I've played SS2 with Rebirth and it looked great. You and Ben should have a good time with it - SS2 can be slow, but it's scary as hell and there's lots of great story on the audio logs. It's probably better for story driven games to be audio or cutscene focused rather than a lot of reading. I bet he's still learning so that may have been what turned him off Fallout 3 and Stalker. When do kids learn to read? And at what point do they learn words like "ameliorate" and "deleterious?" I don't know much about children.

You guys are flying through your collection! 🙂

Judging from what I know of Ernest, playing games is one of Ben's many activities, not "all" he does with his dad. Actually I've found myself wondering how our Ernest manages to find time to be a successful attorney on top of all the stuff he enjoys doing with Ben.

In fact even sitting on the outside of this story I find the suggestion that "all" Ben does with his dad is play video games, or that Ernest is trying to "achieve" anything other than spending time with his son a little... no, a lot… insulting. I don't ever recall reading that Ben doesn't know how to ride a bike, or doesn't know what Outside is, or has never been to a concert.

I am fortunate enough to still have my Dad, alive and vigorous, and while I was growing up he taught me to ride a bike, took me to concerts, tried but failed to educate me in catch, read to me, sang me songs, and sat fearlessly in the Death Seat while I learned to drive. He bounced me when I was little, pretended to wheeze when I was slightly larger and "punched" him, and today, he pretends it's funny when I threaten to put him in a home, knowing we're both teasing, because the humor takes the fear out of it for both of us, and reminds us that we love each other.

My Dad also introduced me to video games, with Mystery House on the Apple II+. Like Ernest (also a successful professional), my Dad found time between being Director of Sales at Cadillac Motor to spend hours with his young children every evening playing with us. Whether we were playing video games or hide 'n' seek, or learning to ride a bike, is wholly irrelevant compared to the fact that it was time spent with my Dad.

One day he will be gone, and I will never have that time again, nor ever that wisdom, nor ever that kindness. And on that day, or all the days forward, as I realize a piece of my heart has been removed, do you truly think I'll spare a moment wishing my Dad had done This more and That less, or vice versa?

With that said, if this is Ben's first go-through of SS2, Ernest, you have to tell us all about it!