What are you playing? v.11 (Knee-Deep Edition)

[Valhoven]

Beat Dead Island 2 last night.

Clocked in at around 25h.

The zombie variety was surprisingly thin but it's not too long and I had fun so meh.

I maybe figured out since last posting why the combat turned me off.

It's because this game has a disappointing middle-lane design for encounters both single- and multi-combatant.

Meaning, you're fighting higher enemy densities (like in Back 4 Blood or Dying Light) as well as spongier, high-immunity singular targets (like in Resident Evil) but without better interplay between subsystems, it comes off half-baked and chokes the flow of action.

They should have leant harder one way (either way, really) and dabbled only in the other, IMO. I personally think they should have gone more horde/trash mob (trad zombie H&S) in design.

Their not picking one primary combat design over another hamstrings the game's combat subsystems (like melee/autophage/numen modifiers) and mechanics (like elemental DMG spread, zombie knocks on stability depletion, or camera-controlled finishers).

The combat as a result feels singularly powerful when it should be high-variable or agile, and high-variable/agile when it should feel singularly powerful. All this is at odds with itself and as a player, the overdesign for both combat types = underdesign, ironically.

 

[Ladder Master]

I have been playing Dave the Diver. I normally dont care for games like this
but it is very chill and relaxing, and you can pick it up easily have a good time.
After a crazy day at work, sometimes I just don't want to play something violent or difficult.

 

[Zer]

I have been playing Dave the Diver. I normally dont care for games like this
but it is very chill and relaxing, and you can pick it up easily have a good time.
After a crazy day at work, sometimes I just don't want to play something violent or difficult.

I thought it was great as well, wood recommend

 

[HereticBD]

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

Finished it up. Pretty good, but needlessly frustrating in parts. It's a good first effort in bringing the "souls like" genre to a more mainstream franchise. It really makes me appreciate all the touches they made to the sequel. Level design is passable at best, a confusing pain in the ass at worst. Difficulty is all over the place. Some early areas have weird spikes, and some later areas have weird drops. Bosses are a good ramping up, though. They appropriately get harder and harder, and none of them feel cheap.

The game did commit a pretty big sin in my mind, where some "bonfires" are just stupidly placed. One of the later bosses is a perfect example. It's outside of two rooms. One room contains 3 enemies that you just run past to get to the next, and have to go into some loading screen crevice(I never saw that shit catching on as much as it has, after GOW3 first did it) to get back to the boss, and it's so pointless. It's not exactly a "runback", but those extra 20 seconds are just plain annoying. Just put the save point next to the boss. This isn't difficult. Games need to stop doing this bullshit, where they want you to jump through many, or even one hoop, just to get back to the boss. The OG Dark Souls was a long time ago, and most agree that the games have benefitted from more rational save points. Stop doing that shit, and just let us get back into the boss fight.

Anyways, great combat, great presentation and an okay story. Most of it was good, but the ending just plain sucked. You go through the whole game chasing this friggin' item, and without spoiling anything, it just ends up not really mattering and the game just ends. Terrible. The journey was fun though, and it is quite the full meaty game at the end of the day.

7.5/10

 

[idrankyourbeer]

final fantasy 16's denuvo just got removed 2 days ago. the complete edition has also hit the seven seas 2 days ago.

dunno if i'll be getting around to that one any time soon.

 

[Ashen One]

final fantasy 16's denuvo just got removed 2 days ago. the complete edition has also hit the seven seas 2 days ago.

dunno if i'll be getting around to that one any time soon.

Why in the hell does anyone bother with Denuvo? No one likes it or wants it and most of the time it results in less sales or refunds at the very least if I understand.

 

[HereticBD]

Avowed

Little bit further, and it's still pretty damn decent. Got a few companions now, and they've got all sorts of banter between them like "Dragon Age", which is a nice touch. The story is coming together more, and I'm liking the direction it's going. It's pretty free in decision making, and has a really solid "good/evil" thing going on, which is sorely lacking in these types of games, and it's got this cool "camp" thing going on, where you'll rest and your companions will chime in on the most recent events you've taken part in, and have long conversations about them. It's a nice little touch, that makes everything you do have a bit of weight to it.

The loot system still sucks, but I'm over it, and I'm now just looking forward to upgrade materials rather than a brand new weapon or armor piece, whenever I open a chest. Dungeons remain good and varied. Combat is still fun too, and gets better as your skills improve.

For a game I expected nothing from, it's been holding my attention pretty good. The only thing that really holds it back, is that it's not a true "sandbox" where you can do anything you want. It does break the immersion a bit, when you can't attack just anything and you realize that most NPC's are just set dressing. It ain't no Bethesda RPG. Not a deal breaker, though. It's got enough going on, that you never really care about those little details and stay focused on the missions.

Think this game might've been done a little dirty, due to whole Obsidian controversy. From what I can tell so far, it's a very well done western RPG, and I'd recommend it to anybody wanting a new "Skyrim/Fallout" type of RPG. Give it a chance. It might surprise you.

 

[method115]

Why in the hell does anyone bother with Denuvo? No one likes it or wants it and most of the time it results in less sales or refunds at the very least if I understand.

Because it works at stopping people from pirating your game.

 

[Ashen One]

Because it works at stopping people from pirating your game.

Stops them from playing it altogether

 

[method115]

Stops them from playing it altogether

Seems to have worked out well for Monster Hunter wilds. Still sold 8 million copies. Regardless of what people say no one is passing up on a good game because of Denuvo.

 

[MWB1982]

Final Fantasy 8 Remastered Edition

This is a game I have to beat. I started it when I was a kid, got to the last castle, then traded the game for a quarter bag of weed. The plan was to get the weed, then borrow my game from the weed man to finish it but it didn't work out.

FF8 came in today but I bought FF15, FF X-X2, FF The Zodiac Age

I beat FF7 3 times and I got real far in FF8. I was liking FF8 better than FF7

I got a big bag of some dank weed..

On the flip side, I thought I liked JRPG but I found out I only like FF7, FF8, Chrono Trigger, and Legend of Dragoon. Every time I try to play a JRPG, I can't get into it. I've already tried FF15 and X-X2.. I didn't like them. I'll try again. Games are so cheap nowadays

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

I think I may be approaching the end chapter?

Majima is maxed out, so are the bond links and I think substories?. Pirate Coliseum is also done. I still have a few collectables to get, but they're all on Honolulu. I think I may put the final act off in order to do them, as well as complete the mini-games.

The negative? The story is a tad weak and it seems like it isn't as beefy as the main game ones. Unless I'm hit with a curveball, there aren't all that many chapters. Also, unless, again, curveball, I don't think that there is going to be much influence from the main games.

With that said, my time in this game has been a blast. Majima is a great main character and has had me cracking up several times. The side characters are charming. It looks good and it plays very well. Even though there may not be many chapters, the game opens up pretty fast and you have a lot to do quite soon. There are more mini-games too and the selection is a mixture of Infinite Wealth and Man Who Erased His Male, as well as a twist on an old classic.

I can't write much if an essay, as Sherdog is acting up, but it's right up there.

Sherdog ads are killing the forum.

 

[HereticBD]

Final Fantasy 8 Remastered Edition

This is a game I have to beat. I started it when I was a kid, got to the last castle, then traded the game for a quarter bag of weed. The plan was to get the weed, then borrow my game from the weed man to finish it but it didn't work out.

FF8 came in today but I bought FF15, FF X-X2, FF The Zodiac Age

I beat FF7 3 times and I got real far in FF8. I was liking FF8 better than FF7

I got a big bag of some dank weed..

On the flip side, I thought I liked JRPG but I found out I only like FF7, FF8, Chrono Trigger, and Legend of Dragoon. Every time I try to play a JRPG, I can't get into it. I've already tried FF15 and X-X2.. I didn't like them. I'll try again. Games are so cheap nowadays

FFX is really good. Takes a bit to get going, and some of the voice acting is pretty rough(although not bad considering the time it was released). Probably the smoothest turn based system of them all as well. X-2 is a really weird game, though.

 

[MWB1982]

FFX is really good. Takes a bit to get going, and some of the voice acting is pretty rough(although not bad considering the time it was released). Probably the smoothest turn based system of them all as well. X-2 is a really weird game, though.

I heard it was one of the best Final Fantasy games. I got bored right near the beginning with all the water soccer stuff. Whatever sport that game was talking about. The game starts off weak.

 

[method115]

I heard it was one of the best Final Fantasy games. I got bored right near the beginning with all the water soccer stuff. Whatever sport that game was talking about. The game starts off weak.

Yea it does start off weak. I did end up loving it.

 

[Zazen]

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

I think I may be approaching the end chapter?

Majima is maxed out, so are the bond links and I think substories?. Pirate Coliseum is also done. I still have a few collectables to get, but they're all on Honolulu. I think I may put the final act off in order to do them, as well as complete the mini-games.

The negative? The story is a tad weak and it seems like it isn't as beefy as the main game ones. Unless I'm hit with a curveball, there aren't all that many chapters. Also, unless, again, curveball, I don't think that there is going to be much influence from the main games.

With that said, my time in this game has been a blast. Majima is a great main character and has had me cracking up several times. The side characters are charming. It looks good and it plays very well. Even though there may not be many chapters, the game opens up pretty fast and you have a lot to do quite soon. There are more mini-games too and the selection is a mixture of Infinite Wealth and Man Who Erased His Male, as well as a twist on an old classic.

I can't write much if an essay, as Sherdog is acting up, but it's right up there.

Sherdog ads are killing the forum.

In the Japanese edition it has “Gaiden” in the title like The Man Who Erased His Name did. In Japanese the word means side story so it was kind of implied to be on the short side. I’m actually happy about that as I like to get platinums in games and sometimes these 100 hour grindfests can be too much for me.

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

In the Japanese edition it has “Gaiden” in the title like The Man Who Erased His Name did. In Japanese the word means side story so it was kind of implied to be on the short side. I’m actually happy about that as I like to get platinums in games and sometimes these 100 hour grindfests can be too much for me.

It's a tad bigger than Gaiden in map and side content, but the actual main story may be quite small.

I liked Gaiden. Combat was great and even though the map is too small, Sotenbori has its charm.

Game is highly recommended.

 

[HereticBD]

I heard it was one of the best Final Fantasy games. I got bored right near the beginning with all the water soccer stuff. Whatever sport that game was talking about. The game starts off weak.

Yeah, it's a slow starter. Although, I think that whole sequence is hilarious. Apparently, someone was so concerned about the absolute worst Blitzball squad in the world that had never won a game...ever, that they had to set up some evil plot to take them out before the big tournament. LOL.

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

Just furnished Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.

Pros

- Majima rules
- Characters are all likeable
- Oozes charm with laugh out loud moments.
- Plays great
- Lots to do and plenty of variety.
- A very good selection of mini-games.
- Side quests are very entertaining.
- Touching parts, especially the post credits ending.

Cons

- Main story is fun but a bit too off the wall, and lacks weight. It's pleasant, but it could have been better.
- Not many chapters, though the pacing between story and exploration and downtime is good.
- No return to Kamurocho.

9/10.

 

[Wrath of Foamy]

I played through this side missions and I absolutely enjoyed it, but I'm looking at the comments and it has me thinking.

Why in the hell are the majority of the comments complaining about file sizes and asking for it to be paid DLC instead?

Is that where we are now? Demanding parts of games be lopped off, because Microsoft and Sony added shit-tier memory to their consoles?

I used to get 1TB on my One S. My Series S doesn't even cover half of that.

It's the attitude of the commenters that bothers me the most. They attacked the creators instead of the pillocks that decided to give next-gen consoles basic memory.

Honestly, it seems that games are becoming too big and too expensive to make, and I wouldn't be surprised if gaming starts to collapse on itself somewhat.

Maybe I'll get that gaming PC after all...