What are you playing?

[chronovore]

arkham city is all kinds of awesome.  My only problem in is in new game plus (and in the main mode) getting told that I 'can't worry' about something now.  If I see a door or a console to hack let me do it regardless of what is happening in the story.

It probably ends up breaking something else, structure-wise. But, yeah, it felt pedantic.

[fistfulofmetal]

I just don't understand how Shift 2 is designed.

It seems simple, you have a serious of events with sub events in them. They are generally related to each other. But you some events give you cars to race with and others force to to buy a car to be eligible. Nowhere does it say which is which. Also apparently there are classes or types of cars that can be used in specific races but again, I can't find where this is explained. So i spend a chunk of my money to buy and upgrad a Lancer X and after I level it up a bunch i find I can't use it now in the races I'm on? Wha? I was just using it and it was fine but now all of a sudden it's the wrong kind of car? It's all just so confusing.

[chronovore]

I am done-done-done with Godfather, finally-finally. I'm taking a pass on the Film Canister collectibles and one Corleone Challenge which involved making money. It's lame how you can do EVERYTHING in the game, and then not have anything to do for the final push from lvl 49 to 50. 

Still, it's a better game than GTA IV, especially if you love side games. It's got well-integrated side missions, such as robbing trucks, shaking down shop owners for protection money, taking over territories, and even a not-horrible hand-to-hand melee model. I was pleasantly surprised, except for that final butt-stab of a poorly-math'd XP requirement for finishing the game's character progression.

edit: whoops.

[iconoclast]

Been playing Zetsu mode in Akai Katana lately. I'm going to spend a little more time in training mode before doing full runs, but I think I have pretty solid strategies for everything now. In fact, I'm certain that I could beat the current Type C world record by 200 million or so, since my best training mode scores give me a little over 1.4 billion (WR = 1.2).

[The Sceneman]

me and quietID have been playing heaps of SSFIV in the hopes of getting good. I was really shit until I had the bright idea of taking apart my Mad Catz Fightpad and cleaning the fucked up sticky buttons. KFC moist towlette did the job.

I'm learning Rufus, he's pretty good. Thinking about learning Zangief, Guile or one of the other clasic SFII characters. Any of you pros can recommend a good beginner character?

[cool breeze]

Sly 2 (HD)

My memories of this series are really liking Sly 1, liking Sly 2, and feeling lukewarm towards Sly 3.  I replayed Sly 1 not too long ago and still really liked it.  Replaying Sly 2 now, I'm finding it kinda tedious in how missions are designed to extend the game length.  It'd be great if you weren't doing everything 3 or 5 or 9 times per mission.  And since it's open world based, too much of it takes place in that (well designed) open area instead of point to point platforming levels.  I appreciate that it's doing something different from Sly 1 and I don't even mind playing as the turtle and hippo, but everything is so damn repetitive.  It tells you to catch 9 ghosts.  Why? why can't it just be 3 ghosts. 

I haven't read much on Sly 4.  From what I understand it's Sly 1 levels connected by Sly 2 hub worlds, which sounds great in theory.  Who knows how that will be.

[Shaka Khan]

 

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

[The Sceneman]

pls explain

[Stoney Mason]

Finished Borderlands for the first time last night. Enjoyable but I think that was mainly due to the co-op experience. Had no idea what was going on in the story not that it matters. Will try to finish up the dlc before the sequel comes out.

[Shaka Khan]

pls explain

Screen taken from Ys Oath in Felghana's prologue. Out of context it looks like something ripped from yaoi fiction.

[The Sceneman]

pls explain

Screen taken from Ys Oath in Felghana's prologue. Out of context it looks like something ripped from yaoi fiction.

heh, nice

[The Sceneman]

Finished Borderlands for the first time last night. Enjoyable but I think that was mainly due to the co-op experience. Had no idea what was going on in the story not that it matters. Will try to finish up the dlc before the sequel comes out.

avoid the "Mad Moxxi" DLC as it's a dreadful horde mode with no kind of reward. The Zombie Ned, General Knoxx, and Claptrap Revolution DLCs are all cool though. I think the Claptrap DLC actaully had a better story and boss than the main game, so play that at least.

[Stoney Mason]

Finished Borderlands for the first time last night. Enjoyable but I think that was mainly due to the co-op experience. Had no idea what was going on in the story not that it matters. Will try to finish up the dlc before the sequel comes out.

avoid the "Mad Moxxi" DLC as it's a dreadful horde mode with no kind of reward. The Zombie Ned, General Knoxx, and Claptrap Revolution DLCs are all cool though. I think the Claptrap DLC actaully had a better story and boss than the main game, so play that at least.

Thx for the heads up.

[demi]

General Knoxx is required for the increase in level cap.

[Huff]

Just about finished with gravity rush, only one last trophy. If the combat had been a little more varied and interesting it would have been an outstanding game. Other than that I loved the experience.

Just popped in army corps of hell, and the music is awesome. Heavy metal intro

[etiolate]

Got into the Smite beta. I hope the community isn't too bad since I'm a moba nooba.

[pickle]

The Binding of Isaac is way, way too addictive. God damn.

[Shaka Khan]

Is Steam's Ys oath in Felghana a direct port of the PSP game, or does it have more/less content?

Also, does it matter which Ys I should be playing right now, between Oath or Origins? I just finished 1 & 2 Chronicles.

[Cindi Mayweather]

It's the opposite. PC version is the original remake, all psp remakes are ports/enhancements of the pc version. However, pc version doesn't have voice acting. Forgot if psp version had that.

[Shaka Khan]

That, I know. But since XSEED are the ones who brought the steam version over I was hoping it would have everything the PSP game and maybe something more. PSP has voice overs, btw.

[Shaka Khan]

I forgot about 60fps, high resolution, and dual shock controls for the Steam version. PSP LAWL!

[Cindi Mayweather]

That, I know. But since XSEED are the ones who brought the steam version over I was hoping it would have everything the PSP game and maybe something more. PSP has voice overs, btw.

Nope, it's just the old pc versions translated

[naff]

SSFIV:AE mainly, played BF3 for a while but while the core mechanics felt really good it's too team focused so playing with randoms sucks, and I'm too casual to join a clan. Will sit down with Dragon's Dogma tonight and try let it grab me again but after Skyrim I feel pretty worn out by repetitive quests and dull combat. Might have to replay Demon's Souls again for my ARPG fix. Friends have been raving about the new Tribes too so I plan on giving that a shot.

[cool breeze]

It's the opposite. PC version is the original remake, all psp remakes are ports/enhancements of the pc version. However, pc version doesn't have voice acting. Forgot if psp version had that.

PSP version has voice acting, some gameplay tweaks, unlockable galleries and stuff.  It's not very different.  Both versions are great, so it depends on what you're looking for. 

Personally, I'd recommend the PC version unless you'll be playing it on the go a lot.

[Shaka Khan]

What gameplay tweaks are there? For example did the select button's special functionality carry over (I remember the no-fall being useful). Other than that I can download a 100% PSP save later to check out the Museum bonuses.

[cool breeze]

The one I was aware of the super boost.  It's hard to explain exactly without using the original as a baseline, but it makes the boost better (no shit).

edit:  here: http://www.gamefaqs.com/pc/926944-ys-the-oath-in-felghana/faqs/61642

there's a list if you want details

[Shaka Khan]

Hmmmmm, looking at that list I think I'll miss quick accessory switching, especially coming after Chronicles.

[Cindi Mayweather]

For some reason i find pc version of Ys 3 harder

Talking specifically about boss fights.

[etiolate]

playing a lot of Smite

[pilonv1]

Pretty disappointed so far with Orcs Must Die 2. It's not bad, and I am enjoying it but some of the design is flat out broken for single player. And there's some stupid difficulty spikes. I assume that grinding skulls is the way to progress but I don't like running around like an action game trying to kill monsters in a tower defense game.

[pilonv1]

Got past the level that was annoying me, and I'm enjoying it again. The difficulty spike is terrible, but once you start getting the traps and upgrading them it turns around very quickly.

[D3RANG3D]

Playing the Salvation Prophecy demo

On foot missions 

Spaceship dog fights

Going through wormholes and dodging lightning

http://www.salvationprophecy.com/index.php/media/#1

it's nice to play a game that is doing something different, it's janky but it's the kind of jank that I like and apparently it was devd by one guy

[bork]

Stuff I have been playing recently:

Max Anarchy: Completed the black side of the campaign and have been playing more multiplayer.  I need to play through the white side (starting) to get a few different fights/scenes and play as Leo during the red side battles.  The game still rocks. 

Mass Effect 3: Finally got back on this recently.  It's still enjoyable and I hope to complete it soon so I can start on Dragon-Age (again).

Halo Reach: Played this multiplayer online with a friend.  Haven't touched Reach in so long that felt like a new game.  They've added some pretty fun new custom maps in the rotation...including one that is totally a larger version of the classic Bloodgulch in big team battle!

Persona 4 Arena: Beating that ass with Teddie!

Street Fighter X Tekken: The DLC is finally up and the patch means less Ken and Ryu bullshit.  The game feels better now and the new characters are all pretty good.  Nobody on my 360 friends list is playing this but there are people on my PS3 friends list back on the game. 

Stuff I have NOT been playing recently:

Handhelds: Both the Vita and 3DS are just sitting there, gathering dust at the moment.  I really need to get back to Gravity Rush.

Lollipop Chainsaw: Mainly because of Max Anarchy.  I need to get that good ending if nothing else.

Musou games: Need to get back to Warriors Orochi 3 and One Piece.

I also popped into Gamestop the other day and reserved a 3DS XL and NSMB2- hate that you can't reserve it for in-store pick-up online and Amazon still isn't listing them for pre-order.  I am gonna be pissed if the XL is still uncomfortable to hold like the original 3DS is.

[Fifstar]

Final Cave in cave story is kickin my ass

[Positive Touch]

that end level is total fucking bullshit

youtube it and save yourself the headache

[Fifstar]

Wasn't talking about the proper Final Cave, just the normal one. I beat it now, I was just crushed two times in the end part of it because I was dumb 

Final boss now is the bigger problem, 4 forms without saving, whyyyyyy
/weaksauce

[cool breeze]

Witcher 2 looks like butt at any of the preset settings.  The AA solution sharpens everything to such an extreme degree that it's a nuisance to look at.  And the bloom is overkill.  Turning off bloom, the game's AA, and placing it with FXAA or SMAA, or ubersamping if your computer is that good, makes a world of difference.  There's still this peculiar euro look but it's overall very pretty.

[chronovore]

Wanted to avoid jumping from one OWG to another, so I restarted THQ's Conan on Normal difficulty.

In theory, if I clear it on Normal, it unlocks a power (read: "cheat") which will help me clear the bastardy-hard last level on Hard.

[iconoclast]

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

babby's first world record

I screwed up pretty badly too. I should be able to get 1.4-1.5 billion on a good run.

[Shaka Khan]

I just finished Ys Oath in Felghana. Man what an amazing game that was.

And now I started Ys Origin, and holy shit this is already a huge improvement in visuals and mechanics. I'm completely blown away by Falcom the Ys series at this point. One question though, does the entire game take place in the Darm tower?

[archnemesis]

It does, but the tower is pretty varied for being a single building.

[Shaka Khan]

Hmmm, judging by the first few sections and how they're emphasizing dungeon design and puzzles and I'm not that disappointed. However, having recently played 1 & 2 Chronicles and seeing the Roda Tree at the beginning of the game, I got excited to see all the familiar sights and locales. Oh well, they probably jammed all the lore I'm looking for into the confined narrative anyways.

[Positive Touch]

would yall recommend playing the original versions of the games, or is it worth it to just skip those and move on to the remakes?  i have a remake of 1&2, but it looks like its just a shitty graphical upgrade and that there's a full 3d version available or something?  i dunno, but i wanna play these games in order and i just want to know what the best versions are.

[archnemesis]

The best versions of Ys I & II is probably Chronicles for the PSP. The PC version is alright too and there is a patch for it if you want the Turbografx 16 music. Don't expect any improved visuals from it though.

Origin is a prequel that takes place 700 years before the first game. The story isn't really connected to the other games, but you might want to play Ys I & II first so you understand the lore.

Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a remake of the third game and both the PSP and the PC version are great. By the time you're done with those the remake of Ys IV (PS Vita) will be close to release.

[Shaka Khan]

Yes, 1 & 2 Chronicles for the PSP is a great port. Being 2D sprite-based makes it a sharp, vibrant and visually appealing on both the PSP and Vita.

Oath in Felghana should definitely be experienced on PC, though. The resolution, 60 fps, and being able to use a comfortable controller of you choice trumps the portability, VAs, and other extras the PSP game brings (not to mention the smeared visuals, yuck).

Origins is obviously only available on PC.

Even though Origins is the pequel you should definitely play 1 > 2 > Felghana > Origin in this order. Not only will you be more accustomed with the (lite) lore and characters this way, but you'll experience the series evolution and appreciate it more visually and mechanically. I also hope you dig good videogame music because your ears will be like OMGGG DUUUUDE~

My overall impression is that I should have played these games a long time ago, it's just something that's been missing from gaming life. I really regret not playing Ark of Napishtim (VI) when I had the chance, and I really hope it gets released either on Steam or PSN, as the PSP port (available on PSN) is trash, iirc.

[archnemesis]

I played the PS2 version recently and it's still good even though it's inferior to the games mentioned above.

[Shaka Khan]

Since the order of releases was Napishtim > Felghana > Origin, I'm assuming going back to the PS2 game after playing the later releases that kept improving on the 3D formula would be somewhat of a letdown.

[Positive Touch]

well the psp version of 1&2 isn't on pc, but it seems to be pretty similar to the original windows versions of the games.  will start playing now.

[Positive Touch]

also CHECK YOUR DAMN TEXT MESSAGES SHAKA

[Shaka Khan]

#Oops

[cool breeze]

I really regret not playing Ark of Napishtim (VI) when I had the chance, and I really hope it gets released either on Steam or PSN, as the PSP port (available on PSN) is trash, iirc.

I haven't played or read anything on Ark PSN, but the main issue is the UMD loading on original PSP-1000 models.  Other games like Crisis Core have long load times on the 1000 too.  2000-and up plus running off the memory stick would make it fine.  It's not of the same caliber as when Falcom started porting the game proper.  And it's a personal preference thing, but I don't like how PS2 version has realistic proportions for characters.

I played Ys 6 on PC with a fan translation.  It still kicks ass even if the following games improved on it.  Plus it has:



edit: I had no idea Ys 6 was on PSN.  Is Gurumin on there? that's another fun Falcom action-rpg.  It's not really like Ys and it's childish but still fun.

[Shaka Khan]

I got my wires mixed, Ys 6 PSP is *not* available on PSN.

Still playing Ys Origin, still an amazing game. Even though I miss some aspects of what made Felghana special, like the setting, the side-quests, Dogi and my silent Adol* to name a few, I really, really dig how they tightened up everything here. The combat, boss battles, and dungeon designs have been vastly improved.

*(These characters I've been handed have way too much feel for my liking)

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I hope xseed's Steam efforts have turned out well for them because there's several more Falcom PC games that can be translated and brought over.

[Cindi Mayweather]

well iirc they've got some of their other games in the steam registry now. Ys games could make the way for more japanese games on steam.

[fistfulofmetal]

i just cannot get by the last dungeon in binding of isaac. i always die there. FUCK

[archnemesis]

well iirc they've got some of their other games in the steam registry now. Ys games could make the way for more japanese games on steam.

This is news to me. What other games?

[cool breeze]

I hope xseed's Steam efforts have turned out well for them because there's several more Falcom PC games that can be translated and brought over.

I think Xseed buys and uses fan translations as a base for its localizations (someone correct me if I'm wrong).  If that's the case, Ys 6, Xanadu Next, Ys 1&2, and Trails in the Sky (unless PSP and PC version are different) have translations.  Ys 7 is supposedly on or coming to PC in China, but I'm not sure what's up with that.

It'd certainly be nice if Falcom came back to support the PC.  Nayuta no Kiseki (judging from impressions) is great and Ys Celceta looks great.  I'd buy both on PSP/Vita anyway, but I prefer PC.

[archnemesis]

I generally prefer PC to other platforms, but I'd rather have a slow 50 hour RPG, like Trails in the Sky, on a portable system.

[Cindi Mayweather]

well iirc they've got some of their other games in the steam registry now. Ys games could make the way for more japanese games on steam.

This is news to me. What other games?

Stuff like Half Minute Hero

[archnemesis]

If it's the XBLA version I might double dip for the alternative art style.