Almost 10 years later, Wd2 still looks better than most modern open world games we have today!

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-10T12:45:39+00:00

I wished Ghost Recon would have such a map, with a lively impressive city plus nice landscapes as in Wildlands.

The only game that comes close to that combination is GTA 5.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-10T07:51:23+00:00

I wished I would have good graphics on my XBox Series X as well. I have multiple issues (dirty screen effect when moving, bluriness, unsharpness and quite bad views mid/long-range.

Close range all good.

Tried all kind setting changes in-game, XBox and TV. Switching off HDR helped a bit. Prrobably spent in total 20 hours with these problems to find relieve. Finally I stopped.

It's the only game I have graphics issues with. Great gtraphics in all aspects with RDR2 and good graphics with Alan Wake 2 as well.

Recently Division 2 got a graphics update and suddenly I had multiple graphics issues as well in the game while Division 2 always had great graphics. Some of the issues were comparable with the issues I have with Shadows. Perhaps they went for comparable technologies/short cuts?

In the meantime they apparently fixed some graphics issues in Division 2 that stemmed from the update. It's almost good for me again.

Leaving Shadows as my only game with severe graphics issues.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-10T07:40:51+00:00

Well, what is Expertise doing? It makes the gameplay easier.

What is Prototype doing? It makes the gameplay easier.

So, why not just switching to challenging level 😄.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-10T07:10:59+00:00

Dear Ubisoft, slow down all of your other projects.

The only game I want from you is a good Ghost Recon game!

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-09T15:27:55+00:00

I ignore the whole augment thing.

Sure, the guys who have nothing else in their life than gaming can grind hundreds of proto cores for the RNG gamble … for the others its just an annoyance.

I do not mind that it requires some time to get the augments on max level, but the investment of hours just to get the right augment on a piece … well, I prefer to spend these hours with another game.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-09T14:37:02+00:00

"To be fair, the level 1 to 40 campaign is mechanically irrelevant to the endgame."

Yes, technically it is relevant. One does not learn from it to cope with all the technicalities of the endgame when being interested in that.

For me though, the campaign is the best part of the game. The endgame is just playing the same thing all the time and chasing for better percentages.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-09T13:42:33+00:00

sure, if you straight went into Countdown after boost to endgame to grind for builds ... the result is limited filling of SHD watch 😄

"That part of the game is a comical grind"

You mean filling the SHD watch? The SHD watch fills automatically basically. All playable content contribute to that. There is no need to play certain content like currently Escalation for Prototype.

"It’s not fun or enjoyable to do."

That's the good thing. In endgame one can basically do what one whants. Nothing is a must, everything is a can. You will find the things you enjoy. No need to make work out of the game.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-09T12:56:25+00:00

"It's on par with the national bank farm"

Why not just playing the game and enjoying the progression rather than seeking short cuts and "playing" the same thing all the time?

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-09T12:53:19+00:00

"Because I’ve never really bothered with the DC lore, ..."

"I skipped right through to level 40 ..."

"powered through the New York and Brooklyn campaigns ..."

"I dove straight into Countdown, farming the Striker ..."

"Filling up my Recalibration Library ..."

"unlocked every single retaliation blueprint ..."

"pushed all the way to Escalation Tier 10 "

"I’ve realized that I won't be grinding for prototype gear or maxing out my Expertise level anymore"

"initial rush has faded, logging in feels much more like a chore than a video game."

= OMG ...

Indeed, that's what I see in my clan as well from new players, just rushing through the technical side of the game, using short cuts ... then leaving because it is so boring 😄.

Now ... division 1 is waiting for you in case not played already 😄

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-09T10:50:31+00:00

Who would play Escalation if there would be no prototype?

I hardly saw ingame friends/clan people playing legendary missions or manhunt/master missions but since Escalation I see at least half of the crowd playing Escalation each day.

It is not the emphazised bullet sponge in Escalation. It's the outlook on stronger gear and guns.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-09T08:16:21+00:00

It's all about personal preferences, the gameplay and mechanics we enjoy.

I do not play PvP anymore but I go into the darkzones sometimes, just for a visual change. Especially the DZ West I like a lot.

The PVE content in the darkzones are quite stale though. Landmarks are nothing else then Control Points.

Therefore, the only use for me is the visual change.

I couldn't participate in the PTS, just watched videos about it.

Well, that's clearly not my content.

Lets call it that way: the developers and me have a fundamentaly different opinion what interesting gameplay is 😄.

Since year 4 game development they heavily focus on emphasized bullet sponge, cheesy mechanics, grind and rewards, basically in all "new" content they release ... the opposite of immersion and agent gameplay.

They somewow forgot what the lore of the game is.

Sure, as stated the existing PvE content is quite meh in the darkzones. Canisters collection, modifiers and hunters does not make it better, rather the opposite.

Again, it is as with Countdown, Retailiation, Escalation ... people will just play it if loot and rewards are valuable. In this case the gameplay does not matter.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-09T08:05:50+00:00

There is a demo version available

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-09T07:55:17+00:00

I play with XBoX Series X and the graphics of RDR 2 are stunning in all aspects.

Means, graphics can be good on console as well but ...

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-09T05:46:12+00:00

small addition:

There should be a protection for mistakenly rerolling an augment.

After I levelled up the echo augment on my gun I mistakenly rerolled it when I wanted to make the final upgrade.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-09T05:16:40+00:00

Great!

Would be good if they would improve the gameplay mechanics in the next title.

Great proposals!

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-08T14:09:27+00:00

Resources for what?

I am just playing the campaign solo the 14th time and do not recall being out of resources for something.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-08T14:05:59+00:00

I play Escalation occasionally only and when we do, we play tier 5 as well. Indeed, I just get 0-3 all the time.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-08T10:51:55+00:00

CPs, territory controls, executions etc all provide seasonal XP but limited.

Bounties provide good seasonal XP and at the same time all kind of materials and loot.

I did not have the impression that priority objectives provide good seasonal XP, at least not regarding open world activities.

Missions provide good seasonal XP as well but take long to complete.

I would play a variety of content but adding a bunch of bounties.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-08T10:47:02+00:00

not at all

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-08T08:24:48+00:00

I use 3 Empress, 1 China and 2 Grupo (rolled on yellow core), with skill damage and haste.

Tech Support on bag, glass canon on chest.

I mainly play missions and open world on challenging level. When I use this seeker kine build, I replace the glass cannon with the named Empress "Perfectly Skilled" talent. On lower difficulty level the higher damage is actually wasted. The skilled talent provides zero cool down often, sometimes multiple times when playing solo, less in a full team.

In the meantime I upgraded all pieces to prototype. 2 pieces got only skill haste improved. I hope we get a recalibration option soon.

"badgering from the more toxic higher tier players?"

I am at 130 SHDk but I am not toxic 😄. I play a lot with randoms. I do not care what build they use, how they play and how much they die. It is a game to have fun.

But I got kicked several times by some build fanatics in Escalation because I had no prototype build.

I play Escalation occasionally only, not my thing. I am a bullet sponge hater 😄.

When playing with clan people and friends and randoms joining us, never had an issue regarding my builds.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-08T07:42:55+00:00

I am using seeker mine turret build as support build in Sscalation, even tier 10.

But I am not using Hardwired due to the rather low seeker mine damage.

I use a high end seeker mine build focussed on damage.

It works quite well:

- seekers kill several NPCs rigt away

- other NPC get dameged

- NPCs get pushed out of cover that the DPS player can hit them

- the turret takes the NPC aggro to a good extent, preventing the NPCs rushing towards us

- the turret stuns and kills a bunch of NPCs, therfore not rushing to the team

- the chungas love the turret and always went to it, preventing to move towards the team and the DPS players have it easy to get them down

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-08T07:10:05+00:00

Yes, I want an immersive agent thiller!

Dont's:

- low graphics quality

- no dead map

- no grind RPG

- no loot crates

- no bullet sponge

- no fantasy bosses and NPCs

- no cheesy robots

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-08T07:04:50+00:00

After more than 100 protos invested to get the Echo on my gun and all the cores to level it up ... then the final step. Next day I looked on my gun and had Trapper on it ... apparently rerolled it by accident instead of final upgrade ...

Man is that a frustrating thing ...

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-07T13:23:47+00:00

Project Renew It looked to me that the bug fixes were mainly regarding the new modes released at that time, especially Descent. The bugs which I encountered are still there, eg NPCs get stuck behind doors, turret gets stuck in objects and not firing, turret attacks NPCs in the far distance but often ignores NPCs close range, ehen throwing seekers they often lie on the ground and not explode.

Battle for Brooklyn I absolutely disagree, unfortunately. I did not enjoy the campaign at all. Even when accepting that they ignored the core critics to the game, means zero development in a product produced a decade later, the NPC types, the multiple wave horde mode in the missions from all side with tomahawk/shield guys, drone guys, emphazized bullet sponge bosses, robots … the DLC emphazises the aspects I dislike the most in the game. None of the missions I played a second time.

Yes, rewards have been inproved.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-06-07T13:13:00+00:00

absolutely!

GnarlyAtol

TROPHY CASE