What are you currently playing?

[Bob_McMillan]

Yeah..don't know what to tell you. I'm one of those. Granted I played it like 5 years ago or something, but I absolutely adored Sleeping Dogs. I don't remember too much about it, though I think I posted my playthrough here. I remember thinking this was what it would look like if the Shenmue guys made a GTA game. It was similar in structure, but very different gameplay. The gameplay being awkward or sluggish was part of its charm for me. The protagonist was interesting in that he's not exactly a good guy. There was kinda layers to it. I think I loved the combat a lot. Once you start opening up all the shenmue style judo moves and what not, taking on groups of enemies was fun. Idk, I just thought it was the bees knees, but I'm more the kind of person that likes Shenmue so...different breed. Its a game I wouldn't fault anybody for not liking.

The only thing that comes to mind with that combat arena style would be Yakuza, with Yakuza 0 being the best game in the series. If you don't enjoy Japanese crime noir though it can be pretty dull.

I will say the combat is excellently animated with great sound effects. I'll never get tired of the environment kills. But as a whole... Eh. Really is more flashy than anything else.

I did try Like a Dragon Isshin last year, but I couldn't get to grips with its combat either. Are the more modern Yakuza games better in that regard?

It's not exactly Arkham style, but Evil West is a third person shooter and brawler hybrid. I highly recommend it if there's a steam sale on that game.

Evil West is actually in my wish list. I should check how much it is.

 

[BrawlMan]

I will say the combat is excellently animated with great sound effects. I'll never get tired of the environment kills. But as a whole... Eh. Really is more flashy than anything else.

I did try Like a Dragon Isshin last year, but I couldn't get to grips with its combat either. Are the more modern Yakuza games better in that regard?


Evil West is actually in my wish list. I should check how much it is.

Unfortunately it's not on sale on sll digital stores. None of them have it on sale. I still recommend it, but I understand if you want to wait until it's at a price you want to pay it for

 

[Piscian]

I will say the combat is excellently animated with great sound effects. I'll never get tired of the environment kills. But as a whole... Eh. Really is more flashy than anything else.

I did try Like a Dragon Isshin last year, but I couldn't get to grips with its combat either. Are the more modern Yakuza games better in that regard?


Evil West is actually in my wish list. I should check how much it is.

Cant say I've never played isshin. My buddy whos also a big Yakuza fan, got isshin on release, but he didn't have very positive feedback. he said it seemed a bit "shit out", rather than a full quality release so I never bothered. Usually if a games good he won't shut the fuck up about it. I asked about isshin and pretty much got a *shrug* in response. I ended up skipping it.

I started Yakuza 1 remake, but its not hitting like yakuza 0, which is one of my favorite games of all time. I don't particularly enjoy the combat of Yakuza 1 remake.

 

[meiam]

I think... I don't want to finish Sleeping Dogs. I mean for fuck's sake, the game came out in 2012. The same year had Max Payne 3, Assassin's Creed 3, Mass Effect 3 (I have no idea why it's all 3). This game feels like it was made 10 years before these games. I noticed that there are references in the game to Just Cause, Deus Ex, Hitman. Again, the game feels more archaic than these games that came out BEFORE IT.

I hopped on over to the Sleeping Dogs subreddit and there's still a community wondering why this game never got a sequel. Guys... it's because its a mid tier game.

Not sure what I want to play next. There's a pretty big Steam sale going on right now, but I don't know if there are any games left that will scratch the itch I had for Arkham style combat and now also third person shooting.

I think its more that the game focus on a rarely seen setting rather than it being very good that made the game enduring.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I just beat Mimosa in Hi-Fi Rush, so I'm guessing I've 2 more main bosses to go. The fight against Korsica while all parry, and me having had some major issues with the parry-only turrets, was actually not too hard at all. Her turn was the most obvious thing in the world though. Just by her design - this casual conventional attractive look - you could see her joinging the team coming a mile away. Would've been nice if they used this to trick the player and have her turn out to be the most vicious b*tch out of all of them, but eh.

To complain a bit more though, the platforming in the game is not enjoyable at all. This is where everything moving to the beat hampers gameplay, because Chai being forced to land on the beat makes it feel like he's being pulled down rather than dropping down. There's no sense of you being able to guide your fall, which is pretty essential in decent platforming. The regular single jump often feels like it doesn't cover enough space to make it past a drop, and double jump crops out the floor from the screen making seeing where you land harder, and the jump into dash often overshoots your target.

 

[BrawlMan]

Would've been nice if they used this to trick the player and have her turn out to be the most vicious b*tch out of all of them, but eh.

I'm glad they didn't. Already dealt with one Scottish biatch you're my childhood and teenagehood, I don't need another one. Yes, I am referring to Numbah 86.

Korsica also has some of the best assist in the game too.

To complain a bit more though, the platforming in the game is not enjoyable at all. This is where everything moving to the beat hampers gameplay, because Chai being forced to land on the beat makes it feel like he's being pulled down rather than dropping down. There's no sense of you being able to guide your fall, which is pretty essential in decent platforming. The regular single jump often feels like it doesn't cover enough space to make it past a drop, and double jump crops out the floor from the screen making seeing where you land harder, and the jump into dash often overshoots your target.

I honestly didn't have that much problem with the platforming. I do admit it goes on too long for Track #7. I rarely ever missed a jump, but I did notice the platforming a lot more finicky when it goes to 2.5D in the late stages. There was one section of platforming I do admit they could have cut and nothing would have been missed. The part where Chai gets into the shark costume. Him going to the events and everything should have just been a cutscene.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

I think its more that the game focus on a rarely seen setting rather than it being very good that made the game enduring.

Yeah my Taiwanese friend who convinced me to get the game said the same thing. But I dunno, besides a handful of characters who speak some (I assume) Mandarin in cutscenes, I wasn't really feeling the Hong Kong vibe. People talked online how about the city felt so alive, but it looks pretty much like any other video game city with a background noise of vaguely racist accents. Guess I need to watch more Hong Kong flicks.

 

[Casual Shinji]

So I finished Hi-Fi Rush. The last two boss fights were a tad underwhelming, they felt more like event sequences than dedicated boss fights. Though hearing Nine Inch Nails' 'The Perfect Drug' start up with the Kale boss fight brought a big ol' grin to my face. Eventhough I think it might not have been the best fit for this cartoony universe, I was pretty obsessed with this song back when it first came out, AND it being part of the Lost Highway soundtrack (a movie I was crazy about back in the day too).

I kinda bumbled my way through that final fight though. I figured this being the main baddie I REALLY needed to give it my all, but I managed to brute force myself to the end. Even majorly messed up the final quick-time sequence with no repercussion.

While this game doesn't quite make to the height for me as a Resident Evil, Last of Us, or God of War, it was a very welcome shot in the arm. More of this please games industry.

 

[BrawlMan]

o I finished Hi-Fi Rush. The last two boss fights were a tad underwhelming, they felt more like event sequences than dedicated boss fights. Though hearing Nine Inch Nails' 'The Perfect Drug' start up with the Kale boss fight brought a big ol' grin to my face. Eventhough I think it might not have been the best fit for this cartoony universe, I was pretty obsessed with this song back when it first came out, AND it being part of the Lost Highway soundtrack (a movie I was crazy about back in the day too).

Rochford is a cool boss, and Kale is good enough for a final boss. What makes it add weight is the team ups and everyone calling him out on his bullshit while laying the smackdown.

While this game doesn't quite make to the height for me as a Resident Evil, Last of Us, or God of War, it was a very welcome shot in the arm.

I disagree big time! HFR either makes the same height as those games (RE & God of War) or goes further than TLOUS.

More of this please games industry.

Indeed. I've said before, but this game is like the other other other better version of DmC (2013). Young 20s something protag that starts off as a dumb jerk, rag tag misfits banding together to take down an evil corporation with good publicity, the main hero uses a chain, dynamic music with the score, and color coded enemies. Freaking ironic and awesome.

 

[Bartholen]

I went on a bit of a nostalgia trip and installed Far Cry 2 again. That, and I'd been playing a lot of Elden Ring and Slay the Spire recently, which are full of all sorts of management, synergies and complexities, so I was craving for something simpler. More than 15 years later this is still one of the highlights of the entire 7th generation of shooters for me, and IMO criminally underappreciated to this day. Everyone always touts Far Cry 3, but there's a stripped down grit to FC2 that hasn't been in the series since - or many games at all for that matter. Far Cry 3 feels like an action movie with colourful characters and huge setpieces. FC2 feels like a grim war documentary, and it's more about the evironment and the atmosphere than any kind of narrative. There's a sense of savagery and nihilism that permeates the game in all aspects: characters are amoral, everything is run down and littered with garbage, and the reasons behind the conflict in the game are never elaborated on. The diamond collection element is so simple, yet so elegant: it encourages exploration and alertness with an actual tangible reward, and doesn't litter the map with icons you need to tidy up.

To this day this is one of the most immersive games I've ever played. The lighting in this game feels like it's generations ahead of its time, and the amount of environmental detail impresses still today. The detail extends well beyond the graphics: this is IMO perhaps the only game ever where weapon degradation actually improves the experience by reinforcing the setting. Fire spreads realistically, rocket launchers have a backdraft, weapons accumulate rust and filth as they degrade, the list goes on. With just a single 50MB mod download this game almost looks like it could be released today. The blistering heat of the savannah just pours off the screen, and the extremely minimalist approach to the HUD combined with there never being a single perspective shift creates a sense of place I've seen matched in only a few games. Just look at this sunset, man:



In short, holds up like a (heh), diamond.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Indeed. I've said before, but this game is like the other other other better version of DmC (2013). Young 20s something protag that starts off as a dumb jerk, rag tag misfits banding together to take down an evil corporation with good publicity, the main hero uses a chain, dynamic music with the score, and color coded enemies. Freaking ironic and awesome.

For me I really just want more non-serious wacky stuff that has a budget put behind it. In a sense Hi-Fi Rush isn't unique, but it is unique to see a concept like this get a AAA treatement. AAA has been stuck in this dour epic mentality for the better part of a decade now, with the crazier concepts relegated to the low budget, like something like Thirsty Suitors which has a very similar vibe to Hi-Fi Rush, but is hampered by a lack of funding and personnel.

 

[BrawlMan]

AAA has been stuck in this dour epic mentality for the better part of a decade now, with the crazier concepts

Not exactly. Maybe on the Western front, but most dour stuff ended by the mid 2010s. Aside from TLOUS II being the obvious exception.

• Spider Man, Morales, and SM2.
• Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart
• FFVII Remake and Rebirth
• DMC5
• Bayonetta 3
• Monster Hunter World and Rises
• RE2R-RE4R, & RE8
• Ghost of Tsushima
• Forspoken - As much as I dislike the game, it ain't exactly dour
• Kena: Bridge of Spirits
• Street Fighter 6
• Tekken 8
• Nearly anything from Nintendo.

I get what you mean, but it's not too bad as it was back in 7th gen. The real dour mood is these companies still thinking they do live-service in an over crowded market. It's why I really don't care for most AAA and prefer the smaller games any way.

I just finished RE5. Got it done in about 13 hours. Not bad for a game with 6 chapters. The best parts and boss fights in the game involve Wesker. I do love this game more than RE4.

Fight me!/s

Also, I love the Results screen theme:

​

I know there are two bonus campaigns, but I'll check those out later.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

Total Warhammer 3. Started a Kislev campaign. Liking the expanded world and playing with a load of new factions, makes things play out differently to the standard TW2. Ice guard are pretty good melee/ranged, probably going g to use them a lot.

Edit:
One irritating thing... 1st quest battle is an ambush... The game gives you no indication that the fight has already started while it's panning across the battlefield giving you action shots and listening to the "generals" speech. Expecting it to stop, pan out and give me control, but no, the enemy slams into you and starts fighting while your guys just keep walking along like knob ends. You have to esc out during the intro to start and organise your forces before the enemy reach you. That's a reload CA.

 

[hanselthecaretaker2]

I went on a bit of a nostalgia trip and installed Far Cry 2 again. That, and I'd been playing a lot of Elden Ring and Slay the Spire recently, which are full of all sorts of management, synergies and complexities, so I was craving for something simpler. More than 15 years later this is still one of the highlights of the entire 7th generation of shooters for me, and IMO criminally underappreciated to this day. Everyone always touts Far Cry 3, but there's a stripped down grit to FC2 that hasn't been in the series since - or many games at all for that matter. Far Cry 3 feels like an action movie with colourful characters and huge setpieces. FC2 feels like a grim war documentary, and it's more about the evironment and the atmosphere than any kind of narrative. There's a sense of savagery and nihilism that permeates the game in all aspects: characters are amoral, everything is run down and littered with garbage, and the reasons behind the conflict in the game are never elaborated on. The diamond collection element is so simple, yet so elegant: it encourages exploration and alertness with an actual tangible reward, and doesn't litter the map with icons you need to tidy up.

To this day this is one of the most immersive games I've ever played. The lighting in this game feels like it's generations ahead of its time, and the amount of environmental detail impresses still today. The detail extends well beyond the graphics: this is IMO perhaps the only game ever where weapon degradation actually improves the experience by reinforcing the setting. Fire spreads realistically, rocket launchers have a backdraft, weapons accumulate rust and filth as they degrade, the list goes on. With just a single 50MB mod download this game almost looks like it could be released today. The blistering heat of the savannah just pours off the screen, and the extremely minimalist approach to the HUD combined with there never being a single perspective shift creates a sense of place I've seen matched in only a few games. Just look at this sunset, man:

View attachment 10894

In short, holds up like a (heh), diamond.

I’ve read people recommend playing Infamous difficulty with Hunters Redux mod which helps balance the shooting and makes checkpoint spawning less of a drag. I started Infamous a couple years ago but never went back to it. It did seem even on vanilla made it feel really strategic using the level design with fire propagation, explosives, setting traps and whatnot to your advantage.

 

[Bartholen]

I've also finally gotten around to Final Fantasy XVI after like a year, and bugger me does it take its time to get going. I was just about to give up on it when I finally got to a more open area with a bit of exploration. Because up to that point the game had felt about as interactive as smahing buttons on a controller during a DBZ episode. There was one particularly insipid and pointless mission by the end of which I was genuinely wondering "Why the fuck am I even here?" So it's a good thing it feels like it's finally picking up.

Its two main issues still persist though, and at this point I'm resigned to having to tolerate them. The combat is aggressively mid. Pretty much every fight feels the exact same, the only differences seem to be slight differences in attack patterns and dodge timing. I just unlocked the limit break, we'll see if it changes anything. This system just feels lacking. Since there's no heavy attacks or combos to spice up combat and special attacks (all 4 of them you can have!) have cooldowns, most of the time you're left smacking basic enemies with your attack, which feels about as effective as a gentle tickle. Since this game is supposedly like 70 hours long, I have a bad feeling about it becoming a problem further on.

The other big issue is the tone. For all its Game of Thrones pretensions, seriousness and swearing, it's still anime as fuck through and through. And it's more than a bit hard to take seriously to be honest. The biggest example so far was Clive's fight agains the Eikon of Fire, which to me felt like something you'd seen in a parody. Like if you took a clip from one of those 70s Godzilla movies of two guys pretend fighting in rubber suits and put a prompt on the screen saying "MOTHRA REPRESENTS GODZILLA'S CRIPPLING GAMBLING ADDICTION AND HIM GETTING SMASHED INTO A SKYSCRAPER SYMBOLIZES HIS CRUMBLING DREAMS IN THE FACE OF IT". It just feels so silly to me.

 

[meiam]

Total Warhammer 3. Started a Kislev campaign. Liking the expanded world and playing with a load of new factions, makes things play out differently to the standard TW2. Ice guard are pretty good melee/ranged, probably going g to use them a lot.

Edit:
One irritating thing... 1st quest battle is an ambush... The game gives you no indication that the fight has already started while it's panning across the battlefield giving you action shots and listening to the "generals" speech. Expecting it to stop, pan out and give me control, but no, the enemy slams into you and starts fighting while your guys just keep walking along like knob ends. You have to esc out during the intro to start and organise your forces before the enemy reach you. That's a reload CA.

Never really liked Kislev myself, I'm not a big fan of hybrid units except for heavy archery army (so you can have first line be hybrid and second line be dedicated archer and hope you can break most infantry before they reach your line), but maybe I should try them seriously once.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

Never really liked Kislev myself, I'm not a big fan of hybrid units except for heavy archery army (so you can have first line be hybrid and second line be dedicated archer and hope you can break most infantry before they reach your line), but maybe I should try them seriously once.

If you've got the economy for it, might as well, the Ice guard are the best archers in Kislev armies and decent mid tier troops with anti large and anti infantry types, plus the slow effect on arrows.

 

[Worgen]

Beat Robocop: Rogue City and Eschatos.

Robocop was pretty awesome. It really feels like an older style fps game, like one from the 2000s. Story is good but disjointed, like they didn't have enough time to have all the missions they wanted. The game feels kinda loose, like it feels good, but nothing feels great and aiming can be weird at times. If it didn't have the IP then it would just be a decent fps game, but the police investigation elements and the fact that you're robocop really make it something cool.

Eschatos, it took me a bit, its just a really really good feeling shootemup. The areas you end up in area really cool, bullet patterns are fun, shooting feels great. If you like shootemups, get it.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is great and all but the risk-reward loop is way off kilter. The back half of the game is rife with optional challenge rooms and Celeste-like gauntlets that are fun to figure out and pull through, but when the reward is a pathetic palette swap or 20 moneys you walk away with a sense of empty victory.

There's a room that is essentially that one hallway from the first Resident Evil movie but with meat grinders instead of laser grids and you have to navigate a series of physically unavoidable waves of death by 1) hopping back and forth between dimensions while 2) setting down teleporter spots several waves ahead of using them, and your reward is to dye the color of Sargon's sash.

Then there're tons of side challenges where you have to brave a series of rooms while carefully resetting your jumps and dashes and never touching the ground and utilizing clones of yourself (jump, set a teleporter, dash, activate death trap, teleport back, safely land on the trap you previously activated so you can use as a platform, repeat) and your reward will be a measly 20, 40, 60 moneys. Not that money is that rare or that useful or you couldn't farm the dude next to the main hub for 15 moneys each time if you felt like it.

I'm all about "gameplay is its own reward" but the disparity between certain challenges and what you get for completing them starts to feel like a middle finger in the second half of the game.

 

[Bob_McMillan]

Started playin the Mad Max video game. It does that annoying thing where the "sprint" button puts you in a running animation but doesn't particularly make you feel faster.