Whatcha Been Playing?

[KSubzero1000]

I've been playing this almost daily for several years now.

I've still yet to complete the game, but there is always a path forward and the procedural generation never fully screws you over.

Be sparing with your ropes and bombs however - use them wisely - and collect as much loot and open as many crates as (safely) possible.

It might of course simply just be that Spelunky isn't for you, but I would give it a little longer for it to reveal its genius. Perhaps watch some decent runs on YouTube as well.

Thanks for the response!

I do pay close attention to my surroundings and such, but for example: I've had two runs end today because the only path forward was through a hole in the ground which was placed so high above the lower floor that fall damage was inevitable. How is that fair? I just don't understand what I could have done differently in that case. I've had several other cases of the damsels being completely closed off and inaccessible without using multiple bombs.

Not giving up on it yet. I'll check out some videos to see if I can adopt one or the other strategy.

[Alex79]

I've never managed to completely crack its outer shell either, ksub. I've enjoyed it, but it's never been one that's made me come back over and over again. I've managed to get to the ice world a few times, but that's my limit so far. I've found Binding Of Isaac to be the game that keeps me playing, just one more go (speaking of randomly generated perma-death games, that is). I wish they'd put a daily play mode in it (BoI) with score boards though. Your post has reminded me of Spelunky though, I think I'm going to have a quick go on it right now!

[KSubzero1000]

Have fun! I hope it clicks for you this time.

[ratsoalbion]

Alex, BoI most certainly does have a daily mode with scoreboards in (possibly format dependent).

[Alex79]

Whaaaat!? There doesn't seem to be one in the Vita version, but I've not really played the PS4 one for months, I'll check that out, thanks!

[dezm0nd]

Alex, BoI most certainly does have a daily mode with scoreboards in (possibly format dependent).

With the Afterbirth add-on, aye

[Suits]

So I've been trying to play Destiny all morning since the RoI updated dropped this morning at 10AM.

Being wise I didn't try and get on immediately at 10, so I got myself a coffee, Marmite on toast and sat down at about 10:15 .

Sat there until about 10:30 trying to connect to the server, then I noticed I was in a queue to get in to a server, number 41417.

Waited about 10 minutes to see that number drop down to about 37500, then my pad timed out and my session ended.

Booted it back up to see I'd been put to what I can only assume was the back of the queue - number 375689.

Which was nice.

[Combine Hunter]

I've been playing Divinity: Original Sin in co-op with my girlfriend Cat. There is stuff I really like about it, like how your two co-op characters can argue with each other, not just with NPCs. That's clever. But I can't shake the feeling of being detached from the world and its people. The presentation for this style of game always does this. I should try Pillars of Eternity, maybe the writing in that game will bridge the gap. Still happy to continue playing Divinity in co-op though.

Also been playing Timesplitters 2 in co-op with Cat. I've been enjoying it, but the check pointing is really rough. Tried playing on easy mode, but that cuts out content. I'd love a version of this with much more liberal check pointing and health pick ups.

[Styrman]

I just finished farming Silver Knights for Proof of concords kept in Dark Souls 3... I've been farming a couple of hours after work for about two weeks.
Im so glad it's over.

Now, I'll start working on Mankind Divided, which hasn't gotten enough attention lately.

[Suits]

Also been playing Timesplitters 2 in co-op with Cat. I've been enjoying it, but the check pointing is really rough. Tried playing on easy mode, but that cuts out content. I'd love a version of this with much more liberal check pointing and health pick ups.

I think the first one was the first time I played a game with the twin analogue set up, on the PS2.

I remember thinking, this will never take off .

Fantastic franchise, played an awful lot of those games.

[Flabyo]

Couple of pixel art indie games for me this week.

Maldita Castilla EX on the XBO is a slightly fancied up version of a PC game I played a few years back. It's a modern take on Ghosts and Goblins with some fun Spanish medieval historical flavour thrown in. Makes it feel quite different from the usual 'knights versus demons' thing. Apparently has multiple endings based on finding hidden items.

Also playing the XBO version of Kingdoms, which at heart is a simple tower defence / worker placement game, but its interesting in that it doesn't explain how anything works. You learn what each thing you can spend the coins on does as you play, and take that knowledge into your next game. It's a play style that won't be for everyone, I suspect if you actually go and look the mechanics up on GameFAQs it'll take most of the fun out of it.

Forza Horizon 3 is probably my next major buy of the year, but I'm not spending 80 quid for the uber edition that lets you start playing this weekend, I'm happy to wait till next Tuesday personally. There's more online modes in this one, so hopefully we'll get some C&R action going again, the few times we played the previous one online were great fun.

[Combine Hunter]

I've been REALLY enjoying revisiting the Dishonored DLC. I'm going to listen back to the Cane and Rinse issue on it and regret the things I said. I'll hold my hands up and say I was unfair to this game first time round. I think I might play through the whole main campaign again.

[DomsBeard]

Really enjoying Deus Ex Mankind Divided, played a huge section via stealth without getting seen once and only knocking a couple of guys out (I'm going for a no kill playthrough). Story has been made a lot clearer for me as I read the prequel book and comic before playing.

I think I'm well into Inside. Very intriguing game and I didn't warm to Limbo but I played 3 hours straight of this the other night. Think I must be around 3/4 through.

[Combine Hunter]

I'm Josh, the soft spoken bear man.

[Jusifer]

started to play the heroes of the storm this week and I really like it. My first time playing a moba and i have to say I see why so many like to play them. the team work and complexity is so rewarding when you win or just play a good match. every character has it's own ways of how to play and help the team best. the game is quite new so they are still working on a lot of the characters and are adding new ones. any HotS players here or any other moba players in general?

[PapaJupe13]

Forza Horizon 3. Played it all weekend.
It is glorious.
Might be my favorite racer ever, which is not a big jump. Previously that would have been Forza Horizon 2.

[Sinclair Gregstrum]

Forza Horizon 3. Played it all weekend.
It is glorious.
Might be my favorite racer ever, which is not a big jump. Previously that would have been Forza Horizon 2.

Ha I've just posted on the Xbox One thread asking for people's thoughts on it as so tempted! Glad you're enjoying it!

[Sinclair Gregstrum]

I'm currently pretty far into The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds on 3DS.

I won't say exactly where I am as I don't want to spoil anything, but for those who know the game I'm past THAT point and trawling dungeons for THOSE things in the second half of the game.

Given that I'm a gamer in his 30's with over 25-ish years under my belt my history with Zelda is actually pretty thin on the ground, and if I make to the end of this one (which I will do hopefully in a week or so) it'll be my first completion of a Zelda game on any platform! (Hangs head in shame.....)

I dabbled with Twilight Princess on Gamecube and later Wii but never took to it, and got a good way into Ocarina of Time on 3DS before my 3DS got knicked on a train (bought a new one and a new copy of Ocarina but have never gone back), but that's it for me with this series until now (regulars know my story - Sega kid growing up, sporadic Nintendo platform owner over the years blah blah blah).

I've owned a copy of A Link Between Worlds since around it's release but never got round to it as I picked up a Vita not long after that which stole all my on-the-go gaming time away from the 3DS. I'd been hammering it hard for around a year as I was commuting to Manchester from Sheffield for work at the time and had a lot of fun, but unfortunately for the little Nintendo I rather fell in love with the Vita and the 3DS has been largely gathering dust since then. However, with the NX on the horizon now and sounding intriguing I've pencilled in to get one of those depending on it's final details, which means something really has to give and the 3DS will probably be sacrificed.

What more fitting a way to wave it off than by completing what many consider to be one of the best games on the platform! I'm also fuelled by my enjoyment of all the recent C&R Zelda episodes which have really peaked my interest in this odd black spot in my gaming history.

I must say it's living up to it's rep so far. I'm really enjoying it and finding it quite a charming experience. Some of the design choices and mechanics are really quite inspired (I'm sure people will tell me much of it is simply classic Zelda!) and in many ways it feels like a game of yesteryear, relying on clever ideas and gameplay rather than flashy graphics and set pieces to engage the player. But then that's why we love Nintendo isn't it....

Looking forward to getting back to it tonight anyway and soon chalking up my first ever Zelda completion!

[ColinAlonso]

I'm currently pretty far into The Legend Of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds on 3DS.

I won't say exactly where I am as I don't want to spoil anything

Thanks for avoiding the spoilers . I'm on a Zelda break after OoT 3D (delighted to finally finish that one) before I play A Link Between Worlds.

I'm playing Transistor (PS4), SMT: Devil Survivor 2 (3DS) and PES 2017 (PS4).

I'll probably always compare Transistor to Bastion, sadly its not living up to it. The more turn based combat isn't as interesting as Bastion's multiple weapons and I feel like information on the story is being held back from me, even if the charaters might know things.

Devil Survivor 2 is a solid but unspectacular JRPG at the moment and should feed those cravings until Persona 5 in February.

PES. I rely on crosses too much, nothing goes through the middle. I may have much to learn.

[Alex79]

I playing Valiant Hearts: The Great War on PS4. Desperately trying to get it finished as quickly as possible as I'm really not enjoying it at all. Finding it all just so awfully dull. I'm about halfway through I think.