- Apr 1, 2009
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I keep hoping their games come to pc via steam. I did really like GrimGrimoire back in the day, so good.
What are you currently playing?
- Thread starter Nick Calandra
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Why do I waste so much time collecting crap in video games that doesn't amount to anything? Spent maybe an hour and a half looking for a ceremonial trident that a zora dropped from a bridge or a zora spear that a blacksmith in Zora's Domain could forge into one, so that I could unlock a shrine. Completed a couple of zora side quests and found some koroks while looking for that trident or a zora spear in and around the domain. Then pointed my magnet at the water down there one more time and finally saw the trident glowing down there. Was happy about that, but also felt pathetic.
Little Nightmares 2. While I am enjoying it thus far, the devs seemed to have doubled down on my complaints about the 2.5D, and it's, eh, annoying at times. The depth of the "3rd dimension" in this one is far greater than in the first game to the point that progress is often dubious though easily figured out with trial and error. That said, the checkpoints? Awful at times. Firstly, the reload drops you at the immediate start of a chase, so you have to have the left stick already pressed to the right before the screen fades up from black. Then, you have to make sure you're not pressing too far right-up or right-down lest you find your character hung up on an object in the fore or background. And when you fail, you start all the way back at the beginning of the chase to repeat the aforementioned steps all over again.
Games like these need to be simple, because the biggest impact comes from the moment-to-moment shock and awe and spectacle. When you hang the player up on what was initially a tense and anxiety-inducing moment by sticking them on repeat of that moment for 6-7 times trying to figure out poorly implemented mechanics, those moments lose their impact and just become frustrating. I can already see myself deferring to guides if a puzzle gives me fits beyond a 2nd or 3rd attempt. Not because I'm unwilling or unable to figure them out, but because I'm not here to beat the game; I'm here to SEE the game. I want to see what happens next; I want to see what grotesquerie is around the next corner; I want to see how twisted and disturbing things get. Yes, I could easily watch a let's play, but there IS something to be said for experiencing it firsthand, and that's what I paid for.
Games like these need to be simple, because the biggest impact comes from the moment-to-moment shock and awe and spectacle. When you hang the player up on what was initially a tense and anxiety-inducing moment by sticking them on repeat of that moment for 6-7 times trying to figure out poorly implemented mechanics, those moments lose their impact and just become frustrating. I can already see myself deferring to guides if a puzzle gives me fits beyond a 2nd or 3rd attempt. Not because I'm unwilling or unable to figure them out, but because I'm not here to beat the game; I'm here to SEE the game. I want to see what happens next; I want to see what grotesquerie is around the next corner; I want to see how twisted and disturbing things get. Yes, I could easily watch a let's play, but there IS something to be said for experiencing it firsthand, and that's what I paid for.
Little Nightmares 2 is a really good game with a lot of moments I want to see others react to, so I've been watching a few let's plays for sections I've already completed, and Jacksepticeye absolutely nailed the sentiment I had above (video is timestamped). It's validating to realize it's not just my own nitpickiness, but a tangible, ostensibly objective flaw in implementation. INSIDE was not a difficult game; even if you did get stuck or confused, it was easily figured out, and you progressed to the next curiosity or grotesque horror with the same awe and wonder as you walked into the previous puzzle with. Little Nightmares 1 & 2 so far are great and are not necessarily difficult, definitely are scratching that itch of "whimsical, weird, morbid, and macabre that doesn't explain itself" games that I've been chasing since INSIDE, but a few of their "tests" require too much trial and error to carry my patience beyond my frustration.
As it stands, I'd recommend watching a playthrough versus playing the game if anyone's interested. Not that they are bad games by ANY stretch; they're brilliant. But the gameplay often hampers the appreciation of the spectacle which I'm 100% certain is their main draw. Beautifully dark environments and horrific enemies to behold, but when you see the same ones for 10 minutes straight and keep getting sent back to checkpoints because navigating 3 dimensions from the 2.5 dimensional perspective with precisions is clunky.
Picked up the Mask of Darkness DLC for Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown today. It's more game, with special emphasis on the really challenging platforming that was either missing from the base game or conspicuously reserved for those rigged carny rooms where you have to Matrix through 1,000 interdimensional buzzsaws just to be rewarded with a palette swap for your scarf, as lovingly rendered on the character portrait seen in the pause menu. But no, I like the balance they struck on the DLC, and I like that you have to check in all your amulets and upgrades and moves at the door before you enter, because it means you can't just pick your 100% save and God mode your way through the whole thing.
There're a few new boss fights and they're all significantly tougher than I remember. Parry is suddenly mandatory, where I used to not even bother most of the time with it during the main campaign.
So having a lot of fun with it. It's challenging in a novel, very gratifying way. I think I'm 2 hours in and about 30% done. And it's only $5 too.
There're a few new boss fights and they're all significantly tougher than I remember. Parry is suddenly mandatory, where I used to not even bother most of the time with it during the main campaign.
So having a lot of fun with it. It's challenging in a novel, very gratifying way. I think I'm 2 hours in and about 30% done. And it's only $5 too.
Well I guess I feel a little validated. I quit LN2 early one recently (it's on PS+) for these reasons. It certainly "helped" that while I did like the first, I didn't love it enough to push through the annoying bits of a sequel.
The Plucky Squire
I am all about the cute, colorful adventure vibes I guess. After Minishoot Adventures, Crypt Custodian, Astrobot, here comes my most anticipated game of the year to give me more adventure games with some not-too-difficult puzzling and no freaking menus.
This is the game that's like in a book and you sometimes go outside the book in the "real" world. And, yep, it's exactly what it looks like. Charming and cute and fun.
I am all about the cute, colorful adventure vibes I guess. After Minishoot Adventures, Crypt Custodian, Astrobot, here comes my most anticipated game of the year to give me more adventure games with some not-too-difficult puzzling and no freaking menus.
This is the game that's like in a book and you sometimes go outside the book in the "real" world. And, yep, it's exactly what it looks like. Charming and cute and fun.
Like I said, watch a let's play. It's, so far, completely worth seeing even if the controls are complete garbage (which is unto itself an impressive feat given there's only two fundamental commands in "jump" and "interact;" how the devs managed to make that simplicity complicated is almost meta, but also apropos in the nightmare world they've created.)
Curious, have you played INSIDE?
Yes, but I quit halfway through and watched the rest on youtube. I did actually finish Limbo myself though.
So yeah in general these games are nicer to watch than to actually play.
That's why I loved Cocoon so much- one of the key devs from Limbo/Inside but actually a delight to play.
Alright, sold. Cocoon was on the list of "8 Games To Play If You Liked INSIDE," so your unsolicited endorsement clinches it for me; I'm getting it after I finish LN2.
I already knew Geralt was in Monster Hunter World, but fuckkkk, I was still so surprised when the quest popped up. When the literal Endgame portal scene happened, I was going insane and making my girlfriend so confused.
The quest itself isn't so amazing, but I was laughing the whole time with how they were almost parodying the Witcher within the world. For a free DLC, they put in wayyyy too much effort. The dialogue trees (that don't even exist in the actual game), the sidequests, Witcher senses, and just... Geralt existing. When the "quest started" audio cue from TW3 played, I almost felt like crying. Maybe I should give the game a replay on PC...
Anyway, yup pretty much done with MHW. I completed the story and may consider doing some of the remaining end game sidequests, but probably won't bother going into Master Rank (if I even can without Iceborne).
For my first serious foray into Monster Hunter, man that was fucking great. You can really see why this franchise has lasted this long. Nothing compares going from being terrified of a monster to casually slaughtering it for parts (no I have not played Dark Souls). Genuinely thankful for this game, it made the first month of being in a long distance relationship that much more bearable. My girlfriend and I plan to snag Monster Hunter Rise the moment it goes on sale again.
The quest itself isn't so amazing, but I was laughing the whole time with how they were almost parodying the Witcher within the world. For a free DLC, they put in wayyyy too much effort. The dialogue trees (that don't even exist in the actual game), the sidequests, Witcher senses, and just... Geralt existing. When the "quest started" audio cue from TW3 played, I almost felt like crying. Maybe I should give the game a replay on PC...
Anyway, yup pretty much done with MHW. I completed the story and may consider doing some of the remaining end game sidequests, but probably won't bother going into Master Rank (if I even can without Iceborne).
For my first serious foray into Monster Hunter, man that was fucking great. You can really see why this franchise has lasted this long. Nothing compares going from being terrified of a monster to casually slaughtering it for parts (no I have not played Dark Souls). Genuinely thankful for this game, it made the first month of being in a long distance relationship that much more bearable. My girlfriend and I plan to snag Monster Hunter Rise the moment it goes on sale again.
I started up The Plucky Squire, but I honestly don't know if this'll be a keeper. I was looking forward to this game, it looked fun and colourful, but there's something missing, besides good comedy. Also, forced stealth in 2024 is grounds for a pie in the face.
Decided to boot up Dave the Diver. Haven't gotten that far into it yet because I've been spending most of my free time the past week playing Runescape instead, but so far it's got a fun if fairly basic gameplay loop held together by a good aesthetic style and some fun characters. So, exactly what everyone else has said about it since it came out.
I've been playing Astro's Playroom because Astro is big right now, I'm inbetween games, and I always meant to go back to this and play more. The controller functions are really incredible, I don't know if I'd want every game to be as in your face about it, but it's really cool. The game is also very cute, but I don't get most of the references though. It'd be nice if it said somewhere what game the characters are supposed to be from. Also collecting random bits of lame Playstation hardware as artifacts is kind of boring. Great, yet another move controller!
I did some casual online matches for Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter. I did an amazing level 3 Super where if Sakura and Zangief are tag partners they do a Double Pile Driver! I never knew about that or the other hidden dedicated team supers! The people are I was going against are pretty good. Especially this second person I fought.
Finished Little Nightmares 2 today. Alongside LN1, and frustrating controls aside, absolutely brilliant games. The "trial and error" loop at certain parts where tension and anxiety eventually turn into frustration are forgiven; these devs nailed "creepy" in a very unique way. Like I said, if you'd rather not invest the time and effort, find a let's play and just enjoy the spectacle as it unfolds; beautifully dark and disturbing. These games can proudly sit at the table with INSIDE.
- Apr 1, 2009
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- Whatever, just wash your hands.
Been playing on my steam deck a bit more then usual and one of the games I play on it is Devil Blade. Devil Blade is one of the best if not top 5 shootemups ever created. Its got great music, the graphics are fantastic and easy to read, the challenge level is perfect from easy to hard and even harder if you are a score hound, and its a perfect length. I beat it 1cc without much trouble on normal mode but so far doing that on hardmore has eluded me, and if I wanted to use continues I would use some of the coins you get every run to purchase additional continues, but I like that you have to earn those instead of just being able to insert coins like how a lot of arcade style shootemups do... or at least the ones that are based on arcade games or are arcade games. Anyway, kinda lost the train of thought, have a trailer.
Finished the ME Legendary trilogy, final playtime roughly 87 hours. Picked the Control ending this time, since I felt it fit my renegade Shepard the best. Throughout the trilogy she'd seen everyone bumbling around with incompetent leadership making bad decision after bad decision. So given the chance to be the ultimate overlord of the universe, she took it with zero doubt. There's not really anything new to say about it, so I'll just roughly copypaste what I thought of the ME3 ending 6 years ago:
As hard as the game tries to present the Reapers as these Cthulhu-esque forces of nature beyond our comprehension, their presentation even in the first game simply does not match that description. They're clearly capable of observing and understanding organics on a micro level and have personalities. They make bombastic villain speeches in booming voices for crying out loud! So ultimately the Reapers feel more like an army of stuck in their ways middle managers: powerful enough to stamp others beneath their heel, but not capable of enough original thought to consider doing things differently. So they end up feeling quite bland by the end, despite there being tons of interesting ideas about them you could have explored. In another timeline where Drew Karpyshyn didn't leave after ME2 maybe we got a better, more cohesive ending.
Eh, Mass Effect is still one of the greatest achievements in gaming history, and seeing how its accomplishments are very unlikely to be replicated any time soon, a rushed ending doesn't diminish its status.
The biggest crime of this ending really is the thematic pretense. A lot of people were understandably miffed at how little effect their choices made in the final climax, but for me the jarring tonal and thematic shift right at the finish line is what places this firmly in the "meh" category. It just comes out of nowhere and is given this huuuge dramatic weight completely unearnedly. Sure it's fleshed out in the Leviathan DLC, but the more it's fleshed out the more holes it pokes into itself. Why is the resolution to the supposedly inevitable organics vs synthetics conflict to wipe out organics? What makes this cycle so unavoidable? If the Reapers have been doing the cycle for hundreds of millions of years and are these galaxy-brained mega-beings, did it never occur to any of them that other options might be on the table?
As hard as the game tries to present the Reapers as these Cthulhu-esque forces of nature beyond our comprehension, their presentation even in the first game simply does not match that description. They're clearly capable of observing and understanding organics on a micro level and have personalities. They make bombastic villain speeches in booming voices for crying out loud! So ultimately the Reapers feel more like an army of stuck in their ways middle managers: powerful enough to stamp others beneath their heel, but not capable of enough original thought to consider doing things differently. So they end up feeling quite bland by the end, despite there being tons of interesting ideas about them you could have explored. In another timeline where Drew Karpyshyn didn't leave after ME2 maybe we got a better, more cohesive ending.
Eh, Mass Effect is still one of the greatest achievements in gaming history, and seeing how its accomplishments are very unlikely to be replicated any time soon, a rushed ending doesn't diminish its status.