StaceyPowers

That's also all I know as well. More curious why Druckmann and Mazin chose Never Let Me Down Again, and whether the reference has more to do with Joel and Ellie or with Bill and Frank. I mean, the song is about drug use, but could perhaps be applicable to aspects of relationships that are intoxicating but dangerous.

I thought it was from Bill?

In some areas though, it's arguably ramped up. That last scene where Joel beats that soldier to death, for example? In the game, that situation came across to me as "Ugh, that went badly, now we gotta kill this guy." In the show, it came across more as brutal and intentional murder.

The Fallout universe actually wouldn't be a bad place to end up. Where else can you get self-healing limbs from radiation exposure? Hmm, if @The Blackangel will be uploaded with her memory wiped, I'll be uploaded where she goes so we can meet all over again.

What are your other contenders? The other place I wouldn't mind being uploaded to would be a non-fascist, non-racist, irreligious version of Columbia from BioShock Infinite. I want to live in a sky city with equality for all. Also, I don't think immortality would be a problem, but boredom would. But if the universes in question were continually evolving and added to, it might not be an issue. And I assume we get to hang out with other real people after we are uploaded? If so, that should solve a large chunk of the boredom problem.

When you have to find a specific location for a quest, do you prefer a marker at the exact location, or would you rather have a general area highlighted, or do you prefer a reference to an area, but no indication on the map at all, making you figure it out yourself?

What games feature some of the most bizarre and unexpected turns of events? As an example, I just finished the Shivering Isles DLC in Oblivion. I never in a million years could have guessed when I first started playing Oblivion that that would be the ultimate fate of the hero of Kvatch (so amazing though).

Each time I play RDR2, I swear I have only been playing the game a night or two, and then I notice it’s been like a week. What games make time fly by super fast for you like this?

Does anyone else feel claustrophobic swimming underwater in video games? I seem to feel this way universally in games, even though swimming underwater doesn’t make me feel claustrophobic IRL.

I put a disc in my PS3 yesterday, and it made this disturbing loud vibrating noise. I took it out and put itback, and it is still doing it a little, but much more quietly. Anyone had this happen or know what the problem is?

Perhaps not the drive behind the existence of the hobbies--but possibly the drive behind some individuals' interaction with them. I suppose it all comes down to what each person makes of it. If someone grows up playing TLOU and is inspired by Ellie to find a way to be optimistic in our increasingly apocalyptic-looking world, fights to survive, and ultimately ends up helping a lot of people in part because of her example, then I'd say they used their hobby to help them change the world.

Fascinating post and question. Mass Effect actually sounds like the best/most logical choice for me as well. I'd rather be uploaded as me though, with my memories intact (at least the most important ones).

Are there any examples of video game dialogue you found surprisingly moving at really unexpected moments in games?

Are there some moments in video games that you have played numerous times that still catch you by surprise? For example, not much makes me jump in TLOU after multiple playthroughs, but I still got caught off guard the other night by the moment in Bill’s Town when you abruptly find yourself upside-down.

While I can sometimes remember specific details of games I played a year or more ago vividly, I notice I forget a lot of stuff within just a few weeks as well, which often leaves me confused about side quests in particular when I take a few weeks off from a game and come back to it. Do others also quickly forget some video game content?

What are some video game series that were initially not exclusives, and which you were upset to discover later became exclusives? My answer is The Outer Worlds, which was originally not an exclusive, but going forward will apparently be a Microsoft exclusive.

Who are some video game characters that changed dramatically between installments in a series? A couple of examples I can come up with are Ellie in TLOU Parts 1 and 2, and Anders between Dragon Age Awakening and DA II.

Has a video game ever helped you explain something IRL? For example, I saw someone on Reddit explain how it was easier for them to tell others about what it is like to be bipolar when they used the Shivering Isles from Elder Scrolls: Oblivion as a kind of metaphor (amazing DLC, btw—just finished it, and my mind was blown). I’m not sure a specific game has helped me explains something about how I think/experience the world, but gaming in general does. I can explain exactly what I dislike about adulthood via a gaming metaphor: it is immersion-breaking. Instead of being fully immersed in the world I’m in, it’s like I’m always trying to fix the metaphorical equivalent of a buggy game or broken controller.

I like what they did with The Last of Us Part 1, where it is more than a typical remaster, but it isn’t a full on “remake” in the sense of replacing story or voice acting elements. It’s just a really comprehensive overhaul. What are some other games you feel could benefit from this type of overhaul?

Sometimes there are character models that get a lot of flak from players. Do you ever disagree with those assessments? As an example, I have seen a lot of complaints about Aveline from Dragon Age 2. But I think she looks just fine.

What are the most rewarding friendships portrayed in video games? For me, I would list mostly examples from Bioware games: Varric in Dragon Age 2, Dorian in Inquisition, Garrus in Mass Effect.

What is the maximum amount of money you are willing to shell out for a remaster or remake of a game? Does it depend on how comprehensive and dramatic the improvements are?

Not at all. 🙂 Some games that I reacted very emotionally to include all the BioShock games, but especially Infinite, The Last of Us Parts 1 and 2, Stray, Spec Ops: The Line, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and even some moments/quest lines/characters from various open world games.

Lots of people talk about open world games being too big/long nowadays. Is there a length in terms of hours for total completion that feels “ideal” to you? If so, is it always the same, or does it vary from game to game based on certain factors?

What are some of the most tragic side quests ever in video games? There are a number of them in the RDR games, I think (especially Birth of the Conservation Movement). Another that springs to mind is the Shepherding Wolves quest in Dragon Age II.