What are you playing?

[kick51]

played it a whole lot today and, now that i have a grip on the mechanics, Its less brutal than i thought it would be, which is putting me off a bit.  Its certainly ugly, but ive seen worse...it is a post apocalytic world though, so its supposed to be pretty drab. but yeah, shoestring budget production values, even by wii+ps2 standards.

 It seems like itll be super repetitive though and im not sure if i can stand it the whole way through.  Theres some really cool stuff- items have very creative effects that i havent seen in other games and theres lots of experimentation to do with thrm, the npcs are interesting, lots of weird status effects can happen, the story is bizarre.  But the dungeons are pretty samey and the combat can be a bit mindless.   Its easy to keep the pressure off with a little forethought.  The rng is lenient.  I'll probably just go back to it when i get the itch to dungeon crawl, but not make a big effort to beat it.  Or ill just play Shiren instead.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

Finally forced myself to get to Morodor's second map on the insistence of my roommate. He was right. The game is significantly better once you get the brand ability and can start playing puppet master. It's a shame the story missions and just about everything else in the game is so. goddam. boring. The nemesis system stands so weirdly separate from the rest of what's going on, yet it's easily the most compelling part of the game. Maybe a sequel will better bring it into the focus.

Also started on Sunset Overdrive, which is amazing. They took the worst part of open world games - getting from one point to another - and made it the best part. Grinding around and climbing shit is so damn fun that I constantly forget there's a fast travel. It doesn't matter how mundane some of the missions can be since the core game mechanics are just so, so satisfying. Was this a commercial flop? That'd be a bummer.

[sarslip]

Finished Remember Me without going for the collectibles. The DONTNOD messieurs really know their visual arts. Game was gorgeous from start-to-finish. The UI for the Combo Construction Desk, or whatever it was, could have been fixed by adding a frame around the active section, as there are two discrete ones; additionally increasing the highlight of the active Pressen in each section would make things more clear. Moving the timing-based combo HUD to the middle of the screen would allow users to appreciate the combat animations while getting their button-presses in correctly.

How long did it take you? I've got this in my backlog thanks to a super cheap Gamefly sale and I'd love to play it.

game is dope!  about 8 hours long.  i loved it.  pretty linear, like an uncharted game, but still lots fun


finished Far Cry 4, best Far Cry.

[archie4208]

Finished A Link Between Worlds.

Fun game, but Nintendo dipped into the well way too often.  Some bosses had nearly the same patterns as Link to the Past.  The rental system also seems pointless since you shit out rupees by midgame.  Also most of the dungeons were piss easy.

[tiesto]

Playing Wild Arms: Alter Code F which is like a remake of the first game.

It's not too bad, graphics look quite nice for the PS2, and everything runs in 60fps. Music has been remixed a bit and I much prefer the original's tunes. Also, the game seems strangely easy, you don't even purchase equipment (just ARM upgrades for the lead character, and various skills). Made it to the part shortly after where you get the boat, and you start gardening for the first time... now I have to go to a volcano or something.

Not a bad game but not one of the standout games in the series for me.

[StealthFan]

Warframe

....

Mario Kart 7

[demi]

Playing Wild Arms: Alter Code F which is like a remake of the first game.

It's not too bad, graphics look quite nice for the PS2, and everything runs in 60fps. Music has been remixed a bit and I much prefer the original's tunes. Also, the game seems strangely easy, you don't even purchase equipment (just ARM upgrades for the lead character, and various skills). Made it to the part shortly after where you get the boat, and you start gardening for the first time... now I have to go to a volcano or something.

Not a bad game but not one of the standout games in the series for me.

Alter Code F is awful. The original is sooooooo better

[fistfulofmetal]

I finished Grow Home earlier. Collected all the collectibles. Didn't bother with cheevos because who cares.

It's such a simple game but it's incredibly fun and satisfying. I would love to have the same game but maybe more fleshed out? Or just a bigger world to explore.

[Mr. Nobody]

Used Castlevania: Symphony of the Night to test some emulator settings. Next thing I know, I've got an hour and 40 minutes logged and 40% of the castle done. God, I love that game.

[I'm a Puppy!]

SOTN is just one of those games that you go back to and think, "Eh, it's probably not aged so well." Then like 2 hours later you're like

[Supermanisdead]

This Kingdoms of Amalur game is so generic, I don't even know why it was made. It's just a checklist of every WRPG fantasy trope in one game. There's nothing unique or interesting about it.

But I've put like 20 hours into it and I'm going to beat it!

[Rufus]

That's another 20 hours at least. It's sooo - nothing. The combat can be interesting, but not 40 hours interesting.

[chronovore]

This Kingdoms of Amalur game is so generic, I don't even know why it was made. It's just a checklist of every WRPG fantasy trope in one game. There's nothing unique or interesting about it.

But I've put like 20 hours into it and I'm going to beat it!

Yeah, when the demo came out, it lead me through all the tutorials, and then said, “Hey, have another 90 minutes to do whatever you want in this world,” and I couldn’t standing thinking about struggling to find something interesting to do for another 90 minutes.

[BobFromPikeCreek]

God Sunset Overdrive is excellent. It's really breaking my heart to know this flopped. I hope this still gets a sequel.

[The Legend of Sunblade]

Picked up Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed on Sunday

Got the Plat for Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed yesterday.

...To be fair I did kinda marathon the whole thing, but its still a pretty short game. Will keep around to mess around in Toybox mode with though, I like just fucking around with the clothing that characters wear.

[Stoney Mason]

God Sunset Overdrive is excellent. It's really breaking my heart to know this flopped. I hope this still gets a sequel.

Yeah most of us went over it in the official thread. That game blew me away at the time. The traversal system just destroys what's out there in nearly every open world game.

[kick51]

tried out Yakuza 1 after seeing all the talk about it.  I think it was something like the game being the culmination of all of Sega's weird 3D beat em ups that pushed me to try it.  You can level up your taunt = i'm sold. 

[chronovore]

God Sunset Overdrive is excellent. It's really breaking my heart to know this flopped. I hope this still gets a sequel.

Does anyone have any actual numbers on it? I’m wondering if it “flopped” like the latest Crystal Dynamics Tomb Raider, “flopped” like UFG's Sleeping Dogs, “flopped” like any number of titles launched with unreasonable expectations which were irresponsibly set up by marketing/sales people.

FWIW, I’m probably switching teams this gen, going back to PS4 or even Steam in lieu of an XBOne, but Sunset Overdrive's the only game which has me on the fence. Hopefully I can play it on a PC at some point, assuming I upgrade that in the long term.

[benjipwns]

This Kingdoms of Amalur game is so generic, I don't even know why it was made.

They needed money to finance their impossible MMORPG.

Does anyone have any actual numbers on it? I’m wondering if it “flopped” like the latest Crystal Dynamics Tomb Raider, “flopped” like UFG's Sleeping Dogs, “flopped” like any number of titles launched with unreasonable expectations which were irresponsibly set up by marketing/sales people.

Those are some of my favorite "flops" of last gen, games sell millions but the executives expected them to get closer to Call of Duty day or week one numbers. 

And in Tomb Raider's case they had three recent games in the same franchise to look at to see how well the brand had held up!

[chronovore]

Exactly so. The new IP in Sleeping Dogs couldn’t really be charted against anything, so the marketing people were shooting blind, but when estimating for Tomb Raider and IO's Hitman, the estimates were not remotely in line with how the games had historically sold. TR specifically was being rebooted to be competitive with Uncharted after Underworld had shown some franchise fatigue.

[brob]

Weren't the expectations for Tomb Raider also inflated by having to 'make up for' other Eidos titles not having met their expectations?

Which seems to me a sure-fire way of having all your releases be below expectations, but I'm no marketing exec 

[chronovore]

Weren't the expectations for Tomb Raider also inflated by having to 'make up for' other Eidos titles not having met their expectations?

Which seems to me a sure-fire way of having all your releases be below expectations, but I'm no marketing exec 

My read on the situation was: Square-Enix prioritized face-saving for their Japanese studios, and threw all of their western studios under the bus. They specifically did not mention projects like the new Final Fantasy online being delayed, reworked, and still failing. Instead they went with casting blame on studios which actually shipped games that had sold millions of units.

[Positive Touch]

yeah, their Japanese side has been a mess for like a decade and only now seems to be finding its feet again. meanwhile their Eidos side produce a string of hits that'd make any other studio in this economy jealous, but they got shafted and their output has drastically dropped.

[kick51]

man, is star ocean 4 about 20fps when running around in the field or is it just me (PS4 version)

[Stoney Mason]

This Kingdoms of Amalur game is so generic, I don't even know why it was made. It's just a checklist of every WRPG fantasy trope in one game. There's nothing unique or interesting about it.

But I've put like 20 hours into it and I'm going to beat it!

I feel the same way about it. It's like munching down oatmeal. There is nothing offensive or horribly bad about the game but there is also nothing especially good about it. Generic is the right word. Playing it seems like work because it just feels so soul-less and by the books.

[Stoney Mason]

Trying to learn a moba for the first time. Playing smite as it seems more fun from what I'm looking for as compared to lol or dota. (I also always thought awesomenauts looked cool)

Daunting as there is not only how each character has to play and how to play the mode but there is a shitload of terminology. I'm sure for people who have been doing it for years, its second hand at this point but for me it seems like a big roadblock.

[I'm a Puppy!]

Started SMT IV

I'm only about an hour in but it feels like I'm on the precipice of awesome.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I thought Boob Raider was given the impossible task of making enough money to cover up FFXIV's embarrassing failure and retooling.  It's how a game that sells 4+ million copies can be considered a failure.

[archie4208]

Started SMT IV

I'm only about an hour in but it feels like I'm on the precipice of awesome.

Hey I started it yesterday too.

I hate the demon designs with all my heart and soul.

Why couldn't they have just copy/pasted the Kaneko designs?  :'(

Game itself is pretty great though so I shouldn't complain too much.

[Mr. Nobody]

Made it to the reverse castle in SOTN 

Gonna call it quits for now though

[Freyj]

Shadowrun: Dragonfall.

Tops. I can't imagine Divinity or Wasteland being better right now.

[archie4208]

ok SMT4 has an amazing soundtrack (from what I've heard so far).





Not quite Nocturne tier, but better than Strange Journey.

[demi]

SMT4 rules, do one of the VR battles

[Joe Molotov]

[toku]

ok SMT4 has an amazing soundtrack (from what I've heard so far).





Not quite Nocturne tier, but better than Strange Journey.

smh you didn't link the best piece:

[kick51]

just converted my tv area to comfy mode (couch perpendicular to TV.)  time to marathon some Yakuza 1.

[tiesto]

Weren't the expectations for Tomb Raider also inflated by having to 'make up for' other Eidos titles not having met their expectations?

Which seems to me a sure-fire way of having all your releases be below expectations, but I'm no marketing exec 

My read on the situation was: Square-Enix prioritized face-saving for their Japanese studios, and threw all of their western studios under the bus. They specifically did not mention projects like the new Final Fantasy online being delayed, reworked, and still failing. Instead they went with casting blame on studios which actually shipped games that had sold millions of units.

I thought that A Realm Reborn was, against all odds, a pretty big success for them?

[Positive Touch]

yeah but it took like two years of retooling before it was worth a shit

[Rufus]

The FF12 comparison is going to get prescient once you hit the last act.

[Positive Touch]

I can't wait to see how Borys reacts when he buys the last-gen version of Inquisition

[Positive Touch]

chill old man, I thought you were strictly last-gen with consoles

[Stoney Mason]

Dragon Age 2

After going back and playing some original Dragon Age Origins before the new year, the decline in difficulty was very noticeable. Dragon Age Inquisition is also very easy compared to Origins.

[Rufus]

The only fights worth a damn in DA2 is the optional dragon and the Act 1 boss.

[Stoney Mason]

Yeah, because I hadn't played in so long I died a few times when I went back to origins. It was a nice surprise that early on the game was a challenge which I had forgotten. For a good portion of the game you actively have to at least think about doing the right things in combat. You reach a point where you get so powered up, tactics doesn't really matter in origins anymore but Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition start that way. The combat is fun in those games in a button-mashy kind of way but it becomes so brainless that you just go into auto-pilot on it and actively shut your brain off.

Inquisition is better than 2 in a lot of ways but when it comes to combat, it's completely mindless.

[mormapope]

Dragon Age 2

After going back and playing some original Dragon Age Origins before the new year, the decline in difficulty was very noticeable. Dragon Age Inquisition is also very easy compared to Origins.

I started a playthrough of Origins a couple of weeks ago. Dwarf Noble tank, hard difficulty. The game is pretty damn hard in some areas at the beginning, but as you get more gold/gear shit becomes easy pretty quick.

[Mr. Nobody]

I love the SMT4 soundtrack but there's one particular piece I adore that I have to put in spoilers to explain (not sure if you're there yet Archie as its kind far into the game)

spoiler (click to show/hide)

This playing during the absolute despair of Blasted Tokyo while talking to Kiyoharu who still believes in a God who abandoned him and the populace to wither and die in desert sands for a false sense of lawfulness 

[close]

[kick51]

Kinds sad the rest of the yakuza games are subbed. I love all this fucking swearing and crudeness.

[Positive Touch]

the yakuza 1 dub is godly because it's so hilarious

[Joe Molotov]

the yakuza 1 dub is godly because it's so hilarious

I like how the detective is voiced by the guy that did Sam in Sam & Max and he's basically doing the same voice.

[Positive Touch]

feeeeeeeck I want the sequel so bad. why can't you just put it up on ps3, Sega?

[Beezy]

Yakuza 1 was the only one I played. Lent it to a cousin after I beat it and he never gave it back.

[Bebpo]

the yakuza 1 dub is godly because it's so hilarious

I like how the detective is voiced by the guy that did Sam in Sam & Max and he's basically doing the same voice.

Oh man, I gotta check out some clips of this.

[chronovore]

Finished Motocross Madness, which I think is an underrated game. MS probably spent much more than intended on it, and it probably lost them money, but pretty everything in it works great. It's a simple but fun arcade racer with stunts, plenty of tracks, and even an exploration mode where collectibles are in hard to reach places, the approach for which must be puzzled out. Probably the only shortcoming is the lack of user-controlled camera in that mode. Other than that, I was happy. I should disclose that I enjoy Avatar-using games, so I'm a little predisposed.

World of Tanks is celebrating their first year anniversary on 360, so I've been playing a shit ton of that due to the generous rewards they're giving.

[Joe Molotov]

the yakuza 1 dub is godly because it's so hilarious

I like how the detective is voiced by the guy that did Sam in Sam & Max and he's basically doing the same voice.

Oh man, I gotta check out some clips of this.

~2 minutes in:

[kick51]

yeah, just beat the game and i'm gonna miss the hell out of the english VA  :'( 

great game!  A little janky, but fun all the way through.  I didn't do much side stuff...I figure I can just burn through the games and really dig into 4 before 5 comes out.

part 2 currently out for delivery fuck yeh

[Positive Touch]

where'd you pick it up from?

[kick51]

where'd you pick it up from?

ebay.  there are hardly any copies of it to buy online.  shit set me back $69.99, but they're usually in the $70s, so that's nice. 

[Positive Touch]

ah, that's what I figured. I'll hold out hope that someday I'll find it in a garage sale. or more likely I'll be able to emulate it on a good computer lol

[eleuin]

maybe one day sega will localize the HD editions of 1&2

[Positive Touch]

[:|