I've been really enjoying The Crew Motorsport which came out last year. It's very different in tone to the first game and has no story to speak of which are both positives in my book. It's very much going for that Forza Horizon festival feel but I think I slightly prefer it to the Horizon games. Well worth checking out in the future.
Whatcha Been Playing?
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
I started Invisible Inc as I was wanting a turn based tactics game. There's a lot I like about it in that it's a unique spin on the genre with you playing as spys infiltrating various places and there isn't combat to speak of unlike other games in the genre. You're mostly hiding and hacking and knocking guards out and it is a lot of fun. My main issue is that I'm finding it quite difficult, even in the early missions I have been losing the odd agent in my team but it's not clear whether losing agents should be avoided at all costs or whether they're quite disposable.
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
I am currently playing World of Warcraft with my friends. Although it is an old game, we enjoy it because of the unique raids and dungeons that are not found in modern games. Do any of you still play WoW?
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
Just played through the demo for Granblue Fantasy: Relink. I've been looking forward to this game for so many years that my interest kind of subsided several years ago. But after playing this it has rekindled my desire to play the full thing at some point. This is the action RPG that Platinum were originally attached to at some point, but it seems they split from the project early on and it became more or less fully a Cygames production. It still has a little bit of Platinum DNA in there though.
It kind of has a Tales Of vibe to how it plays, although it's broken in to distinct levels rather than having a big overworld. Combat is that very flashy party-based hack and slash type thing, with lots of dialogue going on at the same time and special moves on cooldown. It feels good to play though, very polished and satisfying. The constant chatter is something that really put me off the Tales games, but it wasn't as grating here as the audio is balanced in a way so that it's not just a cacophony of voices drowning everything out. I think I might still be inclined to switch to Japanese if I were to play the full thing though. This game also has a big emphasis on syncing up big finisher moves with party members, and that was definitely a cool part of it as well. The base combat mechanics are simple, but there are layers under there that point to it having more depth. It has Dodge Offset for one thing. There's also loads of playable characters, and they come with quite a wide range of play styles. There's some that are your basic light attack, heavy attack combo string affair, but then there are others that are not so straightforward. Characters that have mid-combo stance changes that switch their move set, characters that have perfect timed combo inputs, characters that can use certain attacks as parries to keep up the offensive. I didn't even play all of them, but I was already pretty impressed with the variety they have here.
Visually it's very nice too. The Granblue art style has always looked good, and it's well represented here. It has a very painterly look, and the environments of floating sky islands make for some great sights. I was playing on PS4 Pro, and it looked sharp with a solid 30fps frame rate. It can be pretty overwhelming visually in combat though, and for that I think having 60fps would be helpful in just helping you keep track of what's going on.
It kind of has a Tales Of vibe to how it plays, although it's broken in to distinct levels rather than having a big overworld. Combat is that very flashy party-based hack and slash type thing, with lots of dialogue going on at the same time and special moves on cooldown. It feels good to play though, very polished and satisfying. The constant chatter is something that really put me off the Tales games, but it wasn't as grating here as the audio is balanced in a way so that it's not just a cacophony of voices drowning everything out. I think I might still be inclined to switch to Japanese if I were to play the full thing though. This game also has a big emphasis on syncing up big finisher moves with party members, and that was definitely a cool part of it as well. The base combat mechanics are simple, but there are layers under there that point to it having more depth. It has Dodge Offset for one thing. There's also loads of playable characters, and they come with quite a wide range of play styles. There's some that are your basic light attack, heavy attack combo string affair, but then there are others that are not so straightforward. Characters that have mid-combo stance changes that switch their move set, characters that have perfect timed combo inputs, characters that can use certain attacks as parries to keep up the offensive. I didn't even play all of them, but I was already pretty impressed with the variety they have here.
Visually it's very nice too. The Granblue art style has always looked good, and it's well represented here. It has a very painterly look, and the environments of floating sky islands make for some great sights. I was playing on PS4 Pro, and it looked sharp with a solid 30fps frame rate. It can be pretty overwhelming visually in combat though, and for that I think having 60fps would be helpful in just helping you keep track of what's going on.
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
Well, Prince of Persia The Lost Crown has blown my socks off. It's the best Metroidvania I've played since Metroid Dread and think it's about on par from the hours I've put into it so far. In fact I think it could be better due to the combat being a little more involved. As with Dread, the world is a joy to explore and movement is just so much fun. Seriously pick this up if you're a metroidvania fan. Oh and the mechanic to screenshot and put a marker down on the map to any places you can't currently access is a great one. An early GOTY contender this one.
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
Damnit, just finished Hi-Fi Rush but not in time for the podcast recording!
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TheEmailer
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
Sorry to ask this. I didn't write down when the Yakuza like a dragon episode is due. Want to try and give it a go beforehand for feedback. Is there a written listing somewhere?
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
It's show number 610 so should be due in around six weeks. Full listing is here: https://caneandrinse.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=25TheEmailer wrote: ↑January 25th, 2024, 3:18 pm Sorry to ask this. I didn't write down when the Yakuza like a dragon episode is due. Want to try and give it a go beforehand for feedback. Is there a written listing somewhere?
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
I nearly bought this in Asda at the weekend for Switch and then remembered I have probably 50 games for that console I've not even started properly (including Metroid Dread) and was strict with myselfTruk_Kurt wrote: ↑January 22nd, 2024, 9:24 am Well, Prince of Persia The Lost Crown has blown my socks off. It's the best Metroidvania I've played since Metroid Dread and think it's about on par from the hours I've put into it so far. In fact I think it could be better due to the combat being a little more involved. As with Dread, the world is a joy to explore and movement is just so much fun. Seriously pick this up if you're a metroidvania fan. Oh and the mechanic to screenshot and put a marker down on the map to any places you can't currently access is a great one. An early GOTY contender this one.
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TheEmailer
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- Posts: 93
- Joined: October 5th, 2015, 10:46 am
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
Six weeks! That's six hours a week! A challengeAlex79 wrote: ↑January 25th, 2024, 4:55 pmIt's show number 610 so should be due in around six weeks. Full listing is here: https://caneandrinse.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=25TheEmailer wrote: ↑January 25th, 2024, 3:18 pm Sorry to ask this. I didn't write down when the Yakuza like a dragon episode is due. Want to try and give it a go beforehand for feedback. Is there a written listing somewhere?
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
It's been so so good. An early contender for goty for sure.Alex79 wrote: ↑January 25th, 2024, 4:57 pmI nearly bought this in Asda at the weekend for Switch and then remembered I have probably 50 games for that console I've not even started properly (including Metroid Dread) and was strict with myselfTruk_Kurt wrote: ↑January 22nd, 2024, 9:24 am Well, Prince of Persia The Lost Crown has blown my socks off. It's the best Metroidvania I've played since Metroid Dread and think it's about on par from the hours I've put into it so far. In fact I think it could be better due to the combat being a little more involved. As with Dread, the world is a joy to explore and movement is just so much fun. Seriously pick this up if you're a metroidvania fan. Oh and the mechanic to screenshot and put a marker down on the map to any places you can't currently access is a great one. An early GOTY contender this one.
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
I've been playing Tony Hawk's Underground lately. First time I've ever been through it myself, and the only TH game I've played apart from Project 8. I'm enjoying it, but I'm not sure I'm clicking with it 100%. It's just a little bit too twitchy, and you move just a little bit too fast to feel natural to me. Maybe that's me being more used to the pace of gameplay in Skate, or maybe I'm just not so good at the game. Either way, I'm still liking it well enough.
I also got the Wii U hooked up again to try to get a few more hours in on Splatoon 1 before the servers shut down for good, but I've actually ended up playing much more Twilight Princess HD. I decided to give Hero Mode a go this time, and it's been a fun way to change things up. It adds a bit of challenge, although only sub-bosses and some main bosses really stand much of a threat, but it does make health management a bit more or something you need to worry about.
I also got the Wii U hooked up again to try to get a few more hours in on Splatoon 1 before the servers shut down for good, but I've actually ended up playing much more Twilight Princess HD. I decided to give Hero Mode a go this time, and it's been a fun way to change things up. It adds a bit of challenge, although only sub-bosses and some main bosses really stand much of a threat, but it does make health management a bit more or something you need to worry about.
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duskvstweak
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Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
Having seen the end credits of FTL, I decided to go back to Darkest Dungeons. I played a bunch last week but I just wasn't in the right mood for it and wanted something a bit more peaceful. Bought Terra Nil for the correct mood. It's a nice game with a pretty enough aesthetic but it's a bit too simple and gets a bit tedious during the end of a level when you're recycling all your equipment. I could use a bit more actual cause and effect, animals are there just to be there but don't have any effect on the environment, even those little industrialist beavers. Plus I'm trying to complete the last level but keep hitting bugs that stop me from finishing it. Like I said, nice game, right mood but just not quite there. I really want a great rewilding game, but I'm not sure if we're there yet. Getting close, but haven't found the perfect one yet.
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
First couple of hours of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League have been positive for me. I'm finding the gameplay to be a lot of fun, it reminds me of crackdown mixed with Doom 2016 as it encourages you to be constantly on the move and you get rewarded for killing in certain ways like in Doom with extra armour or ammo.
The writing has been a standout to me, I have laughed out loud multiple times at the lines from Shark and Captain Boomerang in particular.
The writing has been a standout to me, I have laughed out loud multiple times at the lines from Shark and Captain Boomerang in particular.
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
I started playing the 2.5D remake of Rondo Of Blood on the PSP, but honestly, I wasn't really feeling it. Might see if I can download a ROM of the original game to try instead. You can actually unlock the original from the PSP remake but annoyingly you have to find an item in game rather than just access from the menu and haven't reached the stage to do it yet.
So after binning that off, whilst still on my Vita, I started Policenauts in anticipation of the Cane and Rinse show later this year. I'm playing an English translation of the PS1 original. You can patch the Japanese game yourself, but there are ready patched downloads available to save the hassle if you are so inclined.
I'm only about 90 minutes in, and this is the 5th or 6th time I've played the opening to this game but determined to stick it out this time just because it's coming up on the show. I love Kojima. I love his games, but he really is an immature little pervert. There is plenty of questionable stuff early in this game with jiggling boobs and opportunities to grope woman. Sigh. There's also some really unfortunate transphobic comments early on too, which I'd never caught before.
Still, that aside, it's a game dripping with atmosphere and the soundtrack is exquisite. You really feel like a private detective in a seedy neon-future. Looking forward to the rest of the story.
So after binning that off, whilst still on my Vita, I started Policenauts in anticipation of the Cane and Rinse show later this year. I'm playing an English translation of the PS1 original. You can patch the Japanese game yourself, but there are ready patched downloads available to save the hassle if you are so inclined.
I'm only about 90 minutes in, and this is the 5th or 6th time I've played the opening to this game but determined to stick it out this time just because it's coming up on the show. I love Kojima. I love his games, but he really is an immature little pervert. There is plenty of questionable stuff early in this game with jiggling boobs and opportunities to grope woman. Sigh. There's also some really unfortunate transphobic comments early on too, which I'd never caught before.
Still, that aside, it's a game dripping with atmosphere and the soundtrack is exquisite. You really feel like a private detective in a seedy neon-future. Looking forward to the rest of the story.
Re: Whatcha Been Playing?
I've jumped back into Hollow Knight. I've had the last week off spending remaining annual leave, so spent a day or two hooked on it, as well as a few smaller sessions over the week. I absolutely love it. It's a very rewarding game if you like exploring, so many great little secrets, moments and new areas to find. Once I stopped feeling concerned about where my next bench was and allowed myself to get lost, it clicked. I also enjoy the boss fights a lot more now that I've got more abilities and have gradually got better at the game.
I also picked up Persona 3 Reload yesterday and played a few hours. I'm liking it so far. The graphical improvement in comparison to 5 is noticeable, during the gameplay, the in engine cut scenes, even the menus have a bit more of a sheen to them. There are plenty of similarities to 5 in terms of the gameplay, characters and narrative, which I expected, but it's different enough to still be interesting.
I don't think the opening is quite as strong as 5's. There's also little things that bother me, like how the all out attacks and finishers get cut off by the shuffle mechanic, so they lack the same punch. I'm just nitpicking after spending a long time playing that game though. The soundtrack is great, it has more of a hip hop leaning that surprised me in a good way.
It's a bit annoying that FF7 Rebirth and potentially Elden Ring DLC are also coming out soon. Ironically for all the quality titles released last year, the two I've been anticipating the most are falling around the time I'm enjoying other games. I'll just have to be patient and decide which ones I want to go for first. I don't want to buy them all at once and rush through them for the sake of getting to the others. Good problems to have.
I also picked up Persona 3 Reload yesterday and played a few hours. I'm liking it so far. The graphical improvement in comparison to 5 is noticeable, during the gameplay, the in engine cut scenes, even the menus have a bit more of a sheen to them. There are plenty of similarities to 5 in terms of the gameplay, characters and narrative, which I expected, but it's different enough to still be interesting.
I don't think the opening is quite as strong as 5's. There's also little things that bother me, like how the all out attacks and finishers get cut off by the shuffle mechanic, so they lack the same punch. I'm just nitpicking after spending a long time playing that game though. The soundtrack is great, it has more of a hip hop leaning that surprised me in a good way.
It's a bit annoying that FF7 Rebirth and potentially Elden Ring DLC are also coming out soon. Ironically for all the quality titles released last year, the two I've been anticipating the most are falling around the time I'm enjoying other games. I'll just have to be patient and decide which ones I want to go for first. I don't want to buy them all at once and rush through them for the sake of getting to the others. Good problems to have.
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Also feeling the crunch of FF7 rebirth and Persona 3 Reload. I wasn’t going to pick it up as I have unfinished play throughs of both FES and Portable but was swayed by positive reviews. I just started my first run of Tartarus and already I am happy with my decision as they really have evolved the turn based combat since the original releases. So many quality of life changes and little additions that make it more fun and engaging like those orange glowing rocks you smack with the sword. I completed Persona 5 in 2018 so I can’t remember if this is exactly the same combat or an improvement over it, but it feels great. I figure I’ll play until FF7 rebirth and have another half finished play through of Persona 3 waiting for me 
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I played about 5 hours of GTA Vice City on Switch last year and went back to it yesterday, but all too quickly remembered why I'd stopped playing. There's a mission called Cop Land that is probably the single most frustrating mission I've played in any GTA game ever. I finished Vice City at least two or three times on PC back in the day, but in this 'definitive' edition is borderline impossible. Just the most irritating pile of shit ever. Tried another 20 times, deleted the game and vowed never to go back. Fuck those 'remasters'.
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I picked up the first Duke Nukem cart for Evercade, and much to my surprise I am really enjoying the first game. The cartridge features remasters of the first two Duke games (the 2D side scrolling platform shoot 'em ups) and they look like total ass, but are just such fun to play! I really wasn't interested in this cart at all until someone from the forum (I think it was Steve) mentioned it on Twitter so I bought it, and glad I did!
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Playing Spider-Man 2 and just did the bit where...
- Spoiler: show