Whatcha Been Playing?

[chase210]

Resident Evil 4 on PS4. Game is still brilliant, I expected nothing less.

[Alex79]

Just got back in to XCom on the Vita. It's just a brilliant game. I'd got a few hours in before, but decided to start fresh as I'd messed up some of my research and ended up without things I felt like I needed. Didn't bother me at all starting again when it's so much fun. All my characters are named after 90's alternative rock legends - Eddie Vedder currently has my highest kill count, but Layne Staley with his sniper rifle is catching up fast.

[macstat]

I've been no-lifing World of Warcraft : Legion for last (almost) week. This time they put a very strong emphasis on open world content. Instead of standard daily quests, you have "world quests" similar to how bounties in Diablo 3 work. Also each expansion Blizz has been better and better in delivering story-focus progression so while you still get those "collect 10 bear asses" objectives there's usually some story attached to it so it makes it all more immersive. There's a lot of time-locked content since for example upgrading class hall require missions that take couple of days to complete. Also things like raids and mythic+ difficulty dungeons are gonna be released september 21th i think.

[Alex79]

...

Sorry, totally off topic, but how do you get your gamercard in your sig to show hours played rather than the link I've got on mine? Ta!

EDIT : ah it's because you're on Steam...

[gallo_pinto]

Just got back in to XCom on the Vita. It's just a brilliant game. I'd got a few hours in before, but decided to start fresh as I'd messed up some of my research and ended up without things I felt like I needed. Didn't bother me at all starting again when it's so much fun. All my characters are named after 90's alternative rock legends - Eddie Vedder currently has my highest kill count, but Layne Staley with his sniper rifle is catching up fast.

How does it compare to the console version? I'm really interested in playing it on Vita, but I'm a bit worried of it being another Borderlands 2.

[ratsoalbion]

I think the Vita version is based on the very well received iPad version.

[Flabyo]

Waiting on reviews for 'The Tomorrow Children' at the moment to see if that'll be my next thing or not.

[ratsoalbion]

I feel like I should post in this thread more often to show that, although you may only hear me talking about podcast games, I am still ravenously devouring other titles new and old as well.

So, my current play-list rotation includes:

The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA on Wii U)
I am about 20 hours in, on the last dungeon.

Spelunky (PS4)
I do two runs per day most days; one of which will be the daily challenge and the other a separate go at adventure mode. I've died about 800 times overall now and got as far as the ('normal') final boss a handful of times. Once I have finally sunk that big, slammy statue head into the lava I will finally retire this (wonderful) game!

The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth (PS4)
When I can (most days of the week) I try to have at least one run at this, often more. I take on the Daily Challenge, which sometimes - as with Spelunky - doesn't last very long at all, while other days it will take me all the way to the end. I'm also continuing Isaac's quest to do everything (I currently have two or three photo pieces), as well as trying to get various completions with the other characters, including Eden and beating Afterbirth's Greed Mode with Azazel - I have come agonisingly close to this.

Pullblox (3DS)
Fallblox (3DS)
I'm trying to clear one puzzle each of these a day (or thereabouts). I'm just over halfway through Pullblox and just under halfway through Fallblox and they both make my head hurt and make me feel stupid quite a lot of the time. Beautifully designed and presented I think though, and the satisfaction of finally solving a level is palpable.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (3DS)
I have owned this for far too long, I've downloaded all the DLC and yet barely touched the game, despite thinking about it on a daily basis. So I have finally made a start. Just doing some very simple and easy quests for novices at this point, getting back to grips with the menus, controls and mechanics as it's been three years since I sunk a not inconsiderable - but paltry by MH standards - 35 hours or so into the Wii U version of MH3U.

Undertale (PC)
I've played the first hour of this highly rated curio and so far it is... curious. I've already read about the ultimate aim to play through peacefully so I'm already trying to win encounters with words rather than violence. This may prove to be futile.

Everybody's Golf: World Tour (PS3)
While keenly awaiting PES 2017 for my sports fix I've turned my attention to a spot of summer outdoors activity. Despite having cleared the original PS1 game and the first version on PSP, there were several PS1 and PS2 and instalments of this lovely series which I missed out on. I've also go the Vita version thanks to PS+ and played a good chunk of that, and I intend to return to it and finish it once - in the absence of a PS4 version - I have completed all the single player challenges in this version (which I've owned since 2008). Obviously I'm playing in a seated position with a DualShock 3, rather than 'Active Golf' with the Move.


Edit: Looking at my gamercard doobrey there I'm also reminded that I've been playing a little Gradius II (Vulcan Venture) and Double Dragon too, as well as our Rocket League session last week, which was good fun indeed (all on PS4).

I also played Housemarque's Alienation (PS4) quite a lot, twice through in fact - all with random co-op people - though I haven't exactly 'completed' it as I didn't get myself an entry ticket to the final 'secret' level. It's on the back-burner for now though and I'm going to give Helldivers a proper look.

[Alex79]

XCom on the Vita.

How does it compare to the console version? I'm really interested in playing it on Vita, but I'm a bit worried of it being another Borderlands 2.

It's not bad. I can't say it's perfect - graphical quality quite a way below the PS3 version, and load times are poor. Frame drops quite frequent, but not so much as to be an annoyance and it doesn't use the touch screen at all. The positives though, it's a full XCom game plus the Enemy Within content in your pocket. I've not had one crash playing it, either. I grabbed it for 7 quid in a sale and don't regret it at all.

[Jusifer]

i got xcom on vita in a sale too but unlike alex I was really disappointed with the quality. the loading times are really long. I know Leon said on some podcast it used to take like 20 minutes for games to load if I recall correctly but this really feels way too long especially so because it's on a handheld. and when it does finally let you play it's so slow I'm genuinely amazed that they released this game. then again it does work. just slowly. but having played a lot of it on a computer the difference is just way too much for me. I love playing games on handhelds and the concept of this game is perfect for handheld gaming but beacuese it's so slow I can't bring myself to play it.

[countstex]

After many years of meaning to, and several failed attempts, I've finally cracked the outser casing of the game they call Dwarf Fortress. That initial learning curve is so ridiculously steep, but one you've gotten a handhold or two into the mechanics it all starts to fall into place. The events which occur, and the level of detail one can find in the game worlds us something special. And unique each time you start a new world, you never quite know what you are going to find, and often your best laid plans will buckle and fail under the pressures of the location you end up in.

I think I must have already lost a good 20-30 hours after only a couple of weeks, though I'll admit sometimes I'll be doing other things whilst my dwarf's just get on with life, such as posting this entry here! If you have the time, and a good helping of patience to get over that initial hump I can highly recommend giving it a go, and since it's free at no cost!

Dig deep, dig greedily.

[ADumican83]

A few games on the cheap on my PSN wishlist this week. Valkyria Chronicles Remastered is a tenner so I'll be grabbing that as I missed it on the PS3. Psychonauts is £5 too. Has anybody played this recently? I never played it so was wondering if its still worth a play or if it hasn't held up well since the PS2.

[Alex79]

I played the Xbox 360 version of the original Xbox one a few years back. Held up great. The game is excellent, although I can't comment on the PS4 port yet.

EDIT : Psychonauts, that is.

[ratsoalbion]

The PS2 version was a notoriously shoddy port of the Xbox version, so if the PS4 version is based off of that...

[ADumican83]

Just been to look how much Pschonauts was on Steam. Turns out I already have it in my library. Must have picked it up in a sale a while back and forgot about it, like most of the games in my Steam library.

[ratsoalbion]

There's a little mod you can install to display the control prompts as Xbox buttons - recommended.

[Craig]

Just bought half a dozen 3D classics from the 3DS eshop and have pretty much zero time to play right now. Though a lot of them benefit from just five minutes here and there so there's that.

[ratsoalbion]

Yes, I believe I now have the full set of 3D SEGA titles by M2.

[mikeleddy83]

Decided to pick up OutRun, SOR2 and Gunstar Heroes on the 3DS. All very nice on first impression but I'm going to have to spend some good time with them, I'm still determined to keep the 3DS out of the picture until a huge drought of games as that system has too much going on for me right now but in time that's still set to be the dark world of gaming I'm set to explore and inevitably get lost in.

Otherwise I've had a little play of Valkyria Chronicles 2 which finally looks a bit dated but I'm tempted to play it once again.

Finally, I've started Zero Time Dilemma and the tone and setting seem perfect, this was one of the big ones for me this year and hopefully it delivers!

[Stanshall]

I've been getting stuck into OutRun today on 3DS, after really digging the recent podcast. I did play it as a kid but never since. The Last Wave is absolutely wonderful, definitely on my list for when they blast my coffin into the sun or whatever it may be.