What Are You Playing?

Rhombaad said:
Super Mario Galaxy
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I think Galaxy was the last (final?) time I played a game that floored me in the first few minutes. When you first leap off a planetoid and you feel yourself escaping its inertia, but it ends up carrying you a little further instead, it feels really incredible. Great game, not quite duplicated by the incremental improvements in Galaxy 2.

Rhombaad said:
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil Remaster:
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I remember buying the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak to play this game back in the day... What a wasteful upgrade.

On my side of things, I picked up Slay the Spire 2, after seeing how well it's been doing on Steam (top of the charts since its launch last week). I enjoyed (but didn't love) the first game, though I agree that it's the best in class for roguelike deckbuilders. Though I still personally got more enjoyment out of Balatro, there's no arguing around it: Spire is a straight-up better game with enough variations to keep anyone busy for hours.

The sequel doesn't shed the rough-looking art style, but everything around it is more polished (sound effects, animations, use of the screen space, etc) so it comes away feeling like a vast improvement. No point in weighing in more than that for now, since I've only played an hour, but my initial feeling: Spire 2 is an iterative sequel in the best way possible.
 
Walter said:
I think Galaxy was the last (final?) time I played a game that floored me in the first few minutes. When you first leap off a planetoid and you feel yourself escaping its inertia, but it ends up carrying you a little further instead, it feels really incredible. Great game, not quite duplicated by the incremental improvements in Galaxy 2.
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Yeah, the physics were terrific. Like you said, you could feel the gravity. Very cool. Especially with those stars you had to lock onto with the Wii remote.

Walter said:
I remember buying the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak to play this game back in the day... What a wasteful upgrade.
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Same. It made Rogue Squadron look better, though. For what that's worth. :void:
 
Right now at this very moment in time I'm going through re-experiencing my time on the PS1, because I had planned on playing so many PS1 games last year but plans fell through that prevented that. But right now I'm playing for the very first time, Chrono Cross.
 
Assassin's Creed: Started out playing a used copy on my PS3, but quickly shifted to the PC version after a horrendous amount of screen-tearing. I was a little surprised, since the PC version wasn't as critically well-received, but it played much better. What an odd game. It was pretty repetitive, but I knew that going in. The assassinations themselves weren't very interesting or exciting, but I really enjoyed the voice-acting and the story associated with them, and free-running over rooftops was a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to future entries, because I've heard the gameplay really improves.

Crysis: The technical presentation was incredible. I can see why people had such a hard time running this thing back in 2007. Even though it didn't bring anything new to the table outside of that (it's basically Halo + Far Cry), I had a blast taking on the North Koreans in the first 2/3. The last 1/3 with the aliens wasn't as fun, especially the final boss battle. I hit that damn thing with my tactical nuke and sat back to enjoy it exploding, when I was almost immediately killed by some random enemy that had swooped down nearby. The next time I hit it with the nuke, I just put my head down and ran to the VTOL. Not very satisfying. The cliff-hanger ending was very Halo 2-ish, as well.
 
Rhombaad said:
Assassin's Creed: Started out playing a used copy on my PS3, but quickly shifted to the PC version after a horrendous amount of screen-tearing. I was a little surprised, since the PC version wasn't as critically well-received, but it played much better. What an odd game. It was pretty repetitive, but I knew that going in. The assassinations themselves weren't very interesting or exciting, but I really enjoyed the voice-acting and the story associated with them, and free-running over rooftops was a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to future entries, because I've heard the gameplay really improves.
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The first one is probably the best. The Ezio games are super on rails mechanically (despite the illusion of having more options) while the narrative just goes straight off a cliff and loses any novelty it had at the outset. I don't know why I was so harsh towards it in the past, AC2 and Black Flag are really the only competition it has in that series.
 
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Ithier said:
The first one is probably the best. The Ezio games are super on rails mechanically (despite the illusion of having more options) while the narrative just goes straight off a cliff and loses any novelty it had at the outset. I don't know why I was so harsh towards it in the past, AC2 and Black Flag are really the only competition it has in that series.
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I really have to disagree with you here. The Ezio trilogy is where the series hit its stride, and to be honest @Rhombaad I would recommend you to play these and then skip later games. Although, I've heard good things about Origins & Odyssey so I guess there was a revival of sorts, just never bothered with them myself.
 
He should absolutely play AC2 which is still a very good game in spite of what I've said but Brotherhood and Revelations are just standard Ubisoft annual releases with the exception of the multiplayer component. Black Flag and Origins are also worth checking out but the whole open world/RPG turn has basically killed the series in the long run.
 
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Aazealh said:
I really have to disagree with you here. The Ezio trilogy is where the series hit its stride, and to be honest @Rhombaad I would recommend you to play these and then skip later games. Although, I've heard good things about Origins & Odyssey so I guess there was a revival of sorts, just never bothered with them myself.
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Noted!
 
Aazealh said:
It's great game but I never finished it. Should restart it one of these days...

I think most RPG enjoyers have played it at this point.
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oh disco elysium is great absolutely. i finished it in a single go and immediately restarted but never came around to continue that second run
 
I’d say AC, AC II, and Black Flag are the best ones in the series. Brotherhood and Revelations were fun, but I’d agree more with @Ithier that they weren’t necessary and progressively weaker than II. @Rhombaad, absolutely do not skip Black Flag. It’s an amazing game and aged gracefully.

The rest were a mixed bag. AC Unity had the best parkour, city population density, mission structure, and assassinations but it wasted the French Revolution. One of the most fascinating periods in history, and they wasted it on a lame love story. But it is still worth playing for the aforementioned points. AC Syndicate was fun but mostly forgettable.

As for the newer, RPG ACs: Origins was great for the Ancient Egyptian setting and the exploration, but its narrative was absolute dogshit, even worse than Unity’s. Odyssey was fun overall but the infamous bloat was significant there and the narrative was so-so. Valhalla is hated by a lot of people but I enjoyed the hell out of it, so I’d recommend giving it a try at least. Mirage was a fun little game that takes us back to the series roots (but only a bit).

Absolutely skip the latest one, AC Shadows. It’s an aggressively, unbearably mediocre game. The only AC I couldn’t bring myself complete.
 
Lawliet said:
I’d say AC, AC II, and Black Flag are the best ones in the series. Brotherhood and Revelations were fun, but I’d agree more with @Ithier that they weren’t necessary and progressively weaker than II. @Rhombaad, absolutely do not skip Black Flag. It’s an amazing game and aged gracefully.

The rest were a mixed bag. AC Unity had the best parkour, city population density, mission structure, and assassinations but it wasted the French Revolution. One of the most fascinating periods in history, and they wasted it on a lame love story. But it is still worth playing for the aforementioned points. AC Syndicate was fun but mostly forgettable.

As for the newer, RPG ACs: Origins was great for the Ancient Egyptian setting and the exploration, but its narrative was absolute dogshit, even worse than Unity’s. Odyssey was fun overall but the infamous bloat was significant there and the narrative was so-so. Valhalla is hated by a lot of people but I enjoyed the hell out of it, so I’d recommend giving it a try at least. Mirage was a fun little game that takes us back to the series roots (but only a bit).

Absolutely skip the latest one, AC Shadows. It’s an aggressively, unbearably mediocre game. The only AC I couldn’t bring myself complete.
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Dishonorable nonmention: Assassin’s Creed 3 :ganishka:
 
Ithier said:
He should absolutely play AC2 which is still a very good game in spite of what I've said but Brotherhood and Revelations are just standard Ubisoft annual releases with the exception of the multiplayer component.
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Lawliet said:
I’d say AC, AC II, and Black Flag are the best ones in the series. Brotherhood and Revelations were fun, but I’d agree more with @Ithier that they weren’t necessary and progressively weaker than II.
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Brotherhood and especially Revelations showed diminishing returns for sure, but they were still better than what followed... and at least tied a bow on Ezio's story and linked it back to Altaïr. Anyway, my point relating to Rhombaad's post is that AC2 improved greatly on its predecessor, which I don't think can be argued against. Saying the first game is the best one is just obviously false as far as I'm concerned.

Ithier said:
Black Flag and Origins are also worth checking out but the whole open world/RPG turn has basically killed the series in the long run.
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It was already dead by that point, though. Their original vision had run out of steam. The reason Black Flag was so well received, besides the novelty of the pirate setting, is that it went for something different after the awfulness of AC3.
 
Aazealh said:
Anyway, my point relating to Rhombaad's post is that AC2 improved greatly on its predecessor, which I don't think can be argued against. Saying the first game is the best one is just obviously false as far as I'm concerned.
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It improved on the world design for sure and has actual side content/variety since it's more of a traditional open world but I don't think either of my points are invalid. It's far more of a handholdy action game in most ways and that doesn't always mesh well with all of the new gameplay opportunities it presents. A large chunk of the missions can't really be approached at your pleasure and are just behind scripted sequences even where you'd expect otherwise. The first game could be pretty barebones but it was almost always more of a sandbox with regard to the assassinations. Narratively they flattened and flanderized too much and the worldbuilding sapped more intrigue than it added imo. Ezio's journey makes up for a lot of that but even that gets shelved for decent stretches of the game. That's not to say it isn't a good sequel but it feels like a studio overcorrection in some areas even with all that it brings to the table.

Sekiro: Probably my favorite FromSoft game at this point, just an incredibly thoughtful experience from start to finish. I was really burnt out after playing DS3 and Elden Ring back to back but none of that carried over into Sekiro at any point. It has an answer to nearly every gripe but rarely allows you to bullshit your way past obstacles and rob yourself of the joy there. It’s also just an oddly relaxing game in general. I think the only real pet peeve I had is the obligatory arcane quest design which I’m amazed was even discovered in some cases (like the Purification eavesdrops).
 
I’ve only ever played AC 1-2, and a little bit of 3 before checking out. AC1 is not without its merits. I think the actual assassination missions in that game are my favorite, or at least had the most memorable encounters to me, because they were open ended, and could play out in surprising ways depending on how you played. All the other AC games felt like scripted sequences by comparison.

That being said, just in terms of having fun with a game, there’s absolutely no contest in my opinion. AC 2 was a blast, and Ezio is the best. Not to be missed. I’d even say you could duck out of the series after that, but I know different people like different things in those games.
 
I recently played through two puzzlish platforming indie games: Lovish and MotionRec. Enjoyed both a lot. Lovish is quirky (often downright cheesy) and has a whole bunch of references to 80s games and manga, while MotionRec is more earnest and understated. Both follow the Mario template of there being optional items to collect. Lovish has more content overall, but I'd recommend both games to anyone looking to scratch that particular itch.


 
Alabaster Dawn is a new game that's out in early access, from the team who made CrossCode, one of my favorite indie games. It's still crazy to me how little recognition it got in proportion to its quality. This team has successfully modernized the feeling that Secret of Mana's combat and exploration evoked for me as a kid.

The early access portion of Alabaster Dawn is around 8h, and represents about 20% of the full game, which won't be about for another 2 years. Instead of incrementally changing the core game, they've built a solid core and are lengthening it with each upgrade. I appreciate that approach to early access, because as much fun as the combat is, I wouldn't relish doing it all over again if they fundamentally change the story while I wait for 1.0.

The visuals and combat are the strongest points, so it seems more appropriate to show that off than me blabbing about them:

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This is a pretty typical fight in the game. It's fast. You'll see me switch weapons twice, and parry a projectile. It's more interactive than CrossCode, in that way.

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There's a range of combos for each weapon. But you also have to pay attention to the flow of the fight, and know when to parry or dodge while timing your hits.

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The tiny 15 fps GIF doesn't quite convey just how awesome it feels to roam the world at 144 fps. The game really lets you jet around, and leap over chasms, onto rooftops, etc.

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There's a lot of customization in the menu, and a sphere grid like upgrade system for your character and each weapon.

I had fun blasting through battles and the two dungeons, but I'm eager to see more from the game's story. The scenario is promising. I like that aspect quite a bit. But the story rollout is too slow, and it doesn't have much momentum around it. That's not a problem I remember having with CrossCode. Still, I have a lot of faith in the team, even though I rarely dip into early access games. In fact, this is the first game that I can remember buying the expensive package without any hesitation. I never do that... I buy the cheapest version, or wait for a sale. But I had played both demos pre-release, so I knew it was a lock for me.

Anyway, it's $30 on Steam, and I recommend checking it out if you're interested at all. Or just pick up CrossCode when it's on sale. That'll tide you over until the full game in 2028.
 
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune: Tomb Raider meets Gears of War! Despite the gameplay itself not being that original, I loved this one. I'm a huge Indiana Jones fan, so this hit all the right notes for me. I'll admit, the "monsters" showing up at the end surprised me a little. I didn't think it would dip into the supernatural (even though they were victims of some sort of ancient virus), but it didn't feel too crazy when it did. The characters were likeable when they could've been the exact opposite and the story was decent enough to keep me interested (loved the U Boat in the middle of the South American jungle). I've heard later games in the series are better, especially the second one, so I'm looking forward to them.

God of War: Chains of Olympus: Pretty great for a PSP title. I haven't enjoyed many of the games on that system, but this one was great. Just a downsized God of War, but still excellent. It's been a while since I've played it (I've really got to update this thread right after I've played a game; I end up forgetting too much as time goes on), so I don't really have too much more to say, except that I enjoyed it and continue to look forward to future titles.

Persona 3 FES: My first of the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series. I wasn't sure about it going in, since I haven't played any life sims before (aside from about two or three hours of The Sims back in the day) and I'm not a huge dungeon-crawler fan, but the combination was pretty great. The story seemed a little lame and lackluster in the beginning, but I really began to enjoy it towards the end. I'm looking forward to future entries in the series.

Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty: A fun little side-story in the Ratchet and Clank series. It came for free with Into the Nexus, so I didn't mind the short length. Glad I didn't pay the $14.99 that Sony was asking for it by itself, since it's about a two or three-hour game.

Crysis Warhead: I liked this stand-alone expansion a lot better than the original game, aside from the length. The visuals still look incredible and the gameplay is top-notch. It felt a lot more balanced and fun than the first game, although the cinematics felt worse. It seemed like they were directed by someone who'd never seen a movie before, even a bad action flick from the 80s. At the end of the day, though, it's the gameplay that counts and I had a really fun time with this one.
 
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Started into 'Umihara Kawase' yesterday. It's a puzzle platformer for the SNES where your character makes her way around the levels using a fishing rod as a grappling hook. The game as very *very* good rope physics for swinging and abseiling down from ledges, but the game is so damn hard - I can't wait to play more!

Aside from that, I finished 'I Wani Hug that Gator' by Cavemanon and it's become my favourite visual novel ever.

Currently thinking about trying 'Final Fantasy 15', cause I really enjoyed 16 and it looks like fun.
 
maceonik said:
You didn't think it would do what every Indiana Jones movie does?
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Well, when you put it like that. :void:

In my defense, Uncharted never dips into the supernatural the way Tomb Raider (ancient, immortal beings from Atlantis) and Indiana Jones (Ark of the Covenant vaporizing Nazis) do. Unless they reveal in future games that the ancient pathogen was put there by aliens (no spoilers!).

Dead Space: I’ve been looking forward to this one for years. Not since Mass Effect have I been so pleased with an immersive science fiction world in a video game. I was enthralled from the moment the shuttle arrives at Aegis VII to the last frame of “Nicole” leaping at Isaak from the darkness. This was one of those games I didn’t want to end. I dreaded each new chapter because it was one step closer to being over. Everything from the graphics to the combat to the music was top-notch.

As I played, I kept thinking that everything BioShock got wrong, Dead Space got right. All of the lore items could be viewed or listened to without something jumping out at you or shooting at you as a distraction, so you could appreciate the story as the pieces fit together. I also kept thinking that this is what I wanted from Event Horizon back when I first saw it in 1997 (I loved the first two-thirds of that movie, but the last third felt rushed).

All in all, a tremendous experience on par with some of the best games I’ve played. I’m so excited for the sequel, though I am bummed that the third title in the series didn’t get as good of reviews. If anyone here thinks it’s worth playing, I’ll add it to the list. Otherwise, I’m probably just gonna stick to the first two.

Gears of War 2: I loved the first game, so I’ve been really looking forward to the sequel. It didn’t disappoint, either. Everything was bigger and better than the original. The gameplay was still as fun as ever, and I actually liked the vehicle levels for a change. Normally, they’re my least favorite part of an FPS or third-person shooter, but I had a lot of fun with them this time around. My only criticisms were the collectibles system and some of the dialogue taking place in the middle of major firefights where you can’t hear a damn thing. Searching for the collectibles really took me out of the main focus of the game: the shooting. But aside from those minor complaints, this was another solid entry, and I can’t wait to play future titles.
 
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I recently completed the Dark Souls 2 campaign with a hexer build, and found it not only fun, but also easier than other forms of magic.

Now I've picked up Skyrim again, adding a few lore-friendly mods, including one that increases the immersion of hunting. When paired with survival mode, it's completely changed my gaming experience.
 
Rhombaad said:
All in all, a tremendous experience on par with some of the best games I’ve played. I’m so excited for the sequel, though I am bummed that the third title in the series didn’t get as good of reviews. If anyone here thinks it’s worth playing, I’ll add it to the list.
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Well... In my opinion it's... mixed. The main game is certainly horrible, but Dead Space 3 DLC returns to the vibe of the first game and it's an appropiate ending to the series.
 
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