Whatcha Been Playing?

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Chopper
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Chopper »

Simonsloth wrote: June 21st, 2019, 7:21 pm Me too. It’s a tricky concept for people to understand. Any 8 player game will invariably have shades and then I’m stumped. I tend to choose yellow as developers seem to single it out as the only colour which comes with one shade!
Exactly! All my spreadsheets at work have to be carefully colour-coded.....yellow basically. I have sent mails back to people before saying, this spreadsheet contains no information, what are you sending me. :D

At least nobody is asking us to fly a plane or sail a boat.
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Simonsloth
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Simonsloth »

Chopper wrote: June 22nd, 2019, 11:58 am
Simonsloth wrote: June 21st, 2019, 7:21 pm Me too. It’s a tricky concept for people to understand. Any 8 player game will invariably have shades and then I’m stumped. I tend to choose yellow as developers seem to single it out as the only colour which comes with one shade!
Exactly! All my spreadsheets at work have to be carefully colour-coded.....yellow basically. I have sent mails back to people before saying, this spreadsheet contains no information, what are you sending me. :D

At least nobody is asking us to fly a plane or sail a boat.
It’s the reason I’m not an astronaut. That and my flat feet. Darn my faulty genes. That is the only reason obviously.
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Scrustle
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Scrustle »

Just finished off the last of the content in the Lego DLC for Forza Horizon 4, bringing me back up to 100% achievement score yet again. Like the main game, there's actually another finale race at the end, so the "end" I previously reached was not in fact that. Although the second final race is just the same as the other one, but two laps instead of one. Getting to this point was kind of a slog too. A bunch of the one-off block challenges you have to do are not fun at all. While quite a few of them are pretty good, like ones that task you with getting from one part of the open world map to the other in a certain time in a certain car, or beat two PR stunts in a row, others are just tedious and annoying. Ones that ask you to scour the map for certain objects to smash in to, when it's not clear where those objects are, or what they even look like sometimes. There are even some that only come out when it's at night or raining, just delaying your ability to find them for no good reason. I ended up resorting to guides for the last handful, and I wish I had done sooner. Still a fun DLC overall, just 100%ing it is not worth it.
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Suits
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Finished Cadence of Hyrule today, very enjoyable. Recommended.

I’ve also picked up the Secret Of Mana collection on the Switch and I’m a 3 or 4 hours into Mystic Quest on that. Be played through Mystic Quest a few times over the years and hopefully will play these through in order, as I’ve never played the others.

I’ve also just started Z:Spirit Tracks on the DS. I picked this up close to launch nearly 10 years ago and was instantly put off by its controls and never played it past the open section.

I’m giving it another go and am a few hours in. I still don’t like the control input as I find the stylus and my hand block the screen, the actual controls are fine, I’m just hoping the gameplay gets me.

Just kinda waiting around for Mario Maker 2 now really.
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Scrustle
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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I decided to carry on with Bioshock 2 instead of Infinite after all. I felt like keeping the ball rolling after finishing the first game, but Infinite was no longer on sale, so this game it is. This game is an odd one. Playing through the previous game reminded me of how this one is pretty much mechanically better in every way. I think it even does some narrative stuff better, with how it structures the way it presents its major characters and how you interact with them. But this game was never able to illicit the same kind of feeling as the first game, for reasons that still hold true.

The biggest one is how strangely lacking the audio design is. The balance of things feels way off. The loudest sounds by far are your own character's grunts of pain, followed by all the sound effects of enemies, with voices seeming to be the focus. And then drowned out by everything else is the sound of your own weapons firing. It makes them feel kind of weak, which is a shame because you use some really cool heavy industrial weapons in this game. It creates this odd feeling of disconnect where using a weapon ends up being much less satisfying than you expect it should. The game also lacks a lot of ambient sound effects, which really hurts the atmosphere of the game too. All the echos and creaks of the empty, crumbling halls of Rapture gave such a rich sense of place in the original, which is kind of gone here. I was hoping this stuff was just exaggerated in my memory, but it's still as prominent as ever. I've always liked the game in spite of those issues, but it's just disappointing that they're still very noticeable. And this is on the original version of the game too. I haven't tried the remaster, since I heard this one is a mess of a port too. As such I didn't expect these problems to be fixed either. If only there was some mod out there that could have fixed this.

(EDIT: Turns out there is a mod that helps this problem, to an extent at least. Apparently there was a patch at some point which changed the audio balancing for some reason, and earlier versions were much better. I'm not sure it fixes the problem completely, as I'm pretty sure I had this same issue when I first played the game when it originally came out. Also haven't tried this mod yet. But hopefully it will improve things a bit. Link to mod )

On a lighter note, I found out that this Classic version from GOG does include the DLC with it too, so that means I'll get to play Minerva's Den again as well. I have played it before, and while I liked it, I wasn't as impressed by it as some others. I remember it being good, but essentially Bioshock 2 in microcosm, and not really being significantly better than the main game, as I've heard some people praise it as. But I'm interested in playing it again, and hopefully I'll get some more out of it this time.

Also played a bit of Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight, and I don't think this game is for me. I found Medium was too hard and not very fun for me, while Easy is too easy. Among other things it starts you off with loads of health and an item that recharges your health over time. Un-equipping that helped even things out a bit, but it still feels like it's a bit below the threshold of enjoyably challenging. Aside from that the game also has a load of instant kill death pits, and no checkpoints. You have to go back to your previous save when you die. So I'm struggling to get invested on any level. I guess the pixel art and animation is pretty nice, but I'm not feeling it in general.
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Chopper
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Scrustle wrote: June 23rd, 2019, 4:21 pm On a lighter note, I found out that this Classic version from GOG does include the DLC with it too, so that means I'll get to play Minerva's Den again as well. I have played it before, and while I liked it, I wasn't as impressed by it as some others. I remember it being good, but essentially Bioshock 2 in microcosm, and not really being significantly better than the main game, as I've heard some people praise it as. But I'm interested in playing it again, and hopefully I'll get some more out of it this time.
Yes, that was very weird. Maybe the bar was set so low for DLC at the time that this raised it? I remember when I got around to playing it, it was good but hardly worthy of all the praise. Will be interesting to hear your impressions.
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stvnorman
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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I fully intended for Mega Man 11 on PS4 to be my next instalment in the series whenever the mood took me, but when it did I had my Switch turned on and through sheer laziness I fired up Mega Man 6 to get my fix instead. I guess finishing 1-5 almost back to back has improved my game, but this feels a bit easier than its predecessors, and the levels seem shorter too. The final castle is usually the test of how hard a Mega Man really is though, and I’ve just got to Mr X’s gaff so let’s see!

I’ve spent far more time on NES Kid Icarus on Switch this weekend than I ever planned too. Reminds me a lot of Zelda 2, albeit slightly less ferocious. Still very grateful to have handy save states available for when it gets a bit too rough though. I’d like to see if through but it is starting to drag and I’m not quite half way yet!

I’ve made good progress in Resident Evil 2 Remake. I seem to be doing a lot more shooting than I was expecting to after finishing the first game recently, but the tension has really ramped up a few times already and it definitely demands a more cavalier play style I think. And it’s made me jump at least once, which is an achievement for an old horror nerd like me! I’m through the first part now and just gone down below the big statue, which I think is as far as I ever got when it was plain old Resident Evil 2, so very much looking forward to whatever is to come.

Also started Shovel Knight, and played Night Trap properly for the first time - it doesn’t deserve the bad rap it gets!
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countstex
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Football Manager 2019. I've not owned FM since 2010 and had been thinking of picking up FM19 for a long while now. But then it goes on comes to GamePass so now I get it for 'free' and can earn XBOX achievements. Sold!

Going to take me a while to pick up on all the changes since 2010, but I spent a chunk of this winter watching some 'road to legend' videos on youtube so I have that as training, probably the best way to go after such a long break from it.
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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I played some more Red Dead Redemption 2 over the weekend, and I just can't get into it. It's just slow and due to that it's failing to grab me. I've heard such good things so I want to persevere, but the game really isn't making it easy to make me want to play it.

On top of that I've been cracking on in The Division 2, and that's a damn good video game. I adored the first and this is more of the same which I'm totally happy with.

As it was on offer I decided to pick up Burnout Paradise Remastered. I finished it back on the PS3 so can't see me playing it to completion on the PS4, but it's nice to have there for a quick bash if I fancy some road based carnage.
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Been taking advantage of Game pass to try out some of the bigger games I've missed of recent.

Gears of War 4 - with the next installment due very soon, and Judgement one of many in pile of shame, I thought I'd give this one a go.

It can be summed up as 'meh', at least the campaign. The characters are largely bland and ticking the boxes - Kait is is underdeveloped but shows some promise as the only real stand-out - without seeing the end of the story yet, I'm understanding why she is the pick for lead for the next game. The enemies for the first 12 chapters or so have been even more carbon copy than normal though there is finally some development with regards (though whether it's an improvement ...)

Some of the visuals are very striking - I like the aerial drops and the bike chase was a fun diversion - and the sound is sufficiently brutal, though it could be a little more visceral in my headphones.

Obviously the point of Gears is for the multiplayer rather than the campaign these days but I remember the first game's campaign being a wonderful introduction to this universe, lore and history. Gears 4 seems very by the numbers and I hope this is an area that had more effort in the upcoming installment

Forza Horizon 4
having skipped the prior two games, this is a marked step up from when I last played the franchise. Right from the off, let me say I'm an arcade racer at heart and not a sim racer. I'd much rather be on older Burnout/Split-Second/Mario Kart so I'm finding this a little more challenging than is intended. However, it is gorgeous to look at at and the control of each car is nuanced enough that i'm noticing differences between cars, and between racing conditions. Have only just unlocked the Autumn season so there is a lot for me to find yet which bodes well for the lifespan of the game.
Not the racing game I'm really looking for but probably one that'll tide me over for an occasional hit.

The Division 2
This is also pottering along in the background. Still working my way through the story missions, and side missions/control points to level up as needed. Most of my friends tried out the free play weekend and bounced straight off it, and I continue to find it being far too instrusive for what is otherwise a very good game and largely an improvement on the first. It just needs to trust it's world a little more and not be constantly trying to push random encounters
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Gears 4 does liven up towards the end, and there’s some interesting lore stuff there too. It’s weird, there’s clearly a lot of decent lore in the setting (there’s a whole series of novels) but it never seems to quite get across what is there that isn’t just generic scifi pap.
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Chopper
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Flabyo, how is The Outer Wilds going for you?
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Chopper wrote: June 24th, 2019, 6:14 pm Flabyo, how is The Outer Wilds going for you?
I took a break from it while I waited for a patch to fix a crash I was seeing. May well get back to it again at some point this week.
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by ReprobateGamer »

Flabyo wrote: June 24th, 2019, 6:00 pm Gears 4 does liven up towards the end, and there’s some interesting lore stuff there too. It’s weird, there’s clearly a lot of decent lore in the setting (there’s a whole series of novels) but it never seems to quite get across what is there that isn’t just generic scifi pap.
The studio have gone on record to say they played it safe with Gears 4 and it's definitely the impression I'm getting. That there is a universe behind this cover shooter has always been apparent, though I've never deep dived into it so it's good to hear the end perks up, and hopefully Gears 5 will be a progressive step for the series
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James
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by James »

Yeah, I definitely felt that Gears 4 was The Coalition proving they could make a Gears game. Really hoping they stretch their legs with Gears 5 and step outside of what's expected, at least a little.
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Flabyo
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Slowing climbing the ladder in the new Mortal Kombat 11 ranked league season. A lot of people where I am are playing Scorpion and Noob Saibot, which is kinda frustrating (in the same way that lower levels of ranked in Street Fighter 5 are almost all Ken players), but I’m now able to at least work out whether they’re a genuine ‘I can play this character’ player or whether they’re a ‘I know the one easy long combo this character has and I’m kinda stumped if you know how to punish it’ within the first round.

One guy last night kept throwing out Noob’s teleport into throw over and over last night despite me punishing it every time he did it.

Haven’t had anyone rage quit on me yet, despite me using Skarlet and playing super lame if I have to.
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Flabyo wrote: June 25th, 2019, 8:01 am Slowing climbing the ladder in the new Mortal Kombat 11 ranked league season. A lot of people where I am are playing Scorpion and Noob Saibot, which is kinda frustrating (in the same way that lower levels of ranked in Street Fighter 5 are almost all Ken players), but I’m now able to at least work out whether they’re a genuine ‘I can play this character’ player or whether they’re a ‘I know the one easy long combo this character has and I’m kinda stumped if you know how to punish it’ within the first round.

One guy last night kept throwing out Noob’s teleport into throw over and over last night despite me punishing it every time he did it.

Haven’t had anyone rage quit on me yet, despite me using Skarlet and playing super lame if I have to.
Ha! I remember years ago when Tekken 3 was our thing, someone in the group won mostly by cheesing the same combo with Bryan (a high-low-high kick attack if I remember). He went off the game when he realised I was systemically working my way through the rest of the roster and finding the gaps in his attack - I doubt I could do it now but at the time I had been only allowed to pick Mokujin for a while when we had a group playing ...

For those who haven't played Tekken, Mokujin adopts a new random fighting style every round taking the moveset from another character (at least this was the case in Tekken 3). You never know who you are going to be until the round starts, which can make fights very interesting but helps in quickly learning a broad range of combos.
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Jobobonobo »

Gravity Rush 2 has been pissing me off lately, I am at a part where I have to use my gravity shifting powers to stop missiles from hitting a tower and let me tell you that this game is at its absolute nadir whenever you have to shift gravity under a time limit. I always panic and overshoot my target and by the time I get myself sorted the missiles have already exploded.This is soul destroying frustrating so I have decided to take a little break from it.

In the meantime, I have finally tried out Shovel Knight for 3DS and I am really digging it. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of the NES era of gaming but while this game has the aesthetics of that era down pat the mechanics themselves are far more refined. Controls are sublime and the level design utilises your skill set very well. Really enjoying myself so far.

Also was completely unaware that the demo for chapter 1 of Deltarune was available on PS4. Loved every second of it. The battle system is a nice change from Undertale what with having a actual party of characters fighting/acting alongside you. Seeing familiar characters in new contexts is a nice little alternative to a straight up sequel and its focus on lack of player agency is a nice way to differentiate itself further from Toby Fox's previous work. According to Toby, this is going to be a much more ambitious project and has said it might take at least 7 years to finish! If the rest of the game maintains the quality of this teaser then I cannot wait to try the full game out one day.
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Chopper
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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I'm taking a break from the excellent Infinifactory as I've put a ton of time into it and am seemingly only halfway trhrough.

I've gone back to give Objects in Space another go, a fair shake of the mare's tail.

Where has Joshi disappeared to? I need to order up one of these from him:

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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

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Flabyo wrote: June 24th, 2019, 8:36 pm
Chopper wrote: June 24th, 2019, 6:14 pm Flabyo, how is The Outer Wilds going for you?
I took a break from it while I waited for a patch to fix a crash I was seeing. May well get back to it again at some point this week.
Gods darnit ... that's another game started in the past few days ...

I'm five rounds in however the third round was me getting the Gone in 60 second achievement ... after walking down a tunnel on Ghosts Deep in the second and not pay attention to the ghost matter warning ... then finding in the fourth round that you don;t want to set the autopilot if the planet is going to pass behind the sun ... the gravity well is strong for the Sun

I also had it crash just at the first turnaround point so had to replay the initial village part in it's entirety which put me off a little. I'm struggling at getting my landings a little - I can not judge where the gravity well is from either the cockpit or the landing camera.

The aesthetic is lovely though so I'm planning to plough through my initial inability to properly fly the ship - though it's in keeping with all the warnings from the rest of the village ... :P
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