Whatcha Been Playing?

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

Post by macstat »

I bought a new TV on black Friday so I've been jumping between replaying God of War and playing my first Yakuza game (Yakuza Zero to be precise).
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DomsBeard
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by DomsBeard »

Loving Battlefield V!.

I have not had as much fun with a Battlefield since 3. Maps are fun, weapons feel good and has some good laughs. It looks stunning too.
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countstex
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by countstex »

Mutant: Year Zero.. yeah that game like to kick you in the arse. Repeatedly! Loving the challenge though.
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Suits
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Suits »

Super Smash Brothers Ultimate.

It’s cool, way deeper that what I was expecting.

I’ve spent most of my time in Spirits mode, which is where I see myself learning the game and spending most of my time in at the moment.

I’ve messed around with a bit of training, played some classic to completion and generally tried to drip feed myself bits and pieces to try and take it all in.

The Spirts mode, with the all character builds is rad - I really like that and with things becoming clearer as I’m getting deeper into its becoming extremely compelling.

The presentation, music and general Nintendo of it is stunning, like truely wonderful if you like that sort of thing.

I got myself the GameCube pad and adapter for it too, so it feels great but the biggest sweetener was suddenly realising how incredible a brand spanking new GameCube pad feels compared to all my other ones, the sticks and new runners under the buttons are lush !!

I might just go have to play Metroid Prime again.....
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dezm0nd
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by dezm0nd »

Super Monkey Ball loves these new GCN pads!
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Suits
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Suits »

dezm0nd wrote: December 7th, 2018, 10:43 pm Super Monkey Ball loves these new GCN pads!
YES, good shout that actually !!

You forget how tight these pads used to be.
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by KSubzero1000 »

Suits wrote: December 7th, 2018, 10:37 pm I got myself the GameCube pad and adapter for it too, so it feels great but the biggest sweetener was suddenly realising how incredible a brand spanking new GameCube pad feels compared to all my other ones, the sticks and new runners under the buttons are lush !!
I bought one of the re-released GameCube controllers for Smash WiiU and never even used it with the game itself, but just so I could have a brand new one to fall back on in case my old ones become too worn out. My favorite controller ever created, despite its idiosyncrasies. Not a convenient all-purpose tool like the XBO / PS4 pads, but an absolute delight with games that have been designed around it.

Suits wrote: December 7th, 2018, 10:37 pm I might just go have to play Metroid Prime again.....
Do it! I've been whispering it in your ear for years now! :lol:
The Wii trilogy is a-ma-zing and the Switch version is a pipe dream anyway.
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Stanshall
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Stanshall »

Also hammering Smash. Had a superb night with my mate, both of us up and down raging and laughing in Adventure Mode trying to unlock stuff, taking turns. One of the most fun games I've played in a long time.
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dezm0nd
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by dezm0nd »

Played alot of Smash last night. Stayed up until half 10 which is unheard of for me!

Played online with someone who listens to the podcast but stumbled across him in a Dave turners Shenmue 2 stream!

Over wifi it has very little input lag, enough to be noticed but not enough to be an annoyance like the previous 2/3 smash games online.

What a belter of a series entry this is. Ultimate indeed.
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Suits
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Suits »

So very much enjoying adventure mode in SSBU.

Loving the management of the load outs and exploring the map in awe.

I’m hoping (rather a lot) that this mode is training me for the impending doom that will be online multiplayer.

So far, I’ve solely used Kirby as a fighter and have grown to his move set and movement. I had a quick blast of Samus and it soon gave me a hint of what the other classes and fighters will be like once I step away from the pink, rotund gannet.
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stvnorman
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by stvnorman »

I haven’t been playing Smash but have finished the first Uncharted on PS4. Aside from one mean-spirited checkpoint near the end, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Also finished the original Legend of Zelda on the NES Classic Mini (and Switch). Mean-spirited is a good description for a lot of that game, but it’s forgivable - I absolutely loved it, and am very tempted to carry on with Second Quest on the Switch!

From this month’s PS+ offering, I’ve played a couple of hours of Onrush. It seemed like a lot of fun initially, but there’s really not a lot to it and I think I’m done already. It survived on my PS4 significantly longer than Iconoclasts though - I’m sure it’s fine but the art style and general mechanics just didn’t click for me.

Still loving Moonlighter on Switch after 20 hours, and also still struggling through the two Castlevania: Requiem games on PS4. I’m rubbish at both but they are wonderful! Same for R-Type on Switch where I’m getting really well acquainted with the first stage.

Finally, had a few goes on the Katamari demo on Switch. I think I’m missing something with this. It’s crap!
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Michiel K
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Michiel K »

Also been at Smash, playing World of Light and Classic Mode, steadily unlocking all the characters and local multiplayer as well with my kids.

Today I was at a birthday party where I was asked to bring the game and my Switch with the unlocks on it to. We set up shop in the master bedroom and bashed it out with the teens and kids. 4 GC controllers with the Wii U Adapter and 4 Joycons (mine and our host's). This was the first time I played the game with 7/8 players. The small stages are absolute pandemonium. My 8-year old son took 9 out of 10 matches, due to his keen eyes, superior orientation and deft camping skills in the larger map..

At one point I was chasing his Young Link around Palutena’s Temple with slow-ass King K Rool, not able to gain on him one bit.

He failed at beating most of the New Challengers though. They can be fairly unforgiving and damage racks up ridiculously fast in a 1-on-1 situation.

I just spent more time rematching the new challengers we couldn't beat before and doing more Classic Mode runs.

I feel like I'm really getting the hang of Simon Belmont. You can do some dirty stuff locking people into place with the fire bomb and then whipping them. He has a cool slide attack you can follow up with an upwards kick as well.
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Craig
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Craig »

Michiel K wrote: December 9th, 2018, 1:37 am I feel like I'm really getting the hang of Simon Belmont. You can do some dirty stuff locking people into place with the fire bomb and then whipping them.
It’s just like a real Castlevania!

I’m also playing Smash. It’s ace and Captain Falcon is still my boy. I’d say I’ve probably unlocked half the characters and I’m mostly playing through on Classic with a bit of world of light.
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Suits
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Suits »

SSBU isn't a game I can, or ever will be able to play, constantly.

So last night, I went back to Z:BotW.

I left it well over a year ago at about 125 hours with the story wrapped up and most of what I wanted to do, done.

I'd ended on 112 shrines, so still had a few more to go and a few memories I'd not found - oddly.

When I first began my infatuation with that game, I'd chosen not to use a guide to find anything and didn't, however, it left me feeling like there was unfinished business.

Last night I got the delightful official guide out and filled in the missing pieces to the riddles that had flummoxed me first time round.

As with all these sort of things, I was so close in my initial un-guided attempt, only to what seems to have right under my nose, yet I missed it.

Anyway, it's nice to be tidying up this romance and looking back at one of the best games I've ever had the pleasure to spend time with.


Other than that, I'm picking up Astro Bot today 8-) .
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Scrustle
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Scrustle »

Still cracking away at Darksiders 3. While first impressions were pretty good, later on I was starting to get a bit soured on the game. I was really starting to miss the dungeons from the previous games, and that was made worse by how that kind of 3D Zelda design has been seemingly abandoned across the medium in recent years. I don't think there was a good reason for it falling out of fashion as it did. It was pretty rare for any game outside of Zelda to even attempt to scratch that itch, so it's not like it was overused, and now the few franchises that still delivered that were moving away from it, Zelda included! Not that I don't think BotW isn't great in its own right, but that's another topic. But here though we have another Zelda-like that has gone in another direction, this time aping Dark Souls. I think that's a trend that developers are jumping on a bit too hard. It's almost like it's become the default 3rd person action style these days, but again I think it's throwing away existing ideas that had nothing wrong with them, for something that may not necessarily be appropriate.

But I've since got over that bump of apprehension and have been starting to enjoy this game again. While I do miss dungeons, and the pace and variety of combat in the previous games, as I've unlocked more weapons I've started enjoying the combat in this one more too. Sometimes it does have a bad habit of ambushing you in ways that feel somewhat cheap, but I gradually became more able to deal with that kind of thing as I upgraded my stats and just got better at the game. Bosses have continued to be big highlights too. The most recent one I beat, Lust, was in particular one of the best. They do a really cool take on it, not going for what the obvious depiction might be. Instead they consider what lust actually means, and how it can manifest in different ways, to create a really cool character. The fight itself is really good too. It has a moveset with delayed sword swings that take a little practice to work out the timing on, but is really satisfying when you get it right, with the little subtle tells you get. And there's a second phase later on in the fight, which I'm sure was inspired by one particular boss from Dark Souls. World design continues to be impressive. Everywhere has a unique look and feel to it, so it sticks in your mind really well despite being all twisty and complicated, like any good Metroidvania does.

The issue I was having with the game's resolution actually fixed itself too. I think all the problem was is that it doesn't change resolution until you reboot. Since that first session it hasn't looked blurry or bad at all. It was just still running in 720, which the game launched in, rather than the 1080 I switched it to.
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Alex79
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Alex79 »

I've been playing nothing but Fallout 4 lately. I'm on 82 hours now, and just starting to move forward with the story. One thing I noticed if you spend so long doing other stuff before the story are the rather jarring narrative blips, for example a character warned me about heading to Goodneighbour, and my player character could respond with "Goodneighbour?" despite the fact I'd already spend hours there, had a fling with the jazz singer and was on first name terms with the mayor :lol:
Joshihatsumitsu

Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Joshihatsumitsu »

I'm about 43 hours into Valkryia Chronicles 2 (October), and I've only just discovered how to get snipers!

Indeed, I'm only just discovering that you can upgrade individual characters, not just the umbrella class. My assumption (emphasis on ASS) was that Change Class meant changing between classes, not upgrading the individual characters.

So, my fault for not exploring more. The only reason I'm 43 hours into this game is because of the core gameplay, not the characters, who's voices grate so very much in my ear, which in turn makes me skip over a lot of dialogue and in-game tips.

Still, call it upgrade class, not change... it seems more logical. Stupid game that I'm 43 hours into... :|
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ColinAlonso
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by ColinAlonso »

Joshihatsumitsu wrote: December 9th, 2018, 9:38 pm not the characters, who's voices grate so very much in my ear
There's a line in the ending cutscenes to the 4th game that made me instantly think of you :lol:. American anime style dubs run throughout the series. A Japanese option is available in 4 though.

I left Celeste for a bit after finishing it. But I got drawn back into it and finished the first 2 B-sides. Just another 450 deaths. While I liked it already, I think I'm impressed by it more now.

I'm also a bit into the second disc in Final Fantasy VIII. There are some really nice story set pieces at this point of the game, although there is also one very dumb moment. Since its probably coming up in the podcast next year I'll put this in spoilers.
Spoiler: show
The assassination attempt is pretty cool, so is sneaking into the missile base in disguises later on.

The dumb moment happens during the assassination attempt though. Quistis decides she was too hard on Rinoa earlier and goes back to apologise. Zell and Selphie follow her. The problem is that they were in position for an important part of the assassination plan. They are supposed to be TRAINED PROFESSIONAL MERCENARIES! Focus on the mission!

It's a tiny thing, but its so forced just to give them something to do. Which turns out to be going through a short sewer dungeon.
One thing this game does really well is transition between in engine and FMV. Graphically, its obvious which is which of course but the mix is nice. The FMV used in Deling City shows this really well.

Battle-wise, I'm breezing through it. I'm well stocked on magic so plenty of stats are higher than they should be for this point of the game. In fact the final boss of the first disc was embarrassing. But I'm pretty happy playing it checking out the different locales, playing lots of cards etc.
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Stanshall
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by Stanshall »

God knows how much Smash I've played since it unlocked midnight on Thursday. I've gone deep and unlocked about fifty characters through Classic Mode now and mixed it up with some online antics. I'm blown away by the skill ceiling and how far I am from getting a win in FFA. I usually finish 3rd with a handful of 2nd places but I've been battered in a minute several times. I'm OK at fighting games but this is learning something completely new and different. Still trying a load of fighters and figuring out my main. Still not unlocked Ken, either!
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KSubzero1000
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?

Post by KSubzero1000 »

I'm still trudging through RDR2 and my experience / enthusiasm mostly mirrors ThirdMan's, but man, these Smash impressions are wonderful to read. Looking forward to playing it at some point if it's half as great as you all make it out to be. :)

I also impulse bought Puzzle Dimension on my dying PS3, because puzzle games are apparently my new jam. Sweeet.
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