Currently playing 4: Guns of the Patriots

[delispin25]

Policenauts. I actually just beat it, and it was fantastic. The story was outstanding, great characters, so many great twists that I didn't see coming, and the shooting segments are really tense and fun. It's like a point and click game and a light gun game in one. The only problem was that the graphics weren't as nice too look at as the PC-98 version of the game, which I think has the best graphics out of it's many versions, but had piss poor shooting mechanics.

[Giji Shinka]

I managed to get early access to Dark Souls 2 DLC's (Some PS3 hacker summoned me) "challenge route."
It's so much fun when you play this with other players.

Is it for players who wanna solo? Hell no. While soloing, this place is pretty overwhelming, it's obvious that it was designed for co-op play.

When co-oping: 8/10

When soloing 6/10

Can't wait to play the actual DLC area.

[soul.assassin]

Fallout New Vegas. My other time-wasting mistress after a couple of days, and I'm modding it as I play.

Goddamn, difficulty was on mid, but still quite a challenge to deal with some baddies. Also... VATS, something close to the Eagle Eye skill in Skyrim's archery, but can select where I want to hit.

[Stan]

Imported Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn (a.k.a. Shin Gundam Musou). It's almost laughable how they can't make an entry in the series without taking away good parts from the previous game. It did improve quite dramatically over the previous game, but it also sacrificed good features. It's like the saying goes: one step forward, two steps back.

The addition of the custom soundtrack feature solved the problem of licensing issues removing all music from foreign releases and replacing them with generic rock. The expansions of maps and the multiple objectives per mission lengthened the mission-play-time, solving the problem of DWG3.

However, the removal of the online mode is extremely questionable. The downgrade to realistic graphics from the cell-shaded style of DWG3 is negatively received by the fans. The increased enemies on screen cause frame-rate problems and the removal of operators and friendships simplify the game (which is already a mindless hack n' slash). It's not a bad game, it feels newer than #3, the new suit handling mechanics are great...., however I can't recommend this game as the better version. It certainly does many things right..but I can't help but question the decision to remove/downgrade features bringing the game down to DWG2 level in certain areas.

[Alaska Slim]

I'm looking for a good, 4x space game.

I've been playing Sins of a Solar Empire but it's to RTS-ey. I want to explore the tech and manage logistics before some douch starts bombarding my planet with a space canon and three shots end my game.

I can suggest some RTT games, Star Wolves, and Nexus: The Jupiter Incident.

Otherwise... Star Wars: Empire at War?



Anywho, on my second play through of Zoids Assault on my last save, and damn is it ever easier. I have to royally screw up just to lose one zoid. Matches that went on for like 50 turns before, I win now in under 20.


I gave my striker Command Wolf the giant club weapon (the admonisher), just because of how awesome it looks when it slams an enemy. It's like a Zoid-sized mousetrap, and you just know this is something that could only work in a turn-based context. I don't think anyone would stand around long enough for you to use it in *real time*

SPOILER: Show

I'm disappointed I can't win the last mission. That bites, yo. I was holding my own quite well even on my first play-through, hadn't lost any Zoids, hadn't lost the mission at all, I could have easily killed the last 4 and saved everyone if the darn game would let me.

Just going to have to settle for stripping those big-ass Zoid prototypes for parts.

[/spoiler]

[Shinoyami65]

The Walking Dead Season 2 Episode 4- [s]What the Actual Fuck, Telltale[/s]Amid the Ruins:

SPOILER: Show

Well, basically this episode should have been titled 'You Can't Save Anybody'. I'm not sure if they were intentionally trying to break the player's spirit, but this is probably the most nihilistic episode, and I really hated the way it was written because basically every major decision you make cannot even slightly affect the eventual outcome. For example:

-Chopped off Sarita's arm? She dies. Left her? As you can imagine she lives a bit longer and then dies.

-Managed to carry Nick through the last few episodes? Too bad, at the start of this one he's just killed off without any input from the player.

-Kept trying to save Sarah? Well sorry, even if you get her to the last quarter of the episode she still dies and there's nothing you can do (they actually disguise it as a moment when it looks like you have to choose between Sarah and Jane, but it doesn't matter because Jane will always survive and Sarah suffers the same fate regardless of your choice).

-Decided to become cold and just stick with Jane? She leaves the group and you can't follow her or get her to stay.

-Tried to prioritise Rebecca's safety? Good news: her baby is born. Bad news: giving birth to it exhausts her so much she becomes a zombie at the very end of the episode regardless of your choices. The only thing you get to choose is who shoots her: you or Kenny.

-At one point you get to choose whether or not to rob a guy's medical supplies. But, in what is probably one of the more badly-written parts of the episode, I decided not to rob him but at the finale he shows up for revenge claiming Clementine robbed him. So basically it doesn't matter whether or not you choose to rob him.

WTF, Telltale. WTF.

Telltale just seems to have crafted this episode to kill every character the player could choose to protect in previous episodes. Even if you choose to be an anti-hero and not save anyone, the survivalist character leaves regardless of your choices and you're pretty much stuck with the collapsing group.

The whole thing ends on a cliffhanger with several gunshots and not even a next-episode trailer, so they may kill even more of the cast off in the interim.

And we STILL don't find out what happened to Christa's baby, and Clementine acts like she's never been with a pregnant woman before, despite having been in a position to witness the full width of Christa's pregnancy prior to the beginning of the season.

[Joy Evangelion]

Started playing Shadow of the Colossus or A Boy, his Horse, and His Dead Girlfriend, on my PS2 last night(I know, I'm about a decade late). I've always felt it was my duty to play through it, since it's held in such high esteem(I felt something similar to watching NGE and that turned out well.) Unlike NGE though, I already know the ending to this one so I'm a little bummed about it.

I first attempted to play it back in 2010, but a girl got in the way . I think that time I defeated three colossi, and this go around I've already taken down five so I'm feeling pretty good about myself.

SPOILER: Show

Luring the fifth to swoop in and attack and then hanging onto it while flying above that misty lake was beautiful

I imagine it's going to be pretty difficult from here on out, but it's for love so I think I'll be okay

[NemZ]

Been clearing out a bit of my Steam backlog. Finished Batman: Arkham Asylum and thought it was pretty damned good overall. Started Arkham City and... what the hell happened here?

First off it annoyed me by not supporting my controller so I had to buy a new one, then it won't let me rebind the controls and has them all pretty much flipped from the last game for no apparent reason. this is SO anoying.

The combat feels too smooth now, unlike the last game where fighting as batman felt very dynamic but also very beefy. Now it seems like I'm bouncing all over the damn place, my punches feel far less powerful, and the rapid combos don't help that impression at all. At least I haven't seen a quicktime event yet, but I suspect it's only a matter of time.

I'm also not very thrilled by the world map, as making it more seamless was cool and all but everything is very cluttered and jumbled up. If it weren't for the obnoxious neon signs everywhere I'd have no idea where I was going, no real sense of place. This more open world feel also has some unfortunate effects on quest design, with tiresome variations of hot/cold already showing up far too often for my taste.

Also just in terms of basic game design it feels rather off. They start you with almost all the tools from the first game right off the bat but don't give you much in the way of a tutorial with them, so I imagine if I hadn't just played the first game I'd be a bit overwhelmed.

All in all I'm feeling rather disappointed with this sequel so far. anybody else feel similarly? And how do the first two games compare to Arkahm Origins?

[Chuckman]

A Batman open world game could be really good, but there was a lot I didn't like about the Arkham games.

Origins is terrible, I quit playing after an hour.

[NemZ]

I know, right? Imagine a huge Gotham City area to play around in and a more truely open world gameplay where you're solving cases, tracking down leads, consulting with Gordon and stuff, not just rushing from one side of the small map to the other in an artificially small, tense environment. Let me drive the batmobile around town, wear disguises to infiltrate gangs, interrogate goons, cultivate useful contacts, and play mindgames with the baddies to lure them out of hiding... maybe even play them against each other! Let me occasionally hit the town as Bruce Wayne for a night or make charitable donations to affect the flow of the game beyond just punching dudes.

Bonus mode... let me fight Superman like in TDKR.

And for fuck's sake make Riddler stick to proper riddles, not bullshit hidden items.

[EvangelionFan]

Bonus mode... let me fight Superman like in TDKR.

Special co-op mode: Player 2 is one-armed Green Arrow

[Monk Ed]

Moved my Pokemon reports and their ensuing replies where it all belongs.

EDIT: And Griff's.

[EvangelionFan]

FTL: Faster than Light

I have had this game since January, and after coming back to it earlier in the month following the 'Advanced Edition' update I have been finding the game much easier to handle. Though I admit my insistent copying+pasting of 'Continue' files (so that I can reset my progress if I get an unlucky encounter / rolls) has been clutch in helping me to actually beat the game ... on easy mode ... I nonetheless feel that there has been some reasonable amount of skill/play on my part to reach those good ends. A few weeks ago I beat the game with The Torus (Engi A) and The Osprey (Federation A), and I beat the game with The Kestrel (starter ship) this evening at the conclusion of a two and a half hour play session (... with breaks every forty-five minutes or so, of course). Good game. Gonna have another go sometime soon, maybe with Red-Tail (Kestrel B) or another go with The Adjudicator (Zoltan A).

[Omegagouki]

Crimzon Clover: World Ignition
Most fun I've had a shmup ever, even moreso than Touhou... OH MY GOD, did I just say that?! Nah, it's a different experience, I have to say, when it comes down to it it's so bright and fun dying doesn't get aggravating. Provides both novice and arcade modes for maximum skill level experiences, plus time attack!

Currently ten dollars on Steam, and you can get its awesome soundtrack as DLC! ...I got it back when it was on sale a few months ago, tho, but that's the price right now.

Kingdom Hearts 1.5 ReMix
Currently playing through KH 1 Final Mix. A game I got because I wanted to play it so much but got lazy on it until these past few days. Not bad in the slightest! Currently finished with everything through Agrabah, and now trying to decide which world I visit next... not sure which two they are, though, as you have to travel by gummi ship and all...

[Stryker]

Decided to play some Chivalry: Medieval Warfare again.

Didn't do too bad.

SPOILER: Show

[Alaska Slim]

Armored Core V

Okay, so this is the vanilla game, I hope unlike AC4, that it doesn't--

*game freezes*

MOTHER ******... I was just about to get the last junk part on a story mission too...

Anyway, fun game. I miss the flying and the tuning of AC4/For Answer, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around the new stats, but it has good points. I like the switch up of having guns change with the back mounted weapons, and the new sensor probes that make recon a new art to the game.

I initially missed being able to destroy buildings, but it see now that was to make them easier to climb onto, making for a traveling experience that sort of reminds me of the Arkham games.

I swear the tune in the hangar is the Jimmy Hart version of tear drop.

Pity I didn't get the game in time to try the online features. That likely would have sold the game completely for me. For now, it's pretty novel experience and I'm glad I bought it, but I still like AC4 better.

EDIT:

I forgot the most surreal detail, Lloyd Sherr narrates this game. And not in a weird voice, it's his full on Modern Marvels, History Channel standard. It's cool, yet it also exposes how stilted the narration can be, sadly.

[Squigsquasher]

Found some cool-looking PS1 game called Evil Zone in Gamestar. Have yet to play it, will give it a spin soon.

[Monk Ed]

This being the summer season, I recently got back into a couple of "seasonals" that I began last year: Persona 4 (already mentioned upthread somewhere) and Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon.

The latter is what has me writing this post.

This game... If anyone remembers me posting about this game last year, well, tonight's experience kicked it up a notch. It was only after the event in question occurred that I realized I had completed only what might best be described as the (extended) introduction of the game, because it was only after this event that the name of the main character was even revealed.

SPOILER: Show

The companion I'd been (literally in the game) carrying with me since early in the game, a backpack computer known as the Personal Frame or PF, died. Specifically, her battery died, but in the post-apocalyptic setting it was equivalent to, and treated as, her death. The MC even buried her after their final conversation, in which she recounted the brief time they shared together -- chief among them seeing the dawn together, which was the highlight of my experience with this game last year. The burial scene was done beautifully in a very flat art style with mood-setting colors, and was done abstractly and indirectly enough that it was only near the end that I realized that what he'd done was digging a grave and burying her in it. During that conversation, she said so sincerely that she was glad to have met him. And right before her battery died, she realized out loud that she had never even asked him his name, her voice cutting out for good on the last word of the sentence.

She died having never even learned his name.

God damn does this game do its thing well. Don't you just love it when you buy a particular game (nearly blind!) with particular expectations of the experience it will give you and it delivers it in spades, the very concentrated essence of the one thing you bought it for? This game has probably set a record for the number of times it's made me care enough to cry across the mere 4 hours I've been playing it (one of those hours occurring just tonight) across two summers now, and the game's directorial mastery of my emotions makes me all the more sad that it isn't better-known. Maybe the reason this part in particular is hitting me so hard is because of the long gap between bursts of play, letting PF cement in my mind over time as a core element of the game and its story (even if I thought of her only a few times in that span at best) -- but then again, I played the entirety of To the Moon in just two nights and that game had a similarly massive impact in my feels. So I guess as with both PF and the MC (Seto) noting what a tremendous impact they've had on each other despite knowing each other for such a short time, she's had the same effect on me.

And she doesn't even have a face. Literally, she's just a metal backpack with two lightbulbs and a voice. And my heart.

The one thing I have to knock this game for as far as my experience tonight -- and in a way, I can't even -- is that right after this scene it goes suddenly lighthearted, introducing a new character whose disposition and behavior are at striking odds with what just happened. I was still crying, in fact, and was just trying to get to the next save point, so it's clear that as a player I'm meant to experience this without any real break to process my emotions from the previous scene -- and in a weird way I guess it kind of worked, because even as I was watching the ensuing scene I just about said out loud, something like "Can't you tell I'm still crying here?!" and I just kind of laughed inside, maybe even cracked a smile through my tears. Like amateur therapy from an inept but well-meaning friend, that mood whiplash kinda-sorta did help, because it ended the session on a positive note -- and almost made it feel like the game itself cared. Even if the new character was being kind of a jerk.

[Tankred]

Been playing Quake II again after a couple of years.

[Monk Ed]

I just beat Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, doing most of it in one long sitting tonight. My reaction by the end of it was:

SPOILER: Show

What the hell was the point of all that?! By the end of the journey they had lost more than they had gained. Before the story even starts, they lose their mother, and the impetus for the journey is their father falling ill, and right before reaching their destination the older brother dies, and at the hands (or rather, pedipalps) of a "girl" (who turned out to be a spider-creature in disguise) they rescued like half an hour to an hour earlier from a group of one-shot tribesmen. So not only did they wind up worse off than they started, earning as their reward at the end of the journey only the retention of the father they didn't deserve to lose in the first place, they lost what they lost (the older brother) because of their kindness.

But I guess none of that is what really makes this ending sit so unwell with me -- I mean, what does it look like I'm complaining about up there, that it wasn't a happy ending? I've seen lots of well-done death endings. I can name one off the top of my head but that would obviously spoil it for anyone who hasn't finished that game. And I can name death endings that I liked even in cases where the character's death was meaningless, as in, not a heroic sacrifice or anything like that and they ultimately couldn't achieve their goal or help the person they were helping.

No, I think what makes it unsatisfying is how it ultimately justified my lack of attachment to these characters. Although my jaw dropped in disbelief when the older brother really did die, I never shed a tear for him. Maybe it was intended this way, so that we would not get too upset, but I think I would rather have been pushed to cry than not if it was going to be an ending like this.

Compare this to my reaction to what I described recently in my playing of Fragile Dreams a couple posts back. (Spoilers for the first four hours or so of Fragile Dreams ahoy, assuming I'm not like the only person on the entire internet who cares for the game or even knows about it.) That character was a robot, one with no face no less, just a voice in a metal box, and one with whom I spent less total time than I did this game, and yet I shed a lot of tears for that character, and none for the older brother of this game. That just goes to show what a difference the quality of writing and directorial style makes. And not only did I really care when PF died, and not only did it hit me much harder and make me sadder, I thought it was beautiful, I liked it as a writing decision, and I thought the game was better off for it. Not so with the death in this game.

So why the decision for it to happen? I'm really not sure. It didn't communicate much to me. It honestly felt like I'd gotten the bad end and that maybe I should have approached that one boss fight a little differently or something, but the game wouldn't let me just walk away from that spider-boss even after she had only a couple legs left and didn't seem to be attacking anymore, and furthermore the game went on too long after that for it to be just one of a number of endings, plus I noticed that the littler brother is alone on the title screen so there's a kind of symbolism to it that really cemented in my mind that it's the only ending you can get.

Which is a pity, cuz it's so ... unsatisfying.