2024 in Review
Favorite Games
I never thought a Dragon Age game would make my list of top games, let alone my number one game of the year. The previous entries started out good, but wore out their welcome well before I was at the end. But Veilguard was incredible from beginning to end, with almost every aspect of the game enjoyable. The story might have been a little rushed towards the end, but those final missions were a blast. It also proved to be a great testing ground for expanding on how I saw my character of Korwen, as Rook's default personality fits well with how I imagined her.
Diablo IV was one of my top games last year, and its expansion this year holds it in place. Vessel of Hatred is a great addition to the game, adding a new region to the game that includes the area of Kurast and Travincal last seen in Diablo II. There's something about Diablo IV that keeps me coming back every season, and I do not see that stopping anytime soon.
Dragon's Dogma 2 was another game that I did not expect to love as much as I did. Everything about the game appealed to me. From both your main character and your companion throughout the journey (Aethmal and Seralin made an extraordinary team) to the focus on exploration without quick travel, everything in the game clicked with me. I unfortunately did not get to spend as much time with the post-game adventure as I would like, but it is something I plan to go back and experience all over again soon.
What more is there to say about World of Warcraft that I haven't said previously? The game has been a part of my life for 20 years now, and the latest expansion adds more of what I love to the game. Blizzard has had some ups and downs over the years with the game, but right now, it is at peak enjoyment for me. It is hard to imagine the game not being a part of my life for the foreseeable future.
Favorite Albums
- Deadtime Stories, by Lovelorn Dolls
- Essential Mixtape, by Merely & Malibu
- From Zero, by Linkin Park
- I Am, by Pain
- Spaceport, by Martin Stürtzer
- The Greatest Love, by London Grammar
- Under a Timeless Spell, by Diary of Dreams
- World of Warcraft: The War Within, by Blizzard
A Change Is Gonna Come
2024 has been the calm before the storm that next year will be for my life.
Next year, I will become a parent for the first time. It's hard to describe. I feel both ready for it, but also woefully underprepared at the same time. I already treasure the guidance my friends have provided me so far, and I apologize to them in advance as I inevitably have all those first-time parent worries and freak-outs.
As if that would not be challenging enough, I will be starting graduate school next year, working towards a Master's in computer engineering. These last few years as an undergrad have been incredible, and I know the best is yet to come. I have a year to decide what direction to take my embedded systems focus. My first trek through graduate school was fun. But as I studied a social science, it was all about reading a lot of journal articles and writing papers every week. I look forward to what should be a more hands-on course load.
All of this is to say nothing of all the other changes the world will be going through next year...
updated: 2025-06-27