Whatcha Been Playing?

This is where you can deliberate anything relating to videogames - past, present and future
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

Ah OK, thanks - I don't really have nostalgia for the series so if it's not essential I'll probably give it a miss, I just thought it looked cool.
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Jobobonobo
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Jobobonobo »

Since I greatly enjoyed the first two Arkham games and it is going to be covered this year by Cane and Rinse, I figured now is as good a time as any to jump into Arkham Knight. I am enjoying it so far. Combat is not as fluid as Spiderman but it is still fun to beat the stuffing out of goons. However, taking them out by stealth is still just as fun as before. While the Batmobile is controversial among some, I am mostly enjoying its implementation. The driving takes some getting used to but the moments when it is used as a tool for solving puzzles i really enjoyed. The Ace chemicals factory is almost like a Zelda dungeon in how you use your gadgets to explore and solve puzzles and the Batmobile is really nice implemented there. Also, I always enjoyed Scarecrow as a villain and I like that he is getting the limelight here. I am also enjoying seeing how he has being interwoven into the wider narrative. So yeah, nice to be back in Gotham.
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shadowless_kick
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by shadowless_kick »

Jobobonobo wrote: May 9th, 2020, 10:44 pm but it is still fun to beat the stuffing out of goons. However, taking them out by stealth is still just as fun as before.
I've never played the Arkham games, but I did play Spider-Man, which I've heard borrows a lot from them. The Stealth Takedowns in SM were so satisfying to pull off. I just never got tired of doing them.

After a lot of hesitation, I'm finally revisiting Chrono Trigger for the first time since my last and only playthrough back in 1995. Considering it's one of my favorites, I was concerned it wouldn't hold up today, but I'm loving it just as much as before! I'm only a couple hours in, so far. It's been so long that everything seems new—I'd totally forgotten how all the choices I made at the Millenium Fair could trip me up during The Trial. (I really screwed myself over this time :lol: )
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Magical_Isopod
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Magical_Isopod »

I finished the Epilogue chapter of Trials of Mana, and while I'm glad I did... It felt kinda shoehorned, to pad out the experience a bit. It wasn't bad or anything, but they added a subplot out of nowhere about an encounter with a recurring series villain, and it felt at odds with the rest of the plot. But I think they're just trying to tie this one to other games in the series... Trials of Mana is supposedly the latest game in the Mana series timeline, so it could be foreshadowing to a sequel or another entry in the series. I'd definitely be interested in seeing another game in the style of this one.

I also started the End of Zoe DLC for Resident Evil 7. Never played it or seen it streamed before. It sure is weird, though. I don't know if it's meant to tie in with another game in the future or something, but it's fun enough, and seeing another story in this cool setting is welcome.
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dezm0nd
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by dezm0nd »

As an N64 aficionado and a FPS fanatic, it's always dawned on me that I've never really enjoyed Turok (the series) so I decided to give it a go on the Xbox One X.

I am quite enjoying the retro run and gun gameplay, searching through the weeds for secrets and blasting anything that comes across my path but the key system is similar to the Tribals in JFG but worse!

In order to unlock the next level you NEED to pickup the keys which (in fairness) are listed on the menu, in order for you to repeat the previous level(s) in order to find them.

The trouble is, the levels are massive and there's every opportunity i'll miss them again. Do I uninstall it and wait for Ion Fury next week or do i persist and use a guide?

Such a shame as I was enjoying it more than I ever have done... until I exited a level...
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ReprobateGamer
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by ReprobateGamer »

Welp - it appeared on Game Pass and so the majority of my evenings recently have been filled with Nier: Automata

Wow.

Anything you've read about this game is probably true and I highly recommend it. That said, I'm only onto my third run through (so still not yet seen all the endings...)

Definitely not perfect; the lock-on feels a little random and the camera doesn't follow the lock-on as much as I would like; the side quests have a bizarre mix of levelling that makes you wonder why some are accessible when they are; the objectification of the protagonists that I imagine would be much harder to stomach for someone with little experience of anime

I will rise my hand here and say I am following a guide - however that guide is the Lets Play write up by theDarkId on the LetsPLayArchive https://lparchive.org/NieR-Automata/ and I'm pretty certain I would be a little more frustrated by this game without his sardonic commentary warning me which escort side quest to leave until the second play through.

But when it works, this game works very well indeed
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Magical_Isopod
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Magical_Isopod »

Nier Automata reminds me of really good surrealist art, like at a gallery or something. You may not necessarily know what's going on, but you know it means *something*, and the lack of a clear message or direction lets the viewer project whatever meaning they please upon it. It's a very, very hard sort of game to make -- and I'm not even sure many, this one included, are even made with that sort of intent. But I do echo Automata being bloody outstanding.
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

So this evening I finally got around to playing Metal Gear Rising, and it's BRILLIANT!

WOWEE! One of the most exciting first half an hour of a games ever. The action, the moves, the music! It's like fireworks in my head, this is awesome...!
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by KSubzero1000 »

One of P* very best games. It suffers from a notable lack of polish in some aspects and would have definitely benefited from an additional six months of development, but at its best it is completely unforgettable.

Have fun! :)
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dezm0nd
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by dezm0nd »

I got an early birthday present in the form of Borderlands 3 and playing it with Suits and Simonsloth has lead to a strong first impression.

It's more of the same but refined and even if Slotho keeps triggering events by running off, the game isn't that serious for it to be an issue... yet ;)
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ReprobateGamer
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by ReprobateGamer »

You can always tell when I focus on a Trueachievement challenge as my games played list heads all over the place!

Just from yesterday, my played games now includes Forza Horizon 4, Tracks - The Train Set Game, Tacoma, Goat Simulator, Lego Batman 3, Forza Horizon 2, Death Squared and Sonic All Stars Racing Transformed and all either Games with Gold or Gamepass

Also from last week I spent a couple of hours with friends in Sea of Thieves attacking a skull fort (successfully) then fending off a ghost ship fleet (unsuccessfully ...). Haven't played that game much since it came out of beta but when it works it works very well.
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Angry_Kurt
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Angry_Kurt »

Since Thursday I have been playing Red Dead Redemption 2 since it hit Game Pass.
I played it when it came out on PS4 but ended up quitting in Chapter 2 due to the frustrations with the controls and the slow pace of the game. However, given the praise it got and the fact it was on Game Pass I thought I would give it a second chance with a new approach of being more patient with it and taking more of a role play approach.
I'm so glad I did as I'm actually really enjoying it a LOT more this time around. Exploring the world more instead of mainlining the missions all the time has been the right choice for me, plus it looks absolutely incredible on the Xbox One X. I'm actually quite startled by how much better it looks on the X compared to when I played it on PS4 Pro on the same TV. I'm nearly at the point I got to last time but I'll definitely be continuing with it.
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svyatogornyj
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by svyatogornyj »

Dark Souls Remastered (PS4) for the platinum.
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ThirdDrawing
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by ThirdDrawing »

Due to my incredible frustration with Atlus and Nintendo regarding SMT V, I modded my SNES mini and started playing SMT I.

It's pretty good!
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Magical_Isopod
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Magical_Isopod »

I finished the End of Zoe DLC for RE7, and it was pretty good. But I definitely think it would have been more impactful had I played it closer to the release of the original. Alas. Really interested to see what RE8 might look like.

I also started Final Fantasy XIII-2 and uh... I'm kinda pleasantly surprised by this one. I took a waiver on FF13; I tried it, but my god was that game just poorly paced and poorly presented. XIII-2 though? I'm really impressed after the first couple of hours. It's got this really strange plot about time distortion and events and objects being shuffled around reality in ways they shouldn't. But tonally, this one just feels very different from what I expect of post-merger Square-Enix... Possibly because Nomura had nothing to do with it beyond character design, which is what he's best at. (And yes, I acknowledge attributing blame to any one creator on a collaborative work is absurd, but I've played enough Nomura-directed games to notice a clear through-line).

Like, I don't quite know how to describe. It feels like Final Fantasy? In a way FFs 12, 13, 15 and 7R just didn't. The whole ethereal feel of it all, the weird intersection of science fiction of fantasy, I'm not saying modern FFs don't have these elements, but they feel different.

And the combat system is pretty interesting too. At first, I was just like, "What, does the game play itself?" And sort of, yes. You're usually not sending direct commands to your party, but rather creating macros for character behaviour and swapping them as required; so it's not uninvolved. And the MUSIC in this game, oh my god. It's fantastic! Reminds me almost of Xenoblade in how hauntingly surreal it is. It has a very dreamlike feel to it that makes me feel at-once unsettled and intrigued.

But yeah. Really glad I finally decided to give this one a whirl, it might be one of the best post-merger Square-Enix games, and coming off the phenomenal Trials of Mana remake, it's a welcome surprise that restores some of my faith in that company.
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Stanshall
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Stanshall »

@Kurt, yeah, RDR2 on the X is a significant step up from on the Pro. I'm starting a replay at the moment having got a new telly recently, and it looks frankly staggering. It's not necessarily flashy or stylish or ostentatiously impressive but there's a level of verisimilitude to the lighting and textures that I think is unsurpassed.
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

KSubzero1000 wrote: May 10th, 2020, 10:48 pm One of P* very best games. It suffers from a notable lack of polish in some aspects and would have definitely benefited from an additional six months of development, but at its best it is completely unforgettable.

Have fun! :)
I just beat Mistral, and I haven't had this much fun playing a game in I don't know how long. I've played a lot of average games this year, and I can't honestly say I've really been having fun, just going through the motions, this really is a breath of fresh air, I am loving it! And its funny, too. Raiden driving down the road in Mexico telling his buddy, 'don't worry, I've got a disguise. I'll blend right in', then steps out of the car with a massive sombrero on his head... :lol:
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DomsBeard
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by DomsBeard »

So I decided to pop Final Fantasy VII remake on for 30 minutes last night at 11pm before bed, next thing I know it's 2:30am and I've been killed by the final boss (presuming). My game time says 36 hours.

I'll go into more details when I finish but it is shaping up to be everything I hoped for. Oh and I presumed when I quit back to main menu rather than restarting on the final boss next time I load I will start there. Wrong!, it takes you back 30 minutes to phase one of the fight which is a very Final Fantasy thing to do :lol:

Zombie Army 4

Great fun game which reminds me a little of left for dead. Absurd story, good combat and weirdly having a slow drip of games on Stadia makes me check everything out as I would never have looked at this had it been on Game Pass :P . I play Stadia on my Mac in the office now which is a handy escape during lockdown rather than me hogging the tv :D
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stvnorman
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by stvnorman »

After spending a lot of time recently on Road Rash 2 on Mega Drive Mini, I decided to spend an afternoon on some PlayStation (Classic) variants. Ropey FMV and licensed music don’t stop the original being a stinker on PS1; the controls are stodgy and whilst it moves at pace, the graphics haven’t aged well. I played the Megadrive and Master System versions immediately after and can confirm they’ve aged far better in every respect! Road Rash 3D, on the other hand, is a lot of fun and still looks alright - I spent a good couple of hours on this one, and once I’m done with Road Rash 2 I’ll be back. Its follow-up, Road Rash Jailbreak, tries a bit too hard, and the tracks are often frustrating, giving you unclear last-second choices you really don’t want; alright, but not so fun.

Also finished Streets of Rage 2 on Mega Drive Mini. Missed the extra button from the new game a bit, but it’s still just about perfect, and all my recent practice got me to the end of stage 5 before I needed a continue...

I’m still working towards the final unlockable character in Streets of Rage 4, which is still a joy even though that’s all I’ve got left to see.

Apart from that, hit 200 hours on Animal Crossing, reached 5-star island status, payed off every possible debt, caught all this month’s stuff and just happily wasted time.
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

I got some Amazon vouchers for my birthday last week - Bayonetta 2 is £35 on Switch on there and comes with Bayonetta 1 as well. Is it worth getting, has anyone played the Switch ports?
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