Hope you have fun with it! I think the RE Engine games are some of the best in the series (most of them anyway, RE:3 was a little bit developed in under a year), and RE:4 might be the best of that set.
What are you currently playing?
- Thread starter Nick Calandra
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I'm doing 7 now since I already had it, but yeah just picked up the REmake trilogy (2 Deluxe, 3, 4 Gold) plus RE0 for good measure since I never finished it, $57.75 total with tax. That should last me a good while at the rate I play.
More NG2B. I've been clearing chapter challenge mode and doing tag missions. I unlocked a costume for Ayane and Momiji. Ayane's DOA5 outfit is so much better than her default.
Cleared up through the Water Hall since last time. I actually died more times to Mendez than to Water Hall, which I think has never happened to me before in either version of the game. Had one pretty rough death to the catapults as well, but overall not too bad of a performance for Chapter 7 (we don't talk about Chapter 6).
If anybody knows how to avoid Mendez's grab attack for next time, LMK? I don't think I managed to dodge that attack a single time.
If anybody knows how to avoid Mendez's grab attack for next time, LMK? I don't think I managed to dodge that attack a single time.
Eh, I see it more as Larian embracing a more sandbox style rather than limitation of technology or design. It happens in TTRPGs too, where the DM just goes "I genuinely did not even think of that and it completely breaks my plot, but it's cool so let's roll with it". Divinity Original Sin 2 allows for a lot of similar gamebreaking, but in response the higher difficulty modes break the game straight back at you. I tried DOS2's higher difficulty once, and right in the starting area enemies start out with way more diverse movesets and resources the players don't even have access to yet at that point. BG3's escalation curve is much more gentle: you don't see enemies chucking Fireballs in act 1 for example. BG3's encounters are also a lot more fixed and less malleable than DOS2's: they're specifically designed with unique abilities, arenas and dynamics for those particular fights. Whereas in DOS2 the enemies can just draw up more abilities from the universal pool, but in ways that completely shake up the dynamic.
I've made it to act 3, and it blows my mind that even after 250+ hours in this game I'm still discovering new quests and content. Granted, Larian have been adding to it and patching it a lot since my last playthrough, but I still had no idea of the connection between the painter quest and Mystic Carrion. The complexity of how the quests interweave is just mind-boggling.
Speaking of breaking the game, I'm now at level 11, where the game turns more into a sandbox of finding out ways to utterly humiliate the enemies. I finished Shadowheart's quest, and the final fight was a total riot of juggling the enemies from within a Globe of Invulnerability with Wall of Ice followed by Ice Storm followed by Hunger of Hadar followed by Black Hole... I was laughing like Beavis and Butthead by myself as the enemies were hopelessly outmatched. I also completely stripped the Shar door of its mystique by just opening it with Knock. In another fight I blasted a cluster of enemies with Cone of Cold, and then immediately Quickened Spelled another Cone of Cold on them. Letting go of the usual RPG hoarder mindset and just embracing spamming the most powerful abilities and consumables and taking plenty of Long Rests has opened the game up in a whole new way.
Chapter 9 of RE4R down. As I recall, that's basically the halfway point. Died a couple of times as Ashley, in the exact same spot no less, but so far I've been managing relatively well. Decided to buy the body armor this time, which I didn't last time; that was on Standard, and I was a lot more self-assured then, but I don't expect to manage without the extra defense on Hardcore. That's definitely saved my ass more than once already.
I expect it to save my ass plenty more times, since even in the castle there's a lot of rough encounters left.
I expect it to save my ass plenty more times, since even in the castle there's a lot of rough encounters left.
Started Valley.
It's from the Slender: The Arrival studio, so there's a tinge of cheapness and asset-flipping, though the game looks pretty damn gorgeous for an independent 3D first person camera game from 2016.
The pervasive feeling is that I'm playing a walking simulator that has been modified to allow as much "action" as possible - the usual running and double-jumping and fixed-point grappling hook swinging. Occasionally you're offered the chance to shoot at a floating enemy blob, but you're mostly just platforming across a linear path or small open areas, utilizing momentum and clearing the way with some mild puzzling.
The novelty is you have the ability to give and take life from the surrounding trees and animals. In theory you don't have an HP bar, bur rather it's the valley's - trees die around you whenever you respawn - so to avoid this you give life back and get acorns in return (the game's currency, used to open doors). Conversely I never have a good reason to take life. In theory you can replenish the 'ammo' used for double-jumping and grappling that way, but why even bother - there's plenty of limitless energy floating everywhere. They should've worked the giving and taking of life into puzzle solving - make me kill vegetation to reveal stuff or clear the way, that kind of thing.
It's from the Slender: The Arrival studio, so there's a tinge of cheapness and asset-flipping, though the game looks pretty damn gorgeous for an independent 3D first person camera game from 2016.
The pervasive feeling is that I'm playing a walking simulator that has been modified to allow as much "action" as possible - the usual running and double-jumping and fixed-point grappling hook swinging. Occasionally you're offered the chance to shoot at a floating enemy blob, but you're mostly just platforming across a linear path or small open areas, utilizing momentum and clearing the way with some mild puzzling.
The novelty is you have the ability to give and take life from the surrounding trees and animals. In theory you don't have an HP bar, bur rather it's the valley's - trees die around you whenever you respawn - so to avoid this you give life back and get acorns in return (the game's currency, used to open doors). Conversely I never have a good reason to take life. In theory you can replenish the 'ammo' used for double-jumping and grappling that way, but why even bother - there's plenty of limitless energy floating everywhere. They should've worked the giving and taking of life into puzzle solving - make me kill vegetation to reveal stuff or clear the way, that kind of thing.
Went and shamelessly cheesed the Cazador fight in BG3. If you use Daylight before entering the cutscene, the combat will start without any of Cazador's special mechanics in play, which nerfs the fight basically completely. Spike Growth, Hunger of Hadar and Insect Swarm combined with Black Holing the enemies together felt like one of those high-level Tekken fights where one player just juggles the other non-stop without any chance at reprisal. And that's a good thing, because I legit don't really know how you're supposed to handle Cazador in Honour mode. He has so much health, the timer to his ascension is so short, his damage is absolutely fucking bonkers, and the mechanics are neither well explained nor telegraphed, meaning you can just be taken completely unawares by him transforming into the most powerful monster in the game.
After a long gaming funk I decided to subscribe to GamePass to kick myself in the gamer ass a bit and try some stuff.
First up is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The warm reception to this one, amplified by the love of Indy and Harrison Ford, touched my cold heart despite my reservations with first person gaming.
I barely got past the prologue only but I see its charms. It does admittedly feel like something from 15 years ago but that's why it's a "Gamepass game" for me.
Since my PC rig is not particularly powerful and I had problems starting the game, I opted to uninstall high textures and the result is actually a really smooth experience, making navigating through the environment real breezy and fun. So, so far, I'm down for this thing.
First up is Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The warm reception to this one, amplified by the love of Indy and Harrison Ford, touched my cold heart despite my reservations with first person gaming.
I barely got past the prologue only but I see its charms. It does admittedly feel like something from 15 years ago but that's why it's a "Gamepass game" for me.
Since my PC rig is not particularly powerful and I had problems starting the game, I opted to uninstall high textures and the result is actually a really smooth experience, making navigating through the environment real breezy and fun. So, so far, I'm down for this thing.
Thanks for the link to the control tips; I'll try them this week!
And I have played and beaten the first game, but it was a LONG time ago when it first came out and don't remember the details.
Finished Valley. For a $2 game it's neat. The game is like a budget version of Bioshock - it's doing its alternate 1950s hidden/fallen utopia and you're late to the party as always, catching up via audiologs (and the head honcho is named Andrew Fisher, go figure), only it's the Canadian Rockies and you're dealing with wendigos. Which incidentally is one of those beasts I'm always happy to encounter in games.
I would've liked it if there were more outdoors levels. Too much time is spent trudging through nondescript underground facilities like you're playing a Black Mesa mod, and it's also way too damn dark. I wanted more valley in Valley.
Also the collectibles are a ***** because there's no way of tracking what you've got or where you go it, so if you're a freak like me you essentially have to play through the whole game twice.
I would've liked it if there were more outdoors levels. Too much time is spent trudging through nondescript underground facilities like you're playing a Black Mesa mod, and it's also way too damn dark. I wanted more valley in Valley.
Also the collectibles are a ***** because there's no way of tracking what you've got or where you go it, so if you're a freak like me you essentially have to play through the whole game twice.
That's a wrap on the Castle in RE4R. Didn't die to Ramon a single time, which I wasn't expecting when on the first playthrough I was ready to rage quit at his boss fight, and since I'm doing the side quests I didn't have an egg to skip the fight. Also managed to get all the treasures this time, though I did have to backtrack for the small key drawer at the Battlements because I didn't remember to save the key in Chapter 8 for it.
That was the last 'easy' fight, though, because the mercenary Ganados on the Island are easily the toughest regular enemies, the elites and bosses just get worse from there, and I used everything except my handgun ammo and a few grenades on Ramon. Guess we'll have to see how it goes.
That was the last 'easy' fight, though, because the mercenary Ganados on the Island are easily the toughest regular enemies, the elites and bosses just get worse from there, and I used everything except my handgun ammo and a few grenades on Ramon. Guess we'll have to see how it goes.
Picked up The Talos Principle II on sale. Didn't install, instead brought back up the first one for a replay and then a run through the DLC, which I didn't have the first time around.
BTW, just noticed the file size difference between 1 and 2. And yet somehow, I'm just going to doubt the sequel is 6 times more content than its predecessor. If I had to guess, all the extra file size (and probably then some) is to make it almost imperceptibly prettier. A low action puzzle game with a faster framerate... exactly what everyone wanted, right? Ahh, just being negative... it's probably fine.
BTW, just noticed the file size difference between 1 and 2. And yet somehow, I'm just going to doubt the sequel is 6 times more content than its predecessor. If I had to guess, all the extra file size (and probably then some) is to make it almost imperceptibly prettier. A low action puzzle game with a faster framerate... exactly what everyone wanted, right? Ahh, just being negative... it's probably fine.
Dropped off the Indiana Jones game as I figured I would once I hit the point where I had to wander around exploring and figuring things out in first person while being careful not to trigger guards. I just really really don't like first person lol. But the game is good, just not for me for that reason.
Tried Eternal Sands because it looked like it would be a fun silly action game I could dabble with while listening to podcasts or whatever but the color scheme turned me off. Also the controls just felt awkward- I am just extremely picky with action games, I feel like if all you're giving me is combat and traversal (because no one's gonna play this game for the story and characters) than it's gotta be aces.
Gonna try Nine Sols next. The reason I was never gonna buy it was because of its difficulty but it looks so cool I at least want to get up to the first boss.
Tried Eternal Sands because it looked like it would be a fun silly action game I could dabble with while listening to podcasts or whatever but the color scheme turned me off. Also the controls just felt awkward- I am just extremely picky with action games, I feel like if all you're giving me is combat and traversal (because no one's gonna play this game for the story and characters) than it's gotta be aces.
Gonna try Nine Sols next. The reason I was never gonna buy it was because of its difficulty but it looks so cool I at least want to get up to the first boss.
I didn't but you can basically adjust the difficulty with sliders, from how much damage you take to how much you deal.
I think you dropped Ender Lilies because of Ulf, right? Ender Magnolia's out and found it fair and comparatively and easy. No bullshit/brick walls.
I did more Chapter Challenges in NG2B. I got 10 Master Ninja Rankings, so now Rachel's Fiend Costume is no unlocked, The rest of costumes for the ladies I have to unlock by beating Mentor. Ryu's final costume has to be unlocked via beating Ninja Master Mode. I'm not doing that.
I completed Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold (PS1) Survival Mode with Adon. I played the Arcade version of Gold and addicted to Dramatic Battle mode again.
I completed Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold (PS1) Survival Mode with Adon. I played the Arcade version of Gold and addicted to Dramatic Battle mode again.
Finished with Krauser this time. I got killed by him and by the wrecking ball section, and once again had to use basically all my ammo and healing just to get past. Which is not great considering that what's coming up might just be the hardest fight in the game. Still, Krauser and Mike's parts are both top-notch, and much improved compared to the original. I'm griping occasionally, but about 90% of my gripes are a skill issue, and they don't really detract from the game's overall very high quality.
Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to scratch off the rest of it.
Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to scratch off the rest of it.
We'll see what happens of course but I just don't like adjusting difficulty with sliders, I then become conscious I'm not really playing the game. That was my experience with Celeste- dropped close to the end and yeah I knew about all the menu options but I just couldn't do it.
Ender Lillies on the other hand I wasn't really loving enough to care? So dropping it was easy. I mean it was alright...
I realized lately that I just really love the beginnings of video games lol
Kingcome Dom Deliver ''nce Twain
Relatively positive first impression. But I don't think it racist to admit I kept getting confused which of the two blue-eyed white blond summer boy protags were which. I mean come on, they do pretty much look like twins. Are they twins? Like, no exaggeration, an early cutscene has one doing something really stupid, and I was rolling eyes thinking "oh look at this chump they saddled me with, a liability of an idiot sidekick." Until the other spoke their name and I realised nooo, oh nooo....that idiot is me! I'm the liability! All sense of reality collapsed into itself like the scene from Being John Malkovich. You know the one, don't tell me you don't. Only those who haven't seen would say they don't.
Is a sequel I just gone into blind, having not played the first, mostly cos it remains locked 30fps on consoles, and am kinda 60fps addict now maybe for heightened escapism it provide. Luckily these stories ain't tricky to decipher as long as you not needing instant context for every last name dropped in convo. And let's be honest, any realism attempts in this time period comes with an inherently smaller, stricter pool of character/social backgrounds n dynamics anyway, making deduction a much simpler task.
Looks good, plays clunky tho spose due to that there darn tootin' realism. Doggo sidekick mechanic appreciated, less hassle identifying differences from player character at least. Occasional graphical glitches pop up like black mirror jump scares when you getting immersed in the beautifully rendered countryside and the world starts strobing white flashes if you look too fast in some directions in certain areas, or the sky texture goes super low resolution and slides nonchalantly across the horizon like half-melted 8-bit butter on fancy cast-iron pan.
Relatively positive first impression. But I don't think it racist to admit I kept getting confused which of the two blue-eyed white blond summer boy protags were which. I mean come on, they do pretty much look like twins. Are they twins? Like, no exaggeration, an early cutscene has one doing something really stupid, and I was rolling eyes thinking "oh look at this chump they saddled me with, a liability of an idiot sidekick." Until the other spoke their name and I realised nooo, oh nooo....that idiot is me! I'm the liability! All sense of reality collapsed into itself like the scene from Being John Malkovich. You know the one, don't tell me you don't. Only those who haven't seen would say they don't.
Is a sequel I just gone into blind, having not played the first, mostly cos it remains locked 30fps on consoles, and am kinda 60fps addict now maybe for heightened escapism it provide. Luckily these stories ain't tricky to decipher as long as you not needing instant context for every last name dropped in convo. And let's be honest, any realism attempts in this time period comes with an inherently smaller, stricter pool of character/social backgrounds n dynamics anyway, making deduction a much simpler task.
Looks good, plays clunky tho spose due to that there darn tootin' realism. Doggo sidekick mechanic appreciated, less hassle identifying differences from player character at least. Occasional graphical glitches pop up like black mirror jump scares when you getting immersed in the beautifully rendered countryside and the world starts strobing white flashes if you look too fast in some directions in certain areas, or the sky texture goes super low resolution and slides nonchalantly across the horizon like half-melted 8-bit butter on fancy cast-iron pan.
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