What are you currently playing?

[meiam]

Just finished Disco Elysium.

I went into disco elysium very apprehensive, everything I'd read directly about the game sounded amazing but at the same time I find most game that try to be "smart" to be very disapointing and often childish. Plus there was the overly political crowd claiming that this was totally against capitalism/socialism/whateverlism which, urg. But man was I blown away by how great the game is, agree with everything you say and want to add that the dialogue was incredibly good and could carry the game on its own even if you were to strip the great world building (love how it start normal and slowly reveal the weirder aspect) and interesting skill system. Plus the character are wonderful, straddling the line between believe and interesting, I'd take a bullet for Kim anyday which is amazing considering his role in the story is to probe the player in certain direction and chide you when you do something stupid.

 

[BrawlMan]

I beat Holly Summers.....she still has the saddest death as far as the original assassin line up goes. She eats her own grenade. Not a pleasant way to go. Those L.Balls I was talking earlier; when you collect your first 7, make sure to get the skill that awards you based on your assassin rank. That eat away the grind immensely, so you want have to repeat side jobs as much. Now to get some cash to have that proper "fight" against #5.

 

[sXeth]

Yeah I know the people you specifically call to help you can...you know...help you , I was just curious if it was even mechanically possible for the reds to, perhaps upon seeing your situation, be like "eh, I feel bad for this dude, let me help him clear this area, and then I'll curbstomp him."

In Dark Souls 3 they added the MAd Spirits (purples), who could go either way.

Though in practice, even when people summoned me as one, they usually just treated me as aggro, no faith lol

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

In Dark Souls 3 they added the MAd Spirits (purples), who could go either way.

Though in practice, even when people summoned me as one, they usually just treated me as aggro, no faith lol

I never understood the point of the mad spirits. If you want someone to help you then you would never actually summon one. it's not like there's ever a shortage of white phantom signs sitting around.

 

[happyninja42]

In Dark Souls 3 they added the MAd Spirits (purples), who could go either way.

Though in practice, even when people summoned me as one, they usually just treated me as aggro, no faith lol

Is there really much justification for having faith in the souls player base? If given the opportunity to kill something? We both know how gamers are. They'll come in, start helping you some, and then right before you beat something powerful, they turn and PK you just to be a dickbag. Why else would you opt for the "i can kill you if I choose to" option of playing with someone else, instead of just going in as a helpful person?

 

[Dalisclock]

I never understood the point of the mad spirits. If you want someone to help you then you would never actually summon one. it's not like there's ever a shortage of white phantom signs sitting around.

Is there really much justification for having faith in the souls player base? If given the opportunity to kill something? We both know how gamers are. They'll come in, start helping you some, and then right before you beat something powerful, they turn and PK you just to be a dickbag. Why else would you opt for the "i can kill you if I choose to" option of playing with someone else, instead of just going in as a helpful person?

I can only imagine it's for people who want either additional challenge or uncertainty in their DS3 experience. The people who have gotten so good or comfortable with the game they do all the challenge runs and such.

And I'm this guy taking a couple goes at Midir, getting flattened and saying "This isn't worth it" before leaving forever and not feeling like I'm missing anything worthwhile. I'm also a boring person who pretty much engages with Sunbros or MAYBE the Darkmoons for a little bit before going back to Subroing because I'm basic and like helping rather then griefing in Souls-likes games.

 

[Dalisclock]

Back when I was 12, I thought he was a little loopy and eccentric., but I did not realize he was full bore crazy until watching a college play MGS4 back in 2007 at the age of 18.

You have point, but he was more or less 100% about what would happen with the internet in the future. People spent too much time bitching and moaning about not being able to play or be Solid Snake. Constantly hating on Raiden and making fun of him, because they were him. I was one of the few defenders of Raiden at the time before it came popular to actually like him. Critics on the other hand were actually loving MGS2 and giving proper credit for making gamers think, even if done in a weird way. Which while new at the time and unique, has become normalized for the most part.

Oh, I'll give MGS2 credit for stuff like that. I do appreciate the subversive storytelling in MGS2 but will also give it appropriate shit for the constant Codec interruptions and cutscenes that drag on for too long. And pretty much everything on the 2nd Shell which feels like the worlds most obnoxious escort mission with the world's most annoying Escortee. I think I ended up Belting EE and carrying her just to shut her the fuck up because it was far less annoying then trying to get her to move. When my 4 year old kid says she's scared to walk through a new place alone, I understand. When an presumed adult in a video game does it, I have no fucking patience for it.

Arsenal gear is kind of the same problem where it's an interesting idea but it's annoying in how you actually play it for the most part and caps off with a boss fight where you need to master a skill you've barely had a chance to practice(the damn sword). The best part is the "Fission Mailed" and maybe the fight against the Rex's.

So I respect the game but I also dread the idea of actually replaying it beyond a certain point because I'm like "Oh fuck, it's EE, Oh fuck, it's Naked part, and now Fucking Solidus with the sword"

MGS3, OTOH, felt so much more satisfying to actually play and while it's not as groundbreaking, it felt like it's more solid all around and the story better balances the camp and profound whereas MGS2 kind of sharply gyrates between the famous meta commentary and shit like Raiden having to get annoyed by his girlfriend over and over again and having to hear about Otocon getting sexually abused by his stepmom as a child and Huey trying to drown his Sister because of it.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

MGS3, OTOH, felt so much more satisfying to actually play and while it's not as groundbreaking, it felt like it's more solid all around and the story better balances the camp and profound whereas MGS2 kind of sharply gyrates between the famous meta commentary and shit like Raiden having to get annoyed by his girlfriend over and over again and having to hear about Otocon getting sexually abused by his stepmom as a child and Huey trying to drown his Sister because of it.

The problem that I have, conceptually, with Metal Gear Solid 3 is that it's entirely reactionary. They took all the things that people were upset about in MGS2 and reverted them as hard as possible. People said they didn't like the bosses? Give them no backstory and no relevance to the plot whatsoever! People said they didn't like Raiden? Murder him in cold blood to progress the story! People said they didn't like the setting on the oil rig? Go into the jungle instead! It's a game written by public demand rather than by the creator, with little identity other than 'it's not Metal Gear Solid 2', and as a person who really liked Metal Gear Solid 2, that just puts me off it.

 

[Dalisclock]

The problem that I have, conceptually, with Metal Gear Solid 3 is that it's entirely reactionary. They took all the things that people were upset about in MGS2 and reverted them as hard as possible. People said they didn't like the bosses? Give them no backstory and no relevance to the plot whatsoever! People said they didn't like Raiden? Murder him in cold blood to progress the story! People said they didn't like the setting on the oil rig? Go into the jungle instead! It's a game written by public demand rather than by the creator, with little identity other than 'it's not Metal Gear Solid 2', and as a person who really liked Metal Gear Solid 2, that just puts me off it.

Yeah, MGS2 has Higher Peaks and Lower Valley's whereas MGS3 tends to have a much more consistent curve. MGS3 does flat out harken heavily back to earlier games in the series, like MG2, while basically giving the whole thing an Origin story for a bunch of things in the series. It does play it a lot safer in a lot of respects and basically not unlike a lot of controversial sequels, where a game follows up a well regarded game by trying something really different, it doesn't land well so the next game goes back to what worked really well in the first one. Zelda did it, Metroid did it, Castlevania did it, Mario did it, etc.

Metal Gear kinda went back and forth on this. MGS2 was controversial and out there, MGS3 jumped back into more of a comfortable place, MGS4.......yeah, Peace Walker tries a new formula but is back to the more comfortable storyline beats(although mostly well executed) and MGSV is basically PW but a lot prettier but the plot is back to trying to be something really significant that doesn't work very well when it all comes together.

 

[BrawlMan]

really well in the first one. Zelda did it, Metroid did it, Castlevania did it, Mario did it, etc.

You never realized how many video games do this till you start counting. At least with Mario, I will take the fake Super Mario Bros 2 over the real one any day. Even if it's a dolled up installment with a few additional changes or updates. Because that particular version or Doki Doki Panic added elements or upgraded further in 3 or Super Mario World.

There's very few games or franchises I can think of that didn't suffer from this.

• The original Crash Bandicoot trilogy.
• Streets of Rage, unless we're talking about the screwed up US or European verses of 3. Otherwise the Japanese versions have been pretty consistent.
• Contra was pretty consistent with its main line 2D games before the 3D era.
• Sly Cooper, Jack And Daxter, and Ratchet & Clank.
• Resident Evil
• Mega Man

I know there was a bit more, but I'm stopping for now.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

• The original Crash Bandicoot trilogy.
• Streets of Rage, I must were talking about the screwed up US or European verses of 3. Otherwise the Japanese versions have been pretty consistent.
• Contra was pretty consistent with its main line 2D games before the 3D era.
• Sly Cooper, Jack And Daxter, and Ratchet & Clank.
• Resident Evil
• Mega Man

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. It's not a huge departure from the original formula, instead building a lot of extra enhancements onto it to make a more complete, more interesting and more fun game. And it almost didn't happen, except that Konami's Ultra Games made their own sequel, Snake's Revenge, and it sucked.

 

[BrawlMan]

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. It's not a huge departure from the original formula, instead building a lot of extra enhancements onto it to make a more complete, more interesting and more fun game. And it almost didn't happen, except that Konami's Ultra Games made their own sequel, Snake's Revenge, and it sucked.

Yep. I know about that subway train ride story with Kojima and one of the developers for Snake's Revenge.

 

[Dalisclock]

Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. It's not a huge departure from the original formula, instead building a lot of extra enhancements onto it to make a more complete, more interesting and more fun game. And it almost didn't happen, except that Konami's Ultra Games made their own sequel, Snake's Revenge, and it sucked.

MG2 felt like an enhanced remake of Metal Gear and I mean that as a compliment. Metal Gear is a piece of gaming history that's really not much fun to play or replay. Metal Gear 2 ,despite some flaws, has a lot more going for it despite not being that different on the surface.

 

[BrawlMan]

MG2 felt like an enhanced remake of Metal Gear and I mean that as a compliment. Metal Gear is a piece of gaming history that's really not much fun to play or replay. Metal Gear 2 ,despite some flaws, has a lot more going for it despite not being that different on the surface.

And Metal Gear Solid became an advance remake of Metal Gear 2. And then Metal Gear Solid 2 became a remake of Metal Gear Solid 1, but deconstructed. Ironic, as a year later Metal Gear Solid 1 got a remake. Only for Metal Gear Solid 3 to be a prequel and back to basics approach, and was MGS1, but in the 60s.

So far, that's about four franchises that has done this. A first game laying the groundwork, a controversial or mixed reception of a second game, and a third game that is a prequel and goes to a back to basic approach, but better. I've noticed that all these franchises are from Japanese companies too.

We have

• Castlevania
• Legend of Zelda
• Metal Gear Solid
• Devil May Cry

Do I hear five at this point? It wouldn't surprise me if I forgot something, or there's another franchise that had this unique problem.

 

[happyninja42]

Decided to bite the bullet and pick up Sekiro.

It's fine so far I guess. Typical ambiguous anime narrative, with a protagonist that always repeats the last statement said to him. "The last statement said to him?" Yes, that. Which I find.......how to put this....we'll just go with....annoying. Yes, that's a good, neutral, non toxic way to say it. Annoying....yes.

So far my biggest hurdle is trying to just navigate the fucking map with ANY clue where I'm supposed to go, and the damn UI. The game system actively fucks with you to kill you. I was sneaking up on a guy, and was directly in front of his FOV, where he SHOULD be able to see me. I was testing to see how close I could get, since he was a lookout but, no reaction...not even the hollowed out triangle to indicate he's maybe kind thinking something is in my direction. Totally clear skies for me...ok no problem. I continue to sneak towards him, and he continues to be totally oblivious to me. He is standing on a raised platform, about 10 feet above the path I'm sneaking along. There are ZERO obstructions, and nothing for me to hide behind. I am frankly puzzled as to why he can't see me, given how perceptive most drunk ass, pantsless mooks in this game are. But no, this guy is apparently having a mini-mal seizure or something, and has check out of reality. Then, when I am no longer in his FOV, and am underneath the platform he is standing on...THEN he suddenly triggers to detection on me, and thus alerts the entire collection of guards past him. Fucking BRILLIANT game design!

Also the AI cheats, like fucking crazy. I was moving around the Himata (or whatever that first flashback map is) memory, and there is a bonfire location where you get the flame barrel prosthetic upgrade. There's like 6+ dudes in this little collection of houses, including 1 dude up on a roof as lookout. I had agro'd them, and had hopped OUTSIDE of their enclosed space to try and reset their agro. I moved around to one side, away from the majority of the train I had pulled, near the side with the archer. I am still under the roof, the wall, and 100% out of his LOS, so there is no logical way he would know where I am. I double jump to pull myself up onto the little wall roof to move back in, and INSTANTLY I get hit in the fucking face with an arrow. So precise was this shot, that it's fucking IMPOSSIBLE for it to have happened, outside of the AI timing it based on knowing my button prompts to start the jump. Because realistically, that guy shouldn't have even known I was over there, much less magically timed a shot to poke out one of my eyes, the second I poke my head over the top. If he was some boss, with the dragon blood heritage or whatever, ok fine, magical senses, preternatural reflexes, sure. This is literally a guy NOT WEARING PANTS, WITH A PLATE FOR A HAT, STANDING ON A ROOF WATCHING A BUNCH OF DUDES GET DRUNK. This guy isn't fucking Hawkeye, he's Random Yard Trash 27. And a bunch of other little annoying things like that.

Oh and I find it really fucking ridiculous how LOUD my super sneaky shinobi is when he's STEALTH KILLING dudes.

Definitely feels like style over substance. Just mindless fighting for the sake of fighting, with only the most cursory efforts put into actually establishing what the fuck is going on, and why.

Only actual question I have is about the memory upgrade system
Lady Butterfly was fairly easy, killed her on my second try and got a memory shard for boosting my attack power. Game then told me I can replay memories, and I now only have the one memory to replay. But, if I fight her again, will I get another memory fragment that I can then spend to further boost my attack power? I read online that your AP can be up to 99, and I didn't see 99 memories in the list, so I assume they are repeatable specifically so they can be farmed for upgrading?

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Only actual question I have is about the memory upgrade system
Lady Butterfly was fairly easy, killed her on my second try and got a memory shard for boosting my attack power. Game then told me I can replay memories, and I now only have the one memory to replay. But, if I fight her again, will I get another memory fragment that I can then spend to further boost my attack power? I read online that your AP can be up to 99, and I didn't see 99 memories in the list, so I assume they are repeatable specifically so they can be farmed for upgrading?

Unfortunately, no. You won't earn Memory items from re-fighting bosses at the Sculptor's Idol; you only get them on a new NG+ cycle. There's also a special item broken into three parts; if you get all of them, you can trade 5 skill points for an attack increase, but I don't recommend it until you have all the skills unlocked.

 

[Gergar12]

Nothing but Genshin Impact.

 

[gorfias]

I already had the N64 version of Conker's Bad Fur day on Xbox 1X from the Rare Replay collection. This month, games for Gold dropped the Xbox Reloaded version. The improvements in graphics and 2 analog stick gameplay in only one generation is an amazing achievement. Played about 1/2 hour each today to compare and contrast. N64 has its pleasures as an OG... but they really did step it up a big notch.

 

[BrawlMan]

No More Heroes 1 again. Letz Shake gets killed in a cut-scene, and you nor Travis kill him. Thanks to Sir Henry Mother-fucker. Now to grind money towards #4. This will take a while because I spent money on Beam Katana Club called Tsubaki Mk. II, and I needed to upgrade Travis stamina and health.

 

[Drathnoxis]

I already had the N64 version of Conker's Bad Fur day on Xbox 1X from the Rare Replay collection. This month, games for Gold dropped the Xbox Reloaded version. The improvements in graphics and 2 analog stick gameplay in only one generation is an amazing achievement. Played about 1/2 hour each today to compare and contrast. N64 has its pleasures as an OG... but they really did step it up a big notch.

I'm having trouble deciding which version of Conker is more horrifying to look at.

Yeah I know the people you specifically call to help you can...you know...help you , I was just curious if it was even mechanically possible for the reds to, perhaps upon seeing your situation, be like "eh, I feel bad for this dude, let me help him clear this area, and then I'll curbstomp him."

I don't know if anybody ever gave you a proper answer to this, but I was playing Dark Souls Remaster with my cousin last week and I tried it out. If you invade somebody the enemies don't attack you and you can't attack them.