Hard to believe it’s been a year since I bored you with my adventures as the Gaming Grandma. But I’ve been too busy gaming to bother writing about it for the two or three readers who might be interested. I mean, who wants to watch the news these days? So I’ve been gaming like crazy.

Last fall I played a lot of Destiny 2. My son, grandson, and I had been big fans of Destiny, but D2 wasn’t and isn’t nearly as good, and for a number of reasons we eventually drifted away from it. I also played Overwatch because my son and both grandkids played it. (Via Xbox, we can play together from our respective homes.) I returned to Destiny 2 when the Osiris expansion launched, but it was a huge disappointment and I soon abandoned it. And some time last fall and winter I also played Battlefield 1.

Early this year I finally started Assassin’s Creed: Origins and loved it. It’s set in ancient Egypt, and the rendering is beautiful. Supposedly the details are carefully researched and historically accurate. In any case, I really enjoyed roaming all over Egypt through both the main game and the two expansions. Video games have gotten so realistic that playing some of them is like being in another world.

I liked AC:O so much that when it ended, I went back and started again. But that was just to tide me over until Far Cry 5 released at the end of March. The Far Cry series has been one of my favorites for many years and I couldn’t wait to get into it again. This time it was set in the mountains of Montana and was eye-poppingly beautiful and realistic. I spent many hours just roaming around enjoying the mountains. I could hunt or fish, fight bad guys and wild animals, climb a mountain, or just hike along remote trails to see where they went. There were no horses to ride but I had a wide variety of ATVs, SUVs, trucks, cars, and boats. Plus, for the first time in any game, I mastered flying both planes and helicopters. No matter the task at hand, the Montana environment was absolutely delicious, and I returned often just to be there. (I can only imagine the immersion with a giant screen and surround sound.) And to add to the fun, I had AI pets and human companions to help me. I’m a sucker for any game that gives me pets. (Oh yes, AC:O had a pet, too.)

I beat both Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, although my grandson had to get me though one sequence in Far Cry. I played all the rest myself, including the final fight. For now I’m back to Destiny 2, which has just released another expansion. I don’t expect to be at it for long, however, and don’t know what I’ll tackle next. I recently bought Firewatch on sale, so maybe I’ll try that. It’s going to be a long summer while I wait for Red Dead Redemption 2, Fallout 76, and Battlefield V to release in the fall.

Except for the added music, this is the beauty of Far Cry 5. Go to full screen view and click anywhere in the video to enjoy (my original video disappeared, but this one is very good too):

Of course if you actually play the game, there will be blood. Lots of blood. These games are called “shooters” for a reason.