Quasi
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Post by Quasi on May 10, 2022 4:34:35 GMT
I switched the difficulty to casual in Mass Effect after, like, an hour because of how frustrating I found the combat, and was perfectly fine with the simpler cover-shooter direction the sequel took. For me, the action's there to support the Space Drama, not the other way around.
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Post by drhcnip on May 10, 2022 5:58:02 GMT
lost ember - ps4/5
if the makers of this didn't cite journey as one of their major influences, i'll quite happily eat my own face...raw
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Frog
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Post by Frog on May 10, 2022 18:43:43 GMT
Trek to Yomi.
I love the look and sound of the game it's absolutely perfect.
The combat is pretty average at best and would really benefit from tightening up as it would make the game so much better.
The bosses are all awful, especially the last one who has a combo that can kill you in one go if you mistime the block/parry.
The game seems to lack rules for the combat as well, I will use the last boss as an example. If you parry his first hit that should leave him open for a counter however that's not always the case. I had 3 different things happen following a parry of his attack with me using the same followup double strike
1. Parry followed by the double strike as expected. 2. Parry followed by a single strike. 3. Parry followed by him instantly dashing away before my strikes could land.
It happens at other point in the game as well when you parry and strike and they continue to finish their combo
It's a shame the combat drags it down do much as the rest is so good.
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Post by drhcnip on May 11, 2022 8:19:29 GMT
Trek to Yomi. I love the look and sound of the game it's absolutely perfect. The combat is pretty average at best and would really benefit from tightening up as it would make the game so much better. The bosses are all awful, especially the last one who has a combo that can kill you in one go if you mistime the block/parry. The game seems to lack rules for the combat as well, I will use the last boss as an example. If you parry his first hit that should leave him open for a counter however that's not always the case. I had 3 different things happen following a parry of his attack with me using the same followup double strike 1. Parry followed by the double strike as expected. 2. Parry followed by a single strike. 3. Parry followed by him instantly dashing away before my strikes could land. It happens at other point in the game as well when you parry and strike and they continue to finish their combo It's a shame the combat drags it down do much as the rest is so good. ah, that's a shame - i was looking at that the other day as it appeals to me...will await a price drop spirit of the north - psnanother in the 'journey' mould, but needed them after the relative intensity of resi village - there's only so much excitement i can tak these days bit more of a puzzler than lost ember
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Post by Wizzard_Ook on May 12, 2022 6:57:05 GMT
Death’s Door
Great. A Good A link to the past esq clone, that does more than enough to be its own thing and a prominent one at that. Plays really well. Leans into (yup you guessed it) Dark Souls as inspiration with some of its challenge - which to be honest I think is not really necessary. I guess the first couple and last couple of bosses are the hardest - in that early on you come to grips with the mechanics and the last couple of bosses ratch everything up to reflex gameplay but everything else in between is manageable and not to difficult - there’s just enough challenge there to be engaging. But I don’t think it has to be so. I think some fights go on a little too long and the reflex nature of the boss fights I can do without. I fallen of the souls love in with Elden Ring and I just want to go adventuring, which the game does very well. It’s a fun Metroidvania to break down. I love the way the game displays enemy health - it’s novel and looks fantastic and the soundtrack is so good I’ve brought it.
Fantastic overall but just a little bit tired of games thinking they have to be hard to be good. It could just dial it back a bit.
Still havn’t quite done the last boss but should have him down today. Hopefully. Just a matter of Executing it, been close a few times.
4.25/5
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Post by snackplissken on May 12, 2022 8:01:09 GMT
Death’s Door Great. A Good A link to the past esq clone, that does more than enough to be its own thing and a prominent one at that. Plays really well. Leans into (yup you guessed it) Dark Souls as inspiration with some of its challenge - which to be honest I think is not really necessary. I guess the first couple and last couple of bosses are the hardest - in that early on you come to grips with the mechanics and the last couple of bosses ratch everything up to reflex gameplay but everything else in between is manageable and not to difficult - there’s just enough challenge there to be engaging. But I don’t think it has to be so. I think some fights go on a little too long and the reflex nature of the boss fights I can do without. I fallen of the souls love in with Elden Ring and I just want to go adventuring, which the game does very well. It’s a fun Metroidvania to break down. I love the way the game displays enemy health - it’s novel and looks fantastic and the soundtrack is so good I’ve brought it. Fantastic overall but just a little bit tired of games thinking they have to be hard to be good. It could just dial it back a bit. Still havn’t quite done the last boss but should have him down today. Hopefully. Just a matter of Executing it, been close a few times. 4.25/5 I've properly messed up the last boss. Didn't max out my health, and no way of going back. I've got him down to the last phase a few times but then get overwhelmed. Given up for the time being.
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scanline
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Building a better whirlpool
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Post by scanline on May 14, 2022 11:40:07 GMT
Yoku's Island Express (Xbox)
Could have done with some traditional fast travel points with such a large map but apart from that it was a ton of fun.
Slightly abrupt ending but really enjoyed this polished mix of pinball and platforming - if this was labelled a Nintendo release I wouldn't have batted an eyelid.
Great debut game from Villa Gorilla but doesn't look like they are working on a follow-up (or anything else)?
9/10
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Post by Wizzard_Ook on May 15, 2022 12:51:53 GMT
Yoku's Island Express (Xbox)Could have done with some traditional fast travel points with such a large map but apart from that it was a ton of fun. Slightly abrupt ending but really enjoyed this polished mix of pinball and platforming - if this was labelled a Nintendo release I wouldn't have batted an eyelid. Great debut game from Villa Gorilla but doesn't look like they are working on a follow-up (or anything else)? 9/10 It’s always nice to see Yoku’s Island Express come up in these sort of threads. May not have been a break out hit like some indies but it seems that word of mouth has kept it legs going. Great game.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2022 10:06:56 GMT
Ghostwire: Tokyo
As one of the handful of people that bought this I just have to say that I really liked it. I didn't blitz it, instead taking my time and going back to it whenever I felt the urge, so it took a fair few weeks (been playing since release). The combat is pretty one note, but good fun, and wandering around an incredibly well rendered and atmospheric Tokyo is excellent. Particular highlights were all the side missions which centered around various Yokai and urban legends; the relationship and dialogue between the two protagonists and the city itself. Complimented by a decent soundtrack and the fact it only took around 20 hours or so to finish, including all the side missions.
It's worth a play but - depending on your enthusiasm for the setting and the narrative - it may be worth waiting until it's cheap.
Personally I lapped it up.
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Post by dfunked on May 17, 2022 12:47:07 GMT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2022 9:57:16 GMT
Horizon Forbidden West
And done. Got the platinum last night.
A weird one, so many annoying bits, especially the climbing which was atrocious. Either you were glued to a ledge and no choice or you were blindly dropping to your death without her grabbing to anything.
But that world! Damn I loved exploring. 95 hours in the end, all missions, all collectibles, just such a joy! I loved the characters, the story etc, and unlike everyone else it seems I liked Aloy and her talking to herself.
A 7/10 game that I loved like a 9/10 game.
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Post by dfunked on May 18, 2022 10:35:48 GMT
@ryan - they massively toned down Aloy talking away to herself. At launch it was every single time you picked a berry or whatever.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2022 10:38:13 GMT
My fave talking to yourself game is Days Gone. The bloke is an absolute pyschopath.
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Post by snackplissken on May 18, 2022 10:49:00 GMT
My fave talking to yourself game is Days Gone. The bloke is an absolute pyschopath. I mean you'd go a bit mental if you found out your girlfriend was only over a hill after x years
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2022 10:50:45 GMT
Are we getting a sequel for it? I loved Days Gone.
Sons of Anarchy crossed with The Walking Dead seems like they knew exactly what I wanted.
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Post by snackplissken on May 18, 2022 10:56:55 GMT
I'm sure I read that if there was enough feedback to Sony they'd consider it. I felt the game was good but really damn bloated. The story would just not end.
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on May 18, 2022 11:09:54 GMT
I liked the game mostly.
Although I enjoyed the fact that the army guy had no idea why Deke was there, despite his having SARAH tattooed on his neck. 😁
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2022 14:36:34 GMT
Aye the whole third act was a bit lol / zzzz but I really loved Days Gone. Despite all the criticisms I saw for the narrative and characters I by and large liked everyone in it as well. Deacon was a mumbling nutter but I found him quite endearing. The horde stuff was great as well, and once you'd upgraded your bike a bit it was an awesome looking world to just putt about the place.
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dogbot
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Post by dogbot on May 18, 2022 14:42:36 GMT
Definitely. I would be a release day purchaser if they did an Outlaw MC game in that engine.
As a mumbling nutter myself, I liked Deke more than not.
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Post by dominalien on May 19, 2022 15:15:55 GMT
Alien Isolation on Steam Deck Second completion, the first being on PS4 all them years ago. I'd managed to forget enough for the game to be interesting again. This time, I didn't feel it was too long (though it's loooong!), but I'm very annoyed at the ending. First, she chains herself to the barrier on the clamp, then as she releases the Torrens the barrier is miraculously taken with it? I get the cinematic effect and all, but bleurgh. Second, there's now an alien on the Torrens? FROM WHERE? I also get how it's effective and scary and THE ALIENS ARE EVERYWHERE YOU'LL NEVER ESCAPE THEM, but that's just bleh bleurgh. So, the journey much better than the destination, I am left deeply satisfied by the entire game and very deeply dissatisfied with the ending. Oh, and I find it leans very, bordering on too much, into the first Alien film with the bobby and swingy toys everywhere and especially the last lets-use-the-Nostromo-self-destruct-interface-as-the-random-clamp-release-because-why-not-and-FAN-SERVICE!!1!!!1 . Most of the references were awesome (station/corridor design, computers, levers), but this was just going too far. I watched Alien just yesterday and it was just so unnecessary. Still, a triumph of a game where so many other games and films went and failed. The SD experience is great. A couple of glitches, like invisible hatch doors and items floating in the air, plus corrupted sound when coming out of sleep on two occasions (fixed by sleeping/waking a couple of times interestingly), but nothing terrible. Antialias does a very poor job on the plethora of shiny edges, but fan is silent and TDP can be reduced without compromising performance if it's still too much for you. All at glorious 40 fps, ofc. 8/10
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Post by UncleLou on May 20, 2022 12:12:10 GMT
Finished all of Nioh 2, the main game, all of the DLCs, and played quite a bit of NG+. I think I am done for now, but what a game - I don't like it any less than Elden Ring, I think.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2022 12:13:51 GMT
Nioh 2 is fucking amazing.
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Post by UncleLou on May 20, 2022 12:18:27 GMT
Isnt't it.
The only thing I miss a bit is crazy, unique endgame weapons and armor in the style of Diablo, with unique characteristics, stats, effetcs, etc.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2022 12:20:37 GMT
Yeah could probably do with some of that. It really is such a good game though. Keep meaning to go back to it actually. I am the same in that I did all the DLC and fannied about in NG+ for a while.
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Post by deekyfun on May 22, 2022 11:51:05 GMT
I just finished Bioshock. Yeah, the old one - but in its shiny remastered (and now also old) form. Which people say was poorly done, but beyond some initial issues with the graphics flickering which took a couple of minutes to work out, seemed... fine?
It was a weird game to play. I can't say I was playing it blind because the key moments of the game are so ingrained in gaming lore that I've ingested them through osmosis. I also have a bit of a history with the game; I'd read all the previews and reviews and eagerly bought it when it came out and then... I just couldn't finish it. In fact, I could barely start it. There was something about it, the horror aspects - jump scares, the purposefully discordant musical cues and oppressive world that just freaked me out. I think I remember a tiny moment near the beginning when you're in a toilet and some guy spawns behind you. That made me jump out of my skin. I turned off the game and never went back to it. It's strange, because I've played other similar games and had no issues (including Bioshock Infinite, where they play a similar trick) and it was no problem. But something coalesced here that really put me off. I tried a few more times over the years, and found it kept happening.
But this time - this time I powered through. I would still say I do not like the ambiance of that world. It still feels grotesque to me, like a nightmare carnival. But I just played through methodically, got used to the repawning enemies and the occasional haunted-house jumpscare and just kind of got used to it. It's an interesting game. Age and cultural awareness has dulled the impact of it's narrative; it's become a joke the way characters spew their stream of conciousness onto recorders and leave them lying in dustbins and in bars. There's plenty of spectacle, and cool set pieces, but it goes on a bit and the gameplay itself isn't particularly satisfying or engaging over the long term. For something that aims to say something about the constrained nature of narrative video games, it is awfully well, video-gamey in a lot of ways. I had to chuckle at the number of environmental story telling beats that involved 'someone' setting up a elaborate paper and blood mural with a phrase written in massive letters. I can only imagine the over-elaborate audio-visual performance art that must happen when one resident has gone past their milk quota or something.
But this isn't to say I didn't enjoy it (despite being in a state of anxiety about 60% of the time), or that I don't see it as a worthwhile way to spend some time. I still think it's a pretty key game as a piece of video game history. I just don't think I'll ever love it. I think I'm also probably in the minority when I say I may even prefer Bioshock Infinite (sorry!). It was just nice to get it done.
7 copies of Atlas Shrugged out of 10.
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Post by Aunt Alison on May 22, 2022 14:14:56 GMT
The thing that gets me about the praise Bioshock gets is that it didn't invent any of that, it's just cribbed from System Shock 2. Not sure why Bioshock is the landmark title other than it being pushed really hard on Xbox at the time (I think)
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Post by dominalien on May 22, 2022 16:49:14 GMT
I guess it managed to reach a lot of people whereas SS2 was more of a niche thing in its time? I certainly enjoyed BS more than SS2, which in my mind is a pale shadow of SS.
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Post by uiruki on May 22, 2022 18:53:12 GMT
14. Guardians of the Galaxy - PC - 4/5
A great fit for Game Pass. After Avengers I had no interest in this, but word of mouth convinced me to give this a go.
There's a lot to like about this game. The story's interesting, the characters are likeable and talky (to the point where it's a little too easy to interrupt something that's being said by moving forward) and the soundtrack's great. The combat isn't amazing but the game doesn't really outstay its welcome either.
Well worth the time spent on it.
15. Hedon - PC - 4/5 (episode 1)
My first run through a GZDoom game and a really good one. Starts a little slowly but evolves as it goes on. The last couple of levels push this into a 4. Really nice flow and some great weapons. I have high hopes for the second 'episode'.
16. Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe - PC - 5/5
As someone who liked the original this was worth every penny of the asking price. I can't say it's particularly advanced from the previous version's 'walk to place, trigger funny line, move to next place' structure but when it's done as well as this it's an excellent diversion and had me laughing out loud a lot.
17. Drainus - PC - 4/5
Really neat side scrolling shooter from the people who made games like Pharaoh Rebirth and Touhou Luna Nights. Amazing sprite work and full of references to classic side scrollers with a powerful and satisfying absorb/reflect mechanic and some cool power-ups. The 'standard' mode is a bit easy but it does have other modes for challenge; I just enjoyed going through and seeing what happened in the story without too much stress at least in the first run.
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Blue_Mike
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Post by Blue_Mike on May 23, 2022 3:15:18 GMT
Just started and finished Call Of The Sea, a first person adventure game set in the 1930s on a tropical island. Took me roughly six hours with a few food and piss breaks in the mix.
First of all, I did not realise it was going to turn out to be one of the most absolutely astonishingly good looking games I've ever played. Screenshots don't do it justice, because they can't capture the glorious way the lighting works in motion. The shifts between brightly lit and shadowed areas, the motes of light caught in the god-rays, the fire-flies, the spectacular orange sunset, the reflected light from water rippling off the walls of caves.
Every texture and object is beautifully made. Every single artist who worked on this should get a wheelbarrow full of awards, and teach other artists how to make things look this good.
The background music is perfectly ok, but nothing ever really stood out and hooked me. There's nothing sub-par, it's just there. It's the voice actors who shine though, and Cissy Jones really stands out as protagonist Norah Everhart. She's basically got to carry about 85% of the dialogue in the game, and sing as well. I never tired of her, say, in the way that I came to despise George Stobbart in the Broken Sword games with every fibre of my being, the floppy blonde pretentious twat.
Plot-wise, things start off in a good way, as you land on the island and try to figure out what happened to the expedition that preceeded you. Nora's husband Harry led a team there in hopes of finding a cure for Noras' mysterious family illness, then all contact was lost and she sets off to track him down.
A gradual sense of dread builds up as you uncover the story, and then by the middle of the fifth of the six chapters in the game, it suddenly ocurred to me for a couple of reasons that the entire game experience might well be Platos' Simile Of The Cave, writ large. This I think though, turned out to be me reading too much into it, because the last chapter turned out to go places that were not Plato-esque at all, but more Lovecraftian. And a final sequence that suddenly goes for Escher-like surrealism all of a sudden.
In all honesty, I think localisation played a large part in what I perceived as some pretty big gaps in the story, as it was made by a small Spanish indie studio and some stuff appears to have been lost in translation. (There are a number of points where the subtitles don't match the spoken dialogue as well, and that annoyed me a bit.)
What's there is good; it just seemed to me as if the plot introduced certain points, then never followed up on them. And in a game that has roughly only five to six hours of content, that's a big problem. There are, I would say, four fairly massive plot holes that have left me with a now permanent sense of How/What/Why The Fuck.
Highlight for Spoilers:
1 - So, according to the lore you uncover, the black ichor arrived on the island via a meteor or something, like the Venom symbiote? 2 - How is Noras' family afflicted by this black-ichor illness in the first place?
3 - Did Nora actually travel to a planet in another dimension? And if so, how did the meteor come from there?
4 - Transforming into an aquatic being somehow makes you live forever, as stated several times? How does that work?
Of the two endings, I intitially chose what I thought was going to be a sad but nice one. Then I went back and reloaded to experience the other one and while I think it was intended to be nice in its' own way, it actually kinda horrified me.
In the ending where Nora chooses to reject her transformation, and goes off to have a few short painful years with Harry, they both sing together over the end credits until her coughing interrupts the song and they are forced to stop. In the ending where Nora leaves to accept her transformation, she becomes immortal and becomes one voice among thousands linked to what they describe as The Elder God. The way it's phrased, she seems happy about it but also somehow enthralled to it. Like, she's been released from the Plato's Cave of her human existence and has her freedom, but what can she do with it now? What kind of existence is that? Just swimming around forever in circles in thrall to a grumpy looking sea monster, with probably no new voices ever going to join again after hers? That is some existential horror right there. Maybe that's me reading too much in to a not all that well localised game, or maybe that unsettled feeling is what they were going for.
Art direction wise though, you will not be disappointed by this, if you can forgive a meandering plot and some puzzles that are borderline obtuse in order to see such glorious sights.
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Post by dominalien on May 23, 2022 7:35:39 GMT
Yeah, Call of the Sea is lovely.
Your spoilers are not great on mobile.
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