Opinion Archives - Click Press Play

60 Hz is quite alright for gaming (yes, really)

September 25, 2023 by Max

60 Hz might be good enough for you if:

You’re a casual fan (you play a few hours a week at most)
You aren’t deeply invested in competitive multiplayer
You’re just getting into gaming
High refresh rate displays are outside your budget (FOMO be damned)

Jumping into Modern Warfare II at 120 FPS for the first time was an absolutely wild experience. I felt in control in a way I never had before. In fact, it felt like I was never really in control playing games like Call of Duty or Halo Infinite when playing at 60 FPS prior. In some ways, it was more game changing than other huge tech advancements I had experienced in the past – moving Windows to an SSD or experiencing high definition for the first time.

Forza Motorsport’s career mode looks matured (if a little sterile)

June 14, 2023 by Max

You’re either someone who lives for shaving off milliseconds on lap times in racer’s like Forza Motorsport, or you’re bored to tears by the thought of playing anything that approaches a simulator. It seems like most people fall into the second category these days, and Microsoft definitely read the room with their recent Xbox Showcase.

What will Mobius Digital do next?

January 3, 2023 by Max

Overlook of Outer Wilds starting location

Outer Wilds was an experience that cultivated wanting more. It was the special type of game where I had landed on something that was so refreshing compared to the modern landscape. Mobius Digital’s standout release was emotional in the sincerest way, and I think many others found and valued this in what it offered.

It’s still quite fresh in my mind, and I want to allow myself a little more time before venturing into Echoes of the Eye. I’ve read nothing but good things upon doing the usual scouring of reception and thoughts of others on Reddit and elsewhere after beating the main release. But I can’t help but wonder – what will Mobius Digital’s next game be?

Fallout 76 is the pinnacle of atmospheric design

January 8, 2023November 5, 2021 by Max

Half baked and thoroughly puzzling – I like many others was confused by the initial release of Fallout 76. From the outside looking in it seemed to run the gamut of all issues associated with a GaaS title released a tad too soon. Unsurprisingly, it received a mountain of backlash.

Over time, my curiosity in what Bethesda Games Studios had developed started to overtake Fallout 76’s initial blunder. Recently, nearly 3 years after its release, I decided to take the plunge. Part of me wanted to see if things had remained truly horrendous and the other part of me wondered if a steady stream of updates had brought Fallout 76 to the surface.

What I’ve found after 20 some odd hours of playtime is that while it certainly lacks qualities found in traditional Fallout games, its level of atmosphere is far and away above anything I would have expected. Fallout 76’s rendition of West Virginia might even be one of my favorite examples of open world atmosphere.

Halo Infinite’s campaign looks modern in the best way possible

October 27, 2021 by Max

Halo has always had a certain flavor to the hype behind it. Most notable for me was the run up to Halo 3. Bungie enveloped my teenage mind with visions of expansive sci-fi settings and the ways in which I’d get lost in its multiplayer. Halo 3’s marketing was simply something to be felt. In many ways, it was also the peak of the Halo hype machine.

Each release of Halo has left its mark on my gaming career, but it’s also become murkier ever since the release of Halo Reach. I had my fill of over 100 hours with Bungie’s last hoorah, but 343’s entries never truly got their hooks in me. I didn’t feel the connection with my gut that earlier titles provided. Punctuated by the latest release of Halo Infinite’s campaign overview, this lapse in loyalty seems to finally be coming to an end. For the first time in years, it feels fantastic to be invested in the Halo franchise.

Xbox Series X|S performance boosts are a clean slate for gaming

November 8, 2021October 9, 2021 by Max

The authenticity and fidelity of Red Dead Redemption 2 blew me away on the PS4. I had never experienced anything quite like it. Interwoven systems, emergent gameplay, idyllic landscapes – it felt like next-generation gaming had come a little early. But going back to it now, after buying an Xbox Series X, puts into perspective something that was sorely lacking at times on the PS4 and Xbox One – performance.

Microsoft’s newest console has been an utter treat in this department. Games new and old are performant and look incredible. This standard was touched on with the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, but not nearly to the extent that the Xbox Series X|S have cleaned up performance.

Not all games have gotten the next-gen treatment. But by and large I’ve never had as great of a time diving into a back catalog as I have with my Xbox Series X. New titles have only upped the ante of performance and visuals.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is undeniably authentic (screenshots)

October 13, 2021October 6, 2021 by Max

Where Skyrim brings fantastical mood, Red Dead Redemption 2 delivers a true to life, organic open world. Nearly two years since release, RDR2’s lived in setting is still yet to be matched.

And much like Bethesda’s pension for creating immersive worlds, it’s unlikely Rockstar will be topped for a long time. I beat the story for RDR2 over a year ago, but it’s still a game I come back to time and time again for its rich systems and authentic natural setting. As someone who loves hiking, Red Dead Redemption 2 is about as good as it gets.

On the appeal of monotony in American Truck Simulator

December 23, 2020 by Max

As much as gaming has become homogenized over the last decade, there are just as many head scratchers waiting to be explored. Games that, when put under a microscope, offer no obvious point of appeal.

The simulator genre leads the pack of pointlessness, mostly relegated to PC, and never fails to flip the conventions of AAA gaming on its head.

Two prime examples of this can be found in the efforts of SCS Software, a European developer responsible for both Euro Truck Simulator and American Truck Simulator.

I’ve personally had a casual curiosity for the series but as someone that’s traditionally stuck with consoles I never took the plunge. This changed when I picked up a budget gaming laptop (Acer Nitro 5) roughly 2 years ago.

Thanks to the latest autumn sale on Steam, I’ve taken to roads of American Truck Simulator in hopes of finding a new genre to enjoy. What I’ve found is that a loose construct of progression is all that’s needed to push the droning relaxation of the experience.

The Video Game Streaming Wars Have Begun

March 25, 2019 by Max

The massive increase in engagement across music, movies, and TV shows all have one thing in common – convenience. From CDs to MP3s, Walkmans to iPods, and dial up to broadband access, music is now with us always – on demand via streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. A similar story exists … Read more

The Xbox Division’s Path of Promise

December 31, 2018July 30, 2018 by Max

The seventh generation of video game consoles was marked by grit, the breakout of online multiplayer, and standout new IP’s like Bioshock and Mass Effect. The Xbox 360 and PS3 years were also a reminder of the importance of endings in the context of growth and innovation within an industry.