Whatcha Been Playing?

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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

Tried a few hours of Hitman 2 this evening since it was on PS Now.

Nope.

I've tried almost every Hitman game, right from the originals on PC, to Blood Money, to Hitman 2016 to Hitman 2. I respect them, I understand why people like them, but they're not for me. I just find them too hard. I can never get away with anything, always get caught and end up restarting every mission over and over again. It's just not an enjoyable experience for me, I don't know why I keep trying!

Interestingly, the only Hitman game I ever played to completion was Absolution, which is the one in the series most long time fans liked the least.
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Angry_Kurt
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Angry_Kurt »

I played Contracts and Blood Money and also found them too hard. Then I remember reading that Absolution was more accessible so I gave it a go and thought it was great for a newcomer like me with the assists it had, they could be turned off too which is why I’d be interested to hear why fans of the series didn’t like the game. I then also the new Hitman Paris level and thought it was excellent too as it still had the assists if you wanted them and had the added benefit of being able to quick save, which is what I would always do before trying something rather than restart the whole mission. Did you know you could quicksave?
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by HaloFandango »

Alex79uk wrote: August 15th, 2020, 12:15 am Tried a few hours of Hitman 2 this evening since it was on PS Now.

Nope.

I've tried almost every Hitman game, right from the originals on PC, to Blood Money, to Hitman 2016 to Hitman 2. I respect them, I understand why people like them, but they're not for me. I just find them too hard. I can never get away with anything, always get caught and end up restarting every mission over and over again. It's just not an enjoyable experience for me, I don't know why I keep trying!

Interestingly, the only Hitman game I ever played to completion was Absolution, which is the one in the series most long time fans liked the least.
I'm intrigued man, how did you find Absolution? I mean, you completed the game, so it can't have been that terrible. :lol: I really enjoyed Hitman 2: Silent Assassin, but haven't played another entry in the series since then. I'd be interested in Hitman 2016 as a way to get back into the series.
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

I really enjoyed Absolution. It's been a long time since I played it and I don't remember much, but I know it was a lot easier going and a little more combat heavy.

I might give Hitman 2 one more try and whack the difficultly right down, see if I get anything out of it.
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Jon Cheetham
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Jon Cheetham »

I also recommend having the mission story markers on if you haven't already as they lead you through step by step and get you familiar with the levels and kill opportunities... I always play through all the mission stories first to get to know the map and stuff, and because they are often extremely funny. Miami is a good level to try that with as there's some fun mission stories and it's got plenty of crowds to disappear into when things go wrong.

I got a free copy of Absolution through GOG, I'm interested to give it a go some time as I adore the two latest games.
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Jobobonobo
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Jobobonobo »

There is a week trial of Playstation Now and so I have decided to try it out.

First thing I did was stream Lovely Planet which is one of the most unique FPS games I have ever seen. The levels are short and quick and mechanics are introduced at a good pace ensuring that things are always kept fresh. The music is fantastic and really gives off a Katamari Damacy vibe. There are very few FPS titles that I enjoy but this is so chill and straight forward that I would recommend to anyone.

Also checked out Boy and His Blob. Nice little puzzle platformer which has the potential to get real tricky later on especially as the boy himself is knocked out in only one hit and has a pathetic jump so you really will be relying on that little blob. Hope to get as much of this done before my free week runs out so see how I will get on!
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

Jobobonobo wrote: August 15th, 2020, 10:15 pm There is a week trial of Playstation Now and so I have decided to try it out.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but for some reason I have it in my head you're in Australia? If so, has PS Now finally been rolled out down under then? I know it's been a bone of contention with antipodean gamers for ages!

FWIW: Around 13 hours to finish, around 2k deaths and approx 100 strawberries collected. All cassettes collected, but only 3 crystal hearts. No assists. I may go back and do the extra stuff/collecting at some point, but I'm not very good at going back to things after the credits have rolled. Always moving forward, haha.
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Jobobonobo
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Jobobonobo »

Alex79uk wrote: August 15th, 2020, 10:57 pm
Jobobonobo wrote: August 15th, 2020, 10:15 pm There is a week trial of Playstation Now and so I have decided to try it out.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but for some reason I have it in my head you're in Australia? If so, has PS Now finally been rolled out down under then?
Nah, I'm currently in Austria so we have it same as anyone else in Europe. Not the first time the two countries have been mixed up though!
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

Jobobonobo wrote: August 17th, 2020, 10:26 pm
Alex79uk wrote: August 15th, 2020, 10:57 pm
Jobobonobo wrote: August 15th, 2020, 10:15 pm There is a week trial of Playstation Now and so I have decided to try it out.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but for some reason I have it in my head you're in Australia? If so, has PS Now finally been rolled out down under then?
Nah, I'm currently in Austria so we have it same as anyone else in Europe. Not the first time the two countries have been mixed up though!
Ah man, sorry! What a fool, I've always thought you were in Australia! You must have mentioned it once and I read it totally wrong, sorry!
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Caligulas Horse
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Caligulas Horse »

I've been on Streets of Rage 4 for the last month or so. I'm not too keen on the new art style, doesn't bother me either though. The option for retro soundtrack is a huge plus, I'm a nostalgia whore so I want all of that. I've decided to go for the platinum trophy, I don't normally bother with them, but it seemed doable and I wanted the extra challenge just to stretch it out a bit. All I have left to do is to complete the game with a retro character from 1 & 2, then there's the big one of trying to complete a level without taking damage. Getting an S Rank on every level, on hard difficulty, was a real grind. There were times where I'd go in with the idea of just having a quick game before doing something else and ended up stuck there for hours trying to ace the same bloody level, resetting over and over again, until I finally get through it and jump into the air swearing at the screen in triumph. It's good fun.
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DeadpoolNegative
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by DeadpoolNegative »

Gears 5 (Operation 3!) By the time I started this draft and now am writing this post, it's gone up to Operation 4. Anyway, back in May (!) I finished a play through of the Campaign. I find the Gears games fascinating in that the storytelling of the campaigns drives me absolutely insane with how it's ALMOST good yet keeps collapsing under its own bullshit, but I play it anyway.

Gears 5 (now Operation 4!) continues that tradition. The game tries so hard to drum up conflict between our outsider heroes and the centralized government, but it never quite works for me. The Stranded as a concept didn't work in the original trilogy because it was clear, especially in the first game, that being on your own was a death sentence. Here the conflict between those who want to stay in the cities versus those who don't feels a little more fleshed out, yet at the same time contrived. Jinn comes off as needlessly antagonistic for someone who is in charge of one of the few big human refuges left. (And she's PREGGO! and the fact that she's preggo may or may not have something to do with the fact that JD doesn't have a mom anymore) These games always seem anxious there's not enough drama when the extinction of all human life are the stakes. that's plenty of drama!

I joked about the last game that Liam McIntyre was given very little to do as John, and he does very little with it. Here JD gets a bit of added characterization and... oh man, uh, did the writers think this through? This is some weird thinking here- John is outed as essentially a war criminal by Fhaz, then he's kicked out of the narrative for the majority of the game, then the game forces you to choose between saving him or Del, even though you spentd 80 of the game with Kait and Del on their own, and Laura Bailey and Eugene Byrd are very good together. Like, what was the reasoning here? I'd love to know.

Also, remember how Oscar was a scene stealer and they bent over backwards to make sure he didn't actually die in the previous game? Uh...

The plot about the origins of Reyna was remarkably twisted but nothing we haven't seen before in this series. Science Bad! Science bad! SCIENCE! BAD!

It seems to not have been very popular, but I was very grateful for the Coalition's decision to make the games essentially semi-open world for two acts. Sure, it may have been a bit of a hassle getting from A to B, but it felt less confining and the rewards I got for the side quests felt, if not substantial, at least worth the time. I appreciate the change of scenery as well.

Will I play the eventual Gears 6 (Operation 25)? Well, if I have GamePass then, probably, but I'm ready for the Coalition to move on.

The Warriors - I played this 15 years ago when it was Rockstar's big release for the fall of 2005, and it was a treat to revisit it, now with Trophies! I actually finally beat it for real this time, without cheat codes.

IIRC, this game did well critically, but I'm not sure it was a sales juggernaut since it seems to be largely forgotten. I think perhaps Rockstar was banking too hard on the original film's cult following to inspire gamers to show up. I mean, I love the film, but "Cult" means small, doesn't it?

Anyway, I'd forgotten how cool the game's hub world was. You didn't just go on missions setting up the events of the film then play the movie itself. The game was packed with extra content. Between levels you're deposited at the hangout in Coney, and you can go outside Coney to do small side missions for bonuses. They're not that great but it's neat to see them anyway. And the further you progress in the story, the more you get flashback missions that create a bigger picture of these characters. It may seem excessive for a bunch of gang bangers, but I appreciated the effort.

The fighting system may seem a tad simplistic by today's standards but I thought it was well done. Of course, my button mashing brain kept forgetting I could throw people. Regular strike, hard strike! That's all my brain can handle!

Also you'll find yourself using Cleon as much as possible, he's overpowered and it's extremely satisfying to see him crunch fools. When the movie levels kick in, his loss is keenly felt.

The game uses a mix of the original actors with new actors- in fact, the actor who played Cyrus, who's not in the game, wound up suing Rockstar for using his likeness without permission, I believe the suit was settled. Michael Beck and Deborah Van Valkenburgh are particularly welcome, though Oliver Wayman is unlistenable as Luther.

This is to date, RockStar Toronto's last full game, they've been doing support or ports since then. Kind of a shame.

The Messenger- This lives up to the hype and then some- it perfectly encapsulates an 8bit aesthetic and the music and graphics... wonderful. Unfortunately it's just as hard as an 8bit classic and I'm stuck hard on the plant lady boss. Hopefully some day I'll make it.

Journey- this was pleasant to play and looks fantastic but man, it was over quick. I also understood the need for ambiguity but there was something weirdly unsastifying about the way the game ended. Then again, I got it for free so I can't complain too much.

Call of Duty WWII- finally I get to fight alongside those great WWII heroes, Jonathan Tucker and Josh Duhamel. WWII was great for a little bit, fantastic looking even on a smaller monitor but then I got to the third mission where i had to man a turret and would promptly get blown up by a grenade minutes into the manning of the turret. Ten times. Could never see the grenade or get out fast enough. Deleted.

--Dan
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by HaloFandango »

Alex79uk wrote: August 15th, 2020, 5:27 pm I really enjoyed Absolution. It's been a long time since I played it and I don't remember much, but I know it was a lot easier going and a little more combat heavy.

I might give Hitman 2 one more try and whack the difficultly right down, see if I get anything out of it.
Nice, I have it on Steam actually, so I'll have to give it a shot.
I just remember a pretty cool looking mission in Hitman Absolution where you have to sneak through a night club, using the patrons as a method of sneaking through.
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by dezm0nd »

Had a little go on the new Battletoads yesterday as a classic Rare IP being revived for the modern age, I feel obliged to at least give it a go despite not being the biggest fan of the TMNT rip-off.

It's actually pretty good and made me laugh a few times. It's definitely button mashing friendly for the most part but does ask the player to pay attention to some of the madness on screen but the cut scenes and the minigames in between the levels had me laughing and when a game gets me laughing, it's got my attention.

Worth a look but I can see it being quite the marmite game as the humour might not land with everyone.
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Stanshall »

Since my hands have been fucked, I've been playing quite a few slower paced games and I've really enjoyed them. Looking forward to getting back to shmups and fighting games though!
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Angry_Kurt »

Ever since its reveal trailer earlier this year I have had my eye on Superliminal and so picked it up on Switch. It's good, very much getting Portal vibes from it in terms of puzzles and the whole narrator aspect, which also reminds me of The Stanley Parable. It's a puzzle game which is really unique, I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to program.
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by ReprobateGamer »

I was notified earlier this week that Creature in the Well was leaving Game Pass - having lost a few games by not paying attention over the last few months, this one intrigued me enough to download

It really is a mix of RPG-lite with pinball, a dungeon crawler where the aim is to hit all the bumpers.

Obviously in practice, it leans more towards a puzzle solver but the concept behind it is neat and the graphics are wonderful.

There are niggles - some of the camera angles go behind scenic elements (it is entirely possible to wedge your character in a corner out of sight of the camera) and the controls seem a little unresponsive (That or my reactions are slipping).

I'm interested enough that I'm keen to finish this off before it departs - though I don't think I'm interested enough to purchase it sadly. The underlying narrative seems fairly bland and it's definitely the visuals and the gameplay hook that are keeping me going for now.
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by HaloFandango »

dezm0nd wrote: August 21st, 2020, 7:08 am Had a little go on the new Battletoads yesterday as a classic Rare IP being revived for the modern age, I feel obliged to at least give it a go despite not being the biggest fan of the TMNT rip-off.

It's actually pretty good and made me laugh a few times. It's definitely button mashing friendly for the most part but does ask the player to pay attention to some of the madness on screen but the cut scenes and the minigames in between the levels had me laughing and when a game gets me laughing, it's got my attention.

Worth a look but I can see it being quite the marmite game as the humour might not land with everyone.
Hi Darren, did you play the original Battletoads on the NES or Battletoads in Battlemaniacs on the SNES? If so, how do you feel they compare to this modern iteration. I'd quite like to play it myself, I loved Battletoads in Battlemaniacs when I was a kid!
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by HaloFandango »

Angry_Kurt wrote: August 21st, 2020, 10:13 am Ever since its reveal trailer earlier this year I have had my eye on Superliminal and so picked it up on Switch. It's good, very much getting Portal vibes from it in terms of puzzles and the whole narrator aspect, which also reminds me of The Stanley Parable. It's a puzzle game which is really unique, I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to program.
Thanks for mentioning that Kurt, I hadn't heard of that game until you mentioned it. I just checked it out on Steam and the game looks properly trippy - it certainly looks like a nice blend of Portal and The Stanley Parable's weirdness. Moving objects around around seems to contextually change what happens to them per puzzle room.
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dezm0nd
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by dezm0nd »

Been playing bulletstorm on xbox one but where you play as Duke nukem in the DLC

Its arguable that hes never been in a better game but he fits into the original story with his shit one liners almost perfectly, despite the other characters not acting any differently towards him, calling him Grey etc.

Still a great game and I'm very curious about People Can Flys next game
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

Can you play the entire game as Duke, or is it just the DLC section?
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