Whatcha Been Playing?

[Stanshall]

Well, I made good on my word. Trimmed down my Switch library from nearly 80 (a figure almost as traumatic as my bank balance) to a more manageable 18, almost all first party/AAA with some pretty big hitters falling by the wayside. Stardew Valley, Golf Story, Sine Mora Ex, Minecraft and Mario Vs Rabbids all bite the dust, along with almost every indie game besides Isaac.

I got a Pro to replace my dead PS4 and I've installed only about twelve of the 150 games I own, and no indies, I'll keep them for the Switch as and when. Only big screen experiences, mostly exclusives and no replays (except DS2 which I've played for hundreds of hours).

I also trimmed the One X library down from 50-odd, mostly shite from Game Pass and EA Access, to a manageable selection of big hitters and multiplat faves. I think I'm around 18, as well.

So, in one respect, I do still have about fifty (!) games on the go but I want to play them all. At least half are dip in and out titles like Titanfall 2, ARMS and Rocket League, which form an excellent component to a balanced diet. Alongside these, I have the likes of FFXV and Persona 5, which I began to enjoy just before my PS4 died, and a couple of brand spanking new titles like AC: Origins, just for the One X shiny thrills. Yeah, it's too many but I do feel I've got a killer fifty rather than a bloated 300 making me feel guilty. The money's been spent now, I'll always have them there, and I'll not be buying anything except top tier shit from now on. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Monster Hunter World are the only things on the horizon and for once, I'll even wait for a review or two.

Oh, talking of Horizon, hopefully that and Lost Legacy will be in the PSN Black Friday sale on Tuesday...

Heeeeeelllllp meeeeeeeeee!

[Joshihatsumitsu]

I think I had an unintentional Zen-tabula-rasa moment about two years ago. A big electrical storm resulted in some fried equipment, including a PS3 and PS4. All the saves, including the ridiculous amount of hours I put into Yakuza 3... all gone.

Fortunately trophies provide some evidence that I put the effort in, so not all was lost. But having a clean slate can be very refreshing. Hopefully next time will be voluntary and not weather enforced.

[ColinAlonso]

Good conversation about how many games you all have on the go up there.

If I leave a game for I couple of weeks (especially if its story based) I'm very unlikely to come back to it. Therefore actually starting a new game is a big decision because if I have too many games ongoing, one will be dropped and it is unlikely that I will return to it. I'm also, however, now trying to make sure I take time with games that I really enjoy (BotW and Yakuza 0 are great recent examples) rather than rush them as I have done in the past.

So at the moment I have two games (BotW and Splatoon 2) for home and two more for the commute (Final Fantasy 2 and Advance Wars: Dual Strike). Probably wont start anything else at home until Christmas and only then if I've finished BotW. I'll probably start Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies on the commute when I've finished Final Fantasy 2.

[DomsBeard]

Played over a hour of Skyrim on psvr last night.

Are you playing with the Moves or DS4? PS4 or Pro?

Spending 40 hours in VR seems like too much for me at the moment - RE7 was 11 hours for me, which was great, but took several weeks. I am tempted though.

I am on a Ps4 Pro. I used dual shock but I do have a pair of moves. Will be giving the moves a go at some point.

Started the Resi 7 DLC last night with the banned footage and I played the ''Daughters''

God that game puts you in a bad place so easily

This episode explains some of the story behind what happened to the Bakers

Was my GOTY till I played Horizon Zero Dawn.

[Todinho]

I finnaly started DOOM(2016)( boy is this gonna get confusing a few years on) the only experience I have with the series is the very maligned Doom 3, Im still very early on but so far Im really liking this one, combat is very fast and satisfying and I especially like the glory kill system that always keeps you on the ofensive , lacking health or ammo punch that demon head of and gain some of it back! Collectables are also done very well in that they actually give you points for upgrades as does the little challenges, a very smart way to encourage exploration and player experimentation in combat. And of course the music goes without saying =D

[Joshihatsumitsu]

I have been dabbling in Raiden V: Directors Cut on the PS4.

One of the more ambitious elements to this game is that there is a fully voiced story that plays throughout the game. Of course, I could not tell you what that story is (if anyone here does, let me know), as the voice acting is competing with the wonderfully cheesy rock music, and the sounds of explosions and other sound effects. It's all just echolalia, like there's a loud party next door, and through the wall you can hear people talking and music, and it all just bleeds together.

I will say I appreciate the amount of effort that went into the release. I don't mind the Raiden series, and usually buy sequels out of sheer bloody-mindedness, but there are other shmups (I know some of you hate that term, but... eh) that are much better. That said, Raiden knows it's audience, and caters to no one else.

The visual design is highly detailed, though sometimes that can make it hard to see bullets, as they don't really stand out against the background. I do like some of the boss designs, and even five games that purple plasma laser that curls and circles around enemies, and leaves a very satisfying trail of destruction - still looks fantastic. Not a big fan of some of the very polygonal look of some things, like the ships - always have a preference for sprite-based art, as it's far more expressive and dynamic - but it is what it is.

There is a boss mode, that lets you practice strategies, and the addition of little tips and advice that appears on the upper-left side of the screen as you play is a nice addition.

I think Raiden IV is a bit better than V, but if you played and liked previous entries, then you probably already own it. It's definitely for fans, and is probably not going to convert anyone. But it is solid, no glitches, no issues.

[Chopper]

Prey is hard to love.

I'm finding the sound design to be very grating. There are lots of noises like doors opening, circuits beeping and fizzing etc, that make you think you are missing something off screen. I've just completed the first real objective, and the game has flooded previously cleared areas with much harder enemies.

I think I will try carrying a turret around with me tonight, as my weapons are rubbish.

Started the Resi 7 DLC last night with the banned footage and I played the ''Daughters''

God that game puts you in a bad place so easily

This episode explains some of the story behind what happened to the Bakers

Was my GOTY till I played Horizon Zero Dawn.

I think it is likely my GOTY, though I haven't got any of the DLC.

[DomsBeard]

Skyrim

Combat feels fine

DOES NOT COMPUTE

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Ha ha. I primarly used bow and arrow throughout so more referring to that. Sword play is still flailing arms around

[Chopper]

I played about 6 hours of it last week and then packed it in. I might return to it eventually. Or maybe not.

They done a very poor job with the sound design. You can activate entire sequences of background noise, and then turn them off again, by literally taking one step back and forth. Awful.

I'm at about the 7-hour mark now and it's starting to grow on me! I think the introduction of December intrigued me and drew me in, as well as getting a handle on the enemies (basically draw up a mini-plan for each). I also turned the sound down a lot, so its not much of a factor now.

It's not much of a looker either. Excellent art-direction but the game just doesn't have the muscle to do it justice. At times it's hard to believe it's an Arkane Studios game. I had only just finished the Dishonored series before I started it. I was hoping it would kick on from that achievement. However, the opposite is true. Prey looks and feels like the product of a studio working toward a game like Dishonored 2, instead of building on it.

I have Dishonored 2 in my queue, hoping it's not a mistake to leave it and Prey to the end of the year and have to play through them consecutively in order to form a GOTY opinion.

[OneCreditBen]

Snow Brothers.

And Ghouls and Ghosts as well.
Lots of Ghouls and Ghosts.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Snow Brothers.

And Ghouls and Ghosts as well.
Lots of Ghouls and Ghosts.

I've only got as far as floor 24 with one credit (Snow Bros). There's definitely a strategy to every floor, which is the fun part to figure out.

Looooooooooooove that game!

[seansthomas]

I finnaly started DOOM(2016)( boy is this gonna get confusing a few years on) the only experience I have with the series is the very maligned Doom 3, Im still very early on but so far Im really liking this one, combat is very fast and satisfying and I especially like the glory kill system that always keeps you on the ofensive , lacking health or ammo punch that demon head of and gain some of it back! Collectables are also done very well in that they actually give you points for upgrades as does the little challenges, a very smart way to encourage exploration and player experimentation in combat. And of course the music goes without saying =D

Really enjoying this too. About 4 levels in and finding my groove now. Awesome music!

[OneCreditBen]

Snow Brothers.

And Ghouls and Ghosts as well.
Lots of Ghouls and Ghosts.

I've only got as far as floor 24 with one credit (Snow Bros). There's definitely a strategy to every floor, which is the fun part to figure out.

Looooooooooooove that game!

Yeah once you get past about Level 10ish then you have to really have a certain strategy per floor. They generally all centre around getting to a position where you get a snowball off as quickly as possible, knowing where the spawns are is a central part of it. Bosses are the same. Providing you've got a good strategy they're generally straight forward, apart from the last one obviously hahaha!

[KSubzero1000]

The problems with the game are well known

Are they? Because everywhere I look, I still see it being heralded as one of the greatest games of all time and smashing sales records left and right, all the while Bethesda enjoys its status as The Golden Child Of Games Studios Who Can Do No Wrong.

The whole Skyrim phenomenon leaves me... puzzled, to say the least.

[KSubzero1000]

Ah, fair enough. To be clear, horses for courses and I hope you're enjoying yourself with the game. I just find it a bit odd how some creators are being treated as if they're somehow above criticism. From where I'm sitting, it looks like Bethesda is getting tons of unearned free passes in regards to some fairly major things.

[KSubzero1000]

On the other hand, I think you're way off the mark by saying they're treated as if they're above criticism. Fallout 4 had some very hard (I would say fair) reviews and even the more positive ones commented on how dated the engine looked and feeled. There's possibly a bit of echo chamber going on here, but on the forums I visit, and in the publications I read, Bethesda has become a byword for ambitious but flawed game design.

I'm afraid I didn't articulate myself very well. You're right in the sense that they received their fair share of criticism from official review outlets in regards to Fallout 4, but at the same time I do remember the internet overflowing with pre-release hype and people rushing to buy it as soon as it came out. I don't think this criticism you've mentioned translates very well to their actual sales figures, and that's what is fairly unique about Bethesda: how they're mostly able to shrug off all that criticism and still maintain such a big part of the mind and market share even after releasing one mechanically shallow bug-ridden game after another. I'm struggling to think of another developer for whom the average consumer has such a glaring blind spot.

I'm sure the announcement trailer for the next mainline ES game will break some YouTube viewership record or another, despite the comment section likely being filled with people joking about how glitchy and broken the final product will be. There is some weird dissonance going on there, if you ask me.

[Stanshall]

I'd say it's less about people consciously giving them a free pass as it is their games evoking something so singular that it outweighs the utter shit, of which there's a lot. For that reason, Fallout 4 did nothing for me because the sense of exploration and immersion was thrown away on clunky FPS and zero engagement with the characters, world or narrative. For all its faults, I only have to start walking in any direction for about two minutes in Skyrim, the sweeping music kicks in and I'm in that world. I would struggle to put my finger on how they've done that. I don't get the same sense from Witcher 3 and even Zelda, for all its peerless triumphs, doesn't quite reach that level of immersion, for me. BotW is undoubtedly a much better game on almost every level but I feel Skyrim will be the one I'd sooner play on my deathbed.

[Flabyo]

I’d say a large part of the reason people put up with the tropes of the Bethesda games is that until Witcher 3 (and to a lesser extent Breath of the Wild) there was basically nothing like that at all on the consoles.

A large open space to just explore that actually has things in it beyond a few story missions and whole lot of tower climbing and base capturing.

If you’re primarily a PC gamer then it’s impact is perhaps harder to feel?

I think they’d have to do several actually bad games in a row to break that now, the quirks and tropes of the series are so well known now as to feel comfortable, maybe even welcoming. Dropping into Skyrim for the first time felt a lot like coming home to me, and I suspect for many others.

[Alex79]

I love the big open world Bethesda games. I've sunk well over 500 hours in to Oblivion, Skyrim and the Fallouts combined and never seen the credits roll on one of them. They represent fantastic value for money, and I still see new releases from them as an event. I can't wait for Elder Scrolls 6, whatever it might be.

[kintaris]

I love the big open world Bethesda games. I've sunk well over 500 hours in to Oblivion, Skyrim and the Fallouts combined and never seen the credits roll on one of them. They represent fantastic value for money, and I still see new releases from them as an event. I can't wait for Elder Scrolls 6, whatever it might be.

Same, though I bounced hard off of Fallout 4. There was something up with that game specifically that goes beyond simply being a tired formula, because that hasn't affected me with their other work.

I think that particular version of the wasteland was just a little dull. There was a certain magic missing.