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this post was submitted on 20 Apr 2024
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Games
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Funny thing, actually! So a buddy showed me this website that allows one to buy games on steam despite the sanctions (steam currently prohibits purchases from Russia, for the record). If anyone is wondering "why not just pirate" - I wanted some specific games and their pirated versions had compatibility issues.
Anyway, bought myself Sleeping Dogs. Apparently (I didn't know it originally) it's part of the True Crime series, which features undercover cops infiltrating gangs and such. I suppose this premise alone might turn many comrades off.
This specific title is set in Hong Kong. There's some western chauvinism sprinkled here and there (for example, in the club location there's an ad for "Gulag vodka"). A good amount of characters are westernised, having western names (Jackie Ma, Winston Chu, etc). Protagonist's boss is white even. That said I feel it's doing a decent-ish job of not whitewashing either the gangs or police. Aforementioned boss for example is shown faking evidence at least once so far in my progression and is generally a cold git. Gangs talk a lot about loyalty and family, but also murder and steal with no regards to anyone but themselves.
Anyway, regardless of the plot, gameplay is quite pleasant. It's an open world TPS, similar to GTA and Mafia series, but with less emphasis on shooting ("guns are rare in Hong Kong", as one character says) and more emphasis on hand to hand fighting. There's mechanics for grappling, throwing, blocks, kicks and punches. Fun stuff, if you're into this kind of games.
Overall, it's obviously striving to envoke action movie feel. Something from John Woo, or perhaps those Van Damme flicks. Not bad to unwind after work.
Question of the week
Admittedly I don't even know what is coming out this year, and most of it would likely melt my wee potato laptop anyway. I was kinda looking forward to Smuta, which is a Russian game, set in 1600's. It had a prominent (online) and openly Marxist historian as a consultant. Unfortunately, the game is apparently shit. Mechanically, plot-wise, just in general. Folks are now mocking said historian in comments to his videos.
Smuta, eh? Might check it out regardless...
Not entirely sure how to translate the term. Google suggests "troubles", but it's missing the notion of unclarity of the original. The historical period is quite interesting, so it's a real shame the game got panned. We're talking time between Ivan IV dying and Mikhail Romanov getting crowned (thus starting the now notorious Romanov dynasty). Strange times. Polish invaders, false kings, boyars scheming. And technologically too, it's early XVII century - gunpowder ahoy, but still plenty of cold weapons, bows and whatnot
It's a really interesting time period, and it's such a shame that the game turned out to be an utter garbage.