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Post by Trowel 🏴 on Aug 28, 2023 9:10:28 GMT
One of my favourite things about it is, for a time loop game where you need to trigger all of the events in a single run, it's got a brilliant way of having someone do that for you
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MolarAm🔵
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Bad at games
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Post by MolarAm🔵 on Aug 28, 2023 10:25:15 GMT
It's got a great Karen too.
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Tuffty
Junior Member
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Post by Tuffty on Aug 28, 2023 17:29:30 GMT
Remnant 2 - 8/10 The Dark Souls with guns is never more apt than with this game. I've played up to see credits roll but know there is plenty of content yet to see. My first thought was to describe it as a looter shooter but it's not quite the case. It actually solves an issue I have with games like this in that it cuts out all of the loot and instead rewards you with unique items or weapons that go some way to actually make interesting builds. It rewards discovery or paying enough attention to solve puzzles that will reveal secrets to all new dungeons or gear, it's impressive. To my surprise, there are even more classes to find as you play the game, some of which is hidden as well and by allowing you to dual classes, it can go some way to create some further depth in creating a powerful character. The actual core mechanics of aiming and shooting also feel nice and while some bosses had a little bit of frustration, they're challenging and in some cases quite inventive. The interesting thing about it is that bosses, dungeons and even the storylines can be randomised in different orders which creates a unique playthrough, so much so the game even gives you the option to quickly reroll an entire campaign . Coop is easy to jump into as well and any items or weapons earned there carry over to your campaign as well. As for the negatives, I don't think I've cared as less for the story in a game as I do than this. You're travelling to very varied locations and all of them try to aim for that lofty grand epic but comes across as extremely poorly written multiverse nonsense. Conversations are deliveredy pretty stiffly too, camera locked behind a player, can't even see the face of who you're talkng to really as you're listening to them go on and on. It's too much of a bad thing. Hit the occassional bug every now and again too, particularly when talking with NPC's in the hub area who talk to you as if it's the first time.
Otherwise I liked the actual core gameplay loop quite a bit and looking to start over with another reroll campaign to see how much things will differ.
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Post by Samildanach on Aug 28, 2023 19:08:08 GMT
King's Field III
The third and final part of FromSoftware's original trilogy. Here you play as the son of the the protagonist of the first game. Unfortunately your father, who became King after his victory in the depths of the Royal Cemetery, suddenly turned nasty 10 years ago. His best friend (and the protagonist of the 2nd game) managed to seal Verdite Castle with the King and his demons inside before perishing himself. Now you have come of age, you are sent on your quest through the fields, dungeons, mines, lost temples and so on, to gain the power to face your father. As always with FromSoftware you meet slightly odd NPCs throughout your journey who often meet tragic ends. Unlike the second game which was a labyrinthine spaghetti maze of tunnels connecting small villages on the top and sinister mines and temples deeper below, this game has a more wider spread of villages, fields, forests and lakes connected by distinct themed dungeons. Think Dark Soul's verticality vs the more horizontal spread of DSII. It's a much bigger game too, so you really feel like you are on an epic adventure. I think I enjoyed this one the most of the three, though the second game has its charms and comes pretty close. What hit me the most was how well the lore of all three games fit together, as you gradually uncover the source of the evil power behind all the troubles (a duo who are more than simply referenced in Dark Souls). Anyway, if you can face the rather dated graphics and are able to remap the clunky controls, then one can definitely find an enjoyable, atmospheric experience in these games.
It's not really possible to realistically rate them out of ten in comparison to modern games. You'll either enjoy them or not have the patience.
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Post by theguy on Aug 29, 2023 21:33:46 GMT
Minute of Islands
Sometimes, if I catch a brief glimpse of a game and it looks half interesting, I'll then specifically avoid trying to find out too much about it. I'd rather be surprised about what's in store as opposed to knowing exactly what to expect. Minute of Islands was one of those games, and also a reminder of why it's only good to do that sometimes.
I knew it was 2D, but what with the name, I guessed maybe it'd be a game where you spent a few minutes per island solving a puzzle, or engaging with the island in some way, before moving on to the next island. Hence minute of islands. I think that would be a fun game. This is not that game.
What it is is basically a 2D walking sim. The gameplay is as basic platforming as it comes and I don't think fun or engaging were words that crossed the developers mind when designing it. May be harsh but everything really does move at a snails pace, and the game will frequently take away control from you just for some extra narration or the like. It can feel like a chore to play, there's not a single interesting idea from a gameplay standpoint. Wait, maybe 1, but it wasn't original.
It starts off quite poor too, you're dropped into a world you're given no reason to care about, with characters you've no reason to feel anything towards and given a task. I almost just abandoned it entirely. I did keep playing though, and in its defence, the narrative does come into its own and it had some elements I actually quite liked by the end. Especially when it came to the protag. Add to that, the voice acting, art style, music and even the island design are all actually quite good.
But are they worth putting up with the tedious gameplay that's not much more than just walking/jumping from A to B slowly, doing the same things on the islands? I'm not sure, I don't think so. I don't hate the game entirely, the narrative and other factors do salvage it for me, but I just don't see what they were going for with the sleep inducing gameplay. Perhaps some won't mind it as much though. Insomniacs, maybe.
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Post by Rubicon on Aug 30, 2023 9:09:39 GMT
26. Serious Sam 3 (PC)
I noted the recent iteration in the series hasn't gone down well in the abandoned thread - for my own experience I've only really dabbled with the first couple of games and a GameCube spinoff.
Even with as little as I've played I know they're bright and cartoonish games so the change to a grim/realistic tone which all games seemed to be doing at the time is baffling. The first half of the game is spent wandering around these repetitive low quality towns and it feels like a poor mans military shooter. If your so inclined you will be doing some of the most God awful platforming (bouncing off invisible walls/struggling to climb on top of things etc) to try and find secrets. The melee attack also feels particularly limp.
If you make it this far then the second half gets better visually as we go back to the classic Egyptian ruins. This is where the gameplay really began to piss me off as the waves normally thrown at you arrived in spurts, meaning there is no intensity or adrenaline rush like the recent Doom games or even previous SS games for that matter, but you also have to be aware of stragglers who seem to just appear out of nowhere to attack you. The iconic suicide bomber with his scream or the bastard skeleton horse thing seem to spawn right next to you with no audio cue that they are there and it feels cheap.
It's just an unpleasant game to play and the series doesn't seem to have improved in the time since.
3/10
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Post by killerbee on Aug 30, 2023 14:42:37 GMT
Alan Wake Remastered (PS5)
I’ve had the original on my “to play” list for many years, so in a way, I’m glad to have finally got around to playing this.
My feelings are probably a bit more harsh than might have been the case if I’d played it when it originally came out… in the cold glare of 2023, it’s definitely showing its age, even in spite of the Remaster. Character models don’t look great, and there’s a general jankiness to Alan’s running, jumping and the whole combat feel that I think would come in for a lot more criticism if it were a new game released today.
The narrative is probably the main reason to play this now, but I only ever found myself only half-engaged by it… Alan himself isn’t an especially likeable fellow and the endless narration gets tiresome quickly. I never really cared much for him, his wife or his whole predicament, and peripheral characters like the weird psycho FBI agent and psychiatrist seem to drift in and out without really doing much for the coherence of the story.
Having got to the end of the main game, it all felt a bit half-baked and unfinished. (I am playing the DLCs, but -so far - they don’t help much either…)
The combat and movement is pretty awkward… Alan seems to run out of sprint stamina in a matter of seconds, which is no doubt designed to prevent you just running through every encounter, but does feel frustrating and faintly ridiculous. Enemies have a habit of hitting you from just off-camera, which gets increasingly annoying as the game gets tougher. All that, combined with the world’s shittest torch batteries meant I found every combat sequence something to endure rather than enjoy. And things only get worse when you have all manner of possessed objects flying at you (again, mostly from just off-screen) which prove near impossible to dodge.
The use of light and dark is quite nicely done, but I’d have liked there to be many more puzzles and environmental gameplay, rather than just running from area to area, with little variation aside from yet more enemies.
Those complaints are most amplified by the DLC, with the first instalment - The Signal - recycling environments from the main game and doubling down on the combat. It was honestly just a chore to play, added nothing interesting to the story, and ended on a frankly terrible boss fight including endlessly respawning minions, scarce resources and ammo, and poor visibility of where you actually needed to focus your torch attacks. Honestly, it was shout at the TV levels of frustration.
The second DLC - The Writer - is better so far, but even so offers limited new ideas and I’ll be glad to see it done.
Overall, I’m happy to cross it off my list, but I can’t honestly recommended it at all, and I won’t be tuning in for the belated sequel.
4/10
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Post by harrypalmer on Aug 30, 2023 16:56:00 GMT
That was my experience too. I found it incredibly annoying to play and gave up. Shame, as I would have loved it at the time.
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hicksy
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I'm good for some but I'm not for everyone
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Post by hicksy on Aug 30, 2023 17:21:40 GMT
Road 96 (PS5)
What a great indie game! (for fans of Life is Strange et. al)
Pros:
- interesting, politically current (especially for the USA/Mexico border) interlaced multi-character storyline - attractive graphical style - (mostly) decent soundtrack - well voiced cast - quirky cast
Cons:
- somewhat repetitive (down to game mechanics of trying to save multiple teens trying to escape the state) in repeat mini attempts (up to about 40mins per teen on average) - not all characters are that interesting but the way they interlink in the overall story can be - while certain elements of the characters you meet’s stories are interesting the endgame story conclusion is more straightforward
Overall: 8/10 from me… well worth a go, especially on a deep sale… if you are an adventure game fan it’s a should def. play imo
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Duffman5
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big cook, little cook welcome to our cafe
Posts: 1,332
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Post by Duffman5 on Aug 30, 2023 17:22:59 GMT
Road 96 (PS5) What a great indie game! (for fans of Life is Strange et. al) Pros: - interesting, politically current (especially for the USA/Mexico border) interlaced multi-character storyline - attractive graphical style - (mostly) decent soundtrack - well voiced cast - quirky cast Cons: - somewhat repetitive (down to game mechanics of trying to save multiple teens trying to escape the state) in repeat mini attempts (up to about 40mins per teen on average) - not all characters are that interesting but the way they interlink in the overall story can be - while certain elements of the characters you meet’s stories are interesting the endgame story conclusion is more straightforward Overall: 8/10 from me… well worth a go, especially on a deep sale… if you are an adventure game fan it’s a should def. play imo I enjoyed this also albeit on xbox, the sequel (might be a pre-sequel is supposed to be pants though.
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Post by kilters on Aug 30, 2023 17:54:08 GMT
RDR2 9/10
Fucking finally. This game seesawed between masterpiece and chore all too frequently. It's still a stunning achievement with great story and characters. However the pacing and controls are all over the shop. It took me about 60 hours for things to properly get going story wise and all the way to the end I struggled with the controls.
I concentrated on the main story missions and did quite a few side quests but stayed away from the vast majority of busywork like satchel upgrades etc. Luckily none of the grindy bits hamper completing the main story.
Still, when it's good it's fantastic and all the way to the end I noticed little bits of detail that really set this apart. Special mention to the fact that this looks and runs fantastic on Steam Deck.
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Post by dangerousdave on Aug 30, 2023 20:06:14 GMT
I really need to play the epilogue before throwing my money away on a Switch port of the first one. I completely forgot I just put the game down at that point.
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Post by simple on Aug 30, 2023 23:54:41 GMT
Alan Wake Remastered (PS5) 4/10 As much as I’ve got a big soft spot for it from when it first came out playing the remaster highlighted how bad some of its weaknesses are. For me the combat would be fine if they ever used it in new or interesting ways but its almost entirely you being ambushed by waves of dudes. And the main game itself is too long with some of the combat/woodland sections being real wastes of time. Then the dlc goes and just adds more of the worst elements. I think a shorter more story focussed game might’ve made better use of the concept and interesting narrative delivery. Maybe even some LA Noire-style clue hunting and detective work during the daytime sections to offset the repetitive combat.
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Duffman5
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big cook, little cook welcome to our cafe
Posts: 1,332
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Post by Duffman5 on Aug 31, 2023 7:43:02 GMT
Alan Wake Remastered (PS5) 4/10 As much as I’ve got a big soft spot for it from when it first came out playing the remaster highlighted how bad some of its weaknesses are. For me the combat would be fine if they ever used it in new or interesting ways but its almost entirely you being ambushed by waves of dudes. And the main game itself is too long with some of the combat/woodland sections being real wastes of time. Then the dlc goes and just adds more of the worst elements. I think a shorter more story focussed game might’ve made better use of the concept and interesting narrative delivery. Maybe even some LA Noire-style clue hunting and detective work during the daytime sections to offset the repetitive combat. I also played and completed this and both dlc's a few weeks back, think I scored it 4/10 overall. It really is very poor. Not too sure what I liked about it when it released on 360 years ago. Playing it again has all but killed any interest I had in the sequel. I may still take a look if it scores off the charts/player feedback is high.
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Post by simple on Aug 31, 2023 10:38:57 GMT
I think it was a really interesting concept at the time. Being a weird pulpy horror game in an era of endless military shooters and Resident Evil trying to be an action title, Alan Wake definitely stood out. I think it does have a lot going for it but it’ll be interesting to see what direction they take the sequel because it’ll need to be a big departure from the original to keep up with modern gaming.
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wunty
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Pastry Forward
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Post by wunty on Aug 31, 2023 11:04:42 GMT
Weirdly (typically) I am the opposite with AW. Played it on the 360 and really didn't rate it. Found it annoying. Played the remastered one and the DLC last year and loved it. Really looking forward to the new one.
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mrpon
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Post by mrpon on Aug 31, 2023 11:23:16 GMT
Death's Door (PS4/5/+)
Wow, absolutely loved this and it ticked all the right boxes for me. Art style is fab, production values are top notch the score is suitably melancholy at points then rousing in others. Think you've finished the game and then bam another post-game section opens up to complete to get the proper ending. I've 100%d it but still need to replay to get the plat.
Highly recommended if you like the isometric Zelda style dungeons meets Metroidvania exploration.
9/10
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Ulythium
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Post by Ulythium on Sept 1, 2023 8:22:19 GMT
Persona 5 Royal.
Two of my primary opinions about The Witcher 3 can be applied directly to Persona 5 Royal:
(1) The non-gameplay aspects (music, acting, narrative, dialogue, cast of characters, graphics, etc.) are absolutely top-tier; and
(2) I don't like the combat.
The difference regarding (2) is that in TW3, I found the combat system to be hot garbage from top to bottom, despite it ostensibly being right up my street; in P5R, I think the combat system is superb, but it just isn't my bag. Objectively excellent and subjectively 'meh', if you will.
(Side note: whether this applies to *all* turn-based combat mechanics, I obviously can't say. Part of me wants to buy another game of this ilk to check out - Octopath Traveler II, Dragon Quest XI, or Yakuza: Like a Dragon, for example - but I'm loath to take the risk, at least without having a damn good reason to expect a different outcome.)
Otherwise, P5R has TW3 beaten hands-down for the most part: it runs like a dream, while TW3 ran like a river of diarrhoea; it doesn't have Yennefer in it; and the non-combat gameplay is excellent, with the social sim elements proving far more compelling than I thought they'd be.
For the most part, the combat in Persona 5 Royal didn't get in the way of my enjoyment too much - exploring the game's dungeons is a lot of fun regardless, with loot to find and puzzles to solve, while most enemy encounters don't last long enough to become annoying.
The obvious exception comes in the form of the boss battles, which constitute the only part of the game I actively disliked (and in some cases, outright hated): they're all, without exception, tedious and repetitive exercises in protracted attrition.
Even if I'd enjoyed the turn-based combat system, I don't think the boss fights themselves would've been any more likeable. For one thing, bosses are essentially immune to debuffs (ice, nuke, fire, etc.), and identifying/exploiting these weaknesses is a core part of the experience; for another, there's no good reason for these encounters to last as looooooooooooooooooong as they do. (Seriously, Atlus - if your players would've run out of time in a late-game hunt in Monster Hunter by the time your boss is down to half its health, you've fucked up somewhere.)
Much like this review, the game is also too long.
I don't want to end on a down note, though - this was a wonderful experience for the most part, and even after over 100 hours, I'm already looking forward to spending more time with Joker and the gang in Strikers and Tactica. I'm even looking forward to Persona 3 Reload coming out next year, although it's another turn-based affair, because I think I'll have a better time going in with the knowledge I've accrued from P5.
8.5/10.
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Post by Aunt Alison on Sept 1, 2023 8:27:45 GMT
The knowledge being stick it on easy and enjoy the story by the sounds of it
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2023 8:29:28 GMT
RE4r
For some reason this time around I didn't enjoy the opening village section as much. Guess it's just lost a little bit of impact 2nd time around. From the castle onwards it's great, cheesy tense fun. The regenerators still scared the shit out of me.
8/10 whereas the OG was a 10/10 at the time.
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Ulythium
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Post by Ulythium on Sept 1, 2023 8:36:32 GMT
The knowledge being stick it on easy and enjoy the story by the sounds of it
Nah - the knowledge being to treat 'optional' content as less optional, and more mandatory. For instance, playing darts in P5R isn't like, say, playing tennis in GTA5. It's not just a minigame you can indulge or ignore without penalty - it'll have a genuine knock-on effect on the core gameplay, due to the way in which everything is integrated. Likewise, the stealth system in dungeons isn't a chance for you to roleplay as Joker Snake and thereby avoid combat altogether; it's a chance to initiate combat on your terms and get the upper hand, and if you fight every enemy you encounter by using this mechanic, you won't have to waste time grinding later on.
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Post by Aunt Alison on Sept 1, 2023 8:37:58 GMT
You know I can't click on that, Uly. But I'm sure whatever it says is beautifully written
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Ulythium
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Post by Ulythium on Sept 1, 2023 8:41:25 GMT
Cheeky git It's not a story spoiler, just a reference to how the game's mechanics tie together.
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wunty
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Post by wunty on Sept 1, 2023 9:10:39 GMT
Don't listen to him AA, it's horrendous. Don't click on it. Oh my god. My eyes. They're burning.
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Duffman5
Junior Member
big cook, little cook welcome to our cafe
Posts: 1,332
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Post by Duffman5 on Sept 1, 2023 11:40:11 GMT
RE4r For some reason this time around I didn't enjoy the opening village section as much. Guess it's just lost a little bit of impact 2nd time around. From the castle onwards it's great, cheesy tense fun. The regenerators still scared the shit out of me. 8/10 whereas the OG was a 10/10 at the time. 2nd time around... 2nd time around, call yourself a "gamer" (you probably do not!) I would have expected the EG massive to have played RE4 on at least 4 occasions by now
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2023 11:42:19 GMT
Not a massive fan of replaying games, unless it's a remaster or some sort of upgrade.
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Post by dfunked on Sept 1, 2023 11:52:43 GMT
I rarely replay games, but RE4 is one of the rare exceptions. Lost count of how many times I played the original, and ploughed through the remake a good few times for some of the achievements (4 or 5)
The separate ways DLC can't come soon enough
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Post by JuniorFE on Sept 1, 2023 12:26:55 GMT
Ulythium For what it's worth Dragon Quest XI has a much more traditional battle system compared to Persona 5R or Octopath, at least in that the only way to really mess around with turn order is through ye olde speed buffs/debuffs and turn-skipping debuffs (sleep and the like), no BP like in Octopath 1/2 or One More/All-Out Attack like in Persona (can't comment on Yakuza as I am entirely unfamiliar with it). Of course, whether it (or Octopath, for that matter, which doesn't have quite the same battle system as Persona but it is a bit more similar to it than DQ is) clicks with you I can't say for certain, that's up to you. I will say that both DQXI and Octopath 1 (2 is currently in the pile of shame but probably the next thing I play) were both very enjoyable games for me, however, although obviously that's also subjective. And Octopath 2 had a demo if you want to check it out, although I'm not sure if it's still available, it's been a while.
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Post by JuniorFE on Sept 1, 2023 12:29:39 GMT
(and if you do try Dragon Quest XI, definitely go for the Definitive Edition, whether on Switch or PS, very much worth it)
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Post by Aunt Alison on Sept 1, 2023 12:30:21 GMT
Play Final Fantasy VI
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