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[Gergar12]

Buy Tales of Arise from the Humble Store

A world of nature drawn with the “Atmospheric Shader”:We are introducing a new graphics shader, inspired by anime and watercolor painting. Characters with attractive designs travel among backgrounds filled with beautiful and delicate visuals.Explore a world that feels alive:Explore the world of...

www.humblebundle.com

This.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Welp looks like even Ghost of Tsushima is unavailable for purchase on Steam in my country. Piracy wins yet again.

My girlfriend and I did buy Hades 2 though through Steam's Family Library thing. Excited to check it out.

 

[Old_Hunter_77]

Quit Animal Well.
I still think it's an excellent game, but it's too much platforming for me. I just have to accept that I'm too old or impatient or whatever to jump, fall, runback, jump fall. My brain and eyes can see a solution but I can't make the pixels go to there any more in these kinds of games.
I'm still heartily recommended it for anyone who likes puzzles and platforming.

 

[BrawlMan]

I just have to accept that I'm too old or impatient or whatever to jump, fall, runback, jump fall.

Liar!/s

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'm still working the Flame in the Flood Play, which is very grindy and requires a very counterintuitive play style (such as never killing an animal or eating any plants). You can game it a little bit by loading your dog's inventory with all kinds of stuff that will carry over to your next playthrough though

After I'm done or I get bored I'm moving over to Balatro so I can see what the hell is up with that.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

I'm still working the Flame in the Flood Play, which is very grindy and requires a very counterintuitive play style (such as never killing an animal or eating any plants). You can game it a little bit by loading your dog's inventory with all kinds of stuff that will carry over to your next playthrough though

After I'm done or I get bored I'm moving over to Balatro so I can see what the hell is up with that.

…Does the dog have a backpack or something? Although I guess it’s a thing with rescue dogs, so not all that unusual.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

…Does the dog have a backpack or something? Although I guess it’s a thing with rescue dogs, so not all that unusual.

The dog is supposed to be a rescue dog, yeah. It wears like a harness and some clothes. I don't see a backpack on it but that's definitely the idea.

Also, at the beginning of every new run the game plays a clip of the dog dragging a backpack off a skeleton and handing it over to the player character. The implication being you're inheriting it off your previous run, somehow, even though you keep playing the same character? But it's always empty, while the dog's inventory carries over. None of it makes much sense.

 

[Silvanus]

Played through Trine (the first one) just because it was heavily discounted and I keep seeing it. Eh, it was fine. Some fairly good puzzles, some very meh combat.

Then got the Braid Anniversary Edition, which I'd been looking forward to. Loved that game back in the day. Updated visuals are lush, new puzzles are great, commentary is extensive-- a good remaster. Apparently Jonathan Blow is a bit of a blowhard, but nevermind. Music is still magnificent.

Currently got 13 of the 16 extra new puzzle pieces. They're tricksy.

 

[FakeSympathy]

Ghost of Tsushima PC Port is finally here. And the game looks even more beautiful than I had remembered, now with 60 fps. But as with any port launches, I am seeing performance hiccups here and there.

Otherwise, the game still tells a gripping story, super fun to play, and is fun to just wander around. IMO, AC Shadows needs to absolutely, astronomically, irrefutably be an amazing game to even come close to being on a same level as this game. which as it stands, doesn't look to be that way.

Do not let the steam review bombs fool you; PSN requirement and how Sony region-locked the game is terrible, but that doesn't deter from how excellent the actual game is.

 

[Worgen]

Do not let the steam review bombs fool you; PSN requirement and how Sony region-locked the game is terrible, but that doesn't deter from how excellent the actual game is.

Looks like its getting good reviews on steam.

 

[FakeSympathy]

Looks like its getting good reviews on steam.

Huh. I could've sworn I saw review bomb this morning. It's currently evening of the same day, and now I see the game sitting at very positive w/ 83%.

 

[Worgen]

Huh. I could've sworn I saw review bomb this morning. It's currently evening of the same day, and now I see the game sitting at very positive w/ 83%.

I wouldn't be surprised if it got an initial down vote thing going on, but its really not the same situation as Helldivers.

 

[XsjadoBlaydette]

It was inevitable but have finally opened my literal cat pimping business in Rise of Ronin for the paying public. "Oh another unoriginal exaggeration" I hear you say. "Do they ever stop talking?" "Stop saying literal when it's..." Alright alright you made your point, here li, uh... receipts;

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Started Braid: Anniversary Edition (never played Braid before). Just completed the puzzle for world 2. Man this is going to be trippy.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Picked up the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection, and played through MGS1 again. Reckoned I'd have the usual issues with the first Sniper Wolf fight and the final fist fight against Liquid, and yeah, they still suck. Didn't anticipate having as much trouble with the torture button mash sequence though. The last time I played this game was 5 or 6 years ago and it seems that within that time age has curtailed my mashing ability. I actually had a hard time with that shit now.

I also noticed how Liquid resembles certain youtube personalities currently, and if he were alive today he'd probably have a manosphere podcast.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Played Hades 2.

The voice acting? Fucking sweet. The art? Fucking sweet. The story? Fucking sweet. The characters? Fucking sweet.

What is not fucking sweet and actually kinda fucking shit is the changes to the gameplay. The approach they seem to have gone is a more thoughtful, strategic combat system as opposed to the neverending button smashing chaos that was Hades 1. It sounds good on paper, but I just do not like it.

I've been sitting on a big ass rant about everything I don't like, but for now, suffice to say I am not convinced this combat system in any way improved the first one.

 

[Agema]

Cyber Knights: Flashpoint

Squad tactical game by the Trese Brothers, cyberpunk-styled. Go on missions, sneak, steal, hack, kill. Currently early access, but pretty close to full release. Seems pretty decent, although maybe the guards are relatively unresponsive to you killing their colleagues and that could be tuned up a little.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'm enjoying Braid. I probably would've enjoyed it more 16 years ago, before it became a victim of its own popularity. It's a disappointingly short game: 2 hours in and I've already 100%ed 4 of its 6 or 7 "worlds". What passes for a level sometimes feels more like a gameplay demo. And there are throwaway puzzles in say The Lost Crown that would basically act as whole worlds in Braid. But then of course The Lost Crown is an overstuffed, or rather overpadded game, and it came 16 years after Braid's deconstruction act. If nothing else Braid's design is superbly minimal and elegant. No chaff.

Having already played through The Witness I can tell Jonathan Blow is all about creating experiences where people marvel at their own deductive process while being discretely guided or pointed in the direction. Not so much about "gaming" itself, since there's no failing in either Braid or The Witness, nor much of a motivation for the player or the character. Just being stumped while, simultaneously, feeling overpowered.

 

[BrawlMan]

I'm enjoying Braid. I probably would've enjoyed it more 16 years ago, before it became a victim of its own popularity. It's a disappointingly short game: 2 hours in and I've already 100%ed 4 of its 6 or 7 "worlds". What passes for a level sometimes feels more like a gameplay demo. And there are throwaway puzzles in say The Lost Crown that would basically act as whole worlds in Braid. But then of course The Lost Crown is an overstuffed, or rather overpadded game, and it came 16 years after Braid's deconstruction act. If nothing else Braid's design is superbly minimal and elegant. No chaff.

I played it back when it came out. I thought it was unique for the time, but still ok. Nowadays, there is not much special about Braid.

More Wario Wonder and starting Missile Dancer 2. The latter is an After Burner style game. I played the demo on Steam and there is a sale on Switch. The demo is fun, and I am about to start arcade mode. Mario Wonder keeps getting more fun and creative. This is peak 2.5D Mario.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I played it back when it came out. I thought it was unique for the time, but still ok. Nowadays, there is not much special about Braid.

I think what makes Braid special is that it exists primarily to teach and showcase videogame design, as evidenced by the Anniversary Edition's stated focus on its extensive, thorough commentary. Other than the graphic overhaul (which, who cares) and a few new levels the main flex and selling point appears to be treating the game as some kind of design seminar. And not that the game isn't a brilliant example of it, but I think Jonathan Blow is overestimating 1) how much people care and 2) just how exclusive his "inside baseball" acumen is to the average person with a passing interest in game design.