In a nutshell | November 2025
Of Split Fiction, Deep Rock Galactic, Pokémon Go, Murderbot, and Pluribus
I’ve been swamped with work this month and didn’t have too much time to play games or read books. I’m also starting a new personal project, which I’m excited about and hopefully will talk about one day, though I don’t know if it’ll be anytime soon.
I still tried making time for games, books, and series this month. Let’s dive in!
Games
Split Fiction
Both Split Fiction and Astrobot have been on my husband’s wishlist on PS5 for a long time, and finally, they went on sale recently. As soon as he saw the notification, he texted me asking if we should get them, and I was, of course, very eager to get them as they are both games that I’ve been wanting to play for a very long time.
Even though we didn’t have the chance to try out Astrobot yet, we are currently playing through Split Fiction, and it is good. We did have a blast playing It Takes Two a few years ago, and Split Fiction is currently scratching that same itch.
They really took it to the next level with this game. The graphics, the non-stop action, the unique abilities… all are really good, and the banter between the main characters is fun. We both burst out laughing whenever we see a reference, and some of the sections are just mind-blowingly awesome. I will probably have a full Co-op Days post when we finish the game; it is really good.
Deep Rock Galactic
I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been a little prejudiced towards this game. Mostly because it takes place underground, and I thought it would feel claustrophobic. The game looked chaotic and not really my style. My co-op squad kind of pressured me to get this game when there was a sale, and we finally got to play it.
I’m happy to say that I was wrong.
The game rocks, pun intended. First of all, it did not feel claustrophobic at all, as the caves were pretty spacious and plenty of room to breathe. As 4 players, we each chose different characters to cover all areas. I chose the Scout, who can shoot flares to light up the caves and can travel quickly with the grappling hook. Suuuper fun to play this character, and really fits my playstyle.
Every week, I’m looking forward to playing this game, which says a lot about how fun it is. It also reminds me of Helldivers 2, which I watch my husband play all the time. It used to look too chaotic for me, but maybe Helldivers 2 might also be fun to play for me, hmm.
Pokémon Go
I used to play this game back in 2016, when I was an exchange student in France. It was such a cultural reset; everyone and their mother played this game. It was such a novel idea, and it worked really well. As someone who is mostly only familiar with the original 151 Pokémon, I can’t say that I’m the biggest fan of the franchise. But I am very fond of that first 151, so I played Pokémon Go a lot back then and collected many of them.
Recently, my husband and I decided to redownload the game, mostly to have an excuse to take a walk and get some exercise in. It works really well as a motivator, I must say. And also, seeing my old Pokémon from 2016 made me super nostalgic, like I’m seeing my old friends, and I cannot get rid of them, no matter how weak they may be.
Books
The Murderbot Diaries
This is quickly becoming my comfort book series. Despite the dark-sounding name, it is actually a very heartwarming series, with some amazing action-packed sequences and funny moments. But it’s also a series that takes itself seriously, with some big emotional payoffs and gritty scenes.
Following Murderbot - a half robot half human construct - on its journey to discover what it means to be human, what it means to care for others, is very engaging. I deeply relate to its desire to do nothing but watch its favorite serials all day. If Murderbot were real, I’m pretty sure it would be an author on AO3 and get into arguments with the rest of the The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon fandom.
I had already listened to the audiobooks last year, which are FANTASTIC. Kevin R Free is a phenomenal narrator. Every little pause, every little sigh makes me feel more connected to Murderbot and it’s like I’m listening to a friend telling me an exciting story. I’ve been re-reading them on my Kindle and it’s been great. I’m currently reading Fugitive Telemetry, and Network Effect is the next one on my list.
And it was adapted to TV on Apple+, which was released recently, and it’s also quite good. Despite having my own criticisms of the show, it is still quite a good watch. But I recommend reading the books first (or listening to the audiobooks) and then watching the show.
Shows
Pluribus
Will I be crucified if I say that I never watched Breaking Bad? My brother certainly always scolds me because of it, since Breaking Bad has been one of his favorite TV series for a long time.
Maybe it’s because of this that I had never heard of Pluribus. So I went in with no expectations, but I was very impressed with the story and the cinematography. The premise is incredibly interesting, and I’m very curious to know how it will all be resolved. I’m hoping that they’ll nail it. I’ve seen some people criticising the show because of how slow the plot moves forward, but I’m the type to enjoy character studies and how a character might react to certain circumstances.
The only thing that put me off so far is how some of the side characters reacted to the main event (trying to be vague here). It was a little difficult for me to suspend my disbelief there, but I understand the reason why they chose to go that way.
Oh and it was a little cruel of them to end the latest episode with a cliffhanger, and have the next episode scheduled to be released 10 days later. I’m dying to know what is going to happen in Episode 6.
November was a pretty hectic month for me. I know that I seem to keep complaining about how busy my life is, but I genuinely am feeling like I’m always rushing to get stuff done or even make time for my hobbies. Nevertheless, some good stuff also happened this month, and exciting news should be waiting for me in December! Hopefully!
How was your November? Let’s discuss!
Loving Pluribus too! I have seen Breaking Bad, and it makes no difference. It’s just a good gritty, thought-provoking tv show and Pluribus is the same?
Fingers crossed that December is a bit kinder to you. Thanks for recommending the murder bot series. I enjoyed the show and I think I would also really enjoy the books!
Pluribus is aso intriguing me. I can't wait for the next episode!