What are you currently playing?

[Dalisclock]

Finished the campaign of Ace Combat 7. Oh, man, that got nuts at the end. It was a lot of fun, especially mission 19 where everyone goes after the 2nd Arsenal Bird in a big epic showdown and the whole "Hey, why don't you chase a drone through an underwater tunnel!" Apparently this kind of thing is normal for the AC series, I'm led to believe.

The plot isn't bad but it does feel like the writers had a couple different big ideas they wanted to do and just decided to do all of them. The penal unit, the space elevator, what happens when Command and Comunication completely breaks down in a war, the Erusean Civil War, and of course, the whole Perpetual Robot War thing vis a via the drones. These are all cool ideas, but man, it feels like it jumps back and forth between them a lot and the plot doesn't feel nearly as focused as it could be. It is kinda wierd where where the cinmeatic cutscenes do the "War is terrible and everyone suffers" but the in-mission cutscenes and dialogue lean a lot more into "WOOHOO! AIRPLANES! EXPLOSIONS!"

It was a lot of fun, and there's some great missions viariety for 20 missions, particulary the one where you have to fight over a nightime cityscape where everyone is fighting each other and Nobody seems to know who is on which side, which is both annoying and does keep the tension up.

 

[Chupathingy]

Finished the campaign of Ace Combat 7. Oh, man, that got nuts at the end. It was a lot of fun, especially mission 19 where everyone goes after the 2nd Arsenal Bird in a big epic showdown and the whole "Hey, why don't you chase a drone through an underwater tunnel!"

I'm sure others have already said this, but if you're interested in playing other AC games check out 4, 5 and 0 for PS2. Also the DLC missions for AC7 are pretty fun.

 

[Dalisclock]

I'm sure others have already said this, but if you're interested in playing other AC games check out 4, 5 and 0 for PS2. Also the DLC missions for AC7 are pretty fun.

I have the DLC missions, and I plan to take a swing at them when I get a chance. I heard they're a hell of a lot harder then the main campaign though.

I do want to try out the PS2 games now, I'm keeping an eye out for them at a good price.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

I have the DLC missions, and I plan to take a swing at them when I get a chance. I heard they're a hell of a lot harder then the main campaign though.

I do want to try out the PS2 games now, I'm keeping an eye out for them at a good price.

Yeah, they're tough. If you had trouble with the score attack missions in particular, it might take you a few attempts. Still, good job getting through the whole campaign; getting used to flying from scratch is pretty tough.

Out of the PS2 trilogy, I think Zero is the best, but they're all pretty good. Good luck finding them for a good price, though.

 

[Hawki]

Finished the campaign of Ace Combat 7. Oh, man, that got nuts at the end. It was a lot of fun, especially mission 19 where everyone goes after the 2nd Arsenal Bird in a big epic showdown and the whole "Hey, why don't you chase a drone through an underwater tunnel!" Apparently this kind of thing is normal for the AC series, I'm led to believe.

Is it just me, or is Arsenal Bird a flying Arsenal Gear?

Superweapon? Check. Army of drones? Check. Features in franchise that manages to be super serious with weird ecentricities? Check.

 

[Dalisclock]

Is it just me, or is Arsenal Bird a flying Arsenal Gear?

Superweapon? Check. Army of drones? Check. Features in franchise that manages to be super serious with weird ecentricities? Check.

Well, technically Arsenal Gear was basically an Arsenal Ship combined a submarine with features of an aircraft carrier, but with mecha.

And to get even wierder, the idea of flying aircraft carriers have been attempted In real life before. Just nobody has been able to make them work sucessfully so far.

 

[Dalisclock]

Yeah, they're tough. If you had trouble with the score attack missions in particular, it might take you a few attempts. Still, good job getting through the whole campaign; getting used to flying from scratch is pretty tough.

Out of the PS2 trilogy, I think Zero is the best, but they're all pretty good. Good luck finding them for a good price, though.

A couple of the annilation missions were rough, the worst being the first one. The A-10 with the mutli-shot Air to Ground weapons helped a lot and the A-10's slow speed was a benefit in that case. OTOH, the Naval Destruction mission was fucking awesome.

I read it's better to just pick the advanced/expert controls from the start, so you can get used to them(and apparently it makes it easier to survive once you do). I found it a lot easier to track enemies once I realized I could switch to a Hud-only view, so I couild actually SEE the planes I'm trying to shoot down.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

A couple of the annilation missions were rough, the worst being the first one. The A-10 with the mutli-shot Air to Ground weapons helped a lot and the A-10's slow speed was a benefit in that case. OTOH, the Naval Destruction mission was fucking awesome.

I read it's better to just pick the advanced/expert controls from the start, so you can get used to them(and apparently it makes it easier to survive once you do). I found it a lot easier to track enemies once I realized I could switch to a Hud-only view, so I couild actually SEE the planes I'm trying to shoot down.

I found flying in first-person was too disorienting, but to each their own.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

I will say that Blighttown made me do something I've never done in an RPG before and evaluate my gear on criteria other than damage resistance. Running through the poison swamp was a lot easier in the Tattered Cloth set than the Elite Knight set, and figuring that out felt like a huge step. The town itself also has a pretty interesting design that actually teaches you something useful for fighting the area boss: when one wrong step can leave you falling to your death above, it's easier to not take a wrong step into a pool of lava below. It only took me two attempts to beat the boss once I figured out where they were.

The blowdart snipers are still bullshit, and the lack of landmarks made figuring out the layout much more difficult than any of the other areas so far (except the Depths, which had the same problem), but overall I don't think Blighttown is nearly as bad as it's made out to be. Then again, I didn't have any framerate drops either, so that's probably part of it.

I played on PS3 originally, which apparently had the worst frame rate issues. Ironically enough, I think it helped me play more carefully. Also, coming from Demon’s Souls and the vile Valley of Defilement I found Blighttown rather enjoyable; at least moreso than the stories I’ve heard. Plus I love its makeshift upper levels mixed with the cavernous design once you get to the swamps.

Speaking of swamps, I don’t want to spoil anything for you but there is a thing or two you can find that will make this place much more manageable to maneuver in. It is a completely obtuse path to discovering them of course, which you’re probably learning this game (and series) are big on. The key is just to explore your ass off, and listen to everyone. Look for shinies everywhere, and investigate anything that looks - or sounds - peculiar. The game heavily rewards the, “I wonder if I can get over there by going through here...” mindset.

Also though, don’t feel bad about ever wanting to use a wiki to get the most out of it, like maybe after a first run or something. The games were designed for community-sourced info discovery and sharing. It could take anyone with real life stuff to tend to a lifetime to find everything otherwise, if ever.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

I played on PS3 originally, which apparently had the worst frame rate issues. Ironically enough, I think it helped me play more carefully. Also, coming from Demon’s Souls and the vile Valley of Defilement I found Blighttown rather enjoyable; at least moreso than the stories I’ve heard. Plus I love its makeshift upper levels mixed with the cavernous design once you get to the swamps.

Yeah, it was pretty cool. I played Demon's Souls once at someone else's house, but I don't think I'd ever give it a shot, especially not now that all the online stuff's been deactivated (to my knowledge.)

Speaking of swamps, I don’t want to spoil anything for you but there is a thing or two you can find that will make this place much more manageable to maneuver in. It is a completely obtuse path to discovering them of course, which you’re probably learning this game (and series) are big on. The key is just to explore your ass off. Look for shinies everywhere, and don’t ignore the bird calls. The game heavily rewards the, “I wonder if I can get over there by going through here...” mindset.

I already finished Blighttown, at least as far as 'beating the boss', and don't really plan to go back there. I have been trying to poke around as much as possible, and I've found some cool stuff, but I'm a little too set in my ways with the Longsword to use most of it. Oh well, it's something I'm at least trying to keep in mind.

Currently working on Sen's Fortress; I've reached the fog gate to the boss but haven't attempted it yet. I know the nearby summon is meant to be pretty badass, but I'm going to attempt it on my own first. I also tried fighting (and gave up on) Sif. I couldn't even break through 20% of his HP before dying. The fight's not even gimmicky, it's just really hard to avoid that sword and every hit deals huge damage. (This is not a request for help; please do not give me tips on that boss or the one in the Fortress.)

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Yeah, it was pretty cool. I played Demon's Souls once at someone else's house, but I don't think I'd ever give it a shot, especially not now that all the online stuff's been deactivated (to my knowledge.)

I already finished Blighttown, at least as far as 'beating the boss', and don't really plan to go back there. I have been trying to poke around as much as possible, and I've found some cool stuff, but I'm a little too set in my ways with the Longsword to use most of it. Oh well, it's something I'm at least trying to keep in mind.

Currently working on Sen's Fortress; I've reached the fog gate to the boss but haven't attempted it yet. I know the nearby summon is meant to be pretty badass, but I'm going to attempt it on my own first. I also tried fighting (and gave up on) Sif. I couldn't even break through 20% of his HP before dying. The fight's not even gimmicky, it's just really hard to avoid that sword and every hit deals huge damage. (This is not a request for help; please do not give me tips on that boss or the one in the Fortress.)

Understandable if you’re planning on a one-and-done type of run here, but you might be surprised at how much better a different weapon could be down the road. The items I alluded to also have multiple instances where they could be helpful too, even if you never return to the swamps.

Out of curiosity what did you pick for a starting gift, and have you been using any rings?

 

[laggyteabag]

Just finished Bulletstorm, and it was a good time.

I really liked the environmental kills, and the scoring system functioning as a currency. I would really like to see both them appear in other games to promote more creative ways to play.

That being said, some of the environmental kills were a little too effective. In a lot of combat spaces, once you found an instant kill object, like a cactus or a large drop, you could literally just stand your ground, using the whip to pull enemies in, and then kick them into the instant kill object.

I also found that because you could only carry 2 weapons of your choice, plus an assault rifle that you have with you at all times, and because you would constantly drain your points on refilling those weapon's ammo, and for their upgrades, it didnt really promote doing anything but just choosing two weapons, and focusing on them for the entire game. I know that upgrades can carry across into multiple playthroughs, which would probably alleviate this issue, but on the first playthrough, the sandbox can feel a little stale, using the same 3 weapons all day.

And for the story, it was serviceable. The characters were nothing really to write home about, but at least they were voiced well (even if Jennifer Hale and Steve Blum sound the same in everything they do), but the writing was a little too "Ha, ha! They said DILDO!" for my liking.

Overall, a pretty good time.

 

[BrawlMan]

Just finished Bulletstorm, and it was a good time.

I really liked the environmental kills, and the scoring system functioning as a currency. I would really like to see both them appear in other games to promote more creative ways to play.

That being said, some of the environmental kills were a little too effective. In a lot of combat spaces, once you found an instant kill object, like a cactus or a large drop, you could literally just stand your ground, using the whip to pull enemies in, and then kick them into the instant kill object.

I also found that because you could only carry 2 weapons of your choice, plus an assault rifle that you have with you at all times, and because you would constantly drain your points on refilling those weapon's ammo, and for their upgrades, it didnt really promote doing anything but just choosing two weapons, and focusing on them for the entire game. I know that upgrades can carry across into multiple playthroughs, which would probably alleviate this issue, but on the first playthrough, the sandbox can feel a little stale, using the same 3 weapons all day.

And for the story, it was serviceable. The characters were nothing really to write home about, but at least they were voiced well (even if Jennifer Hale and Steve Blum sound the same in everything they do), but the writing was a little too "Ha, ha! They said DILDO!" for my liking.

Overall, a pretty good time.

Do you have the Full Clip Edition? If you are playing on New game plus, you get a weapon wheel with all the guns unlocked from the start. Bulletstorm definitely could have used a sequel. All they have to do is ditch the health regeneration and take behind cover to heal mechanic. A better Duke Nukem game than Duke Nukem forever.

 

[laggyteabag]

Do you have a full clip edition? If you are playing on New game plus, you get a weapon wheel with all the guns unlocked from the start. Bulletstorm definitely could have used a sequel. All they have to do is ditch the health regeneration and take behind cover to heal mechanic. Better to Duke Nukem game than Duke nukem forever.

Huh, that sounds like a mechanic that should have been in there from the start. I've never really minded 2 weapon limits in games, because it can usually work well in games like Halo, but this really does sound like something that this game was made for.

Should I decide to play it again, I will definitely have to try and remember to play it on NG+, then.

 

[BrawlMan]

Huh, that sounds like a mechanic that should have been in there from the start. I've never really minded 2 weapon limits in games, because it can usually work well in games like Halo, but this really does sound like something that this game was made for.

Should I decide to play it again, I will definitely have to try and remember to play it on NG+, then.

Please see that you do. Like I said before. Make sure it's Bulletstorm Full Clip Edition. It's available on PC, PS4, Xbox one. It's also on Steam too.

 

[Dalisclock]

I found flying in first-person was too disorienting, but to each their own.

That's the nice thing about the devs including POV options.

I did find some used copies of 4,5 and zero for decent prices, so I put in an order for those.

 

[meiam]

That's the nice thing about the devs including POV options.

I did find some used copies of 4,5 and zero for decent prices, so I put in an order for those.

Zero is a prequel to 5, so you should play 5 before (and 4 is very related to 7, you'll get to see stonehenge in all it's glory). If you like 7 plot then you should definetly like those a lot more since they retain the bombas and big idea but they're all more focus (I really think they should have axed the prisoner pilot from 7, waste of time). Zero is particularly unique since the story is told trough interview with your former enemy (all live action cut scene).

They're a tad easier (enemy are more shy at shooting missiles at you and the missiles are easier to lose), so you might want to bumb the difficulty (I can do them all on ace difficulty, but 7 kick my ass on ace), weapon variety is a lot more limited (no laser machine gun or jet sniper) so if you rellied on those you might have a hard time.

 

[Dalisclock]

Zero is a prequel to 5, so you should play 5 before (and 4 is very related to 7, you'll get to see stonehenge in all it's glory). If you like 7 plot then you should definetly like those a lot more since they retain the bombas and big idea but they're all more focus (I really think they should have axed the prisoner pilot from 7, waste of time). Zero is particularly unique since the story is told trough interview with your former enemy (all live action cut scene).

They're a tad easier (enemy are more shy at shooting missiles at you and the missiles are easier to lose), so you might want to bumb the difficulty (I can do them all on ace difficulty, but 7 kick my ass on ace), weapon variety is a lot more limited (no laser machine gun or jet sniper) so if you rellied on those you might have a hard time.

Yeah, the Penal unit plot felt like kind of a waste in 7, since it's there for like 5 missions and more or less gets dropped after that. Hell, after you get pardoned(and how that came about just kind of happens), the whole Trigger allegedly killed Harling plot point stops mattering at all and it doesn't feel like it was justified very well(Even if pardoned, you'd think a couple people would still feel Trigger got away with murder).

I played 7 on normal but didn't use the lasers weapons at all. Hell, I got a couple advanced aircraft with the season pass(because the season pass was an extra $10 on top of $20 for the base game) and haven't even tried them, only using planes I bought on the aircraft tree(I ended up rather liking the F-18 and the F-35). I ended up getting the F-22 just in time for the big finale(the last two missions) but felt it wasn't quite as fun to use as some of the other planes in front of it(the insane missile load was nice though). OTOH, I didn't have much trouble with the drones in the final mission and they're supposed to be super hard. I died like zero times to them but died quite a few times trying to fly through that fucking tunnel. When I realized that's what the game wanted me to do, the my first response was "You have got to be shitting me".

Kind of glad to here the other games aren't as missle happy, because some missions felt like all I heard was MISSLE MISSLE MISSLE MISSLE MISSLE MISSLE MISSLE. Especially ones where I couldn't focus on splashing the fighters who I swear are only interested in shooting at ME.

 

[meiam]

Yeah, the Penal unit plot felt like kind of a waste in 7, since it's there for like 5 missions and more or less gets dropped after that. Hell, after you get pardoned(and how that came about just kind of happens), the whole Trigger allegedly killed Harling plot point stops mattering at all and it doesn't feel like it was justified very well(Even if pardoned, you'd think a couple people would still feel Trigger got away with murder).

I played 7 on normal but didn't use the lasers weapons at all. Hell, I got a couple advanced aircraft with the season pass(because the season pass was an extra $10 on top of $20 for the base game) and haven't even tried them, only using planes I bought on the aircraft tree(I ended up rather liking the F-18 and the F-35). I ended up getting the F-22 just in time for the big finale(the last two missions) but felt it wasn't quite as fun to use as some of the other planes in front of it(the insane missile load was nice though). OTOH, I didn't have much trouble with the drones in the final mission and they're supposed to be super hard. I died like zero times to them but died quite a few times trying to fly through that fucking tunnel. When I realized that's what the game wanted me to do, the my first response was "You have got to be shitting me".

Kind of glad to here the other games aren't as missle happy, because some missions felt like all I heard was MISSLE MISSLE MISSLE MISSLE MISSLE MISSLE MISSLE. Especially ones where I couldn't focus on splashing the fighters who I swear are only interested in shooting at ME.

The other fighters are mostly only interested in shooting you, most of your teamate are immortal anyway (some of the older AC took that a bit too far and sometime your teamates would just fly trough obstacle/the ground). But yeah the other one are a lot less missile happy, part of the reason is there's no flare, but you have so few flares anyway it doesn't matters. There also tend to be a bit less fighters at once (probably due to technical limitation) but they have more dogfigthing against ace which can take quite a long time in some cases since they tend to be pretty good at avoiding most missiles you shoot at them.

I love the tunnel sequences, they're so ridiculous. I crashed more than my fair share of time since I like to do them at max speed and in 7 you need to switch track with the giant door/opening closing and you just don't have the time at mach 3 (thankfully the re spawn is right before).

If you've never tried the laser machine gun in 7, give it a shoot at the mission in the arctic where you're shooting the base/oil rig (11), it's pretty fun mowing down the giant rigs with it.

Oh 7 has a crap ton of reference to 4-7 that if you never played them you missed them so I'll just list a few. Harling is a major player in 5 so his dead is a bit surprising but it makes the whole "did he want to destroy the elevator or save it" point completely pointless since destroying the elevator would go against his personality in 5. The person coming back in the space ship at the end of 7 is also from 5, she's one of the squadmates and is a bit of a space lover, I'd imagine that part is pretty confusing if you've never played 5 since it's a payoff from the event in 5. Belka (the country that control things from the shadow) are the main antagonist of zero, so that's why the scientist being a Belkan is supposed to be a big revelation. If you notice that there's a lot of crater on some of the maps it's because the continent was hit by a pretty big meteor shower (the event in 4 deal with that), it's cool that they actually took the time to properly reflect that, that's also the reason part of the city you fight in (mission 15) is submerged.

 

[Dalisclock]

If you notice that there's a lot of crater on some of the maps it's because the continent was hit by a pretty big meteor shower (the event in 4 deal with that), it's cool that they actually took the time to properly reflect that, that's also the reason part of the city you fight in (mission 15) is submerged.

Avril outright mentions the Meteor thing that that's one of the big things I knew about the series. Apparently that's part of the whole deal with stonehenge, was it was built to shoot down the Meteor and apparently one of the cannons was disabled by it(and the rest were blown up in one of the earlier games). Which makes it kind of amazing it has paper ranging tables on hand.

Apparently like half the shit that happened in the AC series is somehow tied to the meteor in some way.