In the immersive world of Pacific Drive, players find themselves forging a bond with their vehicles reminiscent of those tumultuous relationships often experienced in one’s twenties. The sentiment of “I can fix them” resonates deeply, yet in this case, the object of affection is a car rather than a wayward partner. Each journey into the enigmatic Zone becomes an opportunity for repair and enhancement, with the occasional quirk—like that peculiar noise when the driver’s side door is slammed—adding a unique character to the vehicle. As the clock ticks down, the temptation to embark on another adventure often battles with the reality of time constraints.
Gripes Week
This week, we delve into our collective grievances surrounding gaming and computing in 2025. The Gripes Week hub serves as a platform to voice what’s been bothering us in the industry.
Pacific Drive has recently introduced a more user-friendly save system, a welcome change for many. However, for those who have already moved on, like myself, it feels a bit too late. The uninstall button was pressed, and with it, much of the narrative faded from memory. Perhaps one day, I might revisit it.
A similar fate befell the System Shock remake, which offered a plethora of difficulty settings, allowing players to adjust combat while simplifying navigation. My recollections of the original game are marred by frustration over getting lost, so I opted for the easy waypoint system—only to discover that it was absent from the launch version. This oversight from Nightdive proved to be a significant setback. After a brief hiatus from the game, I found myself lost once again, struggling to recall my objectives, which ultimately stalled my progress.
Fortunately, by 2024, the System Shock remake received an update that included a functioning waypoint system, along with other enhancements. Yet, once again, it arrived too late for me to benefit.
While bug fixes are a common occurrence, many games now also receive substantial quality-of-life updates post-launch. For instance, Blue Prince has implemented changes that allow certain doors and safes to remain open after their puzzles have been solved, eliminating the need for repetitive tasks in subsequent playthroughs. Meanwhile, Promise Mascot Agency is set to introduce a thrilling rail-grind feature for trucks. It seems that every Owlcat game becomes significantly more refined about a year after I complete it.
It’s heartening to see titles like Pathfinder: Kingmaker eventually incorporate an optional turn-based combat mode, or Disco Elysium receiving full voice acting, as these updates provide a fresh reason to revisit beloved games. However, the frequency of these enhancements presents a challenge; I simply cannot afford to replay every game twice. While waiting for updates might be a viable option, my inclination is to engage with new releases to feel part of the ongoing conversation.
If it weren’t for our current airing of grievances, I might not have raised this issue. It’s not that I oppose developers improving their games for free—such gestures are commendable. Yet, I can’t help but wish for a bit of coordination to prevent these enhancements from arriving just after I’ve uninstalled the game and wiped its plot and controls from my memory.
