My gaming time in November was almost entirely taken up by New World and Overwatch.

Contrary to how many have reacted, the knowledge that it might all go away soon lit a fire under me to dive deep into New World in a way I haven’t in at least a year. I’ve now got all my gear sets for both max level characters more or less “finished.” Not full best in slot per se, but at least full “good enough in slot.” I could — and very well may — still do more upgrading with umbrals. My most used sets are at around 790, but others are hovering in the 740-770 range.

I’ve also been ticking things off my New World bucket list. I’ve spent a lot of the last couple days filling out my lore collection. It’s sent me back to a bunch of lower level zones I haven’t been to in a while and just been a lovely experience all around.

It’s a shame a bigger fandom never formed around New World’s lore. I realize the main story tends to be merely adequate, but when you step off the beaten path and start reading all the lore notes, you find some truly excellent writing. I feel like almost no one even bothered with these things, but they’re truly one of the best parts of the game.

Also, if you’ve never read the flavour text when you hover over locations on the map, start. Especially where Nighthaven is concerned. It takes real talent to make such tiny blocks of text so evocative. Again, I bet most people never notice these at all, and that’s a crying shame.

I also went through the process of getting all 100 Memory Fragments, a new collection system introduced in Nighthaven. Completing the quest for getting them all awards you with two full outfits, skins for every weapon (except daggers), thousands of gold, tens of thousands of territory standing, and multiple chromatic seals.

I used a guide. I was never going to have the patience to do it the hard way, especially when some are so far out of the way I genuinely have no idea how anyone ever found them. Even so, it wasn’t an easy process, as there’s no way in the game to track which ones you already have. The first 90 or so were easy enough, but trying to find the last few I was missing almost broke me.

The final ones were inside the elite area, and I grabbed the very last one literally seconds before being killed by the surrounding mobs. Ironically a chest run came through there very shortly after, so I guess I could have just waited, but at least I got a dramatic moment out of it.

I also did get that house in Edengrove to use up my main’s last housing slot. I struggled to figure out how I wanted to decorate it, though. I started out doing it up as the site of some sinister arcane ritual, but that felt too similar to her other houses, and it didn’t really fit the settlement’s cozy vibes. But then inspiration struck: She’s a Finn! She needs a sauna!

So as best as I could with the existing decorations, I turned the house’s single room interior into a sauna, while living areas are scattered around the porch.

I’ve warmed to Edengrove’s housing a little bit. I still think the exterior areas should be bigger and have more greenery, but there’s more space to them than it seems at first glance, and you can get some nice views from them.

Finally, I’ve been debating making another alt. Lore collecting had me feeling nostalgic for the starting zones, and I’ve only done the current version of the base game main story once. But we’ll see. I’m certainly not interested in playing another character at endgame.

When I could tear myself away from New World, I continued my journey with Overwatch Stadium. I’ve settled into a steady roster with Brigitte, Juno, and Pharah as my most played characters, roughly in that order.

I also periodically play Kiriko, Torbjorn, Reinhardt, and Hazard. I’ve dabbled with Tracer, and to my infinite shock, I’ve actually done okay-ish with her, but I’m not sure I actually enjoy playing her. My brain is not built to move that fast.

Frustratingly, I still can’t play D.Va to save my life. I’ve tried every possible build, and all I do is die. I don’t get it. Haven’t really been getting my D.Va fix from Heroes of the Storm, either, as I haven’t enjoyed it much since the big macro patch (although the recent adjustment to comeback mechanics seems to have helped a little). This is one of those moments where I really wish Overwatch hadn’t abandoned PvE, because I really enjoy this character, but I’m just not good enough to play her against other players.

Meanwhile I’m still at around a 70% win rate on Brigitte. Actually, I think it’s about 69% right now. Obligatory “nice.”

I did have an odd thought as to why Brigitte has clicked so well for me (beyond my natural predilection toward paladins): She’s a New World character.

Think about it. Right click to block with your shield, left click to attack, and three active abilities on short cooldowns. That’s a New World character. Brigitte is using much the same skills and muscle memory I’ve spent the last four years honing in New World. Reinhardt’s similar, and I’ve got a pretty absurd win rate with him, too.

I did also check out the trial for the new melee damage hero, Vendetta. With her wild aerialist mobility, she’s a bit less New World-esque, but she does still have something of a similar feel. I had an absolute blast playing her in bot games (at least until it got stale as bot games always do), probably doing better than I ever have in those before. Pretty sure that’s the first time I’ve gotten a five kill without using an ultimate (or possibly at all) in any game mode.

Mind you, a brief foray into actual PvP games put to rest any delusions of grandeur I might have been having. Perhaps I might be a competent Vendetta in Stadium with the third person camera, but she probably won’t make it to Stadium any time soon.

I do really like her playstyle, though. I appreciate that they did incorporate an element of aim into her kit with the much narrower but more powerful overhead slash that caps off her melee combo. Needing to actually aim even for melee hits is also one of the things I love most about New World’s combat.

There’s clearly a small but significant disconnect between what I enjoy in games and what I’m good at. I really enjoy the need for precise aiming; I mainly played snipers in single-player and co-op shooters, after all, and it’s one of my favourite things about New World. I’m just not good enough to manage it in a fast-paced environment like Overwatch, hence when I have to lean on characters that are melee or can rely on abilities rather than guns.

I also want to say I love how dramatic Vendetta’s voice actress is. Up there with Illari and Ramattra for the best voice acting in the game.

It will of course never happen, but between the fact her ultimate is massive overhead bash and how the Overwatch community tends to be, I really want there to be an April Fools event where they change her ultimate line to, “GO TO HORNY JAIL!”