We know that the lion’s share of your (and ours) plans for the summer that is just now gone wrong. But our editors, even grounded, found interesting ways to spend their holidays. Some have gone into well-known worlds, others have opted for entirely new adventures. You can follow in their footsteps without leaving your home!
Tourist journeys in the Assassin’s Creed series
One of Ubisoft’s most popular brands seems to have as many supporters as opponents. In fact, it must be admitted that for over a decade, the sandbox formula of hooded assassins fighting the ubiquitous Templars has been heavily exploited. Nevertheless, I believe that this cycle works very well as a holiday time-relaxer. The main advantage is a very interesting selection of settings. Individual versions of Assassin’s Creedthey take players to completely different, but equally authentic regions, and the action takes place over many centuries. Combined with an extremely faithful, detailed mapping of historical locations and the possibility of free movement (also around buildings), it gives recipients the opportunity to practice virtual tourism, unprecedented in other action games. Over the years, we had the opportunity to visit, among others Renaissance Italy, Ancient Egypt, Revolutionary Paris or North America during the Revolutionary War.
In addition, in most games, the creators skillfully combine an adventure story referring to conspiracy theories with real events and characters. As a result, the series is also filled with historical curiosities. The last two parts – Origin s and Odyssey – even received dedicated “educational” modes designed for peaceful exploration of the world. The Assassin’s Creed series is also characterized by a very pleasant gameplay core. Stealing stealthily and stealthily eliminating enemies gives satisfaction, and the newer versions, focusing on RPG elements, have significantly improved direct combat. The games have a very low entry threshold and should not be a problem even for occasional players and looking for simple entertainment for a holiday evening. –Krzysztof Olszamowski
Binge-watching Doktora Who
This year I am not in danger of going on vacation, so I planned my vacation a bit differently. I decided to refresh myself all the “new” series of the cult science-fiction series from the BBC. The title character is a Time Lord from Gallifrey, who travels with his companions TARDIS (a spaceship with a broken masking system, imitating a blue police booth) in time and space. “Recently” on his way he met, among others historical figures such as: Dickens, Van Gogh, Agata Christie, Robin Hood (the Doctor did not believe in his existence) or Shakespeare, and also influenced the fate of the universe and the Earth (he had his fingers in the Titanic catastrophe and destroyed Pompeii, among others).
His greatest enemies are sinister pepper shakers – the Daleks – with their phenomenal lyrics: “Exterminate”, Crying Angels (“Don’t blink!”) Or kitschy robots – Cybermen. In the series we also meet many other alien races, most often reluctant to the main character. The series delights with its phenomenal atmosphere, genre diversity (episodes in the style of horror movies, thiller, sci-fi, adventures or even… sensations!), Creativity, a positive message and encourages tolerance in the broad sense. I would like to offer you all this in the form of binge-watching – 12 seasons, 150 episodes, approx. 68 hours. And if that’s still not enough, the production has even more episodes and over 50 years … Good luck! – Mateusz Michałek
Marathon of Neil Gaiman’s Creativity
This year’s holiday season is not very conducive to traveling far away and getting to know other worlds, different from our everyday life. Fortunately, books extend a helping hand to us, thanks to which we can forget about events in the country and in the world, even for a few moments. The worlds that we visit in them are able to provide more experiences than a simple trip to the sea or to the mountains. My idea for an alternative fantasy holiday is the Neil Gaiman book marathon.
I’ve got to know Gaiman’s work well. However, it’s been a good few years, so I decided that it is worth refreshing this knowledge, especially since the latest editions are asking to be reached for them. After reading just two books ( Coraline and Ocean at the End of the Road), I already know that it will be a very pleasant marathon. Neil Gaiman is called one of his generation’s greatest freaks for a reason. His work proves that in fantasy novels, real magic can be found even in the most mundane things, such as discarded packaging or a castle in ruins. It does not matter if it is a fairy tale for children or a book for a more mature reader. Each of them allows the reader to look at our world a bit differently. It is beautiful, and it can also be scary, but ultimately also more human. I encourage you to go on trips around the worlds of Neil Gaiman created thanks to the amazing imagination. Who knows, they may turn out to be better than another trip to Italy or Spain. – Paweł Grzelczyk
Head in the clouds and nose in the books
What fantastic can be actually done in the current situation? When is there really very little you can do at all? As it turns out, quite a lot – also in solitude or in the privacy of a home. Currently, as befits the Polish summer, the weather changes quite dynamically. However, when it’s hard to find RPG meetings, LARPs or other activities, the foundations of fantasy remain – books. I recommend that every fan of fantasy is light a candle, sit down in the afternoon, evening or even at night on a balcony or with an open window in such dynamic weather.
Reading to the rhythm of the pounding rain, in the light of lightning and during the purring of thunder, provides an amazing experience, allows you to understand reading in completely new ways. It gives a much more intense “feeling”: it incredibly deepens the atmosphere and allows you to fully immerse yourself in the events. To absorb the text even better, you can also prepare something to drink, also with voltage. As a result, we provide ourselves with an unprecedented experience – reading with an interesting accompaniment of the sounds of nature. Before setting off on your way to the balcony, I recommend that you gather your team in the form of household members and invite them to read together! – Wojciech Chmiel
What books to read? Thick!
During the summer holidays, I always plan to read REALLY THICK BOOKS. It means that I forget that I haven’t been to any school anymore for a good few years and I don’t have any more time. But summer obliges, so this time I went on a tour of Arrakis again. I read Duuna with our book club We read in the Tavern (you can find us on FB). We end this trip in August, but we will not forbid anyone from staying on the desert planet – it’s a multi-volume series, after all. Besides, we will choose a new book for the next month, which means further literary adventures and explorations.
I always read several books at once, in paper, in an e-book, sometimes I reach for audiobooks. This time, apart from the journey in the footsteps of Paul Atryda, I will definitely spend some time in Poland, but an alternative one – in Thorn from Aneta Jadowska’s hexalogy .
Why THICK BOOKS? Because they allow everyday life abroad to stay longer. At the same time, they encourage people to read more than half an hour a day before going to bed or on the tram. You need to find time and a convenient place for them. It’s almost like a trip!
When it comes to real trips, of the most fantastic ones, I plan to volunteer at Literackie Sopot, my beloved festival of books. Beach, talks with writers and writing, Canadian literature and a book fair at the Baltic seaside resort. Doesn’t sound like a fairy tale?
If Sopot is not on your way, but Canada interests you the most, go to the world of the Sylvain Neuvel trilogy, The Temida Archives . It begins with Sleeping Giants and tells the story of a scientist finding a large female hand made of an unusual material, and then she managed to complete the entire robot. The novel takes the original form of a collection of interviews, notes and documents describing the history of the extraterrestrial mecha research project. It is worth immersing yourself in the original audiobooks, they are well played and guarantee a long journey with full immersion. – Agnieszka Czoska
Exploring and photographing Cushima from Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima is probably one of the last such extensive productions on Playstation 4. The epic story is based around the Mongol invasion of the 13th-century (though strongly anachronistic) Japan, and we play the role of Jin Sakai – a samurai who miraculously survives the battle, to become an avenger combining the features of the heroes of the Assassin’s Creed series , Robin Hood, Geralt of Rivia and Batman. In addition to the main storyline related to the protagonist and his uncle, there are a lot of side quests waiting for us, a lot of hidden “collectibles” to find, as well as a wonderful-looking open world.
Zwiedzanie Cuszimy (niezależnie od opowieści) i poszukiwanie kolejnych estetycznych elementów rynsztunku Jina jest fantastyczną rozrywką na wiele godzin, szczególnie że Ghost of Tsushima daje nam do dyspozycji wyjątkowo rozbudowany tryb fotograficzny, który pozwala nam między innymi manipulować pogodą, animowanymi liśćmi lecącymi z drzew i emocjami malującymi się na twarzy głównego bohatera. Dzięki temu możemy zachować sobie wiele kapitalnych widokówek z wakacji w świecie gry. – Damian „Nox” Lesicki
For movie arrears – Scrabble!
For years I have been struggling with the feeling that although I have seen many films in my life, many classics or cult or must-see productions have still been missed by me. And so, it was only a year ago that I watched Men in Black , Studio Ghibli is just Spirited Away for me , and I remembered about Dark Phoenix , criticized everywhere, from time to time, although X-Men are my beloved movies (whatever they are). Fortunately, summer in a pandemic is a time of no trips and no longer than necessary to sit at home, and this helps to catch up with the film. But how do you deal with them when the evening comes, a pile of DVDs piles on the windowsill, and streaming platforms offer millions of productions old and new?
Our – mine and my newly minted husband’s – way to make it easier for you to choose films to watch comes to the rescue. All you need is Scrabble. Pour the entire alphabet into the bag (you can put the rest of the cubes back in the box) and draw a letter. It will narrow down your selection – you are looking for all the productions you have that start with this letter and choose the one you want the most. In some cases it will be a choice between two films, in others between several dozen. The letter does not return to the bag, it lands in the box, the selected movie is watched and, if necessary, another tile is drawn at random or for the next day. The (unrealistic) goal is to get rid of and see everything we have in our “collections”.
Polecam do woreczka dodać wszystkie polskie literki, jak „Ć” czy „Ś”. My w ten sposób trafiliśmy na stary, kultowy film Święci z Bostonu. Oprócz tego udało nam się obejrzeć nie tak popularny, ale wciągający film ze Studia Ghibli Szum morza, na który na pewno byśmy się nie zdecydowali, gdyby nie wyciągnięta z woreczka literka „S”… Trafiło także na ceniony Labirynt Fauna oraz mniej uznaną Mroczną wieżę. Jeśli tylko nasze planszówkowo-filmowe zabawy nie skończą się jak w Wieczorze gier, to wszystko będzie w porządku. Jak wylosujecie „W”, być może dowiecie się, o co chodzi. – Marta Winzer
Let’s play good old RPG
I personally play RPG regardless of the season. For some time, however, the holiday period has been a time when I get to know completely new systems. My two teams (one is a Game Master and the other a player) play Dungeons & Dragons the most . However, when summer comes, vacation trips also begin. As no one wants to lose too much, we suspend the sessions and wait until September or even October. However, it is known that some leave, others come back, and it is worth using your free time, which is why we are testing other role-playing games. This is how I got to know, among others Savage Worlds , Mutant Chronicles , Agonia and Slavs. It is certainly a good alternative not to get out of the rhythm, not to get bored, and check how we will cope in other worlds.
Playing RPG is also a great choice for people who have never dealt with this kind of fun and would like to try. The vacation period is mostly holidays and more free time. So there is an opportunity to see what role-playing games are. In many cities, not only mini-meetings are organized, but also entire conventions, which provide the opportunity to play the first session in your life. 2020 isn’t particularly good for socializing – but nothing is lost. Well, you can always play online! And I’m not talking about a World of Warcraft- style MMORPG or even a cRPG like Baldur’s Gatebut about classic gameplay. Thanks to programs such as Roll20 or Tabletop Simulator and a voice communicator (eg Teamspeak or Discord) you can virtually meet your friends living and closer and further, and play the adventure. You have a chance to join the group and meet new people, and have a great time at the same time. So there are many options. I recommend you try it! – Piotr Markiewicz