If I tried it again in the right mood, I might get more sucked in. But as I mentioned in another comment, contemporary crime stories dont interest me much.

For this reason Vice City is the only GTA I am tempted to replay. Its just a vibes machine.

A pretty standard list of open world RPGs from the last 20 years really:

Morrowind (predates VC and SA of course but I will still count it,) Oblivion, Fallout 3, New Vegas, Skyrim, Fallout 4, Witcher 3, No Mans Sky, Cyberpunk 2077, Valheim, Starfield (maybe not as much, but I got my fun out of it,) Baldurs Gate 3,

I’m obviously a sucker for bugthesda style exploration and loot hoarding. I’m less interested in driving vehicles around I guess comparing that list to GTA. I also like RPG elements, heavy lore, and if lacking in lore, I enjoy creative outlets like in NMS and Valheim.

Edit: Also, to be more specific. I know GTA games have alot of story going on that people love. Not saying its bad. I’m just not that interested in contemporary crime stories. I’m not into crime movies or tv all that much either.

I played Vice City and San Andreas when they first came out and I was a teenager. At the time they appealed to me as just a big open world to explore and cause mayhem in. There wasn’t really much like it at the time. The story wasn’t all that interesting to me.

I got GTA5 for free from Epic games years after it came out, and played about 30 minutes before I got bored.

I’ve been spoiled by so many other open world game options that GTA just doesn’t do much for me anymore. I like to have a more interesting environment, or story.

“Listen kids, if she looks dirty. Be sure to double bag that shit.”

I appreciate the thorough replies from both you and @OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml

I guess the gist is that on paper the Kims are not the absolute ruling family in the DPRK. It just seems that way from the outside due to the veneration they have among their people. Every western power really does seem to think Kim Jong Un is fully the head of state there. So its hard to not think the truth is somewhere in between.

Even if they really are legitimately elected. The whole concept of a family lineage of power makes me uncomfortable. I feel the same way about the Kennedys, Bushs, Clintons, etc.

I’m willing to be open minded that a lot of shit I have heard about the DPRK is tainted by, or is straight up western propaganda. But is the hereditary dictatorship (essentially an absolute monarchy) in the DPRK one of the “some problems?”

Or is there a .ML justification for it? It really seems like a major problem that is incompatible with the goals and ideals of communism to me.

It did at least get a whole 8 episode season.

New Amsterdam (2008) NYC detective who is secretly immortal and has lived there since he was an original dutch colonizer. Flashbacks to historical events and his numerous past careers help him solve crimes.

First thing that stands out is the lighting. He appears to be lit by a studio soft box but the rest of the room isn’t. A lot of AI “photos” do this.

Second is the texture of the face has a plasticky appearance of AI smoothing. His eyes are also blurry in a way that doesn’t make sense with the wide depth of field in the image.

It is otherwise pretty convincing. Its possible that its simply been run through some sort of AI enhancement filter, rather than being completely generated. Possibly an original selfie that someone prompted to generate an ape costume onto.

Unless you live somewhere with unsafe drinking water. Bottled water is an expensive, wasteful, polluting scam.

Cancer? From monitors? Is that a thing people believe? Do they think “the 5G comes from all them screens” ?