What are you currently playing?

[NerfedFalcon]

Continuing Resident Evil 5. The boss in 3-3 feels like a crossover between Del Lago and Salazar, without actually being as good as either of them. It was nice of Josh to get out of the boat for a second in 3-2 and actually help us get there in time, though.

Also did 4-1. That temple section dragged out way too damn long.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Dead cell has a pretty big problem where unlocking newer weapons can screw you up if the weapon you unlock suck. I enjoy it at the start but then I focused on unlocking weapon and now it's really rare that I get the weapon I like and I mostly just get stuff I hate and end up with outdated weapon at higher level. It's really weird there isn't an upgrade to take stuff out of the item drop rotation.


I really like the more "simulation" aspect of it, but hate the combat system. It's really the best example I can think of "Hard to learn, easy to master" system. It seems super complex at first but once you figure out how to do the perfect parry thing you can easily take out as many enemy as you need. So as a results I never enjoyed figthing in the game and ended dropping it. The entire interface kinda suck too, it's a weird game that feel really polish in some aspect but incredibly amateurish in others.

Yeah it’s in need of a good balancing mod, where the directional and defensive stuff matters more in how you approach. Having said that, it’s still deeper and more tactical than other combat systems of the genre, in that you can’t just hack everyone down as an afterthought.

 

[Dalisclock]

Ring Fit Adventure-Nintendo Switch

I felt really awkward about using this as an example and went back and forth to even consider it a game. I got this for my wife after getting a switch for christmas but I've been using it too because, well COVID and the gyms are closed here.

Basically, like Nintendo loves to do, the Ring-con is a special controller for the Switch. It's a flexible ring that has a connector for a joycon(as well as a leg strap for the other one) and Ring Fit Adventure is a game that is designed around this. It also comes packaged with the Ring-con so yeah.

Ring Fit adventure is basically a fitness game, or more accurately, a fitness program with a game built around it. It's involves an utterly cliche beyond belief plot about an evil dragon(named Dragux) who does something evil and you have a magical ring-con(that talks to you) and allows you to fight him and his minons. There's a node-based map with several worlds(ala a classic mario game) with mostly linear levels where you run down a trail to the end, picking up coins and stuff along the way and occasionally fight monsters. The fights are turned based battles very much like any JRPG you've ever played, except the attacks are various exercises you've unlocked along the way. At first it's very rote but eventually gets more interesting because the different attacks/exercises are color coded(and so are the monsters) which causes extra damage. There's also guard phase when you're being attacked to prevent the enemies from wiping your health bar down to nothing(you get access to health items and buffs fairly early on, in the form of smoothies you can buy or make). There's also some mini-games in each world that reward you with money, items and experience, which are actually a nice change of pace as well, we well as the ring con unlocks new "Powers" as you progress to keep it from getting too stale.

At the end of each world you fight the Dragon in a boss battle, which lasts quite a while and comes across as a bit cheesy because Dragux is a big workout obsessed dude whose totally swoll and works out in between punching you. When you win, he flies away to the next world for you to face him again, and so on. Kinda like dropping Bowser into the lava in Mario only to do it again 7 more times because reasons.

As an JRPG, it's decent and nothing to really talk about. What gives it any merit at all(depending on your POV), is if it gets you to work out in your home because the game elements are actually motivating you, and if you are okay with spending an extra $20-30 for the ring-con accessory that, as far as I know, only works for that one game. And really, that's gonna be why you do or do not consider it a worthy investment of time and money. Considering it's actually gotten me to fucking work out in my living room consistently since the pademnic started, for me it would be a yes, but it would be nice if it wasn't an accessory tied to one game which gives it a gimmick feel(I remember the robot, Nintendo. I know it was supposed to be a gimmick, but the point stands).

 

[EvilRoy]

Dead Cells is something I should probably play more of. I think I did one or two successful runs and then lost interest, but I think there was more story still. I didn't find the gameplay to feel quite as good as Hades, though, and the story never grabbed me as much.

If you haven't played it for a while definitely read up on the changelog. They've done a surprising amount in the last year to change up the game and help address the gameplay and make it feel smoother and more strategic. They even make mention of trying to make certain weapons suck less and work better in specific builds. I don't know how successful they were - I will never ever unlock the spartan sandals ever again - but honestly in a recent from-zero playthrough I found that most weapons were fairly usable, although they all required a playstyle changeup.

As to the topic:

Hades is beaten. It was good! I got to the credits, I'll probably keep playing for a while but I don't know if I'll be trying for the epilogue. Depending on where you get your rumors, unlocking the epilogue could take an obscene amount of time just on a pure item grinding basis, and if that's what it takes then I'm outskee.

The game really suffers from collectible value issues over time. Dark crystals and keys become fundamentally useless as time goes on, and the only way to trade them in is a terrible value. It costs 50 keys for one diamond, or you could beat the second boss with a slight increase in difficulty. Toward the end of the game you either want gems or diamonds to unlock stuff around the house, and gems are just such a grind. I just want a new carpet man, I have beat my dads ass like a tin drum many times and I think my ex is starting to get legitimately depressed over how huge our power delta is now, and yet I still struggle to afford a floor covering.

Compared to other rougelikes I feel its a little low on replayability because the weapon/boon interactions aren't varied enough to really make me feel one run is totally different from another. As an example, although there are boons I prefer for the bow, it doesn't really matter what I get now. I know the weapon well enough to make anything work without really changing up my playstyle - its just a question of whether the fight goes fast or slow now. Compare Binding of Isaac where item interactions make most runs totally unique, or Dead Cells, where each weapon has a fairly specific bonus that requires a particular playstyle, but there are a million weapons so you aren't going to get bored of seeing the same knife over and over.

Those are small complaints though, and they do lead (very eventually) to more story and relationships and such so its worth it if that's what you're into. Hades is set a little apart from other more traditional story-rougelikes where it takes way the hell longer to hit those end credits. Instead it sets itself apart by giving you the main story with less pain than usual but paces out the bonus stuff very widely for the people who keep playing for that sweet weapon unlock train. Its fairly plain to see why - I've never seen a rougelike that has put this much effort into art, voice acting, and music (with singers!). The individual characterizations of each of the gods could have been cribbed from existing mythology, but its clear that they made the choice to use those as the basis of personality and then write their own characters. A tremendous amount of effort went into voice direction to bring all that across with all the unique personalities. Learning from mythology that Artemis was solitary and distant is different from hearing that brought across in voice acting and writing.

The game is short for a rougelike but the polish and quality really makes up for it. I would guess that they made the choice that they want the average person to hit that ending and get their story in a reasonable timeframe, and then toss some bonus stuff to the long-haulers, and I respect that choice. Frankly I think the reason there are dozens of contradictory story ends in Binding of Isaac is because the designer didn't really believe many people would ever actually hit the full-stop ending.

I don't know what's next on the list... I bought Death Stranding so maybe that's next. I've been playing Noita a lot, but as cool of a physics simulator rougelike is as a concept I'm still getting my head around it.

 

[BrawlMan]

Got back in to Bayonetta 2 after not playing for a while. A bit rusty, but already acclimated again.

 

[Worgen]

I'm trying Ara Fell. It's a western-made pixel art Jrpg. The cover art looks super generic so I bet most people would look past it but the actual ingame world design is gorgeous, it reminds me of a mix between golden sun and breath of fire. The combat system is kinda basic but solid, music is quite nice and has some decent variety to it but the main draw is the witty plot, every character is very well written and there's a quippyness to everything that I quite enjoy. The plot revolves around an ancient war between elves and vampires and takes place on a floating continent that is loosing the capacity to float and needs saving and there's magic rings and stuff, all in all pretty orthodox stuff but full of soul and heart.


I don't normally care much for indie games but this one was just too gorgeous to not give a shot and I'm definitely glad I did.

I'm such an easy lay for great pixel graphics, this is going on the wishlist.

Have you not played many of them or what about them seems to turn you off? Also, if you love gorgious pixel graphics you should check out Star Renegades and Timespinner.

 

[Worgen]

Got back in to Bayonetta 2 after not playing for a while. A bit rusty, but already acclimated again.

I replayed that last month. It is much easier then the first Bayonetta but part of that is just how smooth combos slide into each other.

 

[Dreiko]

I'm such an easy lay for great pixel graphics, this is going on the wishlist.

Have you not played many of them or what about them seems to turn you off? Also, if you love gorgious pixel graphics you should check out Star Renegades and Timespinner.

A lot of the indies I see seem more like a lesser version or an uninspired replica of something that already exists, as opposed to a soulful take on a classic sort of game like with Cuphead or Ara Fell.

Also, and this is with western-made Jrpgs in particular, they tend to have this sort of art style which isn't really anime art style, this is like western cartoon artstyle with an anime aesthetic, and not done well like the good Teen Titans cartoon either. It hits this VERY weird uncanny valley where my brain thinks it's going to look at an anime artstyle but then the eyes and mouth is all wrong and the expression is like in a cartoon, it just ruins it for me completely. A good example of this is Cosmic Star Heroine. I genuinely recognize the artwork is fine, but I just hate it beyond belief.


And I hadn't heard of those games before so I took a look. Star Renegades does this uncanny valley thing too with the drawings, though the pixel art is gorgeous so it's less pronounced there. And Timespinner looks more like an anime-inspired western sidescroller than a game trying to look like anime and failing miserably, so that one's completely fine.

 

[Worgen]

A lot of the indies I see seem more like a lesser version or an uninspired replica of something that already exists, as opposed to a soulful take on a classic sort of game like with Cuphead or Ara Fell.

Also, and this is with western-made Jrpgs in particular, they tend to have this sort of art style which isn't really anime art style, this is like western cartoon artstyle with an anime aesthetic, and not done well like the good Teen Titans cartoon either. It hits this VERY weird uncanny valley where my brain thinks it's going to look at an anime artstyle but then the eyes and mouth is all wrong and the expression is like in a cartoon, it just ruins it for me completely. A good example of this is Cosmic Star Heroine. I genuinely recognize the artwork is fine, but I just hate it beyond belief.


And I hadn't heard of those games before so I took a look. Star Renegades does this uncanny valley thing too with the drawings, though the pixel art is gorgeous so it's less pronounced there. And Timespinner looks more like an anime-inspired western sidescroller than a game trying to look like anime and failing miserably, so that one's completely fine.

Well, Timespinners is really heavily inspired by Symphony of the night from a gameplay perspective. If you want something really original both from a visual perspective and gameplay then you should look into Spiritfarer or Jotun, even though neither is pixel art they both are beautifully animated and pretty original, Spiritfarer more so. Also Spiritfarer won Yahtzee's game of the year. Oh, another good pixel one is Children or Morta, its got an interesting family storyline and great pixel art that isn't really derivative of anything that comes to mind, gameplay its a dungeon hack and slasher but more character based then most.

 

[laggyteabag]

The first game I completed this year was the first Watch_Dogs.

I got gifted a key for the GOTY edition of the game a few years back, but it was exclusively in Russian, so I couldn't be bothered with it.

Luckily for me, the Epic store gave away Watch_Dogs a few months back, and because Ubisoft games insist on launching through uPlay, even if you buy the game on another platform, the Russian version seemingly synced up with the english version, and gave me all of the DLC. So it all worked out for me, in the end.

Onto the game, though, and it is very fine.

It was exactly the GTA-clone with a hacking gimmick that I expected it to be, and it executed everything completely serviceably.

The shooting was fine, the driving was fine, the hacking was fine, the story was fine. I had a suitably fine time playing it, and you know what? That is okay sometimes.

I will say though, a lot of the critique I hear of this game, is that the main character is super boring - but I must admit, I didn't feel that way. Again, he was fine, and perfectly suitable for the story, and if anything, I quite enjoyed his "im just here to get revenge. Fuck anyone else" personality, which really helped me completely ignore all of the side missions (which is usually where these open world games fall down).

The music was actually pretty good, though.

And I guess coming into the game years after launch, the post-E3 downgrade didn't really bother me at all. The game actually looks alright.

So yeah, Watch_Dogs was a perfectly adequate, if not completely unremarkable GTA-clone, and I had a decent time playing it.

Im actually excited to get around to Watch_Dogs 2, because that game looks like it has infinitely more personality to it.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Finished Resident Evil 5.

I was expecting a dumpster fire or at least a tire fire when I started, and certainly for everything it gets right it gets something so wrong. The inventory system barely does what it’s supposed to and somewhat discourages experimenting with weapons, the co-op gameplay feels forced a lot of the time, and the pacing is all over the place, dragging out parts that should be punchy and speeding through scenes that should take longer, with almost no time to breathe. But it has a strong visual identity despite the coffee filter, the combat still feels tactical and interesting, and the story manages to hit the sweet spot of laughably stupid, especially with a friend to laugh with. Without that, I’d recommend sticking to 4, but if you’ve played that and want something a bit different, and have a partner so you don’t have to rely on the AI, you’ll probably have a decent time.

We're planning to start 6 sometime soon as well, because 5 wasn't enough of a dumpster fire.

 

[happyninja42]

The music was actually pretty good, though.

Yeah there was one song on that radio that was slick as fuck. It was some kind of synthwave track, that I can't seem to find with a quick search. But it was hands down my favorite track from that game.

Im actually excited to get around to Watch_Dogs 2, because that game looks like it has infinitely more personality to it.

Yes, it very much does. I'd say it's got more of a feel of Saints Row, with the wackyness that infuses all of it. It's definitely a tonal shift, but a refreshing one.

 

[Dalisclock]

I will say though, a lot of the critique I hear of this game, is that the main character is super boring - but I must admit, I didn't feel that way. Again, he was fine, and perfectly suitable for the story, and if anything, I quite enjoyed his "im just here to get revenge. Fuck anyone else" personality, which really helped me completely ignore all of the side missions (which is usually where these open world games fall down).

I haven't played it but I remember there was a kerfuffle a few years back when Ubisoft was apparently trying to talk about Aiden's hat being Iconic. You know, that generic as fuck baseball cap he wears? Though really that's Ubisoft trying to pretend he's far more interesting then he actually is.

 

[laggyteabag]

I haven't played it but I remember there was a kerfuffle a few years back when Ubisoft was apparently trying to talk about Aiden's hat being Iconic. You know, that generic as fuck baseball cap he wears? Though really that's Ubisoft trying to pretend he's far more interesting then he actually is.

That is just Ubisoft being Ubisoft.

You can't make something iconic, things become iconic.

I just remember during one of Ubisoft's E3's, they had Aisha Tyler going on stage, and in the crowd, trying to "make memes", whatever that means. I guess it is a trend.

Im sure Aiden's hat would have had more of a chance, had Watch_Dogs been better received, and had Aiden Pearce lasted more than a single game - but whatever.

Speaking of iconic, though, im still trying to wrap my head around why the Assassin's Creed franchise has basically abandoned the whole "white hood" aesthetic.

 

[happyninja42]

Speaking of iconic, though, im still trying to wrap my head around why the Assassin's Creed franchise has basically abandoned the whole "white hood" aesthetic.

Maybe because, historically, the most famous group for wearing "white hoods" kiiiinda isn't the image you want for your protagonist group of killers? I mean they still have the hood look, they just seem to have allowed for more colors in their wardrobe. Maybe one of the Precursors told them about wearing white after labor day? *shrugs*

 

[happyninja42]

The music was actually pretty good, though.

Found the song that I fell in love with from that game.


Played that one on loop so many times

 

[sXeth]

I will say though, a lot of the critique I hear of this game, is that the main character is super boring - but I must admit, I didn't feel that way. Again, he was fine, and perfectly suitable for the story, and if anything, I quite enjoyed his "im just here to get revenge. Fuck anyone else" personality, which really helped me completely ignore all of the side missions (which is usually where these open world games fall down).

The music was actually pretty good, though.

Aiden's thing was that he's just kind of the generic gruff angsty dude, with the constant Ubisoft motivation of a dead family (seriously, almost every game since AC 2 they've done with a character revolves around a dead family member or close friend as the motivation)


Most of the rest of the cast makes up for it though. I also like that no one really treats him as a hero (his sister and nephew actually having the reaction you'd expect to finding out your brother was living a double life as some sort of professional killer, rather then a cheap everybody hugs and gets along about it)


Also yeah, the best action setpiecei n theg ame is when you get to use all T-bone's robots to blow away an army of dudes to Ministry lol.

 

[happyninja42]

Aiden's thing was that he's just kind of the generic gruff angsty dude, with the constant Ubisoft motivation of a dead family (seriously, almost every game since AC 2 they've done with a character revolves around a dead family member or close friend as the motivation)

To be fair, "dead family" as primary motivation for a protagonist on a revenge story line is pretty par for the course in any medium. Remember you have to justify to the audience whatever insane level of violence and possible murder the "hero" is about to do, so you have to give them some emotionally equivalent harm against them. I mean, John Wick killed like 50+ over a DOG. And as much as I love dogs, which is a lot, love the little puppers, I mean, that's a lot of dead people.

So making a game about, what is essentially a terrorist, running around a city, fucking up the infrastructure, and killing people with explosives and assault rifles, shutting down power for city blocks at an end. I mean, that's normally the stuff a bad guy does in a film, not the hero. So, give him a dead family to have to revenge "Because Grief"

But yes, Aiden was incredibly bland. Like, I don't really have a problem with that motivation, as it's really easy for a writer to utilize and just move on with the rest of the script, but he was just so dull as a character. Ezio from AC 2, had the same motivation, but at least he was charismatic, and had emotions. There's a reason they made so many games around him, he was actually fun to play as, personality wise. He felt REAL, like an actual person. Aiden was just some sock puppet who walked around looking at his phone all the time.

Watch Dogs 2 went a LONG way to remedy this, by giving the cast a LOT more personality and appeal. They are collection of tropes and meme characters, but I mean, again that's not unique to ubisoft really. GIve the supporting characters a single, well defined trait, that is easily contrasted by the protagonist in dialogue, and give them a quirk or 2 to play with. Boom, easy, effective supporting cast. I will say, that while I didn't finish WD 2, I had LOT more fun with it up to the point I stopped playing. Just from tone, atmosphere, and the characters I was interacting with.

 

[laggyteabag]

Maybe because, historically, the most famous group for wearing "white hoods" kiiiinda isn't the image you want for your protagonist group of killers?

Alright, fair enough, maybe that wasn't my finest moment.

That said, my point still stands.

The games don't really look like Assassin's Creed anymore, and the past few entries have barely even touched the Assassin/Templar conflict, and with the whole gameplay revamp of Origins and beyond, we are left with games that don't look like AC, don't play like AC, and barely even follow the same plot.

So, I ask then, what is the point, other than brand recognition?

It just seems like the newer games are so desperate to distance themselves from their own franchise, that we don't even have a game that really resembles where the series came from. I just want Assassin's Creed back, dammit.

 

[Dalisclock]

Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening Remake(Switch)

As some of you may know, I was a nintendo lad back in the day. Got a NES/SNES/GB during the 80's and 90's and a lot of their games I still have found memories of today(I'd also forgotten how hard some of them were). Wierdly, despite LoZ:LttP being one of my favorite SNES games, I never did play Links Awakening for the GB. I knew it existed, but I think the fact it was a GB game, which notably felt scaled down and, well, not nearly as good as their SNES/NES counterparts from the same series. I'm learning now that I was wrong but as a kid that was my take on it.

So Nintendo doing a full on remake of this game for the Switch gave me a 2nd chance to fix my overlooking of a very good zelda game. What apparently began as a side project for the Zelda team using LttP assets and a GB dev kit turned into a stealth sequel to the SNES classic and despite it's handheld limitations it's a full fledged classic Zelda game, with some new ideas tossed in there as well. There are short side-view platforming sections added, not seen since the dungeons of Zelda 2 and not seen again since, that act as passages within dungeons and a rather involved trading sidequest, at least part of which is mandatory to complete the game. The dungeons employ some interesting new gimmicks I haven't seen before, but even before that, most of them require a special key to even enter, found somewhere on the map(and normally not near the dungeons). The map pulls off the rather nice balance of both feeling large and full but also relatively easy to cross once you have the proper tools and knowledge, so feeling big within a reasonable space(and like an entire chunk of the map is basically a theme park ride to win prizes).

The notable aspect of the game come in it's setting. Since the game is like 25 years old at this point, I'm gonna assume I don't need spoiler warnings. Link is in a shipwreck and washes up on a remote island(which is surprisingly large and varied), and is told he needs to go to the top of the tallest mountain on the island and wake the Wind Fish, which is inside of a massive Egg perched on the summit(Building a boat apparently isn't an option, despite the abundance of trees on the island). To do that, Link needs to go through 8 dungeons and get 8 instruments to play a special ballad. Later you find out that the Island itself(including everyone living on it) is a dream of the Wind Fish and if the Wind Fish is awakened, the island will vanish into nothingness(and everyone living on it will effectively die). This kind of explains some of the wierder elements, like you find enemies from the mario games(and Kirby shows up as an enemy in one of the later dungeons), some of the mini-bosses/bosses are kinda weird(like one of them is literally a boxer). However, it also creates this dark undertone to the adventure, that the Wind Fish is being kept asleep against it's will(the Bosses are called Nightmares and it's stated they're purposefully keeping the Wind Fish from waking, as well as terrorizing it's sleep) and the fact you're dooming the island and it's population to literal oblivion by waking it up. Remember, this isn't Bloodborne, where being trapped in a nightmare is in keeping with the dark tone, but a game meant for kids to be able to play.

I do understand the Remake had some QoL improvements over the GameBoy original but it still comes across as a damn fine game for a handheld, and even if full Nintendo game price for a remake of a 25 year old Game Boy game may be a little on the steep side, I felt it was worth it for the quality of the experience(even if I might not have felt the same way if I'd played the original as a kid).

With that being said, one of the obligatory mini-game shops in this one is a Crane Game(with realistic Crane Game Physics). Anyone whose ever played a crane game in an arcade before knows the dread and frustration involved with this and I just gonna say, Fuck the Crane game. Otherwise, quite a fun ride and I wish most remakes would strive to improve on the original while still keeping what made it good.