Author Topic: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E  (Read 281796 times)

Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #780 on: November 19, 2017, 03:15:35 AM »
So Tokyo Tattoo Girls is basically shit-tier Plague Inc., as it turns out. Pick a girl (each has different attributes), pick a place to start, then wait for ages for shit to happen, with occasional interaction with your girl to put more tattoos on her and trying (and failing) to understand how the kit they give you works.
I had a feeling that it was going to be a garbage game when I spent an hour trying to find anything on the game other than it had girls with tattoos and finding zilch.

Nioh on Steam. My computer is old, which means I'm playing on minimum settings which still looks really good, but I watched someone with an actually good computer play and it's a heck of a lot faster than what I'm playing. Also, it's hard, and sometimes not in a fun way. Other than that, it's good.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #781 on: November 19, 2017, 01:48:26 PM »
Nioh on Steam. My computer is old, which means I'm playing on minimum settings which still looks really good, but I watched someone with an actually good computer play and it's a heck of a lot faster than what I'm playing. Also, it's hard, and sometimes not in a fun way. Other than that, it's good.
There's a bit more of a learning curve than Dark Souls, but a lot of that still transfers over. Carrying too much armor is bad for dodging and that helped a ton on the first boss.  Also Hino Enma is terrible without a paralysis charm but almost too easy with one. Equipment in this game is generally nuts and gives all sorts of boosts that help give you a leg up.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #782 on: November 23, 2017, 02:28:36 PM »
Snagged Cities: Skyline on the Steam autumn sale and gotta say, it's really pretty to look at. I suck at city management games like these but honestly, who cares? A city can be tens of thousands of zen gardens, no need for all that water and power and waste disposal crap.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #783 on: December 07, 2017, 04:51:32 AM »
asdf wrong thread.

Anyway, Opus Magnum has a new mini-campaign with tiny spaces. God the spaces are too tiny for my brain.

Also, A Hat in Time on consoles! Now I can actually play it. (curse these two potato PCs)
« Last Edit: December 07, 2017, 04:53:26 AM by Ionasal kkll Solciel »
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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #784 on: December 07, 2017, 02:45:39 PM »
Got a Switch and Breath of the Wild last week. Beat Breath of the Wild last night. Sort of beelined straight to Hyrule Castle after getting the Master Sword and the Divine Beasts, and skipped the entirety of the dungeon.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #785 on: December 12, 2017, 08:44:39 AM »
So, Mary Skelter: Nightmares and Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana are both platinumed. Both were not too hard, if a little time consuming.
Now i remembered that Metroid: Samus Returns is a thing and decided to dust off my 3DS (both figuratively and literaly).
But first i decided to load my 130 hours Fire Emblem Fates save just to see what fuckery i was up to a year ago. Well... I wasn't quite prepared for what i found indisde. When you have a lot of time and patience you can do some crazy stuff... Magic specced FCorrin with more mag than atk and Levin's Sword+2 with Swordfaire and a bunch of other weird passives was just a start. I looked at my roster with a mixture of bewilderment, horror and mild amusement. Maxed out Hinoka save for her mag as Spear Master.  Strategist Elise with Tome/Bow Breaker, Inspire, Tomefaire and Trample. But an award for pure wtf factor probably goes to Bowknight Azura with only 28 hp, but with maxed out str, skill and speed with Pavice, Aegis, Sol, Miracle and Vantage.

Now onto actualy Metroid: Samus Returns. It's GREAT. It's everything i ever wanted from 2D Metroid and then some.
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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #786 on: December 12, 2017, 05:37:34 PM »
Been playing Dark Souls since last week. Parrying has become my second nature by now.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #787 on: December 13, 2017, 12:25:15 AM »
Getting back into the groove of playing Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 on Steam on my true ending file, just right now grinding Chapter 7 for items and levels to fight one of the fake goddesses and it's a paaaaaaain.
« Last Edit: December 13, 2017, 12:26:58 AM by MewMewHeart »
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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #788 on: December 15, 2017, 09:39:39 AM »
So I logged back into Ace Combat Infinity after nearly a month of inactivity (because curse six day work weeks), to find out that it's closing at the end of March. On the one hand, for this last stretch, it'll be fairly easy to generate credits to work on my final major project in ACI; on the other, I'm not even sure that this last stretch will be enough with the resources I have.

I also picked up Sky Force Anniversary, but goddamn this is a grind.

Also Rabi-Ribi. I'm attempting to go for a spikeless run, so now that I'm in the Library, this is likely going to be nothing but pain for the next couple of weeks as I slowly make my way to the true final boss. Why is it that quickloading doesn't revert the spike damage counter?!
« Last Edit: December 15, 2017, 09:42:21 AM by Ionasal kkll Solciel »
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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #789 on: December 18, 2017, 06:39:54 PM »
Playing Xenoblade 2. I'm really feeling it, albeit not quite as much as Xenoblade 1. That said, Xenoblade 1 had set a high bar, and X2 is still a rather good game (I wish it would be a tad less anime, though).

Also, Nia.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #790 on: December 19, 2017, 01:28:50 PM »
Playing Xenoblade 2. I'm really feeling it, albeit not quite as much as Xenoblade 1. That said, Xenoblade 1 had set a high bar, and X2 is still a rather good game (I wish it would be a tad less anime, though).

Also, Nia.
Real talk: How painfully *~*ANIME*~* does XB2 get? I've followed the series in all its forms since Gears and there's been a lot of praise for the game, but some of the character designs aren't exactly reassuring. My weeb phase has been in decline for 10 years and my upper tolerance for shounen cliches and awkward fanservice doesn't stretch that far beyond Persona 3-5 anymore. When I see that the female lead is jailbait in booty shorts and a magic bra I'm partially worried that the story and feel of the game follows suit, even though I'm hoping its a game that stands well on its own despite some design aesthetics. The original Xenoblade was a fantastic and I'm hoping for that kind of ethos. Anyway, just curious to know if it stands on its own or if the game will tell me to embrace a maid fetish like Tora's every time I turn on the console.

Side note: Nia's part of the reason I'm still heavily invested in whether the game will be a good fit for another 120 hour romp or not.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #791 on: December 19, 2017, 03:30:25 PM »
Real talk: How painfully *~*ANIME*~* does XB2 get? I've followed the series in all its forms since Gears and there's been a lot of praise for the game, but some of the character designs aren't exactly reassuring. My weeb phase has been in decline for 10 years and my upper tolerance for shounen cliches and awkward fanservice doesn't stretch that far beyond Persona 3-5 anymore. When I see that the female lead is jailbait in booty shorts and a magic bra I'm partially worried that the story and feel of the game follows suit, even though I'm hoping its a game that stands well on its own despite some design aesthetics. The original Xenoblade was a fantastic and I'm hoping for that kind of ethos. Anyway, just curious to know if it stands on its own or if the game will tell me to embrace a maid fetish like Tora's every time I turn on the console.

Side note: Nia's part of the reason I'm still heavily invested in whether the game will be a good fit for another 120 hour romp or not.
I?m in chapter 5 right now, and the story and characters are pretty great. There?s obvious twists, but they were so well done and performed that I really liked them, and even the most annoying of the main characters (the Nopom, of course) is rather charming. That said, I would have to say that the major flaw of the game would have to be the character design direction: the main characters look like they fit a certain aesthetic, but when you get the special optional blades they have completely different aesthetics becUse they?re guest designed. Also, there?s an issue where, when you transition, the game doesn?t wait for all of the textures to finish loading.

Also, there are a few times when it gets painfully anime, most starting at the beginning of chapter 5. There is a certain character that is vitally important to the plot that they seemed to have dumped all of the anime tropes into, and my glancing at comments on the inter webs indicate that everyone largely agrees that they don?t like this. Also, there is a few things with Tora, the aforementioned Nopom, regarding maids. As far as the main heroine goes, though, they typically don?t make a big deal about her outfit and her personality is refreshingly non heroine typical. The main character is noticeably younger than everyone else, but he isn?t a complete dumbass, just inexperienced and clever in his own ways.

EDIT: Also, side note, I wouldn?t really describe Pyra as ?jailbait?. I would put her as physically and mentally in adult years. Rex, Nia and Tora are all young, though I?m not sure if Nia is as young as Rex in spite of what he claims, and Pyra comes across as being the team mom (and the tiger as team uncle, and the dragon as team grandpa).

EDIT EDIT: There's one last thing that just occurred to me that is a flaw with X2. There's a fairly big disconnect with how the plot guides you from one place to another, in that usually you can just kind of ignore where you're supposed to go in favor of going somewhere else, but you'll eventually need to go to that place to trigger plot. For example
Spoiler:
you infiltrate an enemy ship to rescue Nia, and you're supposed to escape through the hangar, where you trigger two boss battles. Orrrr, you could just walk out the way you came in, and leave the ship entirely. Or just use the quick travel to leave.
« Last Edit: December 20, 2017, 03:35:03 AM by Sect »

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #792 on: December 20, 2017, 07:14:21 AM »
After not playing it for years after initially buying it, I finally sat down and beat Mirror's Edge (PS3). In the end I can't come up with a solid opinion other than "unrealized potential." When the game was good- the levels flowed, the enemies were mere obstacles- it was amazing. When the game was bad- eaten jump inputs, clunky forced combat, obscure paths while being bombarded with gunfire- it was outright frstrating and borderline unfun. Heck even the end was unsatisfactory with it being the first of a planned trilogy (that of course never happened). Overall a roller-coaster of a game that left me feeling "meh."
« Last Edit: December 20, 2017, 07:16:25 AM by Silent Harmony »

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #793 on: December 20, 2017, 10:20:58 AM »
Still playing Metroid: Samus Returns. Made it to Area 4. Those "escape from
Spoiler:
giant murder mining bot and its giant fucking insta kill drill
" bits were awful. You practically have zero room for error. Advancing wall of death moves kinda fast. The path is not always obvious, there are crumbling blocks to screw you further and i died like 20 times there. That was not fun. And then it was like: "Huuuuh? Where are you? Well, whatevs" then it vomits Space Jump upgrade at you for no reason and kinda just leaves.
Aside from that one segment the game is really fun. Personal GotY even.
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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #794 on: December 20, 2017, 03:49:40 PM »
Lots of things!
Thanks for the input! I've probably pondered whether or not to buy this game more than I have any other in the last few years. It's gone back and forth a few times for sure. The long and short of things is that I'll most likely pick up a copy but I will also reserve the right to throw popcorn at my TV screen and wince when I feel like it.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #795 on: December 20, 2017, 10:51:32 PM »
After not playing it for years after initially buying it, I finally sat down and beat Mirror's Edge (PS3). In the end I can't come up with a solid opinion other than "unrealized potential." When the game was good- the levels flowed, the enemies were mere obstacles- it was amazing. When the game was bad- eaten jump inputs, clunky forced combat, obscure paths while being bombarded with gunfire- it was outright frstrating and borderline unfun. Heck even the end was unsatisfactory with it being the first of a planned trilogy (that of course never happened). Overall a roller-coaster of a game that left me feeling "meh."

I'm a head over heels Mirror's Edge fan, but having unreserved love for it certainly puts me in a small subgroup.  I really like the feeling of flow as well.  There's a lot to the game's basic premise that wins me over though, which is where I speculate I differ from the usual experience...  just being a runner and having all these cool first person animations to take out guards makes me very satisfied when playing.  It's certainly operating on a level for me that I wouldn't expect going in. 

If you ever feel curious about completing the time trials I'd nudge you to do it.  I remember it leading me into some neat tutorial videos which then brought me down the mechanics/technique rabbit hole which was loads of fun.  The time trials are speedrunning-style challenges (but mostly using different levels from regular game) where you have to find a path to reach all the waypoints in a fast enough time.

Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #796 on: December 21, 2017, 08:24:03 PM »
Thanks for the input! I've probably pondered whether or not to buy this game more than I have any other in the last few years. It's gone back and forth a few times for sure. The long and short of things is that I'll most likely pick up a copy but I will also reserve the right to throw popcorn at my TV screen and wince when I feel like it.
Slight correction to myself: the anime starts at the beginning of chapter 4, not 5, and apparently the maid fetish is genetic.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #797 on: December 22, 2017, 08:38:30 PM »
I've entirely lost track of rambling endlessly in this thread, having missed the chance to freshly update my disappointment in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, my glee at the still-definitely-broken-but-fun-anyways Lego Dimensions, a rapid improvement in PAYDAY 2, and a sort of tepid response to NASCAR Heat 2 definitely being more NASCAR. Like, I like NASCAR. A lot. That's obvious. But I think we finally hit a point where I want a bit of a break from it, game-wise, at least while it's still doing the exact same tracks as the real series; when I was growing up, the track lists used to change wildly, with all sorts of fantasy additions and bizarre extras. Those don't happen for the NASCAR tie-ins anymore, unless you count those cars appearing in Forza and Gran Turismo where you can put them wherever. (I have been greatly enjoying Forza Motorsport 4 now that I've managed to get all the old free DLC working again, by the by.)

But mostly, as of late, I find myself turning, surprisingly, to Codemasters' F1 games. I mean, I guess it's not too surprising; I love the DiRT and GRID series, and Formula One is something I absolutely love conceptually. I mean, who wouldn't love a top-tier racing series with a prestigious history, touring the world in hyper-fast high-end machines, every driver having an astonishing resume behind them? But alas, the fandom rivalries and the imbalance among the teams (I'm more of a spec series kind of guy) make it tough for me to enjoy watching, having nowhere near as many passing opportunities as my usual preferences, and with aggression being more heavily punished with actual in-race penalties rather than just gaining you the ire of fans and co-workers. Really, you can sum it all up with Ferrari's president sneering "we don't want to play NASCAR globally" and NASCAR's Brad Keselowski decrying Toyota's dominance as "feeling like Formula One". Both series use each other as negatives, and it makes sense. They're very much opposites. But they're both awesome conceptually.

Anyhoo. So I got that Codemasters Racing Bundle despite already having most things in it; I've already had F1 2013 for some time as I was intrigued by the historic content. I'm gradually learning that each of these games is kind of its own strange mix, none of them really being a singular superior perfection of the formula (one). F1 2013 was my favorite for a long time, as it included the 2013 season, a nicely deep career mode, a brisker shortened career mode if you just wanted to hop right into the action, a challenge mode, and nicely in-depth tutorials in the form of the Young Driver's Test. Interestingly, how well you completed the tutorials affected your options in the career mode; if you finish most of them perfectly and make it clear you're used to this kind of game, you can hop straight on to a top-tier team. Really adds some nice stakes to it, and educated me nicely on a series I wanted to learn more about anyhow.

What really got my attention in the first place wasn't just the 2013 season, though. It was the inclusion of F1 Classics mode, which added an amalgamated 80's season and 90's season, with top-tier drivers and cars from those decades (as well as one Ferrari from 1976, which can only be used in time trials). These mostly still reuse the 2013 courses, but four historic tracks from those years that are no longer used in F1 were also added, in their classic forms, and you can mix and match the 80's, 90's, and 2013 seasons with any tracks in the game. They all have different HUDs and rosters and voicework. There's clearly a lot of love here. Some things are gimmicky (the KERS system, but that's just part of 2013's season, as is DRS) and some things are broken (using shorter qualifying rounds in career disqualifies you from most R&D upgrades for some reason?), but there's a lot to experience even as a non-fan if you're willing to learn.

The actual on-track action is exciting, but I gotta say, it's absolutely blown away by F1 2015. F1 2015 does also include multiple seasons, but only the 2014 and 2015 ones (which is much of why I skipped to it past 2014). They can't be mixed and matched. Where the rubber meets the road, 2015 is... to say it's smooth would be inaccurate. It's more that it nails the feel of it. You can feel the tires flex and move, you can feel the resistance of the brakes when you push just a bit too far; every single motion is FAR more detailed and immersive than it was before. The character models aren't great, the presentation is awesome but a bit thinner than before, but the actual racing is spectacular. Which presents a bit of a problem.

Almost all of the modes in previous games are just outright gone.

In exchange for far superior handling and gameplay, F1 2015 kinda skips... everything. No career mode, no customization, no challenges, no nothing. There is just racing. And time trials, if you feel like it. The racing, however, is genuinely good enough to be worth it, so it's in a weird spot as a supplementary game to an existing collection. It's a bit more classic-styled. All the appeal is in the core gameplay. And you know what? That's perfectly okay. I keep coming back to it for quick races over and over now.

F1 2013 was the last game in the series to have a full-on historic mode, though F1 2017 apparently brings back historic cars on the modern tracks. Licensing issues with the classic mode led to F1 2013 being removed from sale, so hopefully 2017 doesn't befall that same fate before I get to it.

Also, I'm enjoying F1 Race Stars a lot more now that I realize the career mode isn't actually balanced in a way that I HAVE to win every single event. I can relax a bit. Which I should, in a more cartoonish game where you're racing atop trains or launching over skyscrapers or watching Sebastian Vettel go by you at 215 MPH while leaning out of his car to wave to you and tauntingly shout "Byeeeee~!". It's still absolutely delightful in presentation but iffy on balance and design. Which, damn, I guess that IS accurate for Formula One.

Also, I'm extremely biased towards very much loving Mirror's Edge, but to be fair, I don't do much time-trialing there, despite my love of such modes in more vehicular forms. Plus, you can flip people off in midair. Can't ask for more.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #798 on: December 23, 2017, 03:46:02 AM »

If you ever feel curious about completing the time trials I'd nudge you to do it.  I remember it leading me into some neat tutorial videos which then brought me down the mechanics/technique rabbit hole which was loads of fun.  The time trials are speedrunning-style challenges (but mostly using different levels from regular game) where you have to find a path to reach all the waypoints in a fast enough time.

I tried briefly to do a time trial but couldn't; I am not sure if they required access to servers that have since been closed (at least on PS3). I may try again another time though, I have more console backlog thst I can get through while my PC is down.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #799 on: December 23, 2017, 10:23:19 AM »
So I just recently learned that there's a new DJMAX game for the PS4. (Admittedly I'm four months late to the party.) Now this is a surprise, given that Pentavision, as far as I'm aware, dissolved back after Technika Tune.

The bigger surprise? Nearly all of their discography will be available; some of it through DLC, admittedly. All of the returning songs also get a full visual remaster.

The biggest surprise? It's getting localized.
« Last Edit: December 23, 2017, 11:10:02 AM by Ionasal kkll Solciel »
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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #800 on: December 23, 2017, 09:29:48 PM »
Dark Souls DLC stuff is horrible. The only good part is Artorias himself, but good luck surviving if you don't have the fast roll. Honestly, I'd just uninstall it if I could, but that's not an option for the PC version.

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #801 on: December 25, 2017, 12:38:07 AM »
Been playing Cuphead again...I find it amusing that despite Isle III being the hardest set of bosses and levels in the game, I was able to beat Rumor Honeybottoms surprisingly fast...But I honestly think it had more to do with luck than anything else. There's so much stuff onscreen, with the shrapnel bombs, the Bullet Beels, and the magic shapes she spawns, combined with the semi-random arrangement of the platforms, and the amount of time she spends just idling allowing you to score extra hits on her, that she could be very easy, or very hard...

Then again I had Lobber and Roundabout, so that helped speed things along a fair bit! :V

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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #802 on: December 25, 2017, 01:26:46 AM »
Playing my first Atelier series game... Sophie on my PS4 which I hadn't had play with since I bought it due to needing a converter, I do think this series is a hidden gem for me... I might try out Omega Quintet on my PS4 also tomorrow.
« Last Edit: December 25, 2017, 01:30:07 AM by MewMewHeart »
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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #803 on: December 25, 2017, 04:05:47 AM »
Playing my first Atelier series game... Sophie on my PS4 which I hadn't had play with since I bought it due to needing a converter, I do think this series is a hidden gem for me... I might try out Omega Quintet on my PS4 also tomorrow.
Sophie's weird for me for some reason; I just can't get into it after you start being able to customize your cauldron. It's probably because I desperately want to min-max it, but I just don't have the mats for it.

(I really should get to finishing it, since the third game in the Mysterious series comes out in March...)
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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #804 on: December 26, 2017, 06:57:35 AM »
I already found out about Doki Doki Literature Club already two months ago, but have been hesitant to play it until now.

...all I can say so far is that it blew me outta my socks multiple times already, and I'm not even halfway through it - total 7 hours of playtime and counting.

Spoiler:
This game will destroy you. It will leave an ugly scar on your soul. It will substantially damage your sanity.

Spoiler:
I regret so goddamn many life choices right now (_/_.)_
Like trying this game out on Christmas Eve...
My sins cannot be forgiven

One thing I'm absolutely fascinated by about this game though is just how terrifyingly gimmicky it is. So gimmicky it's actually legitimately creepy. And I do love that.
:V


Spoiler:
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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #805 on: December 26, 2017, 06:41:45 PM »
This year was the first Christmas where I didn't get anything Sonic-related as a present! To rectify this, as a lifelong fan, I immediately used my gift money to purchase Sonic Forces, and... wow. That was a mistake. It really IS as bad as everyone says. I'm used to still liking every Sonic game regardless of review outlet scores, but, like, I'm floored this got UP TO a 6. Lost World was at least dismissable as not my kind of platforming, but this is an amalgam of every bad thing about the 3D Sonic games. Overly chatty characters. Melodramatic cutscenes and overdramatic story. Random throwbacks to old games just to remind you that you liked those and that alone should make you like this. Horrid level design. The clunky momentum mechanics from Lost World. It is the polar opposite of Sonic Mania, which was a compilation of all the best parts of the 2D games. And to be perfectly honest, I prefer the 3D games, mostly because I suck at the original 2D ones, and this is not a better product. After Mania, Forces looks like an absolute joke. Like they learned their lesson and immediately slam dunked it into the trash (if not for these being separate dev teams and both games planned well in advance).

I genuinely have NO incentive to play this over just picking up one of my Sonic toys and kicking his legs around. No incentive, that is, except one thing.

The character creator genuinely is an actual friggin' masterpiece that gives you a real sense of ownership of one portion of this otherwise jumbled nonsense plot, I absolutely love my dapperly-dressed rabbit dude, and the clothing rewards actually are almost enough to make the bland, uninteresting, unrewarding levels worth playing. It is incongruously fantastic, and when I see my dude smiling at the end of a stage, I am very happy to see him happy. I wish him the best, but that includes wishing he was in a better game.

Anyways. I'll probably slog through more of that since it's short. If they legit go through with Super Sonic being paid DLC, they'll actually finally lose me as a customer after 22 years of blindly loyal fandom. Well. I guess I'll stay attached to Sonic Boom, since that's still damn good a show. Argh.

For the most part, I've been looping back to PAYDAY 2, after the excellent Reservoir Dogs Heist and Brooklyn Bank combo, and ACIV: Black Flag, because it was free and I forget I like the AC games so much. Christmas meant, among other things, I was given the Powerpuff Girls characters for Lego Dimensions. I have a lot of opinions on the reboot, and the recasted characters in-game do still sound wrong to me (ESPECIALLY because it's all the women and girls that got recast, with every male VA keeping their role), but this serves as a solid mix of nostalgia and the new stuff. I did openly cackle during one mission involving Mojo Jojo. This game got his character a LOT better than the reboot cartoon actually has, down to the overly verbose replies, which go on unnecessarily and use more words than is necessary, due to the inherent humor value in an unnecessarily long explanation that goes on longer than is needed, required, or most likely desired.

I'm also very much biased in amusement towards a mission that sees you helping a clickbait website, that, in lieu of any actual giant monster attacks, asks you to destroy a model city so they can take pictures of that and post it with misleading headlines later, such as "Only Oughties Kids Will Remember THIS City!". I can safely say I would not appreciate kaiju stuff at all if not for the original PPG sort of defanging the threat for me as a kid, so it's amusingly recursive that this ends up up my alley.

NASCAR Heat 2 continues to collect digital, proverbial dust. The career mode was picking up some speed last I checked into it. The short races were perfect for a before-work sprint; we'll see how well it holds up now that I'm back to a blank schedule.

Ionasal kkll Solciel

  • Girl from beyond the 7th Dimension
Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #806 on: December 30, 2017, 07:09:39 AM »
I'm still amused by the fact that EA got kicked so hard by the Battlefront II loot disaster, that they're selling the game on PSN for 42% off retail. (Really, though, I'm not getting it because I'm shit at aiming - just see my <30% accuracy rate in Overwatch.)

Anyway, slowly winding my way through Fate/Extella, in hopes of somehow getting to the point where Supreme Sovereign is somewhat possible. Picked up Escape Goat 2, Momodora, and Star Ocean 3 through the PSN sale (of which I'm already dreading to hell having to go through 4D mode and the bunny Trophy if I want that sulfur trioxide platinum). Also got The Caligula Effect, which is... strange, confusing, and was apparently updated a lot, if the tips commenting on "now NG+ is available" and "this one skill the tutorial told you about totally had to be learned, but now you have it by default" is any indication. I totally feel like I'm severely overleveled, if not for the sub-boss guarding a piece of equipment in a corner damn near boring me to death and having health equivalent to a scratch damage beef gate.

Also, I just learned that Wipeout 2048's multiplayer servers are going down around the same time Ace Combat Infinity's do.  :ohdear: :(

EDIT: Also somehow I just realized I bought La Pucelle: Tactics some time ago? I don't think I've ever played it...
« Last Edit: December 30, 2017, 07:22:06 AM by Ionasal kkll Solciel »
Let's Play: BIT.TRIP FLUX | Let's Play: Malicious | Skyward Sword: Shieldless Final Boss | Skyward Sword: Boss Rush! | Ace Combat Infinity: Campaign in the X-02 Wyvern


Move eternally forward,
So that we may always be at your side.

Jimmy

  • Shameless spender
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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #807 on: January 01, 2018, 12:15:48 PM »
I firmly believe now that Doki Doki Literature Club has ruptured something deep inside of me... yet I keep playing it and hunt all the easter eggs hidden in there as well as trying to achieve the good ending.

I've never played VN's before, but I honestly need to say that, here in DDLC, each character's personality is elaborated to an extend where it feels like to me as if I (not the in-game protagonist, but literally me) were actually interacting with them myself while playing. The
Spoiler:
first Act, out of four in total,
was a truly immersive experience, and its ending (about 5 hours in) pretty much had me clenching my heart and gave a hard time breathing... it was quite a painful hit. Everything afterwards then descended into a psychological madness, which, together with the end of
Spoiler:
Act 1
, have engraved themselves into my memory and into my heart.

Maybe I've mentioned that once, but I personally am really amazed at the work that went into this VN: the characters' personalities, the artworks, the number of different routes
Spoiler:
and the friggin fact that you can mess with the game files and the game still works as if all that was planned out (which it actually is)
.
Two years well spent, Mr Salvato :)


Now please excuse me while I go flood my screen with DDLC pets.


Also I just completely forgot: Happy New Year everybody!
rip me
« Last Edit: January 01, 2018, 03:09:52 PM by Jimmy »
Normal 1cc: EoSD, PCB, IN, PoFV, MoF, UFO, TD, DDC, LoLK Legacy, HSiFS, WBaWC
Hard 1cc: IN, DDC, HSiFS
Extra clears: MoF, DDC, HSiFS, WBaWC

Goals: Going Extra Hard!

MewMewHeart

  • Hermit Mode on!
  • Just chilling like a hermit.
Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #808 on: January 05, 2018, 05:56:35 PM »
Purchased Gal*Gun: Double Peace the other day for my PS4 during the online PSN sale and having fun with it! FFXIV is addictive... need to play Persona 5, Atelier Faris, and still need to get motivated to play Omega Quintet.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2018, 06:02:29 PM by MewMewHeart »
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Pywackett-Barchetta

  • Icelandic Elf Inspector
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Re: Games You're Playing Right Now Thread VI - Even in this thread, F O E
« Reply #809 on: January 06, 2018, 02:26:11 AM »
I'm finding myself genuinely surprised by how unrepentantly, purposefully fanservicey Senran Kagura: Bon Appetit! is, mainly because Shinovi Versus was my introduction to the series and was decidedly not that. It's actually becoming a major detraction from it; I still like the characters and love the humor, but having the long, slow camera pans over their increasingly bared bodies - in full screen, mind you - happen mid-song and be completely unskippable, as well as having some 'bonus' scenes of such that 'reward' good performance that can't be skipped without a score penalty, just feels like the exact kind of skeevy the series usually jokes about being but isn't. There's no humor to the close-ups. No punchline.

Which is a shame, because the parts that ARE punchlines are genuinely funny, such as the judge of the competition being an absolute dead-on parody of Japanese cooking show hosts deliberately over-emoting for dramatic effect. Beautifully, excessively rendered scenes of food and the expressions it elicits from him are excellent, and I'm consistently laughing every single time. The actual rhythm bits are your standard generic portable rhythm game, pretty much exactly the same inputs as (at the moment, I'd say the superior) K-ON! Houkago Live! and other such titles, but they're done pretty satisfactorily, and the music's damn catchy. For once, though, I actually do feel shame playing it. There's no subversion in this one, and the sheer exaggeration of the interplay of sex and horrible, horrible violence is much of what made Shinovi Versus and the various manga series greatly enjoyable.

I still intend to get my $12 worth, and putting dorky garbage on everyone in the dressing room has filled most of that asking price already. I can safely say the niche of 'police ninja versus vampire Santa Claus in a cooking battle' is not filled by anything else I own, but I still was in this hoping way more for a show of Beat Bobby Flay than a convention video room you have to show your ID to get into.

Throughout the entirety of the Steam Sale, I wrestled with the question of whether I should pick up DiRT 4. I mean, people didn't much like it, but those same people also hated DiRT Showdown, and I absolutely loved it for being a ridiculous in-name(-and-dev-team)-only spinoff that turned a rally racer into a nitro-powered demo derby. The thing is, though, DiRT 4 tried to please both sides of the fanbase. The series is known for ludicrous, silly, over-the-top off-road racing, but also has a pedigree of enjoyably serious rally simulation (really more simcade than simulation, but more enjoyable that way in my book). After DiRT 3 really split the audience with a game that had both rally racing and gymkhana (as represented in a sort of 'stunt mode' that gave you Pro-Skater-esque combos for each trick), DiRT Showdown went full-tilt on the silly and DiRT Rally went full-tilt on brutal, unrelenting, hardcore rally. (It actually is kinda generous and relenting, just significantly less so than most other modern racing titles.) DiRT 4 has the misfortune of trying to be both, and it seems to keep the grounded, realistic style of Rally with the more arcade-style gameplay of 3 (or, at least, the simulation side of it is not well-reviewed). So I was mulling over whether to grab that still...

...and ended up playing Rally for an extremely long time again. I think that's 4's greatest misfortune, really, is that it came after a game that people aren't done playing. I did the Monthly Challenge today, all in one go, and that feels like the height of the game at its best. 24 stages, back to back to back. Damage accumulates across all of them, and you only have limited resources for repairing damage between runs. There are no redos, there are no flashbacks or repeats; once you start a stage, you must finish it. (You can still pause, though, of course; they haven't gone that far off the deep end. Cough, cough, Need for Speed.) If you total your car, that's it. Your run is over and you're booted right back to the main menu. The game's repetition of a few stages becomes pretty evident here (there's really only six stages in total, chopped up in different directions and pieces), but the changing conditions make up for it in my book. Once you're done, it becomes a waiting game; the leaderboards will total up, and when the month ends, you'll get your reward based on where you placed. It really captures the tension of a rally championship pretty excellently.

I keep getting tempted by other titles, but I do think DiRT Rally is pretty well cemented as my rally game for now. At least, the serious one; DiRT 3's still excellent for some silly hooning about and sightseeing.