What are you currently playing?

[Worgen]

I kid, I like the Dark Souls games a lot and I probably should get back to Elden Ring sometime. Now that I've picked up Halo 2 again, though, and gotten only a couple of missions away from completing it (despite the best attempts of even the Normal-difficulty enemies to kill me in under a second), I'm hoping to finish that before I move on to anything else. Most likely Halo 3 to finish the fight, but after that perhaps it'll be Elden Ring's turn again.

I do need to pick Halo 2 up again and finish it on Legendary. I've wanted to beat all of them on Legendary and the only ones I couldn't back in the day on the xbox were 1 and 2, and I finished 1 on legendary with the MCC.

 

[BrawlMan]

I managed to complete Permadeath mode for the first time in Double Dragon Gaiden. I had everything set to max difficulty settings. Permadeath is actually not bad in this rouge-lite. You can still use money as continues, but won't be able to use your tokens, if all money is spent or don't have enough for the next revive. Jimmy and Matin were my tag-team this time. I've been experimenting for a while and learned of meta called corpse juggling. Where if you want to keep your combo going, or want to get a bigger Special KO; you keep juggling them until the next set of enemies spawn in. Keep juggling the corpses' with basic combos, then as soon as the new meat gets close, use whatever Special Super is the best for whatever character, and bingo, a big Special KO!

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

I've been enjoying the heck out of Half-Life: Alyx, though I do have to take breaks because some of it is legitimately harrowing (Ravenholm's got nothing on the Quarantine Zone). While I won't talk about the plot, I've been impressed by the various little 3D puzzles you have to solve in order to unlock various Combine technology- while none of them give a single readable word of instruction, they're so well-crafted and given understandable iconography that figuring them out is easy even for dunderheads like me.

 

[BrawlMan]

I've been on a over-the-shoulder horror/action-horror kick right now after finishing Dead Space Remake a month ago. I did RE2R Claire's 1st Run Scenario, then RE3R, and then RE2R again, but as Leon's 2nd Run Scenario. It was also to test out how they all play on PS5. The load times in these games are so quick, I find it really hard to go back their PS4's versions, not counting Dead Space Remake obviously. The DLC for RE4R comes out in less than a week, so I'll be playing that again when buying Separate Ways.

 

[Worgen]

Beat chapter 2 of Turbo Overkill on murder machine difficulty. The fight against the bounty hunters were pretty rough, aside from Maw who was just kinda a pushover, although by that point I figured out that the power shot with the pistol is a kill anything kinda thing.

 

[Gordon_4]

I've been enjoying the heck out of Half-Life: Alyx, though I do have to take breaks because some of it is legitimately harrowing (Ravenholm's got nothing on the Quarantine Zone). While I won't talk about the plot, I've been impressed by the various little 3D puzzles you have to solve in order to unlock various Combine technology- while none of them give a single readable word of instruction, they're so well-crafted and given understandable iconography that figuring them out is easy even for dunderheads like me.

God I wish there was a non-VR version of that game.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

God I wish there was a non-VR version of that game.

I absolutely know that feel, but so much of the game is built around VR mechanics that they'd have to gut it and make it something completely else.

 

[Gordon_4]

I absolutely know that feel, but so much of the game is built around VR mechanics that they'd have to gut it and make it something completely else.

I know, but I really loved Half Life 2, and Alyx was always a gem to have around so a game about her is my bread and jam but I can't justify the cost of a VR headset.

 

[Mister Mumbler]

My computer isn't really handling BG3 all that well, so I'll continue that when it comes to the PS5 (yay, crossplay).

Yeah, I'm in this weird spot with it too. My computer is long in the tooth now at about 7-8 years old now with a 970 (which is apparently the listed as part of the min spec), but the game will set my auto detect settings to ultra and, outside of a huge pop in window when first starting or some hitching when saving, has actually ran decently, with one huge exception: I have no map. Like, I have quest markers and fast travel waypoints, but everything underneath is just a black expanse. Which makes traversing the world a bit of a hassle, considering that the lines between walkable ground, un-walkable ground, and ground you can't walk to but can still reach and walk around on is sometimes hard to sus out.

The secret damaged wall was resistant to every weapon and attack option I had.

Everything, except...the Salami.

So, what I've read around online is that the trick to opening doors/walls is a weapon with bludgeoning damage, which is why I still tote around my starting Warhammer with me, however I may have switch to a salami, if for no other reason to say "Open salami" when I break down a door.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Completed Halo 2.

While it's definitely better than the first one, I still feel like it's not as good as its reputation led me to believe. Admittedly, said reputation is largely regarding the multiplayer, but even the campaign is considered one of the best, and I just don't agree. When Brutes start showing up, they're annoying bullet-sponges that don't have much tactical depth, as they don't have shields to burn with plasma weapons and even headshots won't quickly put them out. The level design, while not as obviously copy-pasted as in CE, still relies on reusing assets to the point of feeling like you're getting lost in a hallway, and the fact that the latter levels have rooms in near-complete darkness makes it difficult to fight enemies who have perfect night vision of your shiny metal ass. [I have heard this is mainly an issue with the MCC version, but that's the one I have.] And the cutscenes, while reasonably well-written and acted, just feel lacking in cinematography and sound design, the presentation that would take that writing and elevate it to a true experience. [For the record, I'm referring to the original cutscenes here, not the pre-rendered ones made for the anniversary edition.]

But there's something there, buried beneath all of the amateur-hour crap. So I'm gonna play through Halo 3 as well and see if that can finally live up to the legend. After that, I'm probably done with this series.

 

[Drathnoxis]

I replayed the entire Donkey Kong Country trilogy in order to procrastinate playing The Witcher 3. Still great platformers, especially the second one, which is just fantastic in every way. The third is ok, but a clear step down, especially the final, final boss, which really sucks and just feels unfinished.

Now back to Witcher 3 I guess. Ugh. It's fine, I guess, but I just really don't dig anything about the game. Combat sucks, Geralt has a distinct mary sueish odor, and everything is rather crass.

... Or I could play Void Stranger. A game I know nothing about except SGF mentioned it was really good and that it has a really charming gameboy aesthetic.

 

[Worgen]

... Or I could play Void Stranger. A game I know nothing about except SGF mentioned it was really good and that it has a really charming gameboy aesthetic.

The people who made Void Stranger also made ZeroRanger, which was an awesome shooter that went kinda mind fucky with its story. So I would expect something much deeper then it seems and an awesome sound track.

 

[Absent]

Been playing a bit of Intravenous. It's a top-down shooter very similar to Hotline Miami, but it's much more focused on stealth, which big maps structured around lights and shadows. You're using night goggles, silencers, or your hands, you hide bodies, avoid leaving bloodstains, switch lights, and the baddies react to the slightest oddity in sight (such as a light being turned off in the next room), and helpfully state what they are reacting to. And when it devolves into a massive shootout, it devolves hard. The baddies don't shrug it off after 30 seconds to resume their scripted path. They do look for you everywhere.

So, while the look is very similar to Hotline Miami, the feel is completely different, closer to Hitman (minus disguises) or Splinter Cell I guess (never played Splinter Cell or MGS). It's fun. Naratively a bit gooey (it's a very Death Wish era kind of plot, and an introductory text swears the author isn't encouraging you to go murder junkies irl), but quite tense and unforgiving, especially if you're not in a savescum mindset.

So, if you wished for a slower, more deliberately paced Hotline Miami, with a thousand of possible little interactions (throw stuff to distract baddies, use the toilet, eat the pizza, check your noise and visibility gauges, compare weapon stats, equip tazer, bomb and medkit, etc), it's worth the borderline-partyhard/hatred gritcore rolleye.

 

[Xprimentyl]

He's actually the easiest boss in the game, if you use a certain tactic.

Spoiler

You can resummon the summons, so you can just run around and let them do all the work, then dodge and weave till their summon things show up again, rinse and repeat.

Your little tip was genius; worked perfectly. Took me a couple of tries, but I put Radahn down finally. Thank you!

 

[Worgen]

Your little tip was genius; worked perfectly. Took me a couple of tries, but I put Radahn down finally. Thank you!

Happy to help. I was having a really rough time with him also till I found out I could summon and them dying wouldn't mean they stayed dead and that the summon thing would respawn. I summoned Solare (I think) once in the original dark souls and he died and it fucked up his quest, so I was really hesitant to summon in Elden Ring since I thought death of them might be permanent. Took me awhile to look it up.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

Your little tip was genius; worked perfectly. Took me a couple of tries, but I put Radahn down finally. Thank you!

I seem to recall posting some tips involving just using Rot on him (via dragon spell or arrows/bolts) like, months ago but not sure if that was for you or someone else. If it was you, it also reminds me of how I’d take months-long breaks from early Souls games, because I just needed to lol.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I seem to recall posting some tips involving just using Rot on him (via dragon spell or arrows/bolts) like, months ago but not sure if that was for you or someone else. If it was you, it also reminds me of how I’d take months-long breaks from early Souls games, because I just needed to lol.

Nah, it wasn't me. I only tried to fight him for the first time last week.

 

[XsjadoBlayde]

So, what I've read around online is that the trick to opening doors/walls is a weapon with bludgeoning damage, which is why I still tote around my starting Warhammer with me, however I may have switch to a salami, if for no other reason to say "Open salami" when I break down a door.

Not only that, but the weapon has to be able to have a damage number higher than the wall's HP as well. Unfortunately the walls have slowly grown stronger than my trusted salami, rendering it useless camp sausages now. Have resorted mandating every active character to carry at least one compay-owned rusty peasant mace on their person wherever they go. None of this is enough reason to stop gleefully shouting "open salami!" at every opportunity though. The team are in desperate need of a morale building exercise, cause I ain't raising their wages in this economy.

 

[Chimpzy]

God I wish there was a non-VR version of that game.

There's a mod for that, but like Rogue Wolf says, without all the VR stuff it really is a significantly lesser game.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Happy to help. I was having a really rough time with him also till I found out I could summon and them dying wouldn't mean they stayed dead and that the summon thing would respawn. I summoned Solare (I think) once in the original dark souls and he died and it fucked up his quest, so I was really hesitant to summon in Elden Ring since I thought death of them might be permanent. Took me awhile to look it up.

Wait, I'm pretty sure if a summon dies during a boss fight in DS1, it doesn't "kill" them permanently or affect their questlines. I've summoned Solaire several times for O&S, and he's died a few times, but it never stopped me from completing his questline as far as I can recall. But Souls NPC quests are notoriously convoluted; it could easily have been something completely unrelated and random that affected your progress.

Anyway, I've made it into Nokron in Elden Ring, and finally have the Mimic Tear!! I don't care what anyone says, I'm going to shamelessly summon this damn thing everywhere I can. I feel no obligation to a game to prove my mettle; I'm using the tools they've provided and as intended. If anyone puffs out their chest because they beat the game without summons, more power to ya'; I'm not that guy.