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[Ywap]

Just beat Sniper Elite Resistance. Great game if you like the formula but don't expect anything new. Can't wait for Atomfall

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Making more progress in the Night is Grey.. Very atmospheric game, but honestly curious as to where things will go in it. Not sure... but interesting so far.

Results, spoiler free. This is really the kind of game you want to go in blind, easily spoiled I think..




Now wondering what to play - I started Rise of the Ronin earlier, but honestly by the end of the way too detailed character creator, I was done.. and turned it off. I should have just skipped it and taken a generic.

 

[Vaquilla]

Turbo Overkill.

Bloody brilliant game, one of the most purely fun I've played in ages.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Started Indiana Jones and the Great Circle yesterday and…. I like it a lot!

A Machine Games game for sure. Open Areas so far just hit the spot for me. Not too big, not too small. And I loved the opening. Good stuff.

 

[V1LÆM]

Balatro on my 5090

also have forza motorsport, no man’s sky, cyberpunk, baldurs gate 3, persona 3 reload.

5090 isn’t even breaking a sweat running cyberpunk maxed out at 240fps. I’ll have to up my refresh rate to 360 lol.

Going to buy flight simulator 2024 to see how that runs.

 

[Daniel Thomas MacInnes]

My 4yo daughter suddenly became hooked on New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe on Switch, always chatting about saving the Princess from Bowser and his kids. I personally have a deep love/hate relationship with this game, and so it's not the most pleasant experience for me, but who can complain? Thank goodness for the Nabbit character that lets me cheat my way through, hah.

On our last visit to Target, I was showing her the demo of Donkey Kong Country Returns, which is totally fab. She loves it, which means I'll have to buy it with my next "free" paycheck.

On the retro gaming front, I have recurring hunger pangs for Atari 5200 games. Dig Dug is proving to be my newest obsession. I love how this version runs quicker than any other version. You can rattle off that air pump and take down monsters quickly, and I realized that my longstanding ambivalence towards this game owes to its slower running and shooting speed. I always feel outrunned, which of course is where the tension lies. But on the 5200, my rapid-fire shots make me feel more empowered, which makes me feel that the odds are more even in later stages.

Beyond that, the usual 5200 suspects: Pac-Man, Millipede, Mario Bros Encore and Ms Pac-Man Encore (both are fan-made edits that make some notable improvements to the original cartridges, which are still very enjoyable in stock form).

I am seeing that Atari is offering a killer deal for their 400 Mini: the compact retro console, plus four joysticks, for $146.97. I am sorely tempted to get this in a couple weeks. I will also admit that I've been waiting patiently for the upcoming Atari 800XL computer from Poland, which features a host of vintage and modern plug-in options. Or I might just finally get a 5200 and trak-ball controller at long last. Or I might just get a new budget turntable. Or maybe I'll just wallow in indecision and spend all my free money on coffee and donuts, hah.

 

[HRK69]

I'm looking for a game to play alongside Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PC

And I'm torn between Spider-Man 2 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. I'm leaning towards Kingdom Come since Spider-Man 2 feels a bit too similar to Rebirth in terms of action and cinematic storytelling. Which one do you think would be the better choice?

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 it is

 

[adamsapple]

A week removed and this thread I made about AW Remastered being available for free.

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/psa-alan-wake-remastered-is-free-on-xbox-right-now-limited-time.1680233/page-2

Looks like they aren't revoking access for anyone who redeemed it, still working fine for me.

Gonna give it a whirl over the weekend, again.

 

[Humdinger]

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. I'm about 8 hours in, having fun with it.

The good: I like the more subdued Kiryu, the others characters are good, too. Dialog is sharp and cutscenes aren't overly long. Combat is fun. I tend to stick with the Yakuza style rather than Agent. The visuals are a nice step up from the last Yakuza game I played, which was 6. The story isn't as convoluted as in Yakuza 6, either, which I appreciate. I can actually follow this one, heh. Seems like they have further refined what works and what doesn't.

The not so good: I'm not fond of the Agent fighting style, with the gadgets. It's optional, though, so no big deal. I don't like that you need both money and Akama points to upgrade abilities, but okay. Also, there was a sound effect that Kiryu made in Yakuza 6 after he finished a meal or drank an energy drink, "Hu-oh." I've been saying that to myself in random circumstances ever since then. I was looking forward to hearing more "huh-oh" in this game, but alas, they moved on to a different sound effect.

All in all, I'm really enjoying the game, though. It feels like a bite-sized Yakuza game compared to some of the other entries, and that is what I wanted. I also wanted to see the continuation of Kiryu's story.

 

[midasmulligan]

The waiting game…thanks PSN

 

[intbal]

After a month-long intermission of playing Game Pass games, I returned to my playthrough of the Gears of War series (which I missed during the 360 era).

Gears 3
I didn't like this one all that much. The combat sections were tedious and bloated. The characters were... dumb. And the dialogue and voice acting seemed like a lower quality effort than Gears 2. Also, this may have been a major upgrade of the engine, but they mostly counteracted that by designing regions that were much too large and bland. The low point of the series for me so far.
5/10

Gears Judgement
A different take on the Gears gameplay formula, but it works well here. The bite-sized combat encounters are well-designed and don't overstay their welcome. This is also the best looking Gears of the 360 era, most likely because the "levels" are much smaller and they can pack a lot more detail into them. But it's more than that. The design work of the building layouts and, especially, the color palettes are just much better than Gears 3. The characters are less annoying than the previous game. The story is basically a side-quest prequel, but with an oddly placed unlockable Coda mission that inserts story-wise into the latter half of Gears 3. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
7/10

 

[TintoConCasera]

Having a lot of fun with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Game's mostly like the first one, but with everything being more polished.

 

[amigastar]

GTA Vice City Next Gen Edition.
Ray Liotta is so fantastic in this game.
Also this is so funny:

 

[JimmyRustler]

Damn, Indiana Jones is INCREDIBLE.

This is the closest the series has been to Indi since Last Crusade. Getting tears in my eyes. Amazing. Playing on GamePass now but I’ll prolly buy this game on PS5 when it is eventually released and get the trophies there. Exploration is so fun. Level design is beautiful and then they give you the camera and make it even totally worth it to check out everything. Sooo good.

 

[badblue]

I wasn't able to get into Yakuza 0. I think it's the lack of dubbing. Usually it wouldn't be an issue but I've been playing mostly with my deck on the couch next to my wife while she watches her shows.
I'd be beating some guys only to realize I had been paying more attention to the medical drama of Grey's Anatomy, then that last cut scene and had no idea why I was beating those guys up.

I still wanted to play a Yakuza title and noticed
Yakuza: Like a Dragon was on sale and picked that up to play instead.

I've been loving it so far and I regret not giving the Yakuza franchise a try before now.
I'll be going back to 0 after this.

 

[adamsapple]

It's been ages since I played it and I forgot just how less of an RTS the second Starcraft 2 part is (Heart of Swarm). Most of it is a character-hero game than a big RTS.

 

[{insert code here}]

Was trying to get into some FF7 Rebirth and Atomic Heart but Nier Automata just keeps pulling me back in. The game is too damn good.

 

[foamdino]

Managed to complete Citizen Sleeper this weekend, so I treated myself with Trails through Daybreak...

On the go right now:

• FF7 Rebirth
• Kingdom Come Deliverance (the sequel hype got me to re-install and give this a fair crack and I'm really enjoying being a dirty peasant) (PC)
• Trails through Daybreak (just finished the prologue and I know this is a mammoth game so I'll be at it for a while)
• Endless Space 2 (PC), been on wishlist for ages but picked it up super cheap

Plus I have a couple of games "on pause" for rotating in when I need a change...

 

[hemo memo]

I ended up buying The Testament of Sherlock Holmes, Crimes & Punishments, The Devil's Daughter, and The Awakened.

Why? Honestly, I have no idea. From everything I've read, these games are supposed to be perfectly below average. But after diving into The Testament of Sherlock Holmes, I have to say—it's really not that bad. Dare I say I'm actually enjoying it.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Parasite Eve (Steamdeck/Duckstation)

I just got to Day 3 and the game is fantastic. Love the gameplay, music, story. cast and graphics. Really love the Prerendered Backgrounds. The only con that I don't like about this game is that movement of Aya Brea is slow. So far the story is interesting and even though the localization is iffy I can still understand the story. This game will take me around 1 to 2 days to finish

 

[xrnzaaas]

Currently trying to get through Alone in the Dark and it's bad compared to other new survival horrors like RE or even SH2 Remake. The combat is pretty awful, stealth is crap (way way too slow) and distracting enemies is poorly designed (you have to keep holding the trigger?). The locations you visit in the game are beautiful, but they're very static and non-interactive, like you're exploring a maquette. The puzzles are either too simple and repetitive (like completing a picture from several pieces), or very poorly designed, like the one with the safe from the warehouse.

Also, the game still has a lot of bugs (playing on PS5). Smaller ones, but there are lots of them. There are various sound issues, some collectible don't have dubbing, sometimes there's a checkpoint error or you end up somewhere else after reloading the game, I also had cases when the game told me I had a full inventory of melee weapons even though I wasn't carrying any. It's definitely missing a lot of polish.

I'll try to finish this game, but only once. I absolutely have no interest in replaying it with the second character, especially knowing there aren't bigger differences between the scenarios like in RE2R.

 

[Hypereides]

Sly Cooper: thieves in time

Been going back to this, and I have to say, visually its aged very well. Great they got the original composer on this entry. In some instances it reminds me of the OG Crash games. Sanzaru did a commendable job.

 

[Wolves hunt in packs]

Return to Grace, short 2.5 hours long, walking sim.. where anything you do is automated, even jumping etc, very minor puzzles and nice visuals, can't say it was good tbh.

Next is Kona and Kona 2, and maybe Still Wakes the Deep, need short games to pass the time until the 18th, so i can play Avowed.

 

[Humdinger]

I wasn't able to get into Yakuza 0. I think it's the lack of dubbing. Usually it wouldn't be an issue but I've been playing mostly with my deck on the couch next to my wife while she watches her shows.
I'd be beating some guys only to realize I had been paying more attention to the medical drama of Grey's Anatomy, then that last cut scene and had no idea why I was beating those guys up.

Try to give it another chance, in a place where your attention won't be split. It's important to try to follow the story, since it is the start of everything. Yakuza is a wonderful series, don't cheat yourself.

Reading subtitles isn't bad, once you get used to it. It becomes part of the atmosphere and charm of the game. Besides, if you like Zero and want to play other Yakuza games, none of them are dubbed (the ones featuring Kiryu, I mean) - except for LAD Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Even there, you wouldn't want to use the dub after playing the other games in the series, because suddenly Yong Yea's voice is coming out of Kiryu's mouth. That just ain't right.

I still wanted to play a Yakuza title and noticed
Yakuza: Like a Dragon was on sale and picked that up to play instead.

I've been loving it so far and I regret not giving the Yakuza franchise a try before now.
I'll be going back to 0 after this.

Sounds good. I haven't played LAD yet. I think I'm put off by the turn-based combat.

 

[drganon]

I started the series with Daybreak, haha. I was thinking of going back and playing from the start after I finished it, then they announced a remake of this first game so I just said screw it.

The 1st trails of cold steel isn't a bad place to start.

 

[NeverYouMind]

Currently trying to get through Alone in the Dark and it's bad compared to other new survival horrors like RE or even SH2 Remake. The combat is pretty awful, stealth is crap (way way too slow) and distracting enemies is poorly designed (you have to keep holding the trigger?). The locations you visit in the game are beautiful, but they're very static and non-interactive, like you're exploring a maquette. The puzzles are either too simple and repetitive (like completing a picture from several pieces), or very poorly designed, like the one with the safe from the warehouse.

Also, the game still has a lot of bugs (playing on PS5). Smaller ones, but there are lots of them. There are various sound issues, some collectible don't have dubbing, sometimes there's a checkpoint error or you end up somewhere else after reloading the game, I also had cases when the game told me I had a full inventory of melee weapons even though I wasn't carrying any. It's definitely missing a lot of polish.

I'll try to finish this game, but only once. I absolutely have no interest in replaying it with the second character, especially knowing there aren't bigger differences between the scenarios like in RE2R.

That is pretty much the opposite of my experience with the exception of throwables in the environment. They are not meant to distract but to do damage and aggro. There is no stealth in the game (just avoidance) but many obstacles can be run past safely with well timed dodges. The gun handling is actually much better than RE2R's and melee with generous dodging invincibility allow threats to be faced head on instead of requiring spacing to give enough time to aim and shoot. It also runs pretty great on a mid-range PC. It is too bad that you did not enjoy it but there are enough differences narratively in the campaigns to make a case for playing both and one of the chapters is completely different for each character.

 

[Daniel Thomas MacInnes]

Here’s Mario Bros. Encore, a fan hack of the Atari 5200 cartridge that features improved character designs & varied stages. This makes the game much closer to the arcade classic. The original version still looks fine, but this is a great improvement & it’s plays like a dream.

 

[xrnzaaas]

That is pretty much the opposite of my experience with the exception of throwables in the environment. They are not meant to distract but to do damage and aggro. There is no stealth in the game (just avoidance) but many obstacles can be run past safely with well timed dodges. The gun handling is actually much better than RE2R's and melee with generous dodging invincibility allow threats to be faced head on instead of requiring spacing to give enough time to aim and shoot. It also runs pretty great on a mid-range PC. It is too bad that you did not enjoy it but there are enough differences narratively in the campaigns to make a case for playing both and one of the chapters is completely different for each character.

It's good to know that the scenarios are different, but I'm definitely going to be fatigued after the first playthrough. Not the case of games like Silent Hill 2, Dead Space or RE2 which I immediately played again to get different endings and still had fun.

It's just not clicking with me and it's not like I'm picky, I've played a few smaller budget survival horrors like The Chant or Daymare and enjoyed them.

 

[Lootlord]

Just started Phantom Liberty, looks even better than the main game and the story also seems to be better.

 

[Ristifer]

Robocop: Rogue City. Just started it, but it's pretty fun so far. Wasn't expecting the dialogue to be so funny at times.

 

[robotman5]

Black Ops 6 & The Sims 2 Legacy Collection.

 

[hangdang69]

Desperately trying to finish Metaphor so I can get to Kingdom Come 2 instead. Metaphor has far overstayed it's welcome and I can't wait for it to end. I'd highly recommend it if you want to spend more time reading dialogue and listening to characters repeat the same plot points over and over again. A great game if you want to put your controller down on the couch for 15 minutes at a time routinely.

 

[stn]

I've been playing Elden Ring (XSX) almost exclusively since the year started. I'm quite close to beating the game, after which I'll do NG+ to cleanup any remaining achievements. Then, I'll either go straight into the DLC, or take a break and resume Baldur's Gate 3 (PS5).

 

[DeVeAn]

So I got caught in the ninja gaiden 2 black hype and popped 50 bucks a few weeks back when it came out.

It's been good to sort of study it because the series is so highly regarded, but I put it down. Sounds funny, but it gets too hard to see too much of the time. I'm literally playing by sound at some points because the camera is so ass. You could say it's a fatal nitpick.

But that aside, I did have a lot of fun with the game and for the first time I have a proper appreciation of it. The last time I played one was a long looooong time ago. The fundamentals of the gameplay are so strong. I'm not one to over-generalize fighting systems (there's only so many ways to punch, kick, slash and stab) so to me, this system is very unique. This is one of those games where the gameplay feel alone can carry the whole thing.

A big part of why I called it on the camera is that I junked the hell out of the game the weekend it came out. So that frustration just built up lol. I got done with an encounter I played 75% blind and said fuck it I'm done lol. Don't let that stop you, though. Seems fine for many others.

The trick to help with busted camera is X+A (wind run?) as that locks you into and enemy. At least it helps with the wonky camera.

 

[Dr. Suchong]

Quantum break, last boss, dreadful.
Just an epileptic mess of red explosions and confusion.
Only tried it about 3 times, but I already know this has all the hallmarks of a shitty fight.
Just had cataract surgery, so raising my blood pressure is out of the question.

Not sure I'm keen on playing AW2 now.

 

[Crayon]

The trick to help with busted camera is X+A (wind run?) as that locks you into and enemy. At least it helps with the wonky camera.

Now that I think about it, that does bump the camera in a certain way. I may even have been using it in those clusterfuck situations without even thinking about it.

 

[DeVeAn]

Now that I think about it, that does bump the camera in a certain way. I may even have been using it in those clusterfuck situations without even thinking about it.

Sounds dumb, but I don't move the camera much in this game. Not excusing the terrible camera though.

 

[Rawbutt Jellybean]

Been working through the Crash remaster collection and I'm on Crash 2 now. Liking it a lot more than 1 which had dodgy hitboxes that made some of the levels a bit frustrating. Level design also seems a bit better and more challenging.

 

[DeVeAn]

NInja Gaiden 2 Black
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 quit after chapter 1 lol
Ninja Gaiden 2

Was on a NG kick for a minute.

 

[Danjin44]

I finished replaying Iceborne and honestly don’t know what to play next, MHWilds is very close to release so I can’t play another JRPG since I don’t think I can finish it before Wilds comes out.

I think I’m peak MHWild hype because I just can’t focus on other games because all I can think about is MHWilds….I wish it would come out sooner.

 

[Killer8]

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (PS4 on PS5) - Over the last three days I finished one of these games every night. I'm now tempted to go back and try to get a 100% save and perhaps even the platinum trophy. I've done Stormy Ascent before, I can do it again dammit. But I just know the colored gems in Crash 1 and some of the time trials are going to fuck me up. Crash 3 used to be my favorite in the series growing up. As I got older I began to think 2 was better than 3 from a level design point of view. 3 for a while felt like it had too many mini-game levels for my adult brain's liking. But revisiting them again, back-to-back in quick succession, I didn't get that same impression from 3 this time. It felt like 3 injected that into the series at just the right moment to stop the whole formula going stale. My favorite now is actually the first game for its devious level design that demands perfection from the player and its unique style. The N. Sane trilogy really makes 1 a lot more playable, as with age the original PS1 game felt extremely stiff compared to its sequels.

Silent Hill 2 Remake (PS5) - I'm at Toluca Prison just now and it's fucking me up. Maybe the most terrifying level in a horror game i've ever played. It's not just the fact that it's pitch black most of the time, the sound design of the monsters scuttling around you like spiders is insanely well done (*playing with the PS5 Pulse headset for the first time since I bought it). If it wasn't for the fact that I got so good at the game that James has become like a pack mule for ammo and syringes, this level could've been too intense to handle. Astonishing remake.

Ridge Racer Type 4 (PS1 BC on PS5) - I've been a fan of this series since Ridge Racer 2 on PSP and Ridge Racer 7 on PS3. Two brilliant racing games in the arcade genre that we are sorely missing these days. I was recommended RR4 as I missed it back in the PS1 days. I am blown away. Visually, not just from a technological point of view but also artistically, this just might be the best looking game on the platform. I was told it's worth playing as you can beat it in an afternoon but i'm finding myself devoting more time to it just to win as all four of the racing teams. The pep talks with the team manager between each race adds a ton of SOUL to the game. In particular, the epilogue's tragic story about one of the drivers almost got me. Some of the drifting mechanics are a bit jank. It feels like it was the time before Namco perfected that in the PSP game and its finnicky nature makes some races more frustrating than they need to be. I'm not ashamed to admit I abused the hell out of the PS5's rewind feature to win a couple where I was down to the final corner. The soundtrack and visual design is also ageless:



Yakuza (PS2 via PCSX2 emulator) - I'd vowed to play the entire Yakuza series this year and I finally got my start. I had a lot of back and forths figuring out where to begin. Yakuza 0? Kiwami? The original? I decided to remove the headache and go with the original release order, with the bonus of being able to really appreciate the evolution across the games. The fact someone made an amazing undub patch to play with Japanese voiceover, plus PCSX2 getting some essential fixes for the lighting, has made experiencing the OG in 4K an easy decision. So far i'm loving it. Having only played Yakuza: Like a Dragon with its turn-based combat, Yakuza's real-time brawler combat is a big departure but feels satisfying enough. I can see it gets a lot more refined as the games go along which has made it easier for me to accept the shortcomings of this rougher primitive state. What's also obvious is that even from the very beginning of the series, it's always had these amazing stories that suck you in from the first hour. A true achievement for SEGA to keep churning out quality releases after 20 years.

 

[skit_data]

I'm playing the MediEvil Remake atm and I gotta say I'm having a blast! I'm surprised by how low of a Metacritic score the game is sitting at.
I only played the original game in the form of a demo back in the demo1 days so I can't really tell how much has been changed between the two?
If all these weapons/alt-attack/abilites were in the original this must've been way more innovative than I previously thought.

 

[Hyperborean]

Playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Up to a few days ago, all I did was explore and look for shrines never solving them. Well finally I said to myself that I've been procrastinating long enough and decided to attempt the shrine puzzles. Started solving them and getting addicted to the feeling of satisfaction. Completed at least 25 in my last 2 sessions, up around 5 or 6 heart containers. Enjoying this game.

I've just got all of the top line of Heart pieces on the HUD. Don't know where I'm going to find 15 x 4 shrines to get the bottom line.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Quantum break, last boss, dreadful.
Just an epileptic mess of red explosions and confusion.
Only tried it about 3 times, but I already know this has all the hallmarks of a shitty fight.
Just had cataract surgery, so raising my blood pressure is out of the question.

Not sure I'm keen on playing AW2 now.

Yep final boss is the worst part of that game. I think I played it on hard, but changed to normal to get past that fight without a ton of stress.

Fyi - Alan Wake 2 has only one tougher fight with a bunch of enemies, other than that there are super annoying jumpscares, but you probably read about it already.

 

[engstra]

Been playing Pacman World Repac and having a blast. Really cool to see how they translated Pacman into a 3D platformer. The main game is definitely not challenging but has a lot of charm. Having finished the game I was going to go for the platinum but one of the achievements requires reaching screen 9 of the original arcade game and it's just too hard. These old school arcade games are so punishing and it's not like you get any continues or similar. I can clear maybe 3 screens and then I've already used all my lives.

 

[EerieArcade]

Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
Killed Bain and Dejoule in Dark Haven. Not sure how long I have left but it feels like I've been playing for ages!

Onimusha
First time I've failed the water puzzle. Oh dear.

Suicide Squad
Not very good, is it? Just repeatedly doing the same rubbish over and over. Captain Boomerang is incredibly annoying, Quinn is stale at this point, Deadshot is bland, and Shark is trying to be Drax. Probably the worst talent trees in a game - everything is the same. I picked this game up for free and I still feel ripped off.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Sniper Elite 5 - Amazing game. First time playing the series. I know Ill be chipping away at it for awhile since Im grinding kill trophies and getting all the collectibles. It's fun taking my time with this one. Now a Rebellion fan.

L.A. Noire - Haven't replayed in years. Going for a five star rating in all cases and completing all street crimes. Somehow I missed out on both of these goals back when it re released in 2017. And I so wish we'd get some sort of sequel.

No More Heroes 3 - The epitomy of a 7. Satisfying combat, but with a pretty repetitive core loop of gameplay (perfect for a podcast). Good ol Suda weirdness that is a bit more of a miss this time than hit.

 

[Grizzled Ghost]

Never mind

 

[ElFenomeno]

Doom Eternal. Almost at the end. Had to play some fights in the first few chapters on Easy, after some armor/health upgrades and getting familiar with the mechanics was able to play on Normal. Doom 2016 was much easier.
Tomb Raider Legend - my first TR game. Replayed it first time since it came out. Want to finish the LAU trilogy before moving on to the second remastered trilogy.
Burnout 3 Takedown - takes you back to the 00's. The OST is very good.

 

[FoxMcChief]

L.A.Noire