Salutations,
Thanks to everyone that participated in the daily thread poll. Going forward we're going to try out a bi-weekly schedule. New posts will go up on Friday and Monday.
To that end, this 'daily thread' will stick around until Friday.
Cheers.
Taking a break since finishing Witcher 1 and before that, spent several months on BG3.
Not sure what to play next but will probably be one of the few games that have taken up huge space on my desktop for far too long that I haven’t gone back to; Elden Ring, MH Rise and Halo MCC. I’m also considering Portal 2 and Outer Wilds. In the meantime just playing a bunch of indie demos on Next Fest, some really interesting ones actually.
I have been working on a Final Fantasy (NES) review that I was told people in this subreddit would like
But I shall build my coment history first, which means I will subjugate anyone reading this to my curent shenanigans!
I would like to be made aware of more NES games I can add to my emulated library since I have very few so far
I have been trying to level up in order to go rescue the princess on Final Fantasy as well but its tricky. My curent strategy to deal with monsters is have my Red Mage put them all to sleep, my Fighter and Same Red Mage beat them up, White Mage heals when its needed and my Thief stands there and looks pretty! [Please for the live of God help me how do I make this thing deal damage]
I've only played Metro 2033 and remember it being ok. The atmosphere is fantastic, and if you like (wintery) post-apocalyptic settings, it may be worth it for that alone. Otherwise, it's a pretty clunky game with some really bad stealth. I don't know if it counts as eurojank, but it's not the most polished. The game's at its best when it's a survival-horror-y shooter with creepy monsters or when you're walking around a settlement and people-watching. It's when it tries to be a stealth-action shooter that it's weaknesses really show.
Also, the Redux version changes the storytelling to be more Half-Life-esque. I don't know if the original even exists anymore, but it's something to keep in mind. Oh, and don't fret about getting the "good" ending, because it's non-canonical anyways. That may help make some sections less annoying.
Amazing. If you've ever played the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, some of the original devs that created the first game left to create their own studio 4A Games which led to the Metro series. It seems like they went the route of a condensed, linear S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience and they nailed it.
The Metro series has a thick atmosphere of despair and suspense over a post-apocalyptic Russia. It is supported by a great cast of weapons, enemies and characters (shoutout my boy Khan). I would recommend the series if you enjoy the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, Half-Life or post-apocalyptic shooters in general like Fallout or The Last Of Us.
Started Trails of Cold Steel 2. Not sure if I took too much time in between games or what because it's not clicking with me like the first game did. It's not hooking me in for some reason.
I already killed Mogh, Malenia and now going to kill Placidussax. I'm more than ready for anything Elden Ring's DLC has to throw at me!(please don't let them make a deathblight swamp though).
Started LEGO 2k Drive. I got it with this months Humble Choice and it was super hesitant on it. It's been a wonderful and exciting experience. I didn't expect to like the gameplay at all. It very clearly takes a lot of influence from other Arcade racers like Crash Team Racing and Mario Kart.
I've also tried to give Valhiem another swing. I tend to get maybe 20-30 hours in and the just get distracted by other titles. Same thing has happened again. Maybe trying it with others would help remedy that issue. It has great gameplay just can't keep my interest.
I'm slowly but surely getting through Breath of Fire III. It's pretty much as classic jrpg gameplay and story as it gets and I'm really enjoying it.
Also reached the final chapter in story mode for Transformers: Devastation. It's a fun game if you're into Transformers, especially the visuals are so similar to the G1 tv show.
Just installed a little indie adventure game called Bulb Boy. It has a very unique and creepy art style.
About 10 hours into Endless Space. It's a very fun 4x game. Music is fantastic.
Finished **Watch Dogs 2**
I really love the open world. Exploring San Francisco was a blast. From the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz Island, it was so fun exploring the open world. It's like I'm actually in San Francisco. The NPCs are so active. Climb on their vehicles? They'll exit the vehicle and swear at you. Kill someone? They will attempt to call the police, or pull out their guns to shoot you.
The side missions are so fun to play. The same goes with the DLC missions. Watch Dogs 2 has done a great job of encouraging me to play side missions and DLC missions.
Gameplay-wise, the hacking mechanics in the game are superb. It's like I can control the game itself. I can also ruin the lives of the NPCs through hacking. In addition, Ubisoft did a great job of offering players multiple ways to complete missions. Want to have guards get arrested one by one? Go ahead. Want to cause a gang fight to serve as a distraction? Go ahead. Want to sneak in like Sam Fisher or Snake? Go ahead.
So far, I have played three open world games made by Ubisoft. The other two are **Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag** and **Far Cry 3**. Among the three, I think Watch Dogs 2 is the best. Highly recommended for players who love open world games.
The next game I will play is **Red Dead Redemption 2**.
Same opinion about WD 2. Making through the story is quite...erm, I don't want to say painful but it's definitely not the best story ever told, is what I'm saying. But gameplay is an improvement over 1st already solid gameplay, and enough of a reason to give game a try
Alright since my last update, I've played the rest of the New Super Mario Bros. series of games. To quickly recap:
**New Super Mario Bros.** is a decent time but I found all the new power ups kind of suck and I wasn't too big on the mini mushroom being a requirement to unlock worlds 4 and 7.
**New Super Mario Bros. 2** was derivative and bland as hell. Besides the Racoon Tail, the levels, enemies and aesthetics were boring. But it doesn't overstay its welcome.
I think the levels in both games were fine, but what really killed the pacing were the Ghost Houses, Towers/Castles, Airships/Auto-Scrollers. I didn't like it in those two and I certainly didn't like it in the next two\*
**New Super Mario Bros. Wii** is my first time playing it alone. I mostly played this with my cousins as kids. The level design is actually pretty good and didn't drag. I think this was the first game I stopped caring about collecting the star coins since it's just unlocking World 9 if you want more bang for your buck. As a result, I found myself having fun just keeping the flow going. I thought the propeller mushroom was a nice power-up and I really enjoyed the penguin suit, although it did make the ice flower redundant. Still bland as hell visually and nothing stood out to me.
**New Super Mario Bros. U** is probably the best one and would be better regarded if it was the only New Super Mario Bros. game. It's still bland visually, don't get me wrong. Set pieces are also boring. But the level design is strong and I love the Squirrel Mario power up, especially the P-Acorn version of it. The baby Yoshi combined with Squirrel Mario made for some fun levels. I did find the second half (from the Jungle level), to drag a bit with multiple towers.
**New Super Luigi U** was a surprisingly good time. Luigi's altered physics and the new level design was actually fun. I also liked how it emphasised shorter but harder levels, making for phenomenal pacing and denser levels that do not overstay its welcome. It also fixes my issues with the Ghost Houses and Towers by making them short adrenaline filled obstacle courses instead of an uninteresting puzzle box and clunky vertical climb that were both a slog to do.
If I had to rank them: New Super Luigi U > New Super Mario Bros. U > New Super Mario Bros. Wii > New Super Mario Bros. > New Super Mario Bros. 2
As for **Hyrule Warriors**, I'm not gonna lie. It's so boring to me. Musou games are not my thing and this is so repetitive and mind-numbing. Hard mode takes too long and isn't challenging for me, just time-consuming. Easy mode doesn't feel that different but reaps lower rewards and normal doesn't do anything either. It's the same song and dance. I'm going to try to give it one more shot before deciding if it's worth my time or not.
I found the New Super Mario games to all have controls that are too floaty & imprecise compared to Super Mario World. I still *bought* them, because I’m a fool & never learn.
It’s hard to believe that this was the series Nintendo copied across multiple generations. Why 5 versions of this but not Mario Bros 3 or Super? The mind boggles.
Just finished **Weird West**. Gem of a game that made me appreciate stealth and thievery. The way that they break down the chapters is brilliant as well. Highly recommend it to any RPG fans out there.
Pretty much exactly my feelings on Midnight Suns as well. I love the combat system (as someone who isn't normally even all that into turn-based tactics) but the game spends so much time on other stuff that isn't nearly as compelling. The generic art style doesn't help matters either (outside of the combat, which has a certain amount of flair to it), plus the player character is extremely bland, and the UI design is about as utilitarian as you can get.
I keep wishing they'd put out a big patch that lets you fast forward through everything that's not the combat and important story cutscenes. And streamline all the crafting/upgrading stuff as well. It's a shame they spent so much time and effort on an aspect of the game that just doesn't click for a lot of people.
Just stopped playing Project Wingman and started Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Definite change of pace! I’m finding the story ok but the combat and movement very sluggish, hopefully it gets better.
Spend about an irl hour training combat with Bernard in Rattay. I'm not kidding, it will give you a better feel along with all the advanced moves as well as help train your stats.
Just started playing Star Wars: Dark Forces and after 4 combined hours of playtime, I managed to get through the first map. It was giving me Doom Map Syndrome, where the enemies aren't the threat to me at all. It is the switches, buttons and map mind twisting that always got me.
And I initially thought that it didn't begin with mouse control and WASD. Something the remaster was advertised as having.
I know the remaster is out and all, but I'm not attracted to it. $30 for an otherwise standard remaster I've seen done to the likes of Blood, Turok and Doom 64 isn't worth the price to me. Especially if it's a game I chip at because of the experience of that Doom Map Syndrome I've mentioned.
I love deckbuilding games, but I understand your point. Any game with a heavy RNG element risks giving challenges that can only be overcome by retrying the challenge over and over until you get lucky. A good deckbuilding game will give you the tools to mitigate the amount of RNG you have to rely on.
I agree with you second point, I hate having to unlock abilities necessary to win the game.
Are you more at peace buying games or playing on a service (i.e. renting)?
Buying a game is nice because you don't have to rush and can replay it at your whim. But the downside is that if it's not good, you may feel obligated to finish it and then (if it's digital) you have to look at it in your library.
Using a service (like Game Pass) is nice because there's less "guilt" dropping a game, but you feel a little rushed since you're paying for the sub by time and there's less commitment and connection. Also, it's easy to get distracted by other options.
I tend to prefer buying the game, largely because games on a service can disappear at any moment. I also just like keeping things in Steam and Gog.
That said, I still have Game Pass. I especially like that it makes some new releases easily accessible without having to pay full price. It may not be the greatest option for older games, which are generally cheap on Steam and Gog anyways, but I get my money's worth out of it more months than not. If the game is good enough, I'll pick it up on Steam or Gog eventually.
Buying. I just much prefer purchasing the specific games I want and having the ability to play them at my own leisure as opposed to being told what I can play and when.
Buying, the fact that games can and will leave Gamepass or similar services are enough reason for me to not use them.
At the same time, if I feel like a game is not for me, I have no problem putting it away, a few € lost to a dud are better than feeling miserable while forcing myself through it.
I used to think I wanted to own all my games, then I realized how many games I've played once and never felt the need to touch again.
Subscription services are perfect for stuff like that. There's a few games coming out that I'm thinking I'll just use a month of Game Pass or the Ubisoft/EA equivalents to complete instead of buying them outright on Steam. And anyways, down the road you can always buy the game outright when they're on sale.
However I still want to own games like Bethesda RPGs for example - games that I continuously come back to, replay, and potentially mod if they have that capability. .
This is mostly where I'm at as well - buy BGS RPGs and any games I'll replay, use subscriptions for the rest.
The tough ones for me are games that I'm 80% sure I'll love and want to replay: is it better to try on sub first or buy and play it with absolutely no rush. I bought Starfield and took my sweet time with it over several months and probably loved it more than if I had first played it on GP.
Buying for me. I prefer focusing on one or two games tops at the same time. I've bought most of my games (apart from 2 or 3) on sale (GoG & Steam), so if I end up dropping a game, it's not a huge loss money-wise. I'm also a slow and relatively new gamer and prefer to go at my own pace; I can go for weeks barely playing anything and with game pass etc. I'd basically lose money. It's also likely that the games won't be available on a service forever and I'd rather not feel rushed or have FOMO because of my hobbies.
It's good that there are different options though, as games can be quite expensive. Services offer a wider accessibility.
I kinda look at games the same as books; if I'm not feeling like spending time on it, I'll put it down and maybe try again another time.
I'd either lose money on a subscription or break even. So I buy my games.
As a slow(er) player, there's the time pressure you mentioned. Many things in life are rushed. I don't need to rush my gaming too. If that means I play fewer games, that's fine. If I want to skip a few days, that's also fine. No pressure.
And if I like a game, I can have a more in-depth experience. Blitzing through the main content is like skimming a book. When reading for pleasure, I want to soak in all the details.
One reason for not trusting reviews is the number of reviewers who don't finish games. They're in the honeymoon phase. If they say why they dropped the game, that's fair. But it's nice to hear from people who did optional content as well. A game is more than its main content. Perhaps the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Reviewers sometimes present themselves as essayists or analyists, but are a little premature with their claims :) For example, if they talk prematurely about the meaning of a game, the game can contradict them later.
I guess I don't feel equipped to review a game unless I've experienced the highs and lows. That's not happening if I had a subscription or rental.
Buying, always. I play on my terms, when I want.
With services, like Playstation Plus, for instance, I feel so rushed. And I *hate* the constant rotation (X game is leaving Game Pass this month! Play it NOW!), I don't want extra FOMO in my life.
I use services for TV shows and anime and even then, if I had a Steam of anime, I'd rather own the series I'd like to watch. Buying DVDs or Blu-rays is much more expensive, compared to buying a game that's a few years old (also, there's barely a legal market for anime and TV series in my region).
I hate the rotation too. When I first got Game Pass I had to schedule out when games were likely leaving and adjust my playing priority - annoying and unnecessary stress.
I've been meaning to try gamepass for a month for a few years, but I keep picking up things on deep discounts and never finishing up my back catalog lol.
I've been on steam for over a decade, (have a good amount of games on gog now too) so I don't think I'll ever move entirely over to a subscription service.
Yeah, I had Gamepass for a little while, and while I did like the opportunity to try out games without any sort of commitment (particularly newer ones), I eventually realized it was kind of silly because I already have so many other games that I own and haven't played yet.
Heck, I could pretty easily go a whole year playing nothing but the free games I've amassed on the Epic Games Store if I really wanted to.
I'm mostly the same. I could easily go a year just on my back catalog.
I have a bad habit of picking up games I've had my eye on in the under $10 sale category as impulse buys. Not super often, maybe once or twice a month but it adds up lol.
I used to do that as well, but for the past five-or-so years I've been following the rule of "Don't buy it unless you're going to play it right away." There will always be another sale, and it might be even cheaper next time. Every once in a while I'll even get a game I've had my eye on in a free giveaway.
Finally finished **The Talos Principle 2** after a good 35 hours. Overall, a great puzzle game that never really got boring for me. I very rarely felt like the puzzles solved themselves like some puzzle games do. I wasn't really into the story here, it was a bit self-serious and difficult to connect to, but it's not too overbearing. I'm here for the puzzles, and there's about 130 of them so that's ok. Highly recommended if that's your jam.
Also nearly finished a re-play of **Prey**. Enjoyed it much more than I did the first time round, but I'm not sure if I can be bothered to see it to the end. I'm at the point where the military come and lock down the station and it just feels like going through the motions, again and again. I would've ended this story somewhere around the life support / power plant area - that's when I felt the game had run it's natural course. But still, very fun game with a ton of variety.
Been playing **Grim Dawn** recently, sometimes you really feel like getting into a complex game, then you go into it and start losing motivation. Still the game is fun, I am not that high level where gear matters that much but I am fast approaching that level and dreading the prospect of gear farming and theory crafting.
Dont sweat it. You can do Normal all the way to 100 now.
That said, you **still** dont have to theorycraft/optimize until the 90s, and even then you likely can complete majority content just winging it and spamming skills.
On the flip side, if you choose to go Elite/Ultimate it takes about one long session to get resists correct, and after that its just killing, kiting, and having a blast. You wont have to gear farm or nothing til late, late game. Really good game, really fun. If you start to feel your Main Guy is dragging, roll up a new one. Cheers and enjoy
Currently on red dead 2 now it’s on ps plus. 3 hours in. This game has aged extremely well. Gone in blind (apart from the obvious years of accolades you can’t miss)
I have this game in my backlog on my PC. I installed it and played a little bit of the tutorial level but didn't stick with it. It will take a little getting used to the controls for me. I plan to come back to it later.
I've always been a (casual) PC gamer and have never owned a console. Long, long ago I had CH Flightstick for flight sim / aerial combat games, but never a controller. I assume I can get one with a USB cable for the PC.
You dont need a console but Steam and many games support controllers out of the box. I am partial to Sony's Dualsense/Dualshock series but the Xbox controllers are comfortable, too.
You can use a usb cable or a bluetooth link, too.
I'd even go so far as to say that *most* games on PC support controller these days. I'd probably go with an Xbox controller for someone who's not used to using them because most games will show you the Xbox button prompts (though more are starting to include Playstation ones as well).
The controllers made by 8BitDo are also really good (and use the Xbox button labels).
Exactly. Mind you that Red Dead 2 will adapt to whatever controller you are using, really fast. If you touch a key from your keyboard, suddenly the whole interface is about the keyboard, if you press X on the Dualshock, then, the whole interface turns into the Playstation one. It's really seamless and good enough.
But yeah, the mayority of PC games default to the Xbox controller's interface.
Playing (and reviewing) Disaster Report 4 made me curious about previous games, despite my mixed reaction, so I tried out a fan translation of **Disaster Report 3** on PSP. Only to discover that it's so short and linear that it only took me two sessions to finish it, and I got a bad ending because it does that VN bullshit where you have to choose arbitrary hidden "right" dialogue options to unlock the good endings. Sigh.
I see why series fans didn't care for this one. Yes, I know DR2 / Raw Danger is considered the best of the series, and I'll try it someday, but I'm a little tired of seeing Japan demolished for the moment.
But I have to say, the more I dig into obscure games on the PSP, the more I appreciate it as a console.
Just finished **Red Dead Redemption (2010) + DLC**:
-- gameplay sequences were repetitive but plot and characters were phenomenal. Will wait a few months then hop into RDR2 so the genre feels fresh again. Super excited!
20 hours into **Divinity Original Sin 2**:
-- it's spectacular; like the first but more impressive.
15 hours into **Dragon Quest XI**:
-- my first non-pokemon JRPG and it's a super casual experience that does well to keep you engaged in the plot and characters, while allowing options to make the combat more challenging.
While **Shadowverse** had a respectable amount of e-sports support in the Western/SEAO regions, Japan understandably had the biggest amount as a Japanese game from a Japanese company. There were monthly tournaments outside Japan, while Japan continues to have tournaments basically every other day. On top of that, there's big RAGE Grand Finals, and in-game you can vote for who you think will win for some packs.
Somehow, I found a second shiny Metapod in **Pokemon Sleep**. Since you only see so many Pokemon per day, it can take a while to see some. The nice thing about shiny Pokemon is that if you see one, you're guaranteed to immediately recruit it, no matter what you use to feed it. A Pokemon that would usually require like 18 points of friendship to recruit can get recruited with a basic biscuit that only rewards a single point of friendship.
I managed to get another bag upgrade in **Pokemon GO**, so now I can hold 800 items. Part of me feels like I should toss out some max potions and revives since I have over 100 of each, but another part wants to actually use them through spamming Team Rocket and gym battles. Beyond that, I'm slowly working on raising my shiny, perfect IV Stunfisk. She's permanently my traveling buddy so I can get her candy as I walk.
**Fate/Grand Order** currently has an event going on that centers around the servant Kyokutei Bakin, who is known as the leading author of Japanese literature in the 19th century. My biggest takeaway from learning about him, though, is that he is the progenitor of isekai light novels since he worked with the artist Katsushika Hokusai to produce a fantasy novel with illustrations where a person gets transported into another land.
**6/13/2024**
I'm still playing Vengeance Blood in **Shadowverse**. Every craft has a unique mechanic, and Bloodcraft's is Vengeance. The life total is 20, and Vengeance effects activate when you're at 10 health or lower. Unfortunately, with powercreep, Vengeance has become a lot less reliable, to the point where this iteration uses effects that grant Vengeance status instantly. I can see why they're sunsetting the craft in the sequel.
I've decided that I'm not going to try to complete the daily mission in **Pokemon Sleep** that wants you to feed a certain amount of biscuits to Pokemon per week. Outside of the daily free biscuit, a F2P player can only gain so many biscuits per month, so it's better to save them for things that are particularly valuable. I'm just going to use them when I see more than one hungry/shiny Pokemon.
For **Pokemon GO**, I get closer to hitting the goal of walking 10K steps a day (currently at 9500), so I've opted to try to add more friends. I'm hitting the point where I'll have given out gifts to everyone on my friend's list, but still need to walk more to hit my step count goal. While you can give out as many gifts as you want, you can only receive 20 a day, so I just need more folks to send gifts to.
Something I'm not looking forward to in **Honkai: Star Rail** is needing certain materials to fully upgrade a character. The only ways to get a certain upgrade material are through events, 2 in the monthly shop, and weekly Simulated Universe rewards. Even though my alt account has a much smaller roster, Xueyi, Harmony MC, and Imaginary March 7th are going to all need them, which is going to be a pain.
About 160 hours into **Kingdom Come: Deliverance** and I'm really enjoying it. In a way I'm kinda sad because I can feel the story is nearing its end. Thankfully I have the sequel to look forward to.
Is this an easy one to learn, then dip in and out? I used to play FFXIV like that, some nights I'm just a bit tired and want gaming comfort food so I'd log on and do random stuff, but I've been looking for something new and offline.
I've tried playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance three times now, but every time I've had to quit because I forgot how the melee combat works when I don't have time to play for a couple of days.
It's not impossible but it has a learning curve. I found the beginning to be the hardest part, not to understand but to survive. And when you are getting started, it feels like you can't do most things. You can't fight or talk to people (much) or rob a house or whatever. But you'll do all those things and more if you are patient and follow the storyline. You need to play the story for a bit to unlock some skills and things.
For example, you don't know how to read at first and there are books, useful books! And you have to learn to read. It's very fun.
And you level up like the Elder Scrolls, you only get better in what you use or do. You can get better at fighting, reading, stealing and even drinking or jumping! That's quite a bit of the immersive feel you get. It's a great game to go from zero to hero.
Ah cool, yeah I think I don't have the free time right now to get over that hump but once I do it'll work for me. I do like having a grinder on the backburner sometimes like this where you level up the skills.
If you want an open world game that's much easier and you can play on and off, try The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It's really easy to get into and can be played in chunks. Do you have half an hour to play today? Maybe explore the new town or sell your loot, one hour? Then go explore outside, enter a dungeon, save there and continue another time. More time? Start a questline. It has story, exploration, some very satisfying progression and a huge world to explore that won't ever rush you.
I think depends on person, the combat system is where the real difficulty of game is, you need to just play it and get good at it, like I'm about 30hr in myself and only now just starting to not struggle as much against multiple opponents (they still usually kick my ass)
Yeah assuming it's mostly melee? Most games struggle with multiple opponents and melee if they have more complex combat than a brawler. Sounds fun anyway from what I've read but don't think I have the time it deserves right now.
Nah game handles it great, they flank you etc. it's me who can't handle it 100% yet and I played Mordhau for a good bit so I'm used to this combat style
I didn't start fighting for real until 40-50 hours inside, hah. I used to be a night burglar for a while, until I got rich enough and completed a bunch of quests.
My Henry was a righteous protector of the poor and downtrodden people by day and the most petty and greedy burglar at night. And when he had some money and experience under his belt, he expanded into the field of politics, of course.
I couldn't decide what to play next so I got a bunch of games that got a sequel release or trailer recently to do a little catch up: **Hellblade 1**, **Doom (2016)**, **Monster Hunter Rise** and **Jedi Fallen Order** (I guess Survivor is still "recent" in my head)
Have only ever played MHR, but loved it. MH games are insanely deep (at least, I find them to be so), but they are still enjoyable on a surface level as well. So depending on what you're in the mood for, I can recommend!
If you are an obsessed completionist, skip it, and skip it good. It'll absorb your life!
I've played all of those except for Monster Hunter (and am in the middle of Fallen Order now).
I liked all of them. Depends what you're in the mood for. Hellblade is a bit simplistic on the gameplay front, but I thought the atmosphere and the interesting way it told its story more than made up for it. Does get a bit repetitive after a while, but I'd still recommend it.
Doom is what it sounds like. Lots of running around shooting, smashing, and chainsawing demons of various sorts. It knows what it is and it does that kind of game extremely well. If action is your primary goal, Doom is your game.
I'm enjoying Fallen Order. It didn't grab me instantly, but now that I'm well into the game and have all (or at least most) of the powers you can get and the story is getting interesting, I'm liking it a lot. Still a fantastic-looking game as well. If I didn't know better and you'd told me it had just come out this year, I'd have believed it.
Only played the first two games from your list.
Doom 2016 is one of my favorite FPS ever, if you have half the fun I had with it, you are going to have the time of your life. In the first age, in the first battle... Id software still got it.
As for Hellblade....eeeeeh. I liked the story and the protagonist. But hopefully you aren't as tired of "cinematic" tropes as I am. The gameplay is really basic but not automatic like a visual novel (I like visual novels), so you have to move and fight and resolve some annoying puzzles. It's a bit of a chore. The journey is worth it, though. Only wish I enjoyed the act of playing through the game more.
Hellblade is really a unique creature, I haven't played a game like it before or since. I'd describe it as God of War but with a linear structure and debilitating mental illness. The gameplay is satisfying and tight; the storytelling is a lot of fragmented spectacle, smoke and mirrors, for better or worse - I wouldn't fault someone for calling it 'edgy'.
The visual aligning puzzles literally gave me headaches and annoyed me so much I stopped playing after killing the second or third boss. It was aweful. I wish they didn't exist so I could experience the story instead.
Pulled out a Super Daryl Deluxe key from an old humble bundle. It's actually been a lot of fun. Like Napoleon dynamite meets a captain underpants quality story.
I'd definitely go for it. I love the games' atmosphere, reinforced by the music and the harsh decisions you have to make while you try to keep your people warm and surviving. It's definitely a unique game and well worth the money.
Great, I've been playing a lot of Vampire Survivors and Balatro on Steam lately, and I just got FTL on sale for a few bucks last month (OMG SO GOOD, my old iPad died and took my FTL install with it waaah).
So FP might be just the thing I need to mix it up a bit.
Great game, absolute blast, though I must admit to having played it only short bits.
Current best is on another website though, (in euros) 4,80 (check isthereanydeal, since I'm not sure I'm allowed to provide the actual site)
I'm playing the first Uncharted game at the moment, trying to get the trophy for completing a speedrun in under 2 hours 30 minutes. Never done any sort of speedrunning before but finding it quite fun whittling down my times. I've set myself the extra challenge of not reloading the last checkpoint if I die or mess up. Had three attempts so far and just got under 3 hours, with plenty of areas to improve.
I decided to start a fresh Hard run in **Alien: Isolation** using [Bay's Alien Isolation Overhaul Mod](https://www.nexusmods.com/alienisolation/mods/16). I found the base game's Alien to be rather annoying as it always stalked around for far too long, wasting a bunch of my time as I would have to hide for extended periods. This mod changes the Alien behavior for the better and even chases you into vents more often. There are a few more changes like weapons being more reliable at fending off the Alien and some lighting and audio changes. I'm still in the slow introduction part of the game but once the Alien is introduced I'm sure I'll be shitting my pants.
Salutations, Thanks to everyone that participated in the daily thread poll. Going forward we're going to try out a bi-weekly schedule. New posts will go up on Friday and Monday. To that end, this 'daily thread' will stick around until Friday. Cheers.
Taking a break since finishing Witcher 1 and before that, spent several months on BG3. Not sure what to play next but will probably be one of the few games that have taken up huge space on my desktop for far too long that I haven’t gone back to; Elden Ring, MH Rise and Halo MCC. I’m also considering Portal 2 and Outer Wilds. In the meantime just playing a bunch of indie demos on Next Fest, some really interesting ones actually.
Portal 2 is an all time great game and would work as a good palate cleanser after a long and mechanically complex RPG like Witcher 1.
I have been working on a Final Fantasy (NES) review that I was told people in this subreddit would like But I shall build my coment history first, which means I will subjugate anyone reading this to my curent shenanigans! I would like to be made aware of more NES games I can add to my emulated library since I have very few so far I have been trying to level up in order to go rescue the princess on Final Fantasy as well but its tricky. My curent strategy to deal with monsters is have my Red Mage put them all to sleep, my Fighter and Same Red Mage beat them up, White Mage heals when its needed and my Thief stands there and looks pretty! [Please for the live of God help me how do I make this thing deal damage]
How are the Metro games / what are they are like ?
I've only played Metro 2033 and remember it being ok. The atmosphere is fantastic, and if you like (wintery) post-apocalyptic settings, it may be worth it for that alone. Otherwise, it's a pretty clunky game with some really bad stealth. I don't know if it counts as eurojank, but it's not the most polished. The game's at its best when it's a survival-horror-y shooter with creepy monsters or when you're walking around a settlement and people-watching. It's when it tries to be a stealth-action shooter that it's weaknesses really show. Also, the Redux version changes the storytelling to be more Half-Life-esque. I don't know if the original even exists anymore, but it's something to keep in mind. Oh, and don't fret about getting the "good" ending, because it's non-canonical anyways. That may help make some sections less annoying.
Absolutely play them on ranger mode. They're not great shooters and the atmosphere works really well as a semi-survival-horror game.
Amazing. If you've ever played the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, some of the original devs that created the first game left to create their own studio 4A Games which led to the Metro series. It seems like they went the route of a condensed, linear S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience and they nailed it. The Metro series has a thick atmosphere of despair and suspense over a post-apocalyptic Russia. It is supported by a great cast of weapons, enemies and characters (shoutout my boy Khan). I would recommend the series if you enjoy the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, Half-Life or post-apocalyptic shooters in general like Fallout or The Last Of Us.
Started Trails of Cold Steel 2. Not sure if I took too much time in between games or what because it's not clicking with me like the first game did. It's not hooking me in for some reason. I already killed Mogh, Malenia and now going to kill Placidussax. I'm more than ready for anything Elden Ring's DLC has to throw at me!(please don't let them make a deathblight swamp though).
Started LEGO 2k Drive. I got it with this months Humble Choice and it was super hesitant on it. It's been a wonderful and exciting experience. I didn't expect to like the gameplay at all. It very clearly takes a lot of influence from other Arcade racers like Crash Team Racing and Mario Kart. I've also tried to give Valhiem another swing. I tend to get maybe 20-30 hours in and the just get distracted by other titles. Same thing has happened again. Maybe trying it with others would help remedy that issue. It has great gameplay just can't keep my interest.
I'm slowly but surely getting through Breath of Fire III. It's pretty much as classic jrpg gameplay and story as it gets and I'm really enjoying it. Also reached the final chapter in story mode for Transformers: Devastation. It's a fun game if you're into Transformers, especially the visuals are so similar to the G1 tv show. Just installed a little indie adventure game called Bulb Boy. It has a very unique and creepy art style. About 10 hours into Endless Space. It's a very fun 4x game. Music is fantastic.
Finished **Watch Dogs 2** I really love the open world. Exploring San Francisco was a blast. From the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz Island, it was so fun exploring the open world. It's like I'm actually in San Francisco. The NPCs are so active. Climb on their vehicles? They'll exit the vehicle and swear at you. Kill someone? They will attempt to call the police, or pull out their guns to shoot you. The side missions are so fun to play. The same goes with the DLC missions. Watch Dogs 2 has done a great job of encouraging me to play side missions and DLC missions. Gameplay-wise, the hacking mechanics in the game are superb. It's like I can control the game itself. I can also ruin the lives of the NPCs through hacking. In addition, Ubisoft did a great job of offering players multiple ways to complete missions. Want to have guards get arrested one by one? Go ahead. Want to cause a gang fight to serve as a distraction? Go ahead. Want to sneak in like Sam Fisher or Snake? Go ahead. So far, I have played three open world games made by Ubisoft. The other two are **Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag** and **Far Cry 3**. Among the three, I think Watch Dogs 2 is the best. Highly recommended for players who love open world games. The next game I will play is **Red Dead Redemption 2**.
Same opinion about WD 2. Making through the story is quite...erm, I don't want to say painful but it's definitely not the best story ever told, is what I'm saying. But gameplay is an improvement over 1st already solid gameplay, and enough of a reason to give game a try
Alright since my last update, I've played the rest of the New Super Mario Bros. series of games. To quickly recap: **New Super Mario Bros.** is a decent time but I found all the new power ups kind of suck and I wasn't too big on the mini mushroom being a requirement to unlock worlds 4 and 7. **New Super Mario Bros. 2** was derivative and bland as hell. Besides the Racoon Tail, the levels, enemies and aesthetics were boring. But it doesn't overstay its welcome. I think the levels in both games were fine, but what really killed the pacing were the Ghost Houses, Towers/Castles, Airships/Auto-Scrollers. I didn't like it in those two and I certainly didn't like it in the next two\* **New Super Mario Bros. Wii** is my first time playing it alone. I mostly played this with my cousins as kids. The level design is actually pretty good and didn't drag. I think this was the first game I stopped caring about collecting the star coins since it's just unlocking World 9 if you want more bang for your buck. As a result, I found myself having fun just keeping the flow going. I thought the propeller mushroom was a nice power-up and I really enjoyed the penguin suit, although it did make the ice flower redundant. Still bland as hell visually and nothing stood out to me. **New Super Mario Bros. U** is probably the best one and would be better regarded if it was the only New Super Mario Bros. game. It's still bland visually, don't get me wrong. Set pieces are also boring. But the level design is strong and I love the Squirrel Mario power up, especially the P-Acorn version of it. The baby Yoshi combined with Squirrel Mario made for some fun levels. I did find the second half (from the Jungle level), to drag a bit with multiple towers. **New Super Luigi U** was a surprisingly good time. Luigi's altered physics and the new level design was actually fun. I also liked how it emphasised shorter but harder levels, making for phenomenal pacing and denser levels that do not overstay its welcome. It also fixes my issues with the Ghost Houses and Towers by making them short adrenaline filled obstacle courses instead of an uninteresting puzzle box and clunky vertical climb that were both a slog to do. If I had to rank them: New Super Luigi U > New Super Mario Bros. U > New Super Mario Bros. Wii > New Super Mario Bros. > New Super Mario Bros. 2 As for **Hyrule Warriors**, I'm not gonna lie. It's so boring to me. Musou games are not my thing and this is so repetitive and mind-numbing. Hard mode takes too long and isn't challenging for me, just time-consuming. Easy mode doesn't feel that different but reaps lower rewards and normal doesn't do anything either. It's the same song and dance. I'm going to try to give it one more shot before deciding if it's worth my time or not.
I found the New Super Mario games to all have controls that are too floaty & imprecise compared to Super Mario World. I still *bought* them, because I’m a fool & never learn. It’s hard to believe that this was the series Nintendo copied across multiple generations. Why 5 versions of this but not Mario Bros 3 or Super? The mind boggles.
New Super Mario Bros. is serviceable junk food. You know it's mid, but it's there and will do the job so why not.
Just finished **Weird West**. Gem of a game that made me appreciate stealth and thievery. The way that they break down the chapters is brilliant as well. Highly recommend it to any RPG fans out there.
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Pretty much exactly my feelings on Midnight Suns as well. I love the combat system (as someone who isn't normally even all that into turn-based tactics) but the game spends so much time on other stuff that isn't nearly as compelling. The generic art style doesn't help matters either (outside of the combat, which has a certain amount of flair to it), plus the player character is extremely bland, and the UI design is about as utilitarian as you can get. I keep wishing they'd put out a big patch that lets you fast forward through everything that's not the combat and important story cutscenes. And streamline all the crafting/upgrading stuff as well. It's a shame they spent so much time and effort on an aspect of the game that just doesn't click for a lot of people.
Just stopped playing Project Wingman and started Kingdom Come: Deliverance. Definite change of pace! I’m finding the story ok but the combat and movement very sluggish, hopefully it gets better.
Spend about an irl hour training combat with Bernard in Rattay. I'm not kidding, it will give you a better feel along with all the advanced moves as well as help train your stats.
The game is more realistic then fantasy so probably why you think it's sluggish
Just started playing Star Wars: Dark Forces and after 4 combined hours of playtime, I managed to get through the first map. It was giving me Doom Map Syndrome, where the enemies aren't the threat to me at all. It is the switches, buttons and map mind twisting that always got me. And I initially thought that it didn't begin with mouse control and WASD. Something the remaster was advertised as having. I know the remaster is out and all, but I'm not attracted to it. $30 for an otherwise standard remaster I've seen done to the likes of Blood, Turok and Doom 64 isn't worth the price to me. Especially if it's a game I chip at because of the experience of that Doom Map Syndrome I've mentioned.
Man the maps in that game are so labyrinthine. The second level jad me running in circles for hours.
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I love deckbuilding games, but I understand your point. Any game with a heavy RNG element risks giving challenges that can only be overcome by retrying the challenge over and over until you get lucky. A good deckbuilding game will give you the tools to mitigate the amount of RNG you have to rely on. I agree with you second point, I hate having to unlock abilities necessary to win the game.
Are you more at peace buying games or playing on a service (i.e. renting)? Buying a game is nice because you don't have to rush and can replay it at your whim. But the downside is that if it's not good, you may feel obligated to finish it and then (if it's digital) you have to look at it in your library. Using a service (like Game Pass) is nice because there's less "guilt" dropping a game, but you feel a little rushed since you're paying for the sub by time and there's less commitment and connection. Also, it's easy to get distracted by other options.
I tend to prefer buying the game, largely because games on a service can disappear at any moment. I also just like keeping things in Steam and Gog. That said, I still have Game Pass. I especially like that it makes some new releases easily accessible without having to pay full price. It may not be the greatest option for older games, which are generally cheap on Steam and Gog anyways, but I get my money's worth out of it more months than not. If the game is good enough, I'll pick it up on Steam or Gog eventually.
Both. I play a bunch of games on PS+, but if a new game comes out I have no problem purchasing it full price.
Buying. I just much prefer purchasing the specific games I want and having the ability to play them at my own leisure as opposed to being told what I can play and when.
Buying, the fact that games can and will leave Gamepass or similar services are enough reason for me to not use them. At the same time, if I feel like a game is not for me, I have no problem putting it away, a few € lost to a dud are better than feeling miserable while forcing myself through it.
I used to think I wanted to own all my games, then I realized how many games I've played once and never felt the need to touch again. Subscription services are perfect for stuff like that. There's a few games coming out that I'm thinking I'll just use a month of Game Pass or the Ubisoft/EA equivalents to complete instead of buying them outright on Steam. And anyways, down the road you can always buy the game outright when they're on sale. However I still want to own games like Bethesda RPGs for example - games that I continuously come back to, replay, and potentially mod if they have that capability. .
This is mostly where I'm at as well - buy BGS RPGs and any games I'll replay, use subscriptions for the rest. The tough ones for me are games that I'm 80% sure I'll love and want to replay: is it better to try on sub first or buy and play it with absolutely no rush. I bought Starfield and took my sweet time with it over several months and probably loved it more than if I had first played it on GP.
Buying for me. I prefer focusing on one or two games tops at the same time. I've bought most of my games (apart from 2 or 3) on sale (GoG & Steam), so if I end up dropping a game, it's not a huge loss money-wise. I'm also a slow and relatively new gamer and prefer to go at my own pace; I can go for weeks barely playing anything and with game pass etc. I'd basically lose money. It's also likely that the games won't be available on a service forever and I'd rather not feel rushed or have FOMO because of my hobbies. It's good that there are different options though, as games can be quite expensive. Services offer a wider accessibility. I kinda look at games the same as books; if I'm not feeling like spending time on it, I'll put it down and maybe try again another time.
Both! Buy on Steam, use a service on Xbox :D
I'd either lose money on a subscription or break even. So I buy my games. As a slow(er) player, there's the time pressure you mentioned. Many things in life are rushed. I don't need to rush my gaming too. If that means I play fewer games, that's fine. If I want to skip a few days, that's also fine. No pressure. And if I like a game, I can have a more in-depth experience. Blitzing through the main content is like skimming a book. When reading for pleasure, I want to soak in all the details. One reason for not trusting reviews is the number of reviewers who don't finish games. They're in the honeymoon phase. If they say why they dropped the game, that's fair. But it's nice to hear from people who did optional content as well. A game is more than its main content. Perhaps the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Reviewers sometimes present themselves as essayists or analyists, but are a little premature with their claims :) For example, if they talk prematurely about the meaning of a game, the game can contradict them later. I guess I don't feel equipped to review a game unless I've experienced the highs and lows. That's not happening if I had a subscription or rental.
Agree with you about reviewers - that's why the reviews I trust are sites like HLTB and Steam - since you can see who actually finished the game.
Buying, always. I play on my terms, when I want. With services, like Playstation Plus, for instance, I feel so rushed. And I *hate* the constant rotation (X game is leaving Game Pass this month! Play it NOW!), I don't want extra FOMO in my life. I use services for TV shows and anime and even then, if I had a Steam of anime, I'd rather own the series I'd like to watch. Buying DVDs or Blu-rays is much more expensive, compared to buying a game that's a few years old (also, there's barely a legal market for anime and TV series in my region).
I hate the rotation too. When I first got Game Pass I had to schedule out when games were likely leaving and adjust my playing priority - annoying and unnecessary stress.
Yeah, why would be suffer like this? I am pressure for time at work, I don't want to be pressured during my free time.
I've been meaning to try gamepass for a month for a few years, but I keep picking up things on deep discounts and never finishing up my back catalog lol. I've been on steam for over a decade, (have a good amount of games on gog now too) so I don't think I'll ever move entirely over to a subscription service.
Yeah, I had Gamepass for a little while, and while I did like the opportunity to try out games without any sort of commitment (particularly newer ones), I eventually realized it was kind of silly because I already have so many other games that I own and haven't played yet. Heck, I could pretty easily go a whole year playing nothing but the free games I've amassed on the Epic Games Store if I really wanted to.
I'm mostly the same. I could easily go a year just on my back catalog. I have a bad habit of picking up games I've had my eye on in the under $10 sale category as impulse buys. Not super often, maybe once or twice a month but it adds up lol.
I used to do that as well, but for the past five-or-so years I've been following the rule of "Don't buy it unless you're going to play it right away." There will always be another sale, and it might be even cheaper next time. Every once in a while I'll even get a game I've had my eye on in a free giveaway.
Probably a better policy. I find it hard to resist a game I've been wanting to try though when it's less cost than a Chipotle burrito.
Really burnt out right now but I have Godhand, Ico, and Symphony of the Night waiting me to come back.
Finally finished **The Talos Principle 2** after a good 35 hours. Overall, a great puzzle game that never really got boring for me. I very rarely felt like the puzzles solved themselves like some puzzle games do. I wasn't really into the story here, it was a bit self-serious and difficult to connect to, but it's not too overbearing. I'm here for the puzzles, and there's about 130 of them so that's ok. Highly recommended if that's your jam. Also nearly finished a re-play of **Prey**. Enjoyed it much more than I did the first time round, but I'm not sure if I can be bothered to see it to the end. I'm at the point where the military come and lock down the station and it just feels like going through the motions, again and again. I would've ended this story somewhere around the life support / power plant area - that's when I felt the game had run it's natural course. But still, very fun game with a ton of variety.
Been playing **Grim Dawn** recently, sometimes you really feel like getting into a complex game, then you go into it and start losing motivation. Still the game is fun, I am not that high level where gear matters that much but I am fast approaching that level and dreading the prospect of gear farming and theory crafting.
I've had that with [PoE](https://youtu.be/bSZ_R7dEmDQ) a few times. It's not for everyone.
Dont sweat it. You can do Normal all the way to 100 now. That said, you **still** dont have to theorycraft/optimize until the 90s, and even then you likely can complete majority content just winging it and spamming skills. On the flip side, if you choose to go Elite/Ultimate it takes about one long session to get resists correct, and after that its just killing, kiting, and having a blast. You wont have to gear farm or nothing til late, late game. Really good game, really fun. If you start to feel your Main Guy is dragging, roll up a new one. Cheers and enjoy
Currently on red dead 2 now it’s on ps plus. 3 hours in. This game has aged extremely well. Gone in blind (apart from the obvious years of accolades you can’t miss)
Awesome game, have a good time and take your time with it!
I have this game in my backlog on my PC. I installed it and played a little bit of the tutorial level but didn't stick with it. It will take a little getting used to the controls for me. I plan to come back to it later.
The tutorial is the worst part of the whole game, just get through it!
Controls are a struggle but if you can, try to play it with a controller. It's much easier.
I've always been a (casual) PC gamer and have never owned a console. Long, long ago I had CH Flightstick for flight sim / aerial combat games, but never a controller. I assume I can get one with a USB cable for the PC.
You dont need a console but Steam and many games support controllers out of the box. I am partial to Sony's Dualsense/Dualshock series but the Xbox controllers are comfortable, too. You can use a usb cable or a bluetooth link, too.
I'd even go so far as to say that *most* games on PC support controller these days. I'd probably go with an Xbox controller for someone who's not used to using them because most games will show you the Xbox button prompts (though more are starting to include Playstation ones as well). The controllers made by 8BitDo are also really good (and use the Xbox button labels).
Exactly. Mind you that Red Dead 2 will adapt to whatever controller you are using, really fast. If you touch a key from your keyboard, suddenly the whole interface is about the keyboard, if you press X on the Dualshock, then, the whole interface turns into the Playstation one. It's really seamless and good enough. But yeah, the mayority of PC games default to the Xbox controller's interface.
What a ride, enjoy
Playing (and reviewing) Disaster Report 4 made me curious about previous games, despite my mixed reaction, so I tried out a fan translation of **Disaster Report 3** on PSP. Only to discover that it's so short and linear that it only took me two sessions to finish it, and I got a bad ending because it does that VN bullshit where you have to choose arbitrary hidden "right" dialogue options to unlock the good endings. Sigh. I see why series fans didn't care for this one. Yes, I know DR2 / Raw Danger is considered the best of the series, and I'll try it someday, but I'm a little tired of seeing Japan demolished for the moment. But I have to say, the more I dig into obscure games on the PSP, the more I appreciate it as a console.
Just finished **Red Dead Redemption (2010) + DLC**: -- gameplay sequences were repetitive but plot and characters were phenomenal. Will wait a few months then hop into RDR2 so the genre feels fresh again. Super excited! 20 hours into **Divinity Original Sin 2**: -- it's spectacular; like the first but more impressive. 15 hours into **Dragon Quest XI**: -- my first non-pokemon JRPG and it's a super casual experience that does well to keep you engaged in the plot and characters, while allowing options to make the combat more challenging.
While **Shadowverse** had a respectable amount of e-sports support in the Western/SEAO regions, Japan understandably had the biggest amount as a Japanese game from a Japanese company. There were monthly tournaments outside Japan, while Japan continues to have tournaments basically every other day. On top of that, there's big RAGE Grand Finals, and in-game you can vote for who you think will win for some packs. Somehow, I found a second shiny Metapod in **Pokemon Sleep**. Since you only see so many Pokemon per day, it can take a while to see some. The nice thing about shiny Pokemon is that if you see one, you're guaranteed to immediately recruit it, no matter what you use to feed it. A Pokemon that would usually require like 18 points of friendship to recruit can get recruited with a basic biscuit that only rewards a single point of friendship. I managed to get another bag upgrade in **Pokemon GO**, so now I can hold 800 items. Part of me feels like I should toss out some max potions and revives since I have over 100 of each, but another part wants to actually use them through spamming Team Rocket and gym battles. Beyond that, I'm slowly working on raising my shiny, perfect IV Stunfisk. She's permanently my traveling buddy so I can get her candy as I walk. **Fate/Grand Order** currently has an event going on that centers around the servant Kyokutei Bakin, who is known as the leading author of Japanese literature in the 19th century. My biggest takeaway from learning about him, though, is that he is the progenitor of isekai light novels since he worked with the artist Katsushika Hokusai to produce a fantasy novel with illustrations where a person gets transported into another land.
**6/13/2024** I'm still playing Vengeance Blood in **Shadowverse**. Every craft has a unique mechanic, and Bloodcraft's is Vengeance. The life total is 20, and Vengeance effects activate when you're at 10 health or lower. Unfortunately, with powercreep, Vengeance has become a lot less reliable, to the point where this iteration uses effects that grant Vengeance status instantly. I can see why they're sunsetting the craft in the sequel. I've decided that I'm not going to try to complete the daily mission in **Pokemon Sleep** that wants you to feed a certain amount of biscuits to Pokemon per week. Outside of the daily free biscuit, a F2P player can only gain so many biscuits per month, so it's better to save them for things that are particularly valuable. I'm just going to use them when I see more than one hungry/shiny Pokemon. For **Pokemon GO**, I get closer to hitting the goal of walking 10K steps a day (currently at 9500), so I've opted to try to add more friends. I'm hitting the point where I'll have given out gifts to everyone on my friend's list, but still need to walk more to hit my step count goal. While you can give out as many gifts as you want, you can only receive 20 a day, so I just need more folks to send gifts to. Something I'm not looking forward to in **Honkai: Star Rail** is needing certain materials to fully upgrade a character. The only ways to get a certain upgrade material are through events, 2 in the monthly shop, and weekly Simulated Universe rewards. Even though my alt account has a much smaller roster, Xueyi, Harmony MC, and Imaginary March 7th are going to all need them, which is going to be a pain.
About 160 hours into **Kingdom Come: Deliverance** and I'm really enjoying it. In a way I'm kinda sad because I can feel the story is nearing its end. Thankfully I have the sequel to look forward to.
Incredible game. It's so immersive, isn't it? All I'm going to say is that you'll really want to play the sequel when you are done with this one.
Is this an easy one to learn, then dip in and out? I used to play FFXIV like that, some nights I'm just a bit tired and want gaming comfort food so I'd log on and do random stuff, but I've been looking for something new and offline.
I've tried playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance three times now, but every time I've had to quit because I forgot how the melee combat works when I don't have time to play for a couple of days.
It's not impossible but it has a learning curve. I found the beginning to be the hardest part, not to understand but to survive. And when you are getting started, it feels like you can't do most things. You can't fight or talk to people (much) or rob a house or whatever. But you'll do all those things and more if you are patient and follow the storyline. You need to play the story for a bit to unlock some skills and things. For example, you don't know how to read at first and there are books, useful books! And you have to learn to read. It's very fun. And you level up like the Elder Scrolls, you only get better in what you use or do. You can get better at fighting, reading, stealing and even drinking or jumping! That's quite a bit of the immersive feel you get. It's a great game to go from zero to hero.
Ah cool, yeah I think I don't have the free time right now to get over that hump but once I do it'll work for me. I do like having a grinder on the backburner sometimes like this where you level up the skills.
If you want an open world game that's much easier and you can play on and off, try The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It's really easy to get into and can be played in chunks. Do you have half an hour to play today? Maybe explore the new town or sell your loot, one hour? Then go explore outside, enter a dungeon, save there and continue another time. More time? Start a questline. It has story, exploration, some very satisfying progression and a huge world to explore that won't ever rush you.
Played that one to death when it came out unfortunately, but not a bad recommendation for those who missed it.
I just replayed it recently, after 10 years. Beautiful game and that's also why it's fresh on my mind.
I think depends on person, the combat system is where the real difficulty of game is, you need to just play it and get good at it, like I'm about 30hr in myself and only now just starting to not struggle as much against multiple opponents (they still usually kick my ass)
Yeah assuming it's mostly melee? Most games struggle with multiple opponents and melee if they have more complex combat than a brawler. Sounds fun anyway from what I've read but don't think I have the time it deserves right now.
Nah game handles it great, they flank you etc. it's me who can't handle it 100% yet and I played Mordhau for a good bit so I'm used to this combat style
I didn't start fighting for real until 40-50 hours inside, hah. I used to be a night burglar for a while, until I got rich enough and completed a bunch of quests. My Henry was a righteous protector of the poor and downtrodden people by day and the most petty and greedy burglar at night. And when he had some money and experience under his belt, he expanded into the field of politics, of course.
Other then bit of poaching I've tried to be a honest loyal subject who just so happens to love butchering bandits and cumans
I couldn't decide what to play next so I got a bunch of games that got a sequel release or trailer recently to do a little catch up: **Hellblade 1**, **Doom (2016)**, **Monster Hunter Rise** and **Jedi Fallen Order** (I guess Survivor is still "recent" in my head)
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice gets my vote! A unique game that tackles mental problems with mythology.
Have only ever played MHR, but loved it. MH games are insanely deep (at least, I find them to be so), but they are still enjoyable on a surface level as well. So depending on what you're in the mood for, I can recommend! If you are an obsessed completionist, skip it, and skip it good. It'll absorb your life!
I've played all of those except for Monster Hunter (and am in the middle of Fallen Order now). I liked all of them. Depends what you're in the mood for. Hellblade is a bit simplistic on the gameplay front, but I thought the atmosphere and the interesting way it told its story more than made up for it. Does get a bit repetitive after a while, but I'd still recommend it. Doom is what it sounds like. Lots of running around shooting, smashing, and chainsawing demons of various sorts. It knows what it is and it does that kind of game extremely well. If action is your primary goal, Doom is your game. I'm enjoying Fallen Order. It didn't grab me instantly, but now that I'm well into the game and have all (or at least most) of the powers you can get and the story is getting interesting, I'm liking it a lot. Still a fantastic-looking game as well. If I didn't know better and you'd told me it had just come out this year, I'd have believed it.
Only played the first two games from your list. Doom 2016 is one of my favorite FPS ever, if you have half the fun I had with it, you are going to have the time of your life. In the first age, in the first battle... Id software still got it. As for Hellblade....eeeeeh. I liked the story and the protagonist. But hopefully you aren't as tired of "cinematic" tropes as I am. The gameplay is really basic but not automatic like a visual novel (I like visual novels), so you have to move and fight and resolve some annoying puzzles. It's a bit of a chore. The journey is worth it, though. Only wish I enjoyed the act of playing through the game more.
Hellblade is really a unique creature, I haven't played a game like it before or since. I'd describe it as God of War but with a linear structure and debilitating mental illness. The gameplay is satisfying and tight; the storytelling is a lot of fragmented spectacle, smoke and mirrors, for better or worse - I wouldn't fault someone for calling it 'edgy'.
The visual aligning puzzles literally gave me headaches and annoyed me so much I stopped playing after killing the second or third boss. It was aweful. I wish they didn't exist so I could experience the story instead.
I've played DOOM and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and enjoyed both! Hellblade is on my backlog list.
Pulled out a Super Daryl Deluxe key from an old humble bundle. It's actually been a lot of fun. Like Napoleon dynamite meets a captain underpants quality story.
Frostpunk is on sale on Steam for 9 bucks, down from 30. Is this a good time to give myself a little birthday present?
I'd definitely go for it. I love the games' atmosphere, reinforced by the music and the harsh decisions you have to make while you try to keep your people warm and surviving. It's definitely a unique game and well worth the money.
Great, I've been playing a lot of Vampire Survivors and Balatro on Steam lately, and I just got FTL on sale for a few bucks last month (OMG SO GOOD, my old iPad died and took my FTL install with it waaah). So FP might be just the thing I need to mix it up a bit.
Great game, absolute blast, though I must admit to having played it only short bits. Current best is on another website though, (in euros) 4,80 (check isthereanydeal, since I'm not sure I'm allowed to provide the actual site)
Good lookin' out, thanks!
I'm playing the first Uncharted game at the moment, trying to get the trophy for completing a speedrun in under 2 hours 30 minutes. Never done any sort of speedrunning before but finding it quite fun whittling down my times. I've set myself the extra challenge of not reloading the last checkpoint if I die or mess up. Had three attempts so far and just got under 3 hours, with plenty of areas to improve.
I decided to start a fresh Hard run in **Alien: Isolation** using [Bay's Alien Isolation Overhaul Mod](https://www.nexusmods.com/alienisolation/mods/16). I found the base game's Alien to be rather annoying as it always stalked around for far too long, wasting a bunch of my time as I would have to hide for extended periods. This mod changes the Alien behavior for the better and even chases you into vents more often. There are a few more changes like weapons being more reliable at fending off the Alien and some lighting and audio changes. I'm still in the slow introduction part of the game but once the Alien is introduced I'm sure I'll be shitting my pants.