March 2024 – Ms. Bella's World

4–6 minutes

I recently received a copy of the highly anticipated Dragon’s Dogma II as a gift. After having heard so much about it, seen videos of it on YouTube, and even checked out the first Dragon’s Dogma, I was excited to try it out. Heroes? Check. Evil dragon? Check. A quest to recover something of great importance? Check. An open world to explore? Check. Great character customization? Check.

In summary, the game ticked all the boxes for me. Despite concerns about whether my system could handle it, I eagerly awaited its download. It took what felt like ages, giving me time to tackle more mundane tasks of life. But, when it was done, I loaded the game up knowing my character was already premade, patterned after my high elf Medrielle in LOTRO. And off I went to start my adventure.

So far the game hasn’t disappointed me in this aspect. I died early on, as I expected I would. I also succeeded. I found myself in a new world with people who questioned who I was and with strange, humanlike people known as pawns swearing fealty to me at every turn. I was Arisen, alive despite my heart having been ripped away from me by a dragon.

Yet, amidst the enjoyment I’ve experienced with the game, I can’t overlook the numerous negative reviews it has garnered since its launch. These criticisms fall into three distinct categories, one of which particularly baffles me. Let’s delve into why players are expressing frustration with Capcom.

Performance Issues –

While it’s not uncommon for games to launch with performance issues, the trend seems to be worsening in recent years, and Dragon’s Dogma II is no exception. Players have reported severe FPS drops in cities, critical crashes, and freezing within the game.

It’s evident that the game was made for high-end machines, which many players do not possess. Some may opt not to upgrade their systems, while others may have more pressing financial obligations such as rent, food, or medical expenses.

However, even players with high-spec computers are experiencing issues, indicating that the problem lies not only with hardware but also with optimization.

Paid MTX in a Single-player Game –

This aspect has sparked considerable outrage and likely contributes significantly to the negative reviews. Despite its $69.99 price tag (or $79.99 for the deluxe version), the game offers a range of microtransactions (MTX) for sale. These include items like the Explorer’s Camping Kit for $2.99 and the Makeshift Gaol key for $0.99, among others. The total cost of these MTX, should a player purchase them all after buying the standard edition of the game, amounts to $42, on top of the initial $69.99. It’s worth noting that these items appear to be included in the deluxe edition, which was the version gifted to me.

While I’ve heard that almost all of these items can be acquired easily within the game, it raises the question: Why introduce this additional layer of monetization? Was it a response to Capcom’s CEO suggesting that games should cost $100? If so, it seems that the negative reviews suggest this strategy may not be as profitable as anticipated.

No New Game Button?! –

This design choice is perhaps the most perplexing. In a single-player RPG, players expect the ability to start a new game easily. However, Dragon’s Dogma II lacks this feature. If a player encounters a glitch that renders them stuck or experiences a critical crash, there’s no straightforward way to start over.

A workaround has been discovered, involving multiple steps that look something like this –

1) Turn off Steam's Cloud save for the game
2) Navigate to the game's folder (typically under Program Files            
    (x86)\Steam\userdata\ (your user id) \2054970\remote\win64_save)
3) Delete data000.bin and data00-1.bin
4) Restart the game and make your character.
5) Close the game and reenable Steam Cloud save for the game
6) Steam will inform you of a Cloud conflict with the game at 
    this point and here you choose the save version to keep 
    before starting the game again. In this case you want to 
    choose Local Save, overwriting what's in the cloud.

However, people have reported issues doing this and it seems that Capcom keeps your save files on its own server as well, so can overwrite the save on your computer and in Steam’s cloud with its own version. Others have reported being temporarily banned from playing by Denuvo, the anti-tampering feature used by Capcom for most of its games. I’d use this with a buyer beware caveat.

Capcom has since come out with a statement, including looking into adding an feature for the Steam version that allows players to restart the game. Just add a new game button. The first Dragon’s Dogma had one! I don’t even care if it means the new game wipes the previous game, although I’m sure I’m in the minority on that sentiment.

In conclusion, while Dragon’s Dogma II offers a captivating experience in a beautifully crafted world, these issues detract from an otherwise great game. I look foward to playing many hours of it and dying a lot, but I can’t in good conscience recommend it until Capcom addresses the concerns raised in the negative reviews.

What are your thoughts on Dragon’s Dogma II? Are you excited to try it, or have the negative reviews given you pause? Share your opinions in the comments below.

Until next time, bye for now!

2–3 minutes

Well good morning and welcome to another Creator Spotlight, where I share some hidden gems on YouTube that I personally enjoy. Today, let’s check out a gentleman whose State of Decay 2 livestreams are like a breath of zombie-infested air: Scrubby Games.

I stumbled upon Scrubby’s channel when he was playing Red Dead Redemption 2 on stream. Imagine, if you would, a cowboy outlaw navigating the Wild West with all the grace of excited chickens and enjoying every minute of it. His gameplay style resonated with me – relaxed and humorous. I’ll confess, I was very tempted to buy the game just from watching him play. Unfortunately, I found myself torn between cowboy fights and a hugely discounted graphics program. Guess who won? Hint: it wasn’t the cowboys.

However, I returned to his stream to see what adventures he was finding himself in. He moved on from Red Dead to The Last of Us 1 & 2 before settling on a game that, by his admission, is one of his personal favorites – State of Decay 2.

I tend to shy away from scary games with jumpscares like a green witch shrinking from a bucket of water. However, after watching Scrubby play, I was compelled to add the game to my collection. After all, he made it look fun and easy, weaving through the undead with the practiced skill of a veteran. All of this while cracking jokes and keeping his audience laughing and watching along.

Shooting zombies isn’t his only skill though. He’s a great all around guy who will share advice on the game, interesting conversations about other games or life, and all interspersed with a fine sense of humor. His livestreams draw all sorts of people and the chat’s usually as lively as he is, making it a great place to hang out.

In a world overrun by clickbait thumbnails and over-the-top reactions, Scrubby Games stands as a shining example of authenticity and good old-fashioned fun. With a subscriber count that’s climbing faster than a zombie scaling a barricade, it’s clear that Scrubby’s only going up. So, if you’re looking for a stream that’s both entertaining and infectious, head over to the saloon and pay a visit to Scrubby’s corner of the internet. But be warned, you might run into the undead along the way!

Until next time, bye for now!