Now Playing (Video Games)
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Vaenyr
Ancient Mariner
GOW2018 is phenomenal. Fun gameplay, simple but great story, fantastic soundtrack. An amazing reimagining for the franchise.
Jer
'Til Tomorrow
Got to what appears to be the final level in Viewfinder, and it’s a significant change of pace from previous levels because it has you on a 5-minute time limit to clear 9 mini-levels in a row, where you carry pictures and other items ahead with you. It’s an odd twist, and will probably take a while for me to tackle.
The game itself is somewhat clever, though its picture mechanics feel limited compared to something like Superliminal, which gave you much more control over the resulting size of the manipulated object. In Viewfinder you can control the angle and position of things you manipulate, but size control is much more limited.
I’ve also been playing a lot of Balatro, which I got for Christmas. Fun roguelike that feels a bit like Slay The Spire overlayed atop the basic rules of poker, which you can then pervert to your heart’s content. I’ve probably played about 8 hours of it so far and I don’t think I’m close to actually beating a run yet (I keep losing at the 6th ante out of 8), but I continue to unlock new cards and decks which should hopefully bring that more within reach.
The game itself is somewhat clever, though its picture mechanics feel limited compared to something like Superliminal, which gave you much more control over the resulting size of the manipulated object. In Viewfinder you can control the angle and position of things you manipulate, but size control is much more limited.
I’ve also been playing a lot of Balatro, which I got for Christmas. Fun roguelike that feels a bit like Slay The Spire overlayed atop the basic rules of poker, which you can then pervert to your heart’s content. I’ve probably played about 8 hours of it so far and I don’t think I’m close to actually beating a run yet (I keep losing at the 6th ante out of 8), but I continue to unlock new cards and decks which should hopefully bring that more within reach.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
I've made quite a bit of progress in Alan Wake II. I powered through the Alan reality until it automatically switched me back to Saga. According to the achievements I still have a few Alan levels left, not sure if I should continue with Saga (I'm at the end game point) or go back to Alan. So in the meantime I'm working my way through the Lake House DLC. I'm currently in the archives and I have to work my way through a light environmental puzzle. Did a quick save in the safe room just in case and I'll probably work my way through it tomorrow.
My brother and I finally finished our NHL18 playoff and I downloaded NHL 24 on game pass. First impression.... I hate it. the control scheme has changed a tad and while the same difficulty level as the previous game it is infinitely harder and not in a good way. Well, I'm sure it's just a matter of getting used to the new mechanics, but the passing is far less accurate, always managing to be a tad to far from the intended player, a tad behind the intended player or, what happens most of the time, it manages to hit opposing sticks, skates or just no one. So no more cross ice passes. One timers are harder to execute as well. Not ONCE did we have a shutout in NHL18. We always managed at least a couple of goals so the most severe beatings were something like 7-2. A couple nights a go we each one a game by shutout. I won with LA in our LA-EDM series 1-0 and he whooped me in our DAL-MIN series with Minnesota 5-0. Most goals seem to go in by accident or sheer luck. Neither one of us still knows what we're doing lol.
My brother and I finally finished our NHL18 playoff and I downloaded NHL 24 on game pass. First impression.... I hate it. the control scheme has changed a tad and while the same difficulty level as the previous game it is infinitely harder and not in a good way. Well, I'm sure it's just a matter of getting used to the new mechanics, but the passing is far less accurate, always managing to be a tad to far from the intended player, a tad behind the intended player or, what happens most of the time, it manages to hit opposing sticks, skates or just no one. So no more cross ice passes. One timers are harder to execute as well. Not ONCE did we have a shutout in NHL18. We always managed at least a couple of goals so the most severe beatings were something like 7-2. A couple nights a go we each one a game by shutout. I won with LA in our LA-EDM series 1-0 and he whooped me in our DAL-MIN series with Minnesota 5-0. Most goals seem to go in by accident or sheer luck. Neither one of us still knows what we're doing lol.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
My friends are slightly upset that my computer died and we can't have gaming nights. With my xbox I am able to play cross-platform games, but game pass doesn't have many options and one didn't even work. After some deliberating I agreed to by Warhammer 40K Space Marine II. Best. Holiday. Purchase. It's very old school, reminiscent of the OG Gears of War trilogy. Very much a "bro" game in those lines and OG God of War. Haven't had this much fun online gaming with friends in a while. Highly recommend it.
Still working my way through The Lake House in Alan Wake II, Diana Mormont keeps kicking my ass.
With the gift card I got for Christmas I got Life is Strange Double Exposure, it has made it's way to the front of my Queue hehehe.
insurance on the car, etc. Over half of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, I doubt a $2K-4K gaming rig is at the top of their priorities.
Still working my way through The Lake House in Alan Wake II, Diana Mormont keeps kicking my ass.
With the gift card I got for Christmas I got Life is Strange Double Exposure, it has made it's way to the front of my Queue hehehe.
insurance on the car, etc. Over half of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, I doubt a $2K-4K gaming rig is at the top of their priorities.
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Shmoolikipod
Stranger to the Light
1) Happy new year all!
2) I know I fawned over it before, but I love Noita. What other game would still have me saying this about it, after I lost 350 times and "won" twice? None! The scope of what wands I can create is so wide, that it alone is enough reason to start a run. Hell, my folder of hilarious idiotic deaths is enough. The amount of content I haven't even reached is just a bonus in comparison. I thought I already saw everything online, and I still encounter shit I didn't know exists.
So I feel obligated to share this wonder of gaming with you. Check an actual review on YouTube and see if it might interest you, it's regularly on sale for 8 bucks.
2) I know I fawned over it before, but I love Noita. What other game would still have me saying this about it, after I lost 350 times and "won" twice? None! The scope of what wands I can create is so wide, that it alone is enough reason to start a run. Hell, my folder of hilarious idiotic deaths is enough. The amount of content I haven't even reached is just a bonus in comparison. I thought I already saw everything online, and I still encounter shit I didn't know exists.
So I feel obligated to share this wonder of gaming with you. Check an actual review on YouTube and see if it might interest you, it's regularly on sale for 8 bucks.
Meliegree
Evening The Odds.
Baldur's Gate 3 finally clicked with me and my god it is so good.
At first, the game bored me after about an hour. However, it turned out that when I got through it (4th attempt) the game incredibly captivated me with its freedom and wealth of possibilities. Are you attacked by a group of goblins? No problem! One member of the team conjures water under your feet and the other casts an ice or electricity spell on the water. Boom! Problem solved.
A really solid RPG that for the first time since Skyrim makes me feel like I'm on a real adventure.
The only weak point of the game is the fact that I don't really feel that this game is a continuation of Baldur's Gate 1 & 2. Those titles had a specific graphic design (or rather colors) etc. which is a bit lacking here. And in Poland, the dubbing of BG1 and BG2 is legendary.
But the game has something about it and spending a few days during the holidays with cocoa, a blanket and BG3 was really nice
At first, the game bored me after about an hour. However, it turned out that when I got through it (4th attempt) the game incredibly captivated me with its freedom and wealth of possibilities. Are you attacked by a group of goblins? No problem! One member of the team conjures water under your feet and the other casts an ice or electricity spell on the water. Boom! Problem solved.
A really solid RPG that for the first time since Skyrim makes me feel like I'm on a real adventure.
The only weak point of the game is the fact that I don't really feel that this game is a continuation of Baldur's Gate 1 & 2. Those titles had a specific graphic design (or rather colors) etc. which is a bit lacking here. And in Poland, the dubbing of BG1 and BG2 is legendary.
But the game has something about it and spending a few days during the holidays with cocoa, a blanket and BG3 was really nice
CA Bryers
Ancient Mariner
I rarely get the chance to play games--my free time is eaten up by the day job, family, and writing/editing/releasing books. However, I happily finished again one of my favorite games from the 2000s, Beyond Good and Evil...only this time it was the new 20th Anniversary version. Love everything about this game, though the 20th version does have some framerate issues to the point once I had to close it out and reload it so it would play properly.
I'm a story guy, so this game definitely scratched that itch even after probably half a dozen playthroughs. I dig the uncovering the conspiracy theme, the exploration, the photography hunts as you progress through places you're infiltrating, and even the vaguely Disney Atlantis-styled design of it all. A cool extra they added was a chain of new things to find that unlocks story teases and linkages to the....ahem, "upcoming" Beyond Good and Evil 2, which I'll be shocked if it ever sees the light of day. Still, not gonna scoff at a little extra backstory.
Next up is a bigger endeavor: finally digging into Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, having traded in my PS4 and a load of games to get a PS5 so I could play it. That'll probably take a good few months to get through as time permits...and eventually the upcoming PS5 release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
I'm a story guy, so this game definitely scratched that itch even after probably half a dozen playthroughs. I dig the uncovering the conspiracy theme, the exploration, the photography hunts as you progress through places you're infiltrating, and even the vaguely Disney Atlantis-styled design of it all. A cool extra they added was a chain of new things to find that unlocks story teases and linkages to the....ahem, "upcoming" Beyond Good and Evil 2, which I'll be shocked if it ever sees the light of day. Still, not gonna scoff at a little extra backstory.
Next up is a bigger endeavor: finally digging into Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, having traded in my PS4 and a load of games to get a PS5 so I could play it. That'll probably take a good few months to get through as time permits...and eventually the upcoming PS5 release of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
We finished Space Marine II last night, very short campaign, 10 hours or so, but VERY good game. There's a lot of PvE, PvP, Endless War mode, etc. Devs keep going back and forth between releasing DLC or going straight for a sequel. Considering the current landscape of games I'm sure it'll be both. The vast majority of games release DLC within 6 months to a year. Either way, I'm game.
Also made my way through Life is Strange Double Exposure. I like they decided to revisit Max Caufield, also, I feel they found a way to tie all previous games together. Max could rewind time, now she can go between parallel realities. Dan's brother was basically a Jedi and Alex could "see" emotions. In short.... Max isn't the only one with powers. I also like that they'll revisit Max in the future as they state "she'll be back." I really enjoyed it, even with it's faults (the ramifications of your "decisions" or lack thereof), and I'll keep an eye out for the next one.
This is my last week off before going back to work, I'll try and go back to Alan Wake II: The Lake House and see if I can finally defeat Diana Mormont to continue with the main game.
Also made my way through Life is Strange Double Exposure. I like they decided to revisit Max Caufield, also, I feel they found a way to tie all previous games together. Max could rewind time, now she can go between parallel realities. Dan's brother was basically a Jedi and Alex could "see" emotions. In short.... Max isn't the only one with powers. I also like that they'll revisit Max in the future as they state "she'll be back." I really enjoyed it, even with it's faults (the ramifications of your "decisions" or lack thereof), and I'll keep an eye out for the next one.
This is my last week off before going back to work, I'll try and go back to Alan Wake II: The Lake House and see if I can finally defeat Diana Mormont to continue with the main game.
Spambot
Meme Lord
This summer I played Arkham Knight, something I wanted to do since it came out. Back then I played Arkham Asylum and Arkham City back-to-back and my PC couldn't handle Arkham Knight (I did try Arkham Origins). It was a good game, but it left a lot to be desired. The car/tank missions were clumsy and it didn't feel like Batman at all. Enigma didn't feel like Enigma. Joker was sorely missed. It had its great moments (those missions on zeppelin come to mind) but overall it didn't have (or it didn't come close to) to Gotham atmosphere Asylum and City had.
After that, I played Assassin's Creed: Origins. It was my first AC and I got hooked (although it was probably due to the setting - ancient Egypt). I clocked over 100 hours in it, bought both DLCs and managed to get all trophies/achievements - 100%. Most ironically, the story (or the main characters) were extremely annoying. Once I started skipping cutscenes I enjoyed the game much more. I'm waiting for Odyssey to come on sale, then Mirage in some distant future.
I'm currently playing Star Wars: Fallen Order and I don't know is it's the gameplay or the current fact that I'm couch-ridden, it's also pretty addictive. Hopefully it also ends on a high note, because I saw this one too has a sequel.
After that, I played Assassin's Creed: Origins. It was my first AC and I got hooked (although it was probably due to the setting - ancient Egypt). I clocked over 100 hours in it, bought both DLCs and managed to get all trophies/achievements - 100%. Most ironically, the story (or the main characters) were extremely annoying. Once I started skipping cutscenes I enjoyed the game much more. I'm waiting for Odyssey to come on sale, then Mirage in some distant future.
I'm currently playing Star Wars: Fallen Order and I don't know is it's the gameplay or the current fact that I'm couch-ridden, it's also pretty addictive. Hopefully it also ends on a high note, because I saw this one too has a sequel.
CA Bryers
Ancient Mariner
I dunno...I came away from Knight (and I've played through it about...3-4 times) feeling like it was way about Joker than the actual primary villains (Arkham Knight and Scarecrow). The Riddler stuff, especially the races were really tiresome this time around. The car traversal was great, and I get that the tank was very un-Batmanlike...but I kinda liked it.
The main thing I love about Knight is that with all the DLC there's just an obscene amount to do, and you really feel like you're getting your money's worth. That said, yeah, Asylum was peak as far as atmosphere goes, and to me I thought that had the perfect amount of Riddler trophies, etc. City was indeed great, but it doesn't rank above either Asylum or Knight for me. Origins was cool too in a very "oh, you liked Arkham City? Well, here's more of that for you" way.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
Go back to the Ezio trilogy (ACII, ACII: Brotherhood, ACII: Revelations) and Black Flag. Honorable mention for AC Rogue.
Edington
Last Son of The Miracle
Though I enjoyed some of the Joker moments in Knight, I was pretty disappointed he still features so heavily, especially after his appearance in Arkham Origins. They were doing such a good job with Black Mask and the other assassins in that game before the twist, and Batman has such a great lineup of villains anyway that they really didn't need to put Joker in, especially at the expense of building up a lesser-known villain.
I never completed the Riddler trophies 'cause I got bored of the races, and the tank battles were awesome the first couple of times but I got so sick of them by the end of the game that I was glad the Batmobile got destroyed.
Vaenyr
Ancient Mariner
I know that this forum skews more towards PC gaming, but the announcement of new consoles is always a fun time. After literal weeks of intense leaking, down to getting most hardware details right, as well as nailing the look of the console, the new joy cons and the dock, the Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been announced. They are teasing the next mainline Mario Kart game, which makes sense considering how MK8 Deluxe sold more than 60 million copies.
Nintendo is mirroring the marketing strategy they used back in 2016/2017 for the first Switch, with the hardware being teased today, while the actual interesting stuff (new software) is held back for early April. I for one can't wait!
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More on topic, after owning the game for a few years I've finally gotten the time to start Hollow Knight. I've played a handful of hours and I'm having fun. Due to various health issues with my dominant hand I've gone and mirrored the controls. D-pad on the right, action buttons on the left, controls sticks switched. Honestly, maybe not the best idea to try to unlearn decades of muscle memory for a game like that, but I'm getting through it rather well. Just killed the Soul Master on my first try and got a new spell to break through cracked ground. Already have a few places in mind where I can use that.
Funnily enough, due to getting used to this adjusted control scheme, I've died far more times to otherwise simple platforming challenges, than against bosses or enemies. I jumped so many times into spikes or acid water because I mixed up the controls lol. It does help a lot though. After my first play session (about an hour, up to and including the first boss) my right thumb and tendons were burning so I had to do something. I'll take it slow, I've got the time.
Gotta say though, the enemies and characters are all freaking adorable and the music is fantastic as well.
The Switch was a fantastic console. Nintendo once again proves why they're the best in the business. Playstation and XBox can be easily replaced by the greatest gaming machine - the PC - but Nintendo really changed the paradigm. There's a reason why Steamdeck has become their primary competitor, and why Steamdeck is trying to copy the Switch format. I'll likely get a Switch 2 pretty quickly.
The Switch is probably my favorite console, all things considered. Each flagship game could be credibly argued as the best in its series, something that's only really rivaled by the SNES. And for the most part they did a pretty good job porting over essential titles and getting a reasonable amount of third party support. The Switch was a good move for Nintendo as it kinda ensures that they remain a distinct entity from the PC, while PlayStation and xbox seem to become more obsolete over time.
The question mark for me is backward compatibility. If I can put my Switch cartridges in the Switch 2, move my downloaded games over, and play the NSO virtual console titles on day one, I will buy the Switch on day one.
provided the Trump tariffs don't make it unaffordable by launch
The question mark for me is backward compatibility. If I can put my Switch cartridges in the Switch 2, move my downloaded games over, and play the NSO virtual console titles on day one, I will buy the Switch on day one.
provided the Trump tariffs don't make it unaffordable by launch
Vaenyr
Ancient Mariner
They've confirmed physical and digital backwards compatibility. Select few games (probably experimental stuff like Labo) won't be supported, but the rest will be playable on the Switch 2.
What's more interesting to me is if the more powerful hardware will allow games with notorious perfomance issues like Pokémon Scarlet/Violet or Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to run smoother or if it'll be a 1:1 experience.
Onhell
Infinite Dreamer
That's the biggest reason why I've stuck with Xbox. I can play my personal library of games going back to the OG Xbox.
I don't agree that it can "easily" be replaced by a PC. I HATE gaming on PC, especially considering the fact that my PC DIED and is now no more than a brick. That aside I don't have to worry about "specs" with a console, it either plays it or it doesn't. And now with crossplay I've been enjoying playing Space Marine II with friends online, they play on PC while I do it on my Xbox.
While the Switch and Switch 2 are tempting gets, I'll probably go for a Steam Deck. It can dock on a TV like the Switch so it automatically becomes a gaming "pc" and I can take it on the go. Also, I already have an ample Steam library. A Switch only plays Nintendo games and honestly, outside of the Zelda Games and one or two Mario games, I have no reason to get one. Thanks to the collections like the Mega Man/Zeero, Contra, Calstlevania, and Street Fighter collections (to name a few), I don't NEED one. I've also been able to get the Double Dragon games and the Golden Axe games on my Xbox.
While Nintendo has created it's own niche and that's fine, it's also a reason why I wouldn't get one. It's for die hard Nintendo fans for the most part.
EDIT: Another reason I don't think consoles can "easily" be replaced by PC is cost. At least here in Mexico a bottom of the barrel, functional gaming rig is AT LEAST 26,000 pesos (minimum wage is about 4k/month). a "good" one runs you closer to 40,000. I make 14k/month after taxes, my rent is 4,500, food is about 2k/month, total bills is super low, but electricity usually runs me 350 every two months (no idea why but it is a bimonthly bill), water is 80/month, etc. All told I don't have a lot of disposable income to spend on video games or gaming PCs. The Xbox Series X was retailing at 14,000 pesos. I got it on sale for 10,000 on my credit card with the added bonus of 18 months interest free. Otherwise I would have nothing to game on at the moment. New AAA releases retail between 1,500-2,000 pesos. Every game I've bought in the last 8 years have been on my wish list for about as long and I get them when they go on sale for at least 50%, but usually more.
Most of my students have an Xbox Series S, because it was the cheapest "next gen" option, not because they love Xbox.
It's no different in the U.S with the median wage being about 45k/year, but rents being between 1200 to 2000 for single bedroom apartments, utilities are more expensive, you HAVE TO own a car, because outside of the northeast public transit is shit, the maintenance on the car, the insurance on the car, etc. Over have of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, I doubt a 3,000 gaming PC is at the top of their priorities.
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A Steamdeck is a gaming PC.