Written by IronAngel on 13.06.2018 at 12:37

Hopefully, but I suspect you'll be able to wander around the city after Points of Interest, shooting up gangs and intervening in robberies and racing cars and whatever, and they've hyped that it's gonna be even bigger than W3 (as if that was a good thing, jesus). Probably like GTA meets Witcher world design with Deus-Exesque character flavor.

Haven't played the new one, but Human Revolution was fairly concise. I liked that about it, at least. They also didn't show any real vertical dimension in the trailer, so probably there's not going to be a lot of climbing and jumping and shit.

Human Revolution was good for a playthough, but I've never been able to break back into it again. I wish I'd waited on it for the version with the rejigged bosses. Mankind Divided felt like an ADHD nightmare with too much menu and sensory overload and I had trouble enjoying it in all honesty.

Well GTA was the first thing I thought of when watching the Cyberpunk trailer, the presentation felt very similar. Like any open world game I'll probably play for about 30 hours before the sense of repetition sets in and I put it aside.

Bloodborne.

Beast Cutter is OP. Made the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst go from the hardest encounter in the Soulsborne series to completely trivial and dead in a minute with barely a scratch.

Nearly finished The Old Hunters DLC in Bloodborne. Just about half the Fishing Hamlet to go I'm guessing. Don't know if I'm overpowered but so far only Laurence took a couple of goes to beat, the rest went down on the first go. Ludwig was probably the the messiest shit-fest of a fight I've ever had though. I'm pretty sure he hit me with every attack he made and I'm not sure how I beat him. Maria was so staggerable for the first 2/3 of the fight. Kinda wish she started the fight in her third phase. Living Failures was at least a bit harder than the Celestial Emissary. The Whirligig Saw with about 660 AR is serving me well though so hoping Orphan of Kos goes down easy enough.

K got Kos on the first try. Hard but was expecting harder. Has nothing on Nameless King (10+ fights), Fume Knight (40+ fights), or Midir (gave up+). Good fight though.

Well Gerhman and MLP were a cakewalk after that.

Probably the best in the series, aside from some camera issues with larger bosses / enemies. The lore is mindblowingly good. Strongly considering a Micolash tattoo, because his lore is awesome, he's unique and he's the only fucker that took 3 goes to topple (A Call Beyond can jump off a cliff).

Now on to Persona 5.

Written by Mercurial on 22.06.2018 at 03:02

Ludwig was probably the the messiest shit-fest of a fight I've ever had though. I'm pretty sure he hit me with every attack he made and I'm not sure how I beat him.

Ugh, that fight gave me the most trouble out of any From Software boss fight. Really the only Souls(-related) boss that I ever got stuck on.

I think I actually never finished the DLC though, can't remember why but I stopped somewhere in the fishy town and just never continued. Should probably correct that mistake some time.

Written by Zap on 23.06.2018 at 20:05

Ugh, that fight gave me the most trouble out of any From Software boss fight. Really the only Souls(-related) boss that I ever got stuck on.

I think I actually never finished the DLC though, can't remember why but I stopped somewhere in the fishy town and just never continued. Should probably correct that mistake some time.

He's just a hyper-aggressive mass of flailing limbs. and the camera was an absolute nightmare. Unlocking when he jumps and getting stuck behind him so you couldn't see yourself. Kudos to anyone that learns to beat him skillfully. Cool design and amazing music though.

Shame, you were probably really close to the last boss, the fishing hamlet was a surprisingly small area.

Last of Us. I tried about 3 hours and it just plain sucks. I'm sure the story gets good but the gameplay loop is really rudimentary and beyond dull. Felt the same about Uncharted 2 so not sure why I expected any different. Might just Youtube the rest and call it a day.

Written by Mercurial on 23.06.2018 at 23:10

Written by Zap on 23.06.2018 at 20:05

Ugh, that fight gave me the most trouble out of any From Software boss fight. Really the only Souls(-related) boss that I ever got stuck on.

I think I actually never finished the DLC though, can't remember why but I stopped somewhere in the fishy town and just never continued. Should probably correct that mistake some time.

He's just a hyper-aggressive mass of flailing limbs. and the camera was an absolute nightmare. Unlocking when he jumps and getting stuck behind him so you couldn't see yourself. Kudos to anyone that learns to beat him skillfully. Cool design and amazing music though.

Shame, you were probably really close to the last boss, the fishing hamlet was a surprisingly small area.

Well, after I finish Horizon: Zero Dawn, I'll probably go back to finish that DLC. As I said, I really have no idea why I suddenly stopped playing. Maybe I'd just had enough :p

Written by Zap on 24.06.2018 at 09:24

Well, after I finish Horizon: Zero Dawn, I'll probably go back to finish that DLC. As I said, I really have no idea why I suddenly stopped playing. Maybe I'd just had enough :p

I was thinking of starting Horizon Zero Dawn actually. Will see how much Gravity Rush 2 absorbs me when it gets going.

Written by Mercurial on 24.06.2018 at 14:48

I was thinking of starting Horizon Zero Dawn actually. Will see how much Gravity Rush 2 absorbs me when it gets going.

Well, I'm about 8 hours in and quite liking it so far. Only thing bothering me is how there is no challenge to it whatsoever. Started the game on Ultra Hard and honestly haven't had a single difficult encounter (yet?), the only reason I've ever died is because I wanted to kill something or someone in a cool manner. Maybe I just haven't advanced far enough into the game for the difficulty to really kick in, since I've spent a lot of time just exploring the wilds and hunting some big fekking machines. Story seems alright though, I'm interested to see where that goes.

Written by Zap on 26.06.2018 at 10:00

Well, I'm about 8 hours in and quite liking it so far. Only thing bothering me is how there is no challenge to it whatsoever. Started the game on Ultra Hard and honestly haven't had a single difficult encounter (yet?), the only reason I've ever died is because I wanted to kill something or someone in a cool manner. Maybe I just haven't advanced far enough into the game for the difficulty to really kick in, since I've spent a lot of time just exploring the wilds and hunting some big fekking machines. Story seems alright though, I'm interested to see where that goes.

I think I read somewhere that you can be overleveled, so maybe that's part of it.

I played about half an hour when I first got it, just to check it out. Didn't even see any dinosaurs in that time. but it's definitely one insanely pretty game.

Gravity Rush 2 is huge fun so far, and I haven't even gotten the alternate gravity states yet. Loving the visuals, especially of the huge main city area, and the soundtrack is phenomenal. Best I've heard since Nier: Automata. Surprised to say it was done by the composer of Alundra too.

I flew around one area for ages just to listen to this.

Persona 5 is such a long game. I'm 45 hours in and not sure I'm even at the halfway mark yet. Good game though, vastly improved on the previous ones with the combat additions and quality of life improvements, as well as non-randomly generated dungeons. Not so sure about the story though. It's good, but the structure to it can be somewhat repetitive and is still lacking a major antagonist.

-Final Fantasy X: Finally ended the game (6.7/10)
-Xenogears: For a JRPG this is great, I still hate the random encounters and some hard as fuck bosses, but once I learnt how to use cheat codes it all became quite more simple. I'm still on CD 2 relaxing myself after CD1.

Written by Maco on 12.07.2018 at 11:34

-Final Fantasy X: Finally ended the game (6.7/10)

That's about the rating I'd give FFX. The first game in the series that left me completely underwhelmed and bored with the story and characters. VIII was a ridiculous mess, but at least it was entertaining.

Written by Metren on 12.07.2018 at 12:14

Written by Maco on 12.07.2018 at 11:34

-Final Fantasy X: Finally ended the game (6.7/10)

That's about the rating I'd give FFX. The first game in the series that left me completely underwhelmed and bored with the story and characters. VIII was a ridiculous mess, but at least it was entertaining.

Is X the Water Polo one?

Loved 2, 3, and 7, liked 8 enough... still love DOOMTRAIN. 9 and later 10 were teh first two I didn't care enough to finish. 9 just got lost, forgot where i was with the game and thus how to progress. not sure how. X, despite the graphics upgrade never really clicked with me, got bored.

Written by BitterCOld on 13.07.2018 at 08:22

Is X the Water Polo one?

Yup. Blitzball, linear and boring almost no-surprises plot, ridiculous character designs, but great visuals and OST, that's X.

Written by BitterCOld on 13.07.2018 at 08:22

Loved 2, 3, and 7, liked 8 enough... still love DOOMTRAIN. 9 and later 10 were teh first two I didn't care enough to finish. 9 just got lost, forgot where i was with the game and thus how to progress. not sure how. X, despite the graphics upgrade never really clicked with me, got bored.

Maybe it's just nostalgia, but I loved IX and I highly recommend You give it another chance, I don't think You'll regret it. It's as close to a what an FF game should be as possible according to some, including the legend Sakaguchi himself. The storytelling and characters aren't quite on the level of VII and IV, but it's a lovely fairy-tale like story with loads of fun and also some beautiful sad moments.

In retrospect, none of them are how I remember them. Slow, linear and naive, with pretty trivial gameplay. Tried to get back into IX, which was my favorite (along with VI), but the magic wasn't there. I loved the way the games open up towards the end/midpoint, with airships and lots of places to do trivial stuff at, but I guess I've been overexposed to open world games since then to really get a kick out of it anymore. I still think it's a nice game (and maybe I'll try the others at some point), but no way I'd rank them in my top 10 these days.

I liked X, though. It scratched a slightly different itch, but I dunno if the story is worse than average. The world building was quite successful, I thought. I'd probably rank them, based on very fuzzy memories:
1. IX/VI
2. IV
3. VII
4. X
5. VIII
6. X-2

I didn't play enough of V (the one with the cool job system) to really judge, and I still have Tactics waiting in my emulator folder.

If anything open world games have made me enjoy the classic FFs even more. I really appreciate the idea of guided narratives and gameplay these days, and the older FFs gave you just enough exploration (some of it superficial if course) for it not to seem too linear. Everything in FFIX is worth doing and experiencing. There's no fluff to pad it out and make it seem bigger than it is. Yet it's still a 60 odd hour game. I almost never finish open world rpgs. Still never seen the ending credits in an Elder Scrolls game and I'm usually exhausted by them after the 40 mark because repetition sets in.

Replayed FFIX earlier this year and still absolutely loved it. Some of the dialogue, especially between Zidane and Vivi, is incredibly natural and conversational. They did a great job localising it.

The best thing about it is still the pre-rendered backdrops though. They still look (or feel) more detailed and imaginative than any open world game I've played which end up reusing assets, inevitably. The artstyle itself is still one of the most unique and well-realised in a game. Almost feels like a Terry Pratchet book at times.

My only real criticism of it are the battles being too slow. I dunno if the updated ones on Steam have speed up options like 12, though I wouldn't be caught dead playing anything other than the original. Can't abide those ugly mobile phone text boxes and too-high resolution character models.

Still not sure of the efficacy of Kuja as a baddie, but I guess he fits most definitions well enough.

As for VII, I still love it. It's silly but has a lot going for it. Interesting futuristic setting with lots of very cool locations, Guardian Force gathering, etc.

FFVII definitely feels dated compared to the 2 after it. Blocky characters and pretty bad localisation. Still enjoyable taking it on its merits though. It just needed cleaning up really. It'll always be iconic and archetypal.



On this topic, has anyone played Octopath Traveler yet? Looks like an old school JRPG fan's dream.

Written by Mercurial on 14.07.2018 at 12:44

If anything open world games have made me enjoy the classic FFs even more.

The best thing about it is still the pre-rendered backdrops though. They still look (or feel) more detailed and imaginative than any open world game I've played which end up reusing assets, inevitably.

Exactly how I feel. Somehow it is easier for me to feel like I am actually there inside the story with pre-rendered or even eagle-eye (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale) games. I guess it is because not only is the artwork superior to fully rendered 3D environments, but also it is good to leave something up to the imagination. When the artwork suggests rather plainly shows what the world is like and your brain does the rest, it leads to some truly immersive escapism.

Written by Metren on 14.07.2018 at 13:20




Exactly how I feel. Somehow it is easier for me to feel like I am actually there inside the story with pre-rendered or even eagle-eye (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale) games. I guess it is because not only is the artwork superior to fully rendered 3D environments, but also it is good to leave something up to the imagination. When the artwork suggests rather plainly shows what the world is like and your brain does the rest, it leads to some truly immersive escapism.

Yeah, it made them feel far more book-ish in a way, especially as they didn't have voice acting either. It's a shame it's been largely abandoned for console style RPGs, though Pillars of Eternity has brought it back for Infinity Engine lovers.

Well, I wouldn't compare them to modern open world games per se, but the open world element was one that made them stand out at the time. I don't think they're the best narrative experiences out there, they don't have the best tactical combat, and the RP elements of choice are negligible. But it was a combination of all those serviceable aspects, the gorgeous aesthetics (visual and musical) and the sense of freedom to find secrets in a big world that made them feel special. Looking backward, I feel the world map (especially in the 3D games) is mostly an ugly gimmick, where you're offered a very thin veil of illusory freedom to actually just walk between two villages and maybe check out a cave, trudging through pixel soup and unwanted random encounters to get there. I may be a bit harsh but the point is, many games have aged well - this aspect of FFs, at least, has not. I much prefer how the world map is handled in Chrono Trigger, or exploration more generally in Baldur's Gate 1 (even 2), Geneforge or Fallout. They don't feel dated at all.

I still think there are fantastic elements about them, especially IX. It is one of my favorite game worlds, hands down. Every place is gorgeous and has its distinct atmosphere. But given the depth of its story and the complexity of its gameplay (i.e. not much), it didn't need to be a 60-hour game. Not in retrospect, anyway.

Written by BitterCOld on 13.07.2018 at 08:22

Loved 2, 3,

You mean 4 and 6?

Written by [user id=159927] on 17.07.2018 at 20:15

You mean 4 and 6?

Was stationed on Guam, close to Japan. were sold on the base exchange, in English, as 2 and 3.

Written by BitterCOld on 17.07.2018 at 21:13

Was stationed on Guam, close to Japan. were sold on the base exchange, in English, as 2 and 3.

Yeah I know in English its 2 and 3 and a lot of people know it as 2 and 3, I was just yanking your chain.

I played 6 for a while and just recently re-started 7. Such good gamez.

Written by [user id=159927] on 17.07.2018 at 21:19


Yeah I know in English its 2 and 3 and a lot of people know it as 2 and 3, I was just yanking your chain.

I played 6 for a while and just recently re-started 7. Such good gamez.

was just showing how KVLT i was... doing 7 now, but on hold. stuck underneath the saucer in the desert. forgot how to advance, got sidetracked with other games.

I just began Unavowed.
For those interested in point and click adventure games, do check !

New gameplay from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Looks seriously good.




No more i-frames :'( You can jump now though.

Blergh, I've been unable to complete a solo game for months now. I've left D:OS, Wasteland 2, Dragon's Dogma, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.:SoC unfinished, fiddled around a bit with Sunless Sea, barely got started with Pathologic and struggling to continue Dishonored 2.

I did get really inspired playing Nier: Automata with my wife, and gonna start one (or all three) of Oxenfree, The Testament of Sherlock Holmes and Heroine's Quest: The Herald of Ragnarok next.

But I can't decide what to play myself. I really want to fry the big fish, but having so little time to play by myself it's a big commitment: either Persona 4 or D:OS2. I would have to buy the latter, I have P4 already. Fuck these 80+ hour games, it should be illegal to put in more than 50 hours' content.

EDIT: Ooh, I just noiced they're rolling out a D:OS2 Definitive Edition a week from now. I guess this is the time to get on it.

Written by IronAngel on 25.08.2018 at 16:45

EDIT: Ooh, I just noiced they're rolling out a D:OS2 Definitive Edition a week from now. I guess this is the time to get on it.

Tempted to dive back into that again myself, considering how much they've added and ironed out. Supposedly massive amount of additions across the board, better journal, bugs gone (hopefully) and a reworked final act (which it needed) means it could be scarily good now. That being said it was already a 100+ hour game, so I'm not sure how much I want an extra 30 hours on top of that, which the last act is meant to now have. It could be quite fatiguing.

Written by Mercurial on 22.08.2018 at 15:39

New gameplay from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Looks seriously good.

No more i-frames :'( You can jump now though.

One of the few games I've been genuinely excited for in a while. Like you said, looks seriously good.