Im Building together my new computer tomorrow and it’s pretty high end. Have been using my notebook for years previously that couldn’t even run some games because of overheating. Now Im excited to play some really cool high end graphic games again. Which games would you recommend for this? I’m only semi interested in shooters but if they are exceptionally good I might play them too. Generally I prefer strategy or role playing more.

Game Information

Game Title: Hitman 3
Platforms:

• Nintendo Switch (Jan 20, 2021)
• PlayStation 4 (Jan 20, 2021)
• Xbox One (Jan 20, 2021)
• Google Stadia (Jan 20, 2021)
• PlayStation 5 (Jan 20, 2021)
• Xbox Series X/S (Jan 20, 2021)

Trailers:

• HITMAN 3 - Launch Trailer (4K)
• HITMAN 3 - Opening Cinematic
• Introducing HITMAN 3 (Gameplay Trailer) [4K]
• HITMAN 3 - Nintendo Switch Announcement
• HITMAN 3 - The Thornbridge Mystery (England Location Reveal)
• HITMAN 3 - VR Announcement Trailer
• HITMAN 3 - The End of A Journey (Developer Insights)
• HITMAN 3 - Announcement Trailer
• HITMAN 3 - Dubai Cinematic Gameplay Trailer

Publisher: IO Interactive
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 87 average - 97% recommended - 63 reviews

Critic Reviews

33bits - Euyen Esquefa Pons - Spanish - 90 / 100

Hitman 3, more than a third installment of a video game sub-saga, is more like a third season of it. It is totally continuous and does not hide in this sense. It is true that it does not add anything substantial, but it is also true that the base it inherits is very, very good. And the new maps show the experience already acquired from the two previous games, offering us some of the best maps of the trilogy.

3DNews - Михаил Пономарев - Russian - 7 / 10

Despite the plot flaws and disappointing ending, Hitman 3 remains a fine assassin playground with a huge gameplay variety.

ACG - Jeremy Penter - Buy

While it has some inconsistencies, Hitman 3 delivers the best story the Hitman games have had, and a couple tremendous levels, as well as almost endless substantial replayability.

Ars Technica - Sam Machkovech - Unscored

A solid if unambitious expansion pack—and that should tell you whether to buy this one or catch up on Hitman 2 instead.

Atomix - Sebastian Quiroz - Spanish - 85 / 100

Hitman III is one of the first strong cards of the year. IO Interactive has given us an entertaining experience focused on experimentation and replayability that no fan of the stealth genre can miss.

Attack of the Fanboy - Diego Perez - 5 / 5 stars

Hitman 3 is the ultimate murder simulator. Now that the World of Assassination trilogy is finally complete, there's no excuse to not play Hitman. In order to truly appreciate the game's intricacies, you have to commit to replaying levels, attempting challenges, and testing out new strategies. However, if you put in the time, you'll be treated to one of the most engaging and rewarding stealth experiences in all of gaming.

COGconnected - Paul Sullivan - 92 / 100

The locations and level designs in Hitman 3 are among the best IO Interactive have built.

Checkpoint Gaming - Charlie Kelly - 9 / 10

Hitman 3 is a beautiful, wonderful and exceptionally well-made game that I’m so glad exists. IO Interactive have created something simply amazing that should be lauded for being right up there with the smartest design in the industry.

Critical Hit - Darryn Bonthuys - 8.5 / 10

Hitman 3 is full of surprises beneath its familiar systems. It manages to break out of its own sandbox without disrupting its formula too much, ending on a subtle note that brings the world of assassination saga to a satisfying end.

Cubed3 - Luke Hemming - 9 / 10

Hitman 3 succeeds in every respect by being a fantastic ending to analready great series. It's also a joy to see that IO Interactive ensured players would be able to slip right back into the shoes of a veteran killer,but didn'trest on their laurels by not offering anything new. Although the touches of permanent shortcuts and new gadgets may seem small, once implemented it's hard to imagine playing without them as they integrate seamlessly into mission stories. Add to that the same freedom to approach a hit that the series is famous for, as well as ensuring every playground looks absolutely stunning and its clear that even without good friends, Agent 47 really does find the perfect blend.

Cultured Vultures - Ashley Bates - 9 / 10

Hitman 3 takes everything good about the rebooted series and combines it with worthwhile features and levels that are more interactive than ever before to create one of the best stealth games of the last decade.

DASHGAMER.com - Dan Rizzo - 9 / 10

Hitman 3 is unequivocally IO’s magnum opus; a tour de force within the overall longstanding Hitman franchise, and its essential pick within the trilogy. [...] leads the charge in 2021 for compelling action-adventure.

Destructoid - Chris Carter - 9 / 10

Coupled with extra gadgets (some of which can be imported - though not as swimmingly on PC), Hitman 3 is really fun to dive back into; or introduce someone to for that matter, just to see what they come up with. It's the little things that add up and really make Hitman 3 special.

Digital Trends - Tom Caswell - 4 / 5 stars

A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy with the best locations in the series

DualShockers - Kris Cornelisse - 8 / 10

New levels, new targets, new graphical improvements, same Hitman taste. Hitman 3 won't be everyone's cup of tea, but the niche should be extremely satisfied.

EGM - Michael Goroff - 10 / 10

Hitman 3 is a fantastic capstone to a standout series. Yes, a lot of what you experience will seem familiar if you've played the last two games, but IO Interactive continues to take interesting risks that largely play off while still perfecting the elements that make Hitman so special. The best compliment I can pay Hitman 3 is that I want to finish writing this review so I can go back to playing it.

Eurogamer - Edwin Evans-Thirlwell - Recommended

IO's final World of Assassination game is closer to a seasonal content update than a sequel, but it's a thrilling endeavour all the same.

Everyeye.it - Giuseppe Arace - Italian - 8 / 10

Killer who kills you don't change. IO Interactive does not revolutionize its playful formula, widely gnawed in the excellent Hitman 2, and proposes it again with slight but pleasant additions also in the third and (perhaps) last chapter of the World of Assassination saga. Agent 47 returns more shrewd and lethal than ever before, within an experience that knows how to enhance the murderous instincts of gamers. All this takes the form of a stealth adventure full of possibilities, a sandbox full of ideas and alternative solutions that stimulate the variety of approaches and benefit from a level design sometimes in a state of grace. A few falls in style in the last stage, a story only of contour and a general lack of courage in a fixting some stumbles of the past episodes, such as a not-so-exciting IA and very coarse shooter phases, however, prevent Hitman 3 from taking a big step forward compared to the second act. The work therefore moves in perfect continuity with what is...

Game Informer - Jeff Cork - 9 / 10

Agent 47's journey ends on a high note, at least as far as players are concerned. New levels are memorable and cater to the freedom fans have come to expect

Game Rant - Cameron Corliss - 4.5 / 5 stars

All told, though, Hitman 3 is one of the best stealth games ever made.

Game Revolution - Michael Leri - 8.5 / 10

The bald, barcoded assassin has had many hits in his 21-year career, but even though it might be his last for quite some time, Hitman 3 is one of 47’s best executions yet.

GameByte - Sara Heritage - 9 / 10 stars

Hitman 3 feels like a love letter to the ‘World of Assassination’ and I can’t think of a better way to conclude the series. With its delightfully witty dialogue and the fact that all existing Hitman content (as long as you’ve bought Hitman and Hitman 2) has progression carry over into Hitman 3, this game is a joy to play and the best Hitman has ever been. It takes all the best parts of the series we’ve come to love and leaves us with a bittersweet, Agent 47-sized gap in our hearts.

GameMAG - Russian - 9 / 10

There's simply not a lot of stealth-action games that can hold a candle to Hitman III, with its hours upon hours of engaging gameplay and high replayability. The sheer variety of different locations and missions, and also the inclusion of all the legacy content, turns this title into something you don't want to miss at the start of 2021.

GamePro - Dennis Michel - German - 82 / 100

Hitman 3 is exactly what fans of the IO Interactive games expect: an open sandbox dream in which thousands of paths lead to Rome or rather to Berlin, Dubai, China, England, Argentina and Romania. On this point, there is simply no second genre representative who leaves so much room for our creativity. The six locations are wonderfully varied and great, but I never got rid of the feeling of playing a story DLC here. After a good five to six hours, that's it.

GameSkinny - Mark Delaney - 9 / 10 stars

Hitman 3 brings to a close one of gaming's great trilogies with one last display of immaculate level design and intoxicating mood from IO Interactive.

GameSpew - Richard Seagrave - 9 / 10

Chances are we aren’t going to be placed in control of Agent 47 again; at least for a fair while, anyway. But with Hitman 3, IO Interactive has at least made sure he’s had a worthy send-off.

GameSpot - Phil Hornshaw - 9 / 10

What's good about Hitman--its level design and the creativity, experimentation, and exploration that affords--is great in Hitman 3. It closes out the trilogy by brilliantly playing off everything that came before it

GameWatcher - Marcello Perricone - 9 / 10

Hitman III is a fascinating finale to the franchise that shyly continues the series' tradition to iterate and improve on each entry.

GameZone - Cade Onder - 8.5 / 10

While Hitman 3 is the end of this trilogy, it's clear IO will be coming back to 47 after they play around in the 007 sandbox for a while. This isn't so much the end of Hitman as it is this iteration of 47 and I will be eagerly awaiting his return.

Gameblog - Gianni Molinaro - French - 9 / 10

Could IO Interactive have ended the World of Assassination Trilogy better ? Probably not. Even if Hitman 3 sticks to previous episodes formula and plays it safe, keeping its usual flaws, it offers gorgeous and incredibly well-convceived destinations that will indeed please fans. There are so many good trails to follow, so many possibilities that you'll sure end up with the urge to try everything in order to go for the perfect kill. If you own Hitman 1 and Hitman 2, there is some serious amount of challenges waiting. A PlayStation VR ? Prepare for a game-changing experience.

GamesBeat - Jeff Grubb - 5 / 5 stars

Hitman is a world made up entirely of Chekhov’s guns, and it’s a blast finding out how to get Agent 47 into position to pull the trigger.

GamesRadar+ - Leon Hurley - 4.5 / 5 stars

A slick and entertaining conclusion to the trilogy.

GamingBolt - Shubhankar Parijat - 9 / 10

Hitman 3 represents the peak of the series, of IO Interactive, and of the social stealth genre.

God is a Geek - Chris White - 8.5 / 10

Hitman 3 is a satisfying farewell to Agent 47, with stunning locations, and endless opportunities to take out your targets.

Hardcore Gamer - Adam Beck - 3.5 / 5

In the current trilogy, Hitman 3 would be considered the weaker of the three.

Hobby Consolas - David Martinez - Spanish - 80 / 100

Hitman 3 is a good entry in the series. It deliver beautiful levels, such as Dartmoor or Chonqing, new assassination tools and it allows players to import maps from the previous games (with improved graphics), buy still, it´s mechanics and some AI elements feel outdated.

IGN - Luke Reilly - 9 / 10

Rich, rewarding, and highly replayable, Hitman 3 is one of the barcoded butcher's best appearances.

IGN Italy - Andrea Giongiani - Italian - 8 / 10

A nice conclusion to the World of Assassination trilogy. Hitman III is "just" more of the same, but that's not a problem when the original material is that good.

Kotaku - Riley MacLeod - Unscored

Narratively and structurally, Hitman 3 strips its own make believe away, leaving the series’ core darkness on display.

Metro GameCentral - Patrick Dane - 8 / 10

A great finale to the World of Assassination trilogy and the perfect time to end the reboot era, as the once revolutionary formula begins to show its age.

MonsterVine - Diego Escala - 5 / 5

Hitman 3 is a phenomenal closer to what has been an excellent trilogy in a series I hold dear.

Noisy Pixel - Azario Lopez - 9 / 10

Hitman 3 builds on the structure of its predecessors but doesn't recycle old mechanics. Its creative sandbox systems encourage multiple playthroughs with possible outcomes only limited by your imagination. Returning fans will get the most of this narrative as it ties up a few loose ends but doesn't totally stick the landing. It's absolutely brilliant in execution, though, as you replay missions for different results providing the most robust experience to those who spend the most time playing.

PC Gamer - Andy Kelly - 90 / 100

A beautiful, deep, and endlessly replayable murder sandbox, featuring some of the best levels in the series.

PCGamesN - Jordan Forward - 8 / 10

Another fine outing for Agent 47, and a fitting, hopefully brief, farewell to one of the best stealth series of the last decade.

PlayStation Universe - Neil Bolt - 9 / 10

Hitman 3 closes out the World of Assassination Trilogy with developer IO Interactive in confident mood. Lessons learned from the past five or six years have worked their way into this splendid epitaph for a series that looked dead and buried more than once along the way. As with its predecessor's, there are some lows to go with the highs, but those highs? They are truly something special and make the future of IO Interactive an exciting prospect.

Player2.net.au - Matt Hewson - A or higher

A franchise like no other comes to an epic and satisfying conclusion. Hitman III is the culmination of both story and development skill that will leave fans everywhere smiling with joy.

Polygon - Samit Sarkar - Unscored

IO Interactive delivers a terrific, thrilling finale for its trilogy

PowerUp! - Leo Stevenson - 9 / 10

It's enormously addictive and is endlessly replayable. For one of the first major releases in 2021, Hitman is an absolute home run

Press Start - James Mitchell - 8.5 / 10

HITMAN III is a decidedly epic conclusion to the events established in the first two games. It offers fantastic, well-realised locales with objectives that are unconventional, at least by HITMAN standards, to come out feeling fresh. Though in pursuit of this, it has lost a bit of the breadth we've come to expect from the series. Ultimately, it delivers what it promised to - a strong conclusion to the trilogy.

Push Square - Sammy Barker - 9 / 10

On its own, Hitman 3 is a moody conclusion to a generation-defining trilogy, but when taken as a complete compilation, it's the ultimate stealth sandbox. IO Interactive has honed its gameplay formula to perfection, and it's on top form here

Rectify Gaming - Dave Rodriguez - 9.6 / 10

After two decades of pasta cans, silver ballers, suitcase snipers and more, Hitman 3 delivers the perfect hit.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Brendan Caldwell - Unscored

As a final act, Hitman 3 is as capable and pleasing as its trilogy-siblings. As a trilogy, it is one of the most fun-loving games of the previous decade.

Screen Rant - Christopher Teuton - 4.5 / 5 stars

Hitman 3 is the best of the newer Hitman games and quite possibly the best Hitman game in the franchise.

Shacknews - Bill Lavoy - 9 / 10

It’s great on its own, but combined with Hitman (2016) and Hitman 2 it helps make up the masterpiece which is the World of Assassination trilogy.

Spaziogames - Italian - 8.8 / 10

Hitman 3 is an amazingly crafted epilogue for the World of Assassination trilogy and the best modern Hitman yet.

The Games Machine - Daniele Dolce - Italian - 9 / 10

Hitman 3 dances asymptotically with the concept of perfection, often approaching it without ever really grasping its essence. Nevertheless, IO Interactive manages to improve and refine a well-established formula, while offering a a truly satisfying conclusion to 47's struggle against Providence. Although there are some flaws, they're almost entirely eclipsed by the incredible quality of everything else.

TheSixthAxis - Jim Hargreaves - 8 / 10

Charting the series' progress since that 2016 Paris debut has been a fascinating journey. IO have learned a lot over the past five years and that really shows in Hitman 3. It's a flashier, more fluid evolution of IO's original template - a rewarding conclusion to one of the most unique video game franchises around, and one we'll continue playing for many weeks and months to come.

TrueAchievements - Sean Carey - 4.5 / 5 stars

All in all, IO Interactive has stuck with what it knows best with Hitman 3: gorgeously crafted open playgrounds for the player to wreak slick and murderous havoc in.

TrueGaming - نواف النغموش - Arabic - 9 / 10

Hitman 3 is the quintessential stealth game.

Twinfinite - Tom Hopkins - 4 / 5

Without straying far from the successful sandbox formula, it’s an excellent final part of IO’s trilogy. While the increased freedom and level variety won’t be for everyone, Hitman 3 boasts some of the best locations and stories the series has ever seen, and there’s so much to uncover in each and every one of them.

VG247 - Alex Donaldson - 5 / 5 stars

Taken individually, Hitman 3 feels like great value, with plenty of variety and lots to do. When taken as a whole, the World of Assassination trilogy is hands-down one of the best and most complete-feeling trilogies in video game history.

WellPlayed - Dylan Blereau - 8.5 / 10

Hitman 3 does an excellent job of wrapping up the World of Assassination Trilogy, pairing the predictable yet enjoyable narrative with the refined and forever reliable Hitman gameplay

Windows Central - Zackery Cuevas - 4 / 5 stars

Hitman 3 features some of the most complex and most creative levels in the series history while polishing the gameplay to perfection. Unfortunately, it's held back by some hefty paywalls, uneven mission pacing, and some occasional clunky AI.

Worth Playing - Andreas Salmen - 8.6 / 10

The third Hitman game delivers a satisfying and worthwhile ending to the series and some fun and varied stages, all while adding a bunch of minor adjustments and content that fans will enjoy for hours. If you're a fan of the series, Hitman 3 is a very competent end to the trilogy that provides a massive and deep Hitman experience that is easy to recommend.

***WOW this post really blew up. I'm really grateful for all the great comments and awards. Thank you everyone. This was my second PC but I have been really getting more into the budget build route and so I'm glad other people are into that! Happy deal hunting :)
DISCLAIMER: I sourced these used components over the last few weeks in my local area (SF Bay CA). Where I live, there's a pretty good selection of used PC parts so your mileage will vary depending on where you live. But I just wanted to put it out there that many of you can definitely build a decent gaming PC for $200-400 if you are willing to spend the time to hunt for deals in your local area, especially if you live in/near a metropolitan area.
pics
Parts List
CPU: Intel Xeon e5 2620 v3 6 core/12 thread - $16 eBay
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth X99 - $85 Craigslist
CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 - $20 OfferUp
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR4 2400 MHz (CPU reads a max of 1866) - $40 OfferUp
Storage: WD 640GB HDD 7200 rpm - $10 Craigslist
GPU: EVGA GTX 960 SC 4GB (I actually bought 2 at once for $75 on Facebook Marketplace, sold one on eBay for $100 essentially GIVING me $15 (after eBay/PayPal fees) and a free GPU)
Case: Phanteks prebuild case w/ 3 RGB Apevia fans - $30 Craigslist
PSU: Corsair CX600 - $20 Facebook Marketplace
Total (including the $15 I gained from selling the extra GPU): $206
I can happily play CS:GO, Apex Legends, Fortnite, GTA V and many other games at 1080p at medium settings or better and get 60+ fps. With a better GPU and a little more money, you wouldn't have any issues getting much higher FPS.
So let's break down these components a little bit more and talk about which deals will be harder to replicate if you plan on doing something like this.
Firstly, the CPU is actually the easiest part to attain on this list. These can regularly be had for $20 off eBay. This particular X99 motherboard is VERY NICE for $85 (I actually got it for $70 but paid $15 for the OEM IO shield off eBay because it didn't come with one). It's a quality mobo with 8 slots for RAM so upgrading RAM on this will be as easy as buying another kit of the same capacity and as time goes by and RAM gets cheaper, you could just keep doing that if you wanted without having to get rid of your previous RAM. But finding this exact motherboard for the price may be difficult.
Luckily there are X99 motherboards being made out of China right now using recycled chipsets for about $60-120 depending on the particular models (available from AliExpress). Some of these motherboards are actually pretty good quality, but definitely do your research first. I recommend checking out Miyconst on YouTube. This Xeon/X99 setup is pretty popular in Russia and Brazil because of hardware prices and availability so this is a Russian Ukrainian guy who reviews all of these Chinese motherboards in great detail.
The CPU cooler will be easy to find for about that price. Even new, the Hyper 212 is only $35 but if you buy used just make sure you get the LGA2011-3 hardware necessary for securing it to the motherboard. $40 for 16GB of DDR4 is a good deal but I've seen this same deal pop up a few times but more often at $50. Finding used but working 500-1000GB HDD's for $10-20 is quite easy but I recommend only using this as a storage for games and re-downloadable files. I planned on having a m.2 SSD in this rig but accidentally bought a SATA m.2 drive instead of NVMe (SATA m.2 not supported by this motherboard) so I will still need to upgrade that. But any SSD for your OS and important files will do and you can find these for around $30-40 for a 256 GB SSD new, maybe $10-20 more for an NVMe.
The GPU of course is where the real bargain hunt will be. In 2021, GPU's are super overpriced but I had seen another 960 4GB for $40 in my area after purchasing 2 of them for $75 total, so getting one around $40-60 is definitely possible. This is where I'd upgrade first (after an SSD). Other higher performing options would be the R9 390 8GB (recently purchased one for $80 and another for $100), the RX 580 8GB (recently purchased one for $125 but seen them locally for $150) or even a 1080 (purchased one for $200 but have seen them go for $260 locally). Really, any decent GPU you can find for around $50-200 would be great with this build. I recommend referring to this Tom's Hardware List to see where GPU's rank overall when you're shopping for a used GPU. This part will be where you'll spend most of your time hunting, but those elusive GPU deals are out there!
This case was a good find but I had also received a FREE CoolerMaster ATX case not too long ago, with 3 140mm fans included, in great condition. People often give away or sell their cases for cheap because they take up a lot of space. Look for one with fans included and even better if it comes with screws/standoffs.
Finding a 500-700W PSU for $20-40 is not difficult but this is a component that many people would just prefer to buy new and I don't blame them. At least by 80+ Bronze if you go used. But honestly, I think I'd rather buy a used PSU from a reputable brand than a cheap, new PSU from some brand I never heard of.
Overall, this was a fun build to make and I love reducing e-waste so buying used is good for me. I highly recommend though that you have all the appropriate screws/hardware when buying used parts so ask about that stuff when you purchase something and if it's not included, buy that replacement hardware online before you start your build because it's frustrating to start putting your PC together and then realize you don't have enough screws, etc. It's a little more of a hassle but you can save a lot of money!
Feel free to ask any questions, this is only my second PC build (just started last month but have been diving DEEP into PC building rabbit holes online). But I hate when people on this sub instantly shoot people down asking about $200-400 PC's saying it's not possible. IT IS POSSIBLE, but you have to get creative and it also helps to live in certain areas I won't deny that.

As a semi-follow-up to this thread, what are your favorite games that, although not nearly as popular and influential as they should be, you think everyone should try?
Here are 10 of my picks. I'll try to stay away from obvious choices like Pyschonauts or Beyond Good & Evil. Feel free to recommend them below, though!
In order of release:

The Lords of Midnight | 1984 | ZX Spectrum, PC, Mobile

A work of technical wizardry. I have no idea how did they put such a complex game into the (even for its time) archaic ZX Spectrum. The story is nothing to write home about: defend the lands of Midnight and fight Doomdark's (really) legions. The gameplay, on the other hand, is a great mix of strategy and role-play. You can either recruit the titular Lords of Midnight and fight an epic war, eventually sieging Mordor Ushgarak, or send a small party to steal and destroy the One Ring Ice Crown. You can even do both at the same time, diverting Doomdark's attention with your armies while one of your heroes goes for the crown — in fact, that's the approach the game manual recommends.
It's not just technically or mechanically impressive, but visually as well. It uses the limited pallet of the ZX Spectrum in a smart way, going for an ethereal look that I find aesthetically pleasing to this day. Thanks to modern ports to PC and iOS/Android, which add QOL improvements to the interface and eliminate the absurd load times, it's easy to enjoy this game nowadays.

Alter Ego | 1986 | DOS, PC, Mobile

Alter Ego is a life simulator, in the same vein of The Sims. Well, kinda, but not really. For one, it's much more down-to-earth and less comedic. You play as a single human being, from birth to death, reading little vignettes with life events (some important, some mundane) and making choices along the way. You get the whole package: you learn how to talk, embarrass your family at parties, discovers masturbation, get your first boyfriend/girlfriend, go to college, and so on.
Now, what I find really interesting about this game is how some events and decisions are surprising even for today's standards. You can die at an early age by the hands of a child abuser. You can get pregnant as a teen and have an abortion. You can even commit suicide, if your character develops depression!
I dare say that many of the events of this game would be at least controversial nowadays, given the current political climate and our modern sensibilities. But Alter Ego is not trying to be edgy or controversial. It's just trying to simulate a normal life, with boring bits and dramatic episodes getting the same space on the spotlight.

E.V.O.: Search for Eden | 1992 | SNES

A very unorthodox mix of platforming and jRPG, with unique story and gameplay. In EVO you're not a hero trying to beat a Big Bad or save the princess, but a simple life-form that has to survive and evolve. You start as a small fish in the Cambrian Period, eating jellyfish until you have enough evolution points to be able to evolve - which is done by spending said points "buying" new body parts, like better teeth or a fins.
But survival is not its own end. The "survival of the fittest" is a race with a definite goalpost, with the best and brightest life-form being able to enter Eden and become the consort of Gaia (the personification of planet Earth). The thing is, like any competition, you have to look out for cheaters. Some beings are able to take huge leaps in evolution thanks to mysterious crystals, whose origin is unknown. As the game goes on, you travel to other time periods and see more evidence of interference on evolution and Gaia's plan. Can you reach Eden, or will you die along the way as just another failed evolution?

Sub-Terrania | 1994 | Mega Drive

Shoot 'em ups are not my jam, but Sub-Terrania is The Exception to the Rule. It's like someone took a look at Asteroids or Gravitar and said, "know what it needs? To be more like Metroid!". Crazy thing is, it works. Each stage is like a micro-metroidvania, where you have to explore, find keys and shoot a bunch of aliens to proceed. Traversing the levels is a challenge in itself, since you have be careful maneuvering your ship and always take your fuel reserve into account. It's a total of 9 levels with multiple objectives and the eventual boss along the way. Very challenging, but also very fun.

King of Dragon Pass | 1999 | PC

A mix of RPG, strategy, simulation and visual novel set in a non-tolkienesque iron age fantasy world. What's not to like?
It's also a very, very hard game. As the leader of a orlanthi (human) clan in the titular Dragon Pass, you have to deal with internal, external and even supernatural problems all the time. To approach KoDP as a traditional strategy game is to doom yourself. The only way to succeed is by understand the culture of orlanthi society and act accordingly. Should we raid or neighbors or show mercy? Is banishment a just punishment for adultery? What about our ancestors, what's their view on slavery or friendly relations with dragons? These are just some of the decisions you have to make as a clan leader - and a single mistake can put all your people in jeopardy.
But even if you do everything "right", the good ol' RNG can destroy your progress in a heartbeat. You're just one bad harvest away from famine - or, most likely, one bad sacrifice away from a curse or zombies.
It's all very challenging, sometimes even downright stressful, but also very much worth it. Finally uniting the orlanthi tribes and becoming the King of Dragon Pass is a experience I'll never forget.

Vagrant Story | 2000 | PS1

Probably the most well known game in this list. I have to confess, it's not a game for everyone. It has a very unique combat that mixes real-time, turns, 3D maneuvering and elemental strengths/weaknesses, an absurdly complex crafting system, a plot centered on political intrigue and conspiracy and a visual style that deviates from your typical anime-esque jRPG. It's hard, complex, obtuse and old. But it's also one of the most creative and well-made jRPGs I've ever played.

Ninja Five-O | 2003 | GBA

An action-platformer that screams "Ninja Gaiden" or "Shinobi". It's just as hard as these classics, but I dare say it's also a much smarter game. If you don't think before you act, you're gonna have a bad time. Not that the game gives you much time to think, mind you. You're always at your edge, at the same time reacting and planning your next move. Just like a... Ninja.

Astro Boy: Omega Factor | 2003 | GBA

I love Astro Boy and at first was reluctant to play this adaptation. Well, it's not just an excellent tribute to Tezuka's work, but an awesome game on its own - although I recommend the game specially if you're a fan of Osamu Tezuka.
The game has an excellent audio-visual aesthetic (almost bringing the GBA down on its knees) and a cool beat 'em up/shmup gameplay (it was developed by Treasure, after all). But the true high point is the plot. Goddamnit, what an incredible story. The first ending was a big mindfuck, and the true ending a genuine tearjerker. I wasn't expecting such a strong narrative from this game and was pleasantly surprised.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia | 2008 | NDS

Castlevania is quite popular, but Order of Ecclesia is an often forgotten installment of the series, even among the fans of the GBA/NDS games. Which is a shame, since it does some unique things for the series and is, in my humble opinion, the best Castlevania since Symphony of the Night.
OoE tries to mix the action-oriented style of oldschool Castlevanias with the exploration-focused experience of the post-SotN era. The world is divided in smaller stages, which one being a mini-metroidvania map on its own. Some stages are more direct and linear, while others are full of secrets and have to be revisited once you get new abilities. Some people complained that this approach simplified things too much, but I felt it was a nice change, with levels still requiring exploration and being well designed.
Another notable change is in the challenge. The difficulty is substantially higher than the previous installments, more closely resembling the unforgiving experience from the NES and SNES (although not to the same infuriating degree).
And to top it off, the art direction returned to the gothic style last seen in Aria of Sorrow, abandoning the generic anime-like aesthetic from the two previous games. Thank God.

Samorost 3 | 2016 | PC, Mobile

Originally this post would be about point-and-click adventures, but I decided to recommend just this one. I feel that if I don't, no one will. It's by fair the most recent game on this list, too, so maybe calling it a "cult-classic" is forcing it. Maybe we could consider it a "modern cult-classic", instead? I digress.
Maybe you already played another point-and-click adventure made by Amanita Design, Machinarium. Well, Samorost is the prettier, crazier, more charming cousin. I wouldn't be surprised if the devs actually used amanita before making this game. It plays as your standard point-and-click: get things, combine things, use things. But the things you get, combine and use came from some psychedelic, drug-induced trip.
Although crazy, I wouldn't say it's cryptic. The puzzles make sense in context and you can beat it in a couple of hours or a long afternoon at most. It's a short and sweet experience and a delight for eyes and ears.
Tl;dr: Samorost is The Secret of Monkey Island for cool kids.
N.b.: Samorost 1 and 2 are cool too, but not as cool as 3.
N.b. 2: if you think Samorost 3 is too young to be on the list, you can replace it with I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.
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What about you, fellow patient gamers? What are some cult-classics you recommend?

I wanted to clear the air a little bit, especially with Mike leaving the channel he created.
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First off, this is the real Justin. I know there's been a lot of fake Screenwave people on here over the years, but... I think you'll tell from my post that it's me. It's going to be too inside-baseball to be faked. Plus, mod GreatBowser confirmed it in Twitter DM.
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I also wanted to do an AMA for a while, was going to do one on Facebook in that Assposting group... but they started contacting family members on my Facebook profile and stuff. So... I left all Cinemassacre fan groups I was in and locked my profile down. I feel that this subreddit is probably the best place for the AMA... since you guys clearly care about the channel a lot and wouldn't hold back any punches. I was on here a few years ago. But, I jumped ship pretty quickly and didn't really engage after that, or even lurk. I would get sent threads from time to time. Yet, over the years I noticed the Truth went from heavy trolling and hyperbole, to more shitposting and constructive criticism. That's something I can get behind. Plus, you guys aren't going away... and Screenwave isn't going away. So, I wanted to meet in the middle.
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I wanted to step out in front of a lot of your questions. Answer them for you. I am going to use the Megathread and newer top posts to pull questions from. (But, feel free to ask stuff below. I'll only be monitoring this thread the next week or so, if that's alright.)
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Lastly, I do not speak for James, Mike, Ryan, Screenwave Media, or the other guys... it's just how I see things, or what I know personally.
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Who owns Cinemassacre now? Screenwave Media?
James owns it. I don't know the specifics after that or with the AVGN movie, but I know Screenwave Media owns 0% of any of it. We only have a stake in the AVGN games we produce. Yes, we take a percentage of monthly revenue, like we do other partners on the network... but we don't have any control of the Cinemassacre company... OR have any creative control. James can do whatever he wants with both. He decides to work with us, and we like working for him.
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So, do the Screenwave guys work for Cinemassacre or what?
"The Slobs," as we are called (thanks for that) don't have any creative control or financial stake, as said before. We are just employees of Screenwave Media. Hell, Cinemassacre isn't even my full time thing here. I do a lot of producing of our games and social media content, plus direction for the company kinda stuff. Tony and Kieran are the only full-time employees at Screenwave working for Cinemassacre... and that is mostly writing, filming, and editing.
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Why wasn't there a better way to introduce "The Slobs"?
That's the last time I'll call us the slobs, haha. Honestly, we probably should've introduced ourselves better. Mind you, we were working on the channel for a while at that point... and, when you're James or whatever, you're already really acquainted with us... so, when Tony slips into that Halloween 6 review or we start doing Rental Reviews, it doesn't really come to your mind to roll out the red carpet and send out flyers to everyone, because you assume people follow his socials where we're mentioned or at conventions or whatever... you just kinda do it... which, I don't think people would have cared too much about... if it wasn't for the departure of Kyle and Bootsy still stinging.
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What about Kyle and Bootsy then???
I started working for Screenwave in 2015... and on Cinemassacre in late 2017... so, I wasn't really there for the behind the scenes of Kyle and Bootsy. I met the guys a bunch beforehand though. I like the guys now too. You also know I did the stupid AVGN Roast in 2013... and I think I gave them that cake/award thing at TooManyGames the year before too... so, I knew Kyle and Bootsy well enough and we'd talk at after parties and whatever. Only saying that because I just want to put it out there that I don't harbor any animosity for them. None of us do. I'd like to work with them in the future if it's ever possible. Oh, and if you watch the Silvermania 2016 MAGfest video you'll see Bootsy. Really surprised none of you saw that yet... anyway... yeah, no idea why there was a falling out 100%. I know Kyle wanted to get more involved with his contracting company... and Mike and Bootsy had a falling out. Friends sometimes do, especially when they start working together and being in business together. All I know is what Mike posted publicly a while ago. Be cool to see them again one day regardless.
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Why did Mike leave?
I think he was pretty clear about it in his reddit post. We were planning 2021 and I guess Mike was feeling disconnected for a while... and honestly, loves to stream on Twitch. So, it just made sense for him to bounce. All the old stuff he made is still there, and I guess there's some burnout mixed with enjoying his new thing. I don't blame him. Yes, James barely talked about it in the update video... but, Mike specifically didn't want a huge send off or too much said about it. So, James said as much as Mike wanted him too. That simple.
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What about all the Mike drama over the years?
Same with the Kyle/Bootsy stuff. I wasn't around for it. I know as much as you know, maybe less. I think Mike has apologized for all of it... so, I am going to leave it there. I have no problems with Mike, he's always been good to me. Hoping to stream with him eventually from time to time or just hang out.
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Why doesn't James write the AVGN episodes anymore?
Well, he does... and he doesn't. It's collaborative. Sometimes we play all the games together, sometimes just he does. Sometimes we'll come up with an outline for a script and he fills it in, sometimes it's the reverse. Sometimes he comes up with ideas for games, sometimes we do. It's so back and forth that I can't really separate it at this point... I understand they don't feel like stuff from back in the day... but, not much you can do about that. He's older, back in the GameTrailers day he had something to prove. I think the movie burned him out... plus his family life and side projects. It takes its toll, I think we were moving in a good direction but Covid kinda fucked stuff up, for all of us. Our goal is to make 2021 a great Nerd year. We have been working on the plan for a while now with more time to focus on writing, acting, all that. I think 2020 had us flying by the seat of our pants. I was editing stuff 24 hours straight sometime. Sorry if it doesn't seem that way, haha. We put a lot of time and effort into making what we can, but we want to improve and we want the content to improve.
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What's with all the brand deals and lack of cursing?
As you know, YouTube is a minefield of demonetization, limited ads, and de-platforming. We're trying our best to make the channel money and keep views up. The brand deals really help, because a lot of our content gets limited ads, especially the older stuff. As you know, our backlog is huge. Cursing in the first minute is an instant limited ads. Which hurt money, sure, BUT it also makes the algorithm push you less. So, if a YKWBS gets limited ads it'll get half the views it would normally get, or less... so, we had to make these changes to stay afloat. Even the AVGN theme gets pinged... that's why a lot of AVGN episodes did worst this year (aside from whatever quality issues you have)... Bad Final Fight Games got limited ads because the Nerd said "blue balls," and that's too sexual. See what I mean? If we get hit, it kills views. So... we do brand deals, we put the theme after a minute, we changed it to BS in the front... if not, views would suffer, and future stuff would be pushed less and less. It's weird. Sure, we could do a Patreon and all that, but views would still suffer. And, we never want to just take your money... if skipping forward in a video is all you have to do, whatever. If you want to support us, merch is the best way to do that. And yes, James gets most of the profit from merch. It's not us running some scam.
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Why are the Screenwave guys such SLOBS?? (Oops, used it again.)
I don't want to talk about how Ryan, Kieran, or Tony (from Hack the Movies) feel... but, I know Kieran really took a lot of the stuff here to heart. Especially after the years of fat jokes, caveman jokes, and people pretending to be his dead father. He went off the edge a few times. I think he's in a way better place now, and I think he's really been taking good care of himself. Shit, I lost 80 pounds this year but gained a lot of it back when the world started opening back up... that's the thing about being fat your whole life. It's hard to dig yourself out, it's easy to diet and exercise if you're already thinner. I was fat in like kindergarten, those habits and addictions just continue on with you. Plus, food has always been a comfort for me. Not to go into a sob story, but my Mom died in '99 because of drugs and stuff... and I grew up with 3 sisters across multiple states in a poor family... and, being teased your entire life just goes on and on. Honestly, if you're 20 pounds overweight or 200... it feels the same when you're ridiculed, so, what's the difference, just get bigger, you'll never be small enough to not catch shit. I mean, not to go into my psychology or whatever, sorry... BUT, my goal is to get healthy in 2021... it's a "rebuilding year" for me... that's a sports term. I mean, I doubt it'll affect my personality much... so, if that's your problem, then shit... but, clearly us slobs don't want to be slobs. Even Tony (from hack the movies) and Ryan have been working on themselves too... plus, I always put others before me... from work, to family, to my girlfriend... I'm usually the last stop. Any advice or whatever you guys wanna give, please do. My Twitter DMs are always open.
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Coat-tail riding MUCH??
I mean? Not really? Not sure how much fame we can get out of this. It's just our job, and we like helping James and shooting the shit on the internet. Plus, I had two failed YouTube shows before working with Cinemassacre (why the fuck did they hire me??) so, I don't really care about the clout. It's cool when people high-five us at conventions and other content creators give us the nod... but, we're just trying to make videos, build up Screenwave more, and keep James making the content he wants to make. That's it. I mean, hasn't really helped Hack the Movies much (LOL).
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What do you think of the AVGN movie?
It's alright. I think it could be better here and there, but it's really hard to make a movie. Anyway, back when it was being planned... I was trying to get James to do it locally, with the Underbelly guys and people I knew into film. Do it cheap. But, I also understand wanting to make a big movie in Hollywood. That's a dream. Anyway, at the end of the day, I hope James gets to make another movie one day. I really liked his horror script, but clearly that's on the backburner if not cancelled... but, my goal is to get something to happen one day for him.
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Now I wanted to dive a bit into my past...
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Why do you defend Bob and still talk to him to this day?
So, as you might know, Bob (who used to be on my old YouTube show Silvermania) was busted for having child porn several years ago, after we stopped working together anyway. He went to jail for a year and has since been off the grid. I don't talk to him anymore and I completely cut ties. I've talked about the matter before, saying he "did his time" and stuff. Which, I meant like... I don't want to dogpile on a guy whose life is completely ruined... and who already fucked up a ton. I wanted him to get the help he needs and never work with him again. But, as I said before, I haven't talked to him in years and I don't plan to.
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Why did you make fun of Total Biscuit's cancer?
I regret everything that happened between Silvermania and TB. The short version, is we were invited on his podcast accidentally. They thought we were another show... my original show Underbelly, I think... which was a really different thing, and we were frustrated our YouTube network at the time (MakeTGS) didn't know the difference. Silvermania was me and my old roommate, who posted on here a few times as you know. They wouldn't let us on together and kept asking questions before the show about Underbelly and stuff that didn't pertain to us, but whatever. Watch it, it even says UnderbellyShow under my face. Things went south really quick... and honestly, I shouldn't have been a dickbag on the call... but, as I said, it was weird from the get-go. The energy was really off between all of us on the call, and I just played into being the bad guy. Anyway, we got kicked off the podcast halfway through and a wave of TB fans started attacking us for months. Now, there were like 5 people with access to the Silvermania YouTube at the time... plus I think mods and stuff. So, I'm not sure who did it. Hell, it could've been me under the influence. I drank way too much back then... anyway, someone made fun of TB's cancer down the road and it's been screen-grabbed and passed around. I mean, there's not too much context to it... aside from just being a shitty thing to say because we felt burned by the guy and his fans. Anyway, after that I met with him at a convention and we put it past us. He never actually saw the insult. I was really upset when I heard he passed, I always liked him and his content. Especially all the PC gaming stuff.
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Why did you post "I'm a pedo, watch out" on Twitter?
AH, right. I know that sounds like foreshadowing about the Bob stuff, but it wasn't. Back then, I think it was 2013... I didn't really use Twitter much. We had the SilvermaniaShow handle... which connected directly to our Facebook fan page. So, if we posted on Facebook, it would auto-post to Twitter. Also back then, we would have huge parties at our apartment and stuff, like 50 people would show up once a month... a lot of friends and fans of the show too. Anyway, someone "hacked" our Facebook account... as in, went on the computer that was playing music, typed that in as a joke, and hit send. We immediately deleted it... but, we forgot it auto-posts to Twitter and forgot about it. Anyway, when the show ended... I changed the handle from SilvermaniaShow to JustySilverman, the one I am using now, making it my personal account. But, the wayback machine or whatever, just makes it look like my current profile said he's a pedo. That's the story. Someone was playing a joke, it went to Twitter, and we didn't realize it. I am not a pedo, but sadly, I worked with one for a while... well, kinda, Bob was kinda a guest on the show more than a member.
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Why did you make such shitty/troll content anyway back then?
Man, it's been a real rollercoaster... if I knew back then what I know now... I think Underbelly or Silvermania would have made it... I let too many cooks in the kitchen, let friends have business control or creative whatever... I should've just been a solo act and just made fun shit... I mean, I think we did a lot of good stuff too... like, Underbelly was partnered with ScrewAttack and Normal Boots for a time... we were with the first ever YouTube network... but, all that pivoting fucked the channel up because of release schedules or what they wanted us to make... the production has always been good... Underbelly was the first YouTube channel with every video being in full 1080p back in 2010... but then we deleted every video and reuploaed them because our network needed us to for whatever reason... just a ton of issues... from back-end stuff to it not being fun anymore... to seeing others soar with similar content... it made me bitter. Which led to Silvermania becoming a weapon of trolling. I always skimmed the surface of making YouTube successful for me... hell, we pissed a LOT of content creators off too... I am STILL rebuilding those bridges even with being on Cinemassacre. I was just pissed off at the world and thought I knew better... when, we should've been focused on making fun stuff consistently and less toxic. That simple. Trying to do that now I guess.
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Why did you say the N-word?
I really regret this. I mean, even without cancel culture and all that. It was just stupid. The one time was back in 2012, on YouTube, and was part of a skit where I was saying the N-word was actually "Nerd," because of the Big Bang Theory or some point I was making about Nerds being taken advantage of or whatever by Hollywood... it was a really dumb comparison. I even had my black roommate in the video with me to sell the joke... it was dumb, but edgy humor was cool at the time. I have since removed the video and apologized. The other time was just being a drunk-comedian with my friends trying to say the most fucked up stuff possible, same year. Kinda like when Kramer from Seinfeld did that dumb stand-up routine when he said it. But, I guess my ex-roommate decided to record it and post it this year for clout. That said... I am not a racist, I've never said anything remotely racist after the fact, and never from a place of hate. I'm a pretty liberal guy, not that it matters. But, I apologize, clearly won't ever happen again... and hasn't in 8 years.
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Why are you dressed as a Klansman next to Nazi and confederate flag?
Whoops! Okay, this is a bad look. I can see this coupled with the N-word thing looking really bad... or being a Jewish guy next to a swastica. Clearly, this was a skit. The flags were from a WW2 and Civil War reenactment troop I knew, someone has to play the bad guys and their gear was really authentic. I don't own racist or facist flags. (Though, I kinda want a Mobile Infantry flag from Starship Troopers.) People share the photo around, but never notice the game collection behind me or the minture Hitler on my shoulder... it was a skit we filmed, but never fully released, and has since been taken down... it was part of our Lost Episodes clip-show. The joke was that I'm the "Racist Video Game Nerd," because everyone else on YouTube already picked all the names to sound more like AVGN. Like the Sad Video Game Nerd or whatever. So, the "RVGN" was going to review a game, then get thwarted by a group of racially diverse characters... so... just a stupid skit... that was never fully finished because we knew it was bad. Plus, the RVGN is the bad guy... he's shown in a negative light.
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Okay, I think that'll answer a bunch of questions you may have... so, yeah. AMA.
Oh, and sorry if I blocked you on Twitter or whatever. I'll add you back if you want.
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[EDIT]
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I will get to EVERYONE'S QUESTIONS, there are just a ton and I like to work and sleep and eat and shit.

So, this story was thankfully a short experience due to the edgelord not being in the campaign for more than two sessions, but with the way I write things, this post is gonna end up long anyway. However, I think it's an interesting one because it involved two edgelords both being in a party at the same time, kinda.
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So, we were running an online short term 5E game. We are currently between campaigns and had a new player join our discord server and show interest in playing with us. We figured a short campaign of about ten sessions was a perfect way to get acquainted. Things were made very clear from the start that this would pretty much be a comedy campaign as our last campaign had a very dramatic and emotional finale and we wanted to cut loose for a bit. It's also worth noting that this player is new to our group but not to tabletops or even DnD. They claimed quite a bit of experience under their belt and, based on how they built their character and knew the rules well, I'm inclined to believe them. I mention this only because it seems to unbelieveable later.
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There were five of us in total. Our DM who I hadn't seen DM before but they were a great player and turned out to be really good, throwing themselves into every character and 100% commiting to the terrible but incredibly entertaining character voices. Me, playing "Skeebles", a goblin cavalier fighter who rode on the back of a blink dog. The blink dog was quite a coward and would occasionally teleport out of danger, leaving the rider behind. My friend, playing "Oliver" (was insistent on the pronunciation "O-liv-ee-ay"), a high elf wild magic barbarian who believed themselves to be a powerful mage like the rest of their family. Our former DM, playing "Black Kain", a drow assassin rogue who wore a dark cloak and spent most of their time brooding. We were surprised by this due to the DM's nature and the comedic setting. We had never seen them play a PC either, so there was some doubt about whether or not this is how they normally played. Still, they had been an excellent DM so we waited to see. The new player, on the other hand, we knew nothing about but still seemed to have hit the cliche perfectly. They were playing "Donec Mors " (which is literally latin for "Long Death") a fallen Aasimar grave cleric who was an initiate in a death cult, sent out to hone their skills before becoming a fully fledged member. I think they played a cleric because we mentioned that a healer would be nice but I don't think they ever did any actual healing.
Despite our trepidation, we were excited to see what the DM turned player and new player had to offer. Session one begins and we have been hired by a king to commit accounting fraud. That might not sound that interesting but it was based on a really fun idea. The concept was that dragons were attracted to gold so accountancy was an important role in any kingdom, making sure too much gold is never stockpiled at the same place. Our job was to destabilise a kingdom by sneaking gold into their royal vault. A reverse bank heist, if you will. It was important that we made sure no one knew that we did it, or they would remove the gold before the dragon arrived. Therefore, we made a plan to make the heist look like a botched assassination attempt on the queen.
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On the way there, we talked a little. Oliver and Skeebles became good friends quickly, bonding over stories of great battle that they were both lying through their teeth about and trying to one up each other. Donec was silent, answering any attempts to talk to her with dismissive grunts or one word answers. Kain also seemed quiet but eventually talked. In fact, once we spoke to them, they began to talk way too much. They opened up about their horribly complex and ridiculously tragic backstory almost immediately and how they only desire to get revenge on a comically long list of enemies. Me and my friend pretty quickly figured out that this was an ironic stereotype and played along, laughing as we did so. A particularly funny sequence was Kain talking about how they drank poison in small amounts to become immune. Oliver and Skeebles both demanded to see this trick and, with edgelord confidence, Kain downed a whole bottle of his own poison. He spent the next few hours throwing up and trying not to cry (unsuccessfully.) Surprise! He's not a real edgelord, I clickbaited you. Sorry.
So, everything was good, mostly. New player was still not really interacting but we figured they were just getting their bearings and weren't yet comfortable with RP. Perfectly understandable. I won't get into the details of the heist much but at some point we had to split up, half of the group would fake the assassination while the other half would deliver the gold below ground. Donec made their first real characte decision and firmly insisted on being in the assassination team. Alright, no problem. Skeebles wanted to fight the royal guard and so chose to be in the assassination group. Kain was better at sneaking and Oliver was convinced that their ‘spells’ could help them break into the vault so they went below.
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While the other two were sneaking their way in, Skeebles and Donec both had to force their way into the throne room and loudly shout a proclamation for the queen's head. We get into fighting and Skeebles focuses on kiting the very strong royal guard around. I wasn't trying to fight them of course, we had no chance. But we needed to delay. Donec, on the other hand, had alternative ideas. Rather than helping, she allowed Skeebles to be a distraction as she rushed at the queen. She used her Path of the Grave to give the queen vulnerability and then next turn tried to cast Inflict Wounds on her. However, queens have royal mages, who counterspelled it and started battling the cleric. Skeebles was getting ready to run soon but wouldn't leave their companion behind. He kept shouting that it was time to go and the plan had 'failed.' Donec was not leaving. In fact, they weren't even fighting the mage. They were focused on trying to kill the queen exclusively which led to the mage putting them down quickly. Skeebles ran in to help Donec but got surrounded by the guard and abandoned by his dog, who ran out of the palace. We were captured. Now, that was dumb, sure, but it wasn't unsalvagable. We were only captured and the actual gold delivery had worked without detection. Now our companions just needed to rescue us before we were forced to spill our secrets.
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Session two starts with Donec and Skeebles being placed in a dungeon below the palace. Skeeble's dog finds the others and manages to indicate that something has gone wrong. They use her sense of smell to locate them and sneak back into the palace again, making jokes about the security as they go. They locate us and there's a rescue which was fun but I won't go into details. Finally, we're out. Time to go back and report to the king of the opposing nation that it all worked.
So, we're set to leave the city after a nights' rest. That's when Donec disappears. As our characters sleep (in an alleyway, since taverns seemed like a bad idea, Skeebles is actually quite at home but Oliver hates it. Kain says it reminds him of life as an orphan after he lost his second family) Donec sneaks away, us all failing our perception rolls to notice. We awake to the news that the queen was attacked again by the same assassin. This attempt apparently went even worse, unsurprisingly. The would-be assassin was due to be executed at midday. Now, logically, the crew should just abandon her. She's clearly a liability and, with upcoming execution, it seems like the queen wasn't bothering to interrogate her. But, we didn't want to just abandon our new player. So we were struggling between what we wanted to happen as players and justifying it as characters. As we were discussing this, Donec's player speaks up and gets very angry. She demands to know why we won't save her. We ask why she ran back in again. She says "Because you can just save me when I fail." We notice she doesn't seem like she regrets her actions and ask her if she plans to attack the queen again if we rescue her. She answers with a yes. We ask her why, in the name of whatever death god she worships, she finds it so important to kill the queen. She answers with, I shit you not, "Because bringing death is the essence of my life." We go, okay then, we're not going to save you if you will just get yourself killed intentionally. She says several unfavourable things that I'd rather not repeat and promptly leaves the server.
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Thankfully, we didn't have to find a way to kill her character since it was literally already scheduled. The party attends the execution out of amusement and we make, perhaps too many, jokes. Particular favorite of mine is Oliver stating, right after she is decapitated, "Huh, looks like death was the essence of her death as well."
The rest of the campaign was tons of fun and we're setting up for the next long term one. However, we have not forgotten our brave fallen companion. "Because bringing death is the essence of my life" has become a staple in-joke of ours and we often use it when we are asked for an explanation on just about anything. Let us all pour one out for the terrifying acolyte of death with a total inability to read the room and understand that we were making fun of edgelords like her.
Thanks for reading <3

Hey, folks. I tried to post this as a comment on the Adventuring Academy thread, but for some reason my reply isn't showing up for anyone but myself. Because I think this is an interesting point of discussion that pertains to the premise of the campaign itself, I decided to make this its own post.
Many people have noticed a disconnect between what Travis talks about in the recent Adventuring Academy interview and the way the game is actually run when you listen to Graduation. Travis talks about some of the hurdles he had to overcome, which is always interesting to hear. Seeing as we've also listened in on the game, this interview helps us put certain aspects of the podcast that people may have struggled with into perspective.
I would like to draw attention to one particular part of the episode that has kind of been bothering me. Graduation has its fair share of critics, and I think this might shed some light on the standards that a lot of Graduation's critics want to hold Travis to. At least, it hits very close to home for me. Travis has often given the impression of overpreparing, or rather, he started this campaign aiming to exude confidence and wanting his audience to take away that he has spent much time thinking about this. Think about how he teased out how many NPCs he designed, for instance.
At around 1h19m into the interview, Brennan and Travis are asked a question about "DMPCs" (basically, an unofficial term for when an NPC tags along with the party, participates in fights on the level of the player characters). I find neither of them really answers this question, but they do essentially talk about power dynamics between the party and NPCs. This quote is edited slightly for clarity, and to represent him fairly because spoken language doesn't translate 1:1 to written text:

TRAVIS: "When I started Graduation, I had all three of the PCs as hench people or sidekicks, right? And the problem became that they were working for a hero or villain. So how did I justify having a hero or villain and not telling them what to do, right? They were working for them. So, very quickly it was like, "Well, I have to change the dynamic of this very quickly." Now Griffin, his character became the villain and technically Dad and Justin's characters are sidekicks."

Let me tell you why this bothered me.
Graduation was preceded by an animated trailer about two weeks before the first episode aired. In this trailer, and in the first episodes of the show, the core concept for Travis's campaign is established. In this world, there are Professional Heroes and Villains, high profile and well-known figures in society. You go to a school to become one, and this particular school is the best. Heroes and Villains also have sidekicks. Sidekicks and henchmen don't get the spotlight, but they have to put their life at risk to work for the heroes and villains.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think that if you commission someone to make an animated trailer for your D&D campaign, that that means you've got a pretty good grasp on what you want your campaign to be like. If you make a trailer, which explicitly establishes that the party is going to be sidekicks, it would stand to reason that Travis made that choice before running the campaign, because he had an idea of what that would mean? And part of the very simple core idea communicated here - what I would imagine is the very premise for the campaign - is what it means to put the players in the role of sidekicks.

I had all three of the PCs as hench people or sidekicks, right? And the problem became that they were working for a hero or villain. So how did I justify having a hero or villain and not telling them what to do, right? They were working for them. So, very quickly it was like, "Well, I have to change the dynamic of this very quickly.

A little ways into his campaign, Travis says he stumbled upon what he calls a problem; something which to me reads as the entire premise of the campaign, and immediately felt like he had to course correct. If the fact that they're henchpeople is perceived as a problem, as something with unforseen side-effects, then I assume that Travis had not thought about his setting nearly as much as he thought he had. Regardless of whether it is a 'problem' or not, it is there from the start, and if it so intrinsically tied to the premise of your campaign, then it should already have a solution before the story begins.
So, more than a year after it was initially premiered, I took a closer look at the initial trailer again, and tried to figure out exactly what it promised.
We aren't actually ever told in this trailer that Heroes and Villains are only Actors, but that's a really fun addition to the world that we're introduced to in the first episode. The parallel to professional wrestling is fun. It's a high concept. It's the bread and circus to distract people from whatever real issue is going on in the world, because people are amused by this professional entertainment. Kids in this world have their favorite characters; some of them fight each other, maybe sometimes whoever writes the scripts makes them switch sides. Most importantly, it's all fun, exciting and it's all fake. Obviously the Heroes and Villains have a reason not to put themselves at real risk; people are invested in these characters. It's important that they survive all their conflicts. That means any actual risks taken have to be taken by... their sidekicks or henchpeople - maybe it's finding artifacts and resources, doing research, whatever preparation and groundwork needs to be done to set the scene for a hero to swoop in and claim the rewards.
Now, somehow things are starting to click into place here for me. The trailer promises "a lifetime of steady employment in service of a Hero or Villain", and the story's current plot of 'taking down capitalism' actually starts making sense again. Being a Hero is an enterprise. Being a Villain is a business. Heroes and Villains are the faces of their business, they are the CEOs that people know, the public figures that people develop parasocial relationships with. But, you see, Elon Musk isn't the one who builds the car. It's his employees.
And yet, this world sees this as okay, because the Hero is Creating Jobs!
The 'broken system', the actual capitalism of this world that needs to be broken down, is that the Heroes and Villains get all the praise for the work their henchpeople do.
So, how do you solve the "problem" that your players are sidekicks working for a hero or a villain? You put them in a bullshit system where they have to risk their lives (alluded to in the trailer), a system where there is an extremely unfair balance between heroes and their sidekicks, where yes, the villains and heroes do in fact give them assignments. The players realise over time that they're workers being exploited, and they naturally and logically rise up to unionize and destroy the system.
Your heroes and villains aren't DMPCs. They're quest givers, they're figures of authority, who have a direct reason not to work with you. Because, if you're someone's henchperson, you don't work with them. You work for them.
This post is long enough already, but earlier in the interview Travis essentially says (and this is very relatable for any DM), that most of the prep happens right after the previous session and right before the next session. You know, that's true. But with two weeks between episodes, and presumably between recording sessions as well, that's too much time to change your mind. And if you're not confident enough in your own premise, to the point where it suddenly seems like a problem, then you'll change your mind so much that your premise begins falling apart.
And it did.

I think a lot of cycling reviews really let the reader down. They describe a lot of technical details (often taken at face value from the manufacturer without any independent verification) and rarely offer a concrete insight on whether the bike is really worth a buy or not. Likewise I find a lot of first impressions on forums to be a little too broad/shallow in their description, or they fixate on very nuanced or specific topics that would not be relevant to the average buyer. So I am writing this in hopes that it will help at least be a more useful resource for folks considering this particular bike.
Background: I am by no means a “fast” cyclist. I am 29 years old, 6 feet, about 160lbs and have an FTP of 260W on a good day. I’ve been cycling since I was 17, dabbled in triathlon when I was in college, and now am cycling recreationally with the hope of being able to do some-kind of fondo, or epic bike ride within the next year or so (whenever COVID calms down).
I bought my Cervelo S5 simply because the carbon fiber roadbike I bought in high-school is getting a little long in the tooth. I really love the bike and have the fit 100% dialed in. But it’s beginning to creek and rattle quite a bit, I’ve moved to a hilly area and feel like disc brakes would be a better safety feature to investigate, and I’ve always had the goal of getting a really nice bike for myself so I figured now’s the time to do so!
Other Bikes Considered:
When I began this search a huge range of bikes were considered. I had a roughly $6K pricepoint, but didn’t mine splurging if I found the right bike. Cable integration and electronic shifting were a must. I also wanted to buy something that would ultimately put a smile on my face for a long time.
Knowing that this bike will likely need to last me another 10+ years I was very much looking into more traditional roadbikes and endurance bikes from a longterm comfort and accessibility perspective.
The Fezzarri Empire SL was actually at the top of this list with wireless shifting, integrated cabling, and a pretty clever frame design really calling to me for about $4K all in. But when COVID hit they had a 6-month lead time on bikes and that just didn’t work for me.
Canyon’s Endurace and Ultimate were pretty compelling but they felt long in the tooth with their exposed cabling.
I also considered BMC’s line of roadbikes but couldn’t find one that really “spoke” to me.
I looked through a lot of other brands: Cannondale, Trek, Cube, Ribble, Orbea, Giant, Argon, Look, Ridley, Scott, Focus, and a half dozen other boutique brands that I can’t quite recall. All had some options, but nothing that really hit the nail on the head.
I then decided to focus more exclusively on aerobikes. Primarly because I think aerobikes look really cool! The main contenders were the S5, 2021 Canyon Aeroad, BMC Time Machine Road, Specialized Venge, Quintana Roo SRFive and Specialized Tarmac SL-7 (which I know technically isn’t a pure Aerobike!).
The Aeroad was quickly ruled out due to availability, and I honestly wanted a wide flat aerobar.
The BMC Time Machine Road had availability issues, and while the integration it has is really cool, I wasn’t going gaga for the way it looked. Reviewers also said it was perhaps the least “Aero” feeling Aero bike in the sense that it was “fast” but not in a way that was super obvious.
The Venge was tempting since it’s one of the “Ultimate” bikes you can get. But I had a hard time tracking one down at a price and color combo that felt right. For how impressive the Venge is I do see a lot of them around me…so it felt perhaps a bit less “special” in some ways.
The Quintana Roo SRFive was high on the list due to the fact that it came with great wheelset options, customizable colors, and Quintana Roo is pretty flexible with adding specific componentry for you. However, something about the proportions felt a little off to me, and their aero claims felt a little less substantiated to me. They
To be honest the Tarmac SL-7 felt like the perfect bike for me. Roadbike in design, but very aero design cues. However, it’s a pricey bike, availability was nonexistent, and honestly the color combos available at the more “affordable” pricepoints felt pretty garbage. It’s a nice bike! But not worth spending exuberant amounts of money over.
I happened across a really well maintained S5 on an old triathlon forum I used to frequent that was priced really fairly (around $6200) and I jumped on the opportunity!
The Specs: The bike I purchased came with the following: -2019 S5 Disc black/gray -Size 56CM -Ultrega Di2 -62MM DT Swiss Arc 1450 Wheels -Garmin Vector 2 Pedals You can check it out here: https://postimg.cc/gallery/PfxQhtH
Design & Build Quality: I absolutely love the way this bike looks. The handlebar looks so aggressive & unique, while the frame profiles feel sleek. It honestly reminds me of being the “Lamborghini” of bikes…it’s just such a departure from what we’re used to seeing, and feels so abundantly functional, yet “loud” at the same time. I seriously sneak a look at the bike every time I go into the garage…having a bike that makes me want to do that is almost worth the price of admission alone.
I also think black is the perfect color for this bike. It feels so classically Cervelo and almost gives the bike a “stealth fighter” feel. Perhaps a small downside of the black paint job is that it tends to show small scratches and imperfections more readily, but the overall package feels so bold that you don’t necessarily mind it. Also in a lot of circumstances a quick wipe down will help to hide or correct whatever imperfections you may see.
What I will say is the current colors for the mid-range S5 models are pretty garbage. There’s a gray+black combo and a chameleon blue. The gray+black feels too plain for this bike while chameleon blue only works if you want something really bold. I really wish manufacturers would just always offer a classy “base” color while giving you a couple of different options each model year. Right now the current trend is pretty much polarizing/crappy colors at the lower levels and super nice color schemes at the higher levels, which is rather annoying to me.
While I haven’t had the bike for a long time it feels really well built. I remember touching and feeling a Trek Madone not too long ago and everything felt very hollow, cheap, and flimsy to me. The handle bar on this bike feels very “solid” and “stiff” to touch, and the frame as a whole just feels nice to hold in hand.
Aside from the cool handlebar and sleek aero profiles there’s not tons to call-out on this bike design-wise, no special storage integration, extra fancy seatpost/suspension system, etc. It’s kind of a no frills bike in that regard but it honestly feels so well built and just “cool” to look at that you don’t really feel like you’re missing out by not having these things.
The only thing that would have been cool would have been some kind of clever solution to hide your flat kit+tools. But that’s only because the lines are so clean on this bike that it feels like a sin to put a saddlebag on it.
There is the fork-steerer tube design flaw that was called out YouTube. For a lot of people this is a big miss and a big issue. While I haven’t had tons of saddle time on this bike, I’m not immensely worried about it at the moment.
Performance: Does this bike feel fast to ride? Yes! Here are the differences I noticed compared to a fairly standard road frame from 10 years ago & compared to an old Cervelo P2SL triathlon bike I used to ride.
First off this bike feels really stiff. Not stiff in a jarring, you can’t be comfortable way, but stiff in the sense that you really feel like your pedal strokes are putting power to the ground. This makes the bike feel really dialed in, almost aggressive in nature. You’re not “dancing on the pedals” when you’re on this bike you’re more of a heat-seeking missile. Compared to the other bikes I’ve ridden…I don’t think I’ve actually felt a lack of stiffness that I could properly call out, so I find descriptions of stiffness to be a little hard to quantify. I’d best sum it up as with this bike every ounce of energy pushes you forward, and you don’t quite realize that your current bike isn’t doing that for you until you ride something that is stiffer.
I was very curious about the aero properties of this bike. I used to ride a Cervelo P2SL when I did triathlons…which though dated is still a fairly fast frame. I remember consistently being a few miles per hour faster on that bike. For instance 20mph would feel like a decent amount of effort on my old road bike, whereas I could hold 22mph on the P2SL no problem.
What’s really noticeable with this bike is as you are accelerating you just don’t feel the wind drag hit you as hard as you would normally expect. For instance I typically start to notice drag really hit around 20mph and it becomes fairly substantial at 25mph+. On this bike when you hit 20mph it doesn’t feel like anything is wanting to slow it down, it’s kind of interesting! From a purely “feel perspective” it basically feels as fast as the P2SL I used to ride just without the aerobar position helping me get more aero.
I also feel like the handling on this bike is very responsive. I really don’t have a good benchmark for this (aside from my old roadbike) but I’d say as you lean or steer to change direction you feel the bike immediately start to grab that line. With my old roadbike it would change directions well but would feel maybe a little “floaty” in comparison. There’s just a noticeable increase in precision on this bike.
My first ride out with this bike was on a local 25 mile loop with about 1200’ of climbing. I usually average 16-16.5mph on this loop and on the S5 I was averaging 18.5mph with plenty left in the tank if I wanted to push it more. The next day I took the bike on another local loop as a recovery ride basically trying to keep the heart rate around 140mph, and I apparently set a PR on the loop despite not really pushing myself in any particular way. So the speed gains are pretty apparent to me. It’s not going to make you a hero…but I think if you’re coming from something old and non-aero 1.5-2mph is what you can count on and you will notice it.
I am not sure if it’s the bottom bracket, the components, the geometry of the bike, or what exactly but I find it very easy to achieve a smooth pedal stroke and a high cadence on this bike even in higher gears. On my old roadbike, if I was in the big chain-ring I’d have to be in easier gears in the back to keep my cadence high, and I’d often just be in the smaller ring to make it easier to accelerate off of stoplights, etc. On this bike it is almost no problem being in the big chainring the whole time even when going uphill on sections that I’d typical use the small chain-ring on.
Now what I will say is for all of the positives I just listed above, this bike will not make you fast. Yes I definitely notice the differences and advantages that this frame offers, but I also don’t think if I was out of shape that I’d find this bike to be a huge step up over a normal roadbike. If anything, this bike is so focused on making you go fast that you might prematurely “blow-up” a little bit if riding it out of shape. You’d think you could hold 20mph until all of the sudden you couldn’t. Whereas on a normal roadbike you would find it easier to put around at a pace more in line with your current fitness.
Likewise towards the end of a 40 mile ride I was starting to run out of gas, putting around at 14mph and I felt no faster or no better than I would on my old roadbike in such a situation. So when you’re feeling good and pushing hard, you’re going to feel this bike help you, but when you’re having an off day or not quite putting the power down anymore this bike isn’t going to do much to rescue you. So I’d say this bike is best enjoyed when you’re somewhat fit or in shape.
Geometry+Ride Comfort:
I was actually really worried about the geometry of this bike. I remember seeing one on the trail one-day and noticing that the rider was riding really long and low on the frame. However I also cross-referenced its frame geometry with a bunch of other bikes and it was only a few mm off in stack+reach and other measurements. So in other words, perhaps not as dramatic of a departure as I thought.
The head-tube feels really long on this bike and it barely angles up. Compared to my 56cm roadbike the Cervelo S5 is noticeably longer and significantly lower. Crucially however, despite how aggressive this position looks once you’re in the saddle and reaching for the handlebar you realize that it’s not an unobtainable position to be in.
Yes you’re reaching a bit more, yes you are lower, but you also feel like you are in a more powerful position and that you have more control over the bike because you have a lower center of gravity. Sometimes being in a tight sportscar is more comfortable than being in a loose sedan and I’d say that feels to be the case here.
The handlebars are very comfortable to touch and interact with. The flat aero tops are awesome to put your hands on and wrap your fingers around, while the hoods and drops feel very natural to get to.
My bike is equipped with 28mm tubeless tires and everything feels very “smooth” when riding. I am sure this is mostly the wheel+tire combo, but between that and the frame I have no complaints on road harshness by any means. You’re definitely not floating around on a cloud, but it’s not like I’m saying to myself “man I wish this bike was less harsh”
In general if you’re worried about comfort on this bike from a geometry perspective or road-harshness perspective I’m confident you’ll be able to make this bike work unless you have some very specific needs.
Weight: While I don’t have a scale for this bike, most reports peg this as being in the high 16.9ish-17.6ish lb range depending on size and components. I’d say that feels about right.
The bike certainly does not feel like a featherweight, but it’s by no means overly dense or a complete tank to ride. What I’ve noticed with disc brake bikes is the weight feels very heavily concentrated towards the wheels/bottom of the bike. This can make the bike feel heavier than it is because the balance can be a little odd. Likewise, when lifting the S5 you have to almost hold the top tube 80% back for it to feel balanced in your hand, and the point of balance is a very a short range to find. I don’t think this actually matters in any serious capacity, just something interesting to note comparing the other bikes I’ve interacted with. The fact that it’s kind of hard to balance the bike in hand can make it feel like it weighs more than it does, but when you do bike it up balanced you go “hmm it’s actually lighter than I remember”
I took this bike up some of my local hills and felt no noticeable weight consequence. If anything, the stiffness and aero properties on this bike are so prevalent, even going uphill, that I would take them any day of the week versus this bike losing a couple of extra lbs.
Di2: When I first started looking for bikes I was 100% for a SRAM Force AXS groupset. My current roadbike has a SRAM Rival groupset, which I love, and to me the extra gear range and the wireless technology behind SRAM Force AXS made a lot of sense to me. However, with SRAM Force AXS being pretty new my bike options were somewhat limited in availability, whereas Ultrega Di2 was much more ubiquitous to come across. Obviously…stumbling across this bike with as good of a deal as I was getting I figured it wasn’t worth holding out for SRAM Force any longer than I had to.
Here’s what got me to go with Ultrega Di2: -The hood buttons being able to switch pages on a head-unit seemed really cool. -The fact that you could change shifting profiles with the PC app and USB cable in case you didn’t spring for the wireless d-fly module. -The fact that I could basically set it up to shift like SRAM Force AXS would (with the exception of the L+R simultaneous press to change from big ring to small) if I really wanted to.
My first ride with Ultrega Di2 was actually pretty disappointing. When I got my bike the battery was completely dead. I plugged it in and it immediately came to life, and I decided to let the bike charge overnight.
After getting a full charge on the battery I unplugged the bike for a few days, as the battery is supposed to last several months depending on shift style. Upon finally deciding to take the bike on its first “proper” ride at 6:00am in the morning, I clip in, go down the driveway, turn onto the main street and my shifters are completely dead. I do a quick 1.3 mile loop around the block, of course stuck in a pretty hard gear, and decided to hop on Zwift instead while the battery charged.
So the fact that the battery can completely die with no real way to save it or resurrect things mid-ride is a bit of a bummer. But I also would say that it was a bit of operator error on my end, as I must have done something to let the battery drain over night.
Now for my first actual ride, Di2 is pretty amazing. I tend to keep my mechanical derailleurs pretty well sorted, but shifting can be a bit of a hassle. If you’re on a climb or not really in the right cadence (for whatever reason) you just hear and feel the derailleurs forcing themselves into gear and it feels very abrupt. Likewise, on longer distance rides, it’s honestly not uncommon for your fingers and hands to get a little tired which just adds to some of the mental anguish you may be feeling 80 miles into your ride!
Di2 is just a quick click and you’re in the gear you selected. No drama, no fuss. You want to switch between chain-rings, no problem! Everything about using it is easier and better and I honestly feel like it makes you a safer rider. When coming to a stop-light I’d sometimes not always be able to downshift as much as I’d like, which would make starting up again a slightly hairy process. That’s just not an issue at all anymore with Di2. You can jump down 5 gears in a few seconds and with minimal abruptness or huge shocks to the driveline so to speak.
Likewise I’d often find myself mentally staying in gear at less ideal cadences just because mechanical shifting could be a little abrupt or require some effort that could take my focus away from the road. Now I find myself just naturally honing in at a good geacadence for myself because it takes no effort to do so.
The front derailleur also makes a pretty badass sound when you use it. It’s an electronic servo whine, but it mentally feels like a turbo-blow off valve going off or hearing a sick supercharger whine on your car. The shift buttons also have a very satisfying range of travel and “click” to them. All in all, though you do lose some of the clanks and sensations that make mechanical shifting feel so tactile, you have other ways to engage the sense with Di2 which makes for a pretty fun and gratifying experience using the shifters.
What I probably like about Di2 the most is it feels like the derailleurs work in tandem to minimize friction. This leads to just a silky smooth shifting and pedaling experience that feels really sublime to interact with.
I’d say the build quality on Ultrega Di2 is very high. All of the contact points feel very “solid” and you generally get the impression that you’re interacting with a very well built, very precise piece of hardware.
I was personally worried about the shifting controls being a little annoying. I’m a SRAM guy and I actually don’t like the way Shimano’s mechanical groupsets shift, but within 5 minutes I got used to Shimano’s dual button layout and I don’t find it to be a problem to interact with at all.
Now for the negatives, I do think it’s kind of BS that you need to spend $100-$150 for a wireless module to talk to your cycling computer or phone. All of these electronic groupsets are expensive and they should just come with these built into the shifters.
I bought the module and installed it and I also find the phone app to be pretty bad to use and the head-unit control is pretty laggy. Like ½ second after a press laggy to the point where you’d almost be better off taking your hand off the hood to just press the head-unit button as you’d be able to do that whole process faster than you’d be able to using the integrated shifter buttons. Likewise, there is the same amount of lag when your head-unit updates its gear selection…which is less offensive but Di2 shifts so quickly that you can get substantially far down or up the cassette before your head-unit displays your first shift.
The junction box where you plugin your charger and check your battery life/shift modes could be designed a tad better to me. The button itself is actually a little hard to press, and when pressed it actually doesn’t come on unless you hold it down for a few moments. This can be a little tricky for new riders, but once you figure it out it’s not the end of the world.
In short I’d say that Ultrega Di2 is definitely worth the upgrade over mechanical shifting and I also don’t feel like I’m missing out on tons compared to the SRAM AXS groupsets. It’s pretty clear that Shimano came up with a pretty bullet-proof design at the expense of some UI goodies. You can certainly enjoy riding your bike with a good ole mechanical groupset, but if you’ve done your years on mechanical you’ll be in heaven with the shifting experience that Di2 offers.
Disc Brakes:
One of my big reasons for buying this bike is because I recently moved to a hillier area and found myself really needing to rely on my brakes on larger descents. To be honest I felt like this was a big safety thing that I really wanted to invest in.
In normal braking circumstances, you really can’t feel much of a difference between rim brakes and disc brakes. The two feel so similar that I was almost disappointed in the disc brakes.
However disc brakes do feel a lot easier to modulate. On long descents I’d often find myself white knuckling my brakes, whereas on my disc brakes it’s much less of an ordeal. I will also say that in more of an emergency braking situation, I think the disc brakes will ultimately stop quickefaster…it’s just not quite the night and day difference I thought it was going to be.
I will say that the brakes on my S5 feel like they are setup quite well. There’s no detectable rub and no hugely problematic squeals or howls. So that’s been a bit of a plus at least.
I do actually really like thru-axles though. With rim brakes I always found it a little annoying trying to center the wheel up on the fork and between the brakes. Thru axles just remove that process entirely. The S5 comes with a pretty nifty quick release thru axle system as well…not that if I have a flat I’m going to be worried about precious seconds ticking away, but it’s cool to see new clever designs and systems in place here.
I came from a “rim brakes are better” mindset for a very long time. If you have that mindset switching to disc really isn’t going to feel all that different day to day (for better or worse) but in more extreme situations discs are likely going to have a little more to offer in keeping you safe. So I’d say disc brakes aren’t the only reason why should upgrade your bike, and at the same time if you’re on a rim bike that you love you likely aren’t missing tons by not jumping to disc aside from maybe the ability to run some of the newer wheelsets.
Wheelset:
The bike came with DT Swiss Arc Dicut 1450’s, which are the OEM version of the 1400 series. The wheels are 62mm thick and have a more traditional rim width/profile of 17mm
For such a deep section wheel they are actually incredibly light to hold. I have a set of aluminum 28mm wheels that have a claimed weight around 1580 grams and the 1450’s feel lighter even with discs installed.
I personally really wanted a loud freehub to help let people know that I am nearby and sadly the freehub is pretty quiet. The good news is that you can pretty easily upgrade the ratchet for around $150, which I’ll probably do at some point.
I was a little worried that these would blow around a bit in the wind with how deep they are and how thin the rim width is. However they’ve been fine for me so far on the bike. I’m about 160lbs and 6’ tall so not particularly dense by any means. I think what helps is the bike puts you in a position where you feel like you have a relatively low center of gravity.
In terms of speed, they’re a little hard to pick a part as the whole bike generally just feels “fast” to me, but I feel like they’re doing their job, and don’t have any major complaints thus far. I also feel like they are quite comfortable on the road and that fastemore modern wheelsets are definitely out there, but that you’d be paying for gains you may not fully notice.
Garmin Vector 2’s:
My bike came with some Garmin Vector 2 pedals, which was a bit of a plus for me because I didn’t want to buy a bike and then spend $650ish on a new power meter after the fact.
These are a last gen power meter and do have some less than ideal characteristics (like the external pods which could get damaged in a crash). Likewise from what I’ve heard there’s a bit more of a process when changing them between bikes thanks to the pods. But since they’re already on the bike and ready to go I figure they’ll be just fine for me.
So far power numbers seem pretty much in line with what I output on my Saris H3 trainer. If they differed slightly, I honestly wouldn’t care all that much. They do provide quite a few cool parameters to look at. Pedaling smoothness, left right balance, torque, and loads more that feel like they are more pedal power meter specific.
I was primarily interested in a dual sided power meter to try to detect any left-right leg imbalances that I may have. So far I’ve been pretty much sitting at a 51/49 split most of the time. So if you’re on the fence about getting a dual sided power meter and really want to save a few hundred bucks you’re probably okay doing so!
A small plus to me is the fact that these run on coin cell batteries. There’s obviously some advantages of having rechargeable batteries built into things nowadays but it’s almost to the point where I feel like I have to plug in 3-4 things after each ride. So just being able to keep a few coincells in the saddle bag and being able to swap batteries when necessary actually feels much nicer to me than having to plug these in.
I was actually pretty hesitant to pickup a pedal based power meter because I’ve been using Shimano pedals and cleats for so long. However I actually like the feel of the Garmin pedals much better. They lock your feet in more securely, even if you have a fairly loose tension, and they seem like they stay balanced a lot better than my Shimano pedals (less trying to chase a spinning pedal when you clip in). The only thing that I don’t like is it feels like the front of the cleat doesn’t quite disengage cleanly on my right foot, which is the one that I use most often when stopping, but my left cleat unclips just fine. There’s likely something I’m doing wrong, and it hasn’t been a huge issue, but I do worry that when unclipping my right foot might get stuck and I’ll tip over.
This is actually my first time riding outside with power and I really think the cycling community overhypes how much data you need. As long as you have a watt number to look at, you’re probably good. If you can achieve that with a $300 crank based meter, great! You definitely don’t need to go out and buy some $1000 power meter with all sorts of metrics.
What’s also interesting is since most of my actual training is done on Zwift I find power to be a less useful metric outdoors than it is indoors. When I’m outdoors I’m basically going “hmm this feels like 250 watts to me” and then I look down and go “yep that’s 250 watts” and I do find it interesting to see what certain wattages feel like at certain speeds and up certain hills but it feels less important outdoors than it does in Zwift. For instance if I’m riding on a segment of road…yes I can go 400 watts if I really want to, but I’m already going 25mph and going faster may be a little unsafe in a given situation. If you already have a trainer at home, that’s a far better tool to crank out the watts because you can push yourself to whatever wattage you want without having to worry about traffic, road obstacles, etc.
All in all I’m pretty happy with these pedals and glad I didn’t have to buy a power meter separately when purchasing this bike.
Final Thoughts:
When I pulled the trigger on this bike I experienced quite a bit of guilt. I’m not that fast of a cyclist, $6200 is quite a bit of money, what if the geometry is too aggressive? and my old bike is honestly working just fine. However after riding it I am really happy with my purchase.
To me, the S5 is really one of the coolest looking bikes released. It’s so nice to look at everyday and when I’m on it I really like I’m riding a Lamborghini. There’s just a real sense of occasion to the bike that is totally worth the cost of admission. Now what I will say is that I really think $6Kish is the absolute most you need to pay for a bike nowadays. $6K should generally get you a high-end frame, decent wheelset, electronic shifting and maybe a power meter, which should be all of the high-end goodies you really need. To me there’s no way in hell a $12K bike is going to be anywhere near twice as good as a $6K bike so you really don’t need to spring for a super high-end build with Dura-Ace or SRAM Red.
I’d also argue that the S5 is basically one of the most advanced framesets available today and compared to my 10-year-old roadbike, it’s a substantial leap forward but not a complete game changer in terms of riding my bike. I’d say it adds about 30% more enjoyment compared to what I’m used to experiencing. So if you’re already on a somewhat new bike (say from the last 5 years) you probably aren’t going to notice as much of an improvement in the experience as I did.
This bike really feels like a TT bike and a roadbike had a baby. This shouldn’t be a shock to anyone, because that’s the whole aerobike concept. But it honestly feels as aero as my TT bike, just without the ability to get into the TT position, and it’s not like I’m missing tons of the traditional “roadbike” experience. It handles well, is comfortable, and is generally a pretty responsive bike to be on.
So if you’re torn between an aerobike or more standard roadbike, both are probably going to work just fine, but I’d postulate that the aerobike is likely going to be the faster option without significantly compromising your riding experience in any meaningful way.
I’m a bit of a lone wolf and I think this bike is perfect for us solo riders. You can cover quite a bit of ground with the extra efficiency this bike provides, but it’s obviously much more versatile than a TT bike as you can use it to hop in a group ride if you need to, and it will feel more comfortable riding it up hills, down descents, etc.
Perhaps a con of this bike is that I do feel like I have a bit of a target on my back, and so I subconsciously feel the need to ride fast just so I’m not “that guy” who has the nice bike but sucks at riding. Likewise this bike just really likes to and wants to go fast, so it actually may not be the best tool for noodling around and exploring. I don’t want to say that it’s uncomfortable or anything like that…it’s just very focused on speed so when you’re on it you just want to go fast.
All in all, I’m happy with the bike and think it’ll put a smile on my face for a very long time and I’d be happy to answer more specific questions about it if it would help anyone!