggest to go watch some videos. All I know is that I finally found a game where I can play out my deepest Helms Deep fantasies, and I am super stoked to head back into the battles once the game officially comes out.
3. what dreams may come
I love movies that deal with death in a melancholic, but very uplifting way. Similiar to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (one of my favorite movies) – even though that movie doesn’t deal with death per se.
I’m not sure how or why, but for some reason as I browsed Reddit a week ago, people kept mentioning what a beautiful movie What Dreams May Come is. Not having seen it yet and being a big fan of everything Robin Williams, I went ahead and watched it.
What a bizarre yet beautiful movie. The depiction of heaven and hell was one I haven’t seen anywhere else. The whole aesthetique, the amount of quality within the paintbrush VFX (especially for a 90’s movie) as well as some of the ideas presented in the movie really spoke to me, making me believe that this wasn’t the last time I watched it.
4. Fall guys
Well, seems like everybody is playing Fall Guys right now. And same as everyone else, I am having a lot of fun with it. I didn’t realize how much I needed a quirky, loud game to break up my otherwise rather low energy mood in the last couple of weeks.
Theres really not much to say otherwise. I really enjoy the straightforward game structure and the minimal down time between loosing a match and finding a new session. What I definitely do not enjoy however, is the Whirlygig stage. Each propeller yeeting my little Fall Guy into the air is a testament to my patience.
5. teespring
I don’t really want to go into detail yet as to how I’ve been using Teespring, but it involves the execution of a project I’ve had in mind for quite some time.
All I can say is that Teespring makes it very easy for someone like me, without any prior knowledge to creating and selling merch, to get your ideas out there. I’m having a lot of fun setting everything up and trying out the different kinds of opportunities Teespring has to offer. Hopefully I’m ready to share more about what I am working on very soon! Exciting stuff.
So that was my August I guess. The current times make it very easy for someone like me (easily distracted and in dire need of a routine) to get lost and overwhelmed. Me generally being a bit tense at the moment and needing some distractions makes me again realize how much I love video games. I love writing about them, I love designing them and most of all – I love playing them.
