What Are You Playing?

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
I "finished" Grand Theft Auto III yesterday, and by "finished," I mean I completed the 50 main story missions. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of saving the phone missions until after I'd finished the story missions, so the mafia is shredding me to pieces with their shotguns every time I return to Portland. I thought having the bulletproof Patriot would help me out, but several of the phone missions involve using other vehicles, which get blown to pieces with three shotgun blasts.

I'm moving on to Halo: Combat Evolved for now. I plan on going back and replaying GTA III to 100% completion at some point, though. That game is so damn big and interesting. Next time, I'll wrap up the Portland side missions before killing Salvatore. That'll save me a bunch of grief, I think.

I've played a shit-ton of Halo before, but I've never beaten the main storyline. I didn't own an XBOX until around the time Halo 2 came out, so I mainly played the multiplayer portion at a bunch of LAN parties back in the day. We'd hook up six or seven XBOXs down at my dojang and play from about 5:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. We'd order up about eight pizzas and play capture the flag, king of the hill, etc. until our brains rotted. Those are some of my favorite memories. Hell, one of my best friends got kicked out of college because all he did was play Halo. I'm looking forward to finally completing the main storyline and playing the rest of the Halo games as I make my way through The List.
 
I'd not hesitate to say that the Yakuza-Judgment series is the most underrated series in gaming, so yes I'd encourage you to dive in!

Here's a brief overview of the series:
2022 is the year where Yakuza franchise (now Like a Dragon) absolutely grabbed me, I 100% agree!
Fantastic summary too - I almost feel like it should have its own thread. :guts:

TLDR: Try Yakuza 0 and / or 7. Alternatively, just go for the Judgment series for an even fresher start. Enjoy!
I started with 7 since (like Griff) it was free on PSN+ earlier last year and agree it's a great starting point.
I had downloaded it but not tried it, until I finished Elden Ring and it became easily the biggest surprise for me.
Although the JRPG style has its issues, it was different enough from ER to keep me interested but honestly it was the story and characters.

Especially after playing through Yakuza 0 and Kiwami:
The story of Nishiki and Kiryu from best friends to enemies, and later how Kiryu responds to Ichiban's tattoo reveal is really great to me.
It makes the final fight in Kiwami have so much more of an impact. You just feel bad for Nishiki and it elevates his character.
Oh yeah, and Majima's entire story is fantastic.


I already got that sense from the beginning of Like a Dragon, which had some melodrama, stupid comedy, and like I said, I'd never heard anyone called a cumstain in a video game before, let alone so casually!
I played through it twice (rare for me to do these days), first in Japanese and then tried the English dub.
The translation definitely goes a bit over the top sometimes but I feel given the tone of this game it absolutely works.
The English dub is also fantastic, even the karaoke!

(Though part of Yakuza 1's charm at this point is the original dub, in particular BRING THAT SHIT, KAZUMA!)

Thanks for the in-depth explainer before too, but I'm glad you're ultimately recommending these since I already have 7 and the Judgement games look the most attractive to me.
Judgment is definitely more grounded on the story side, and is apparently where the 'brawler' design of the games is going forward. Like A Dragon 2 (or will it be 8 in the US?) is going to continue turn-based combat but we won't know for sure until we actually see the game outside of the announcement trailer.

And for what it's worth, add me to the list of recommendations. I'm super hyped to play LaD: Ishin! and the LaD: Gaiden games this year before the next mainline release.
 
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I'm playing the Dead Space remake. Pretty fun so far, and feels fresh-ish for me as I didn't touch the original since 2008. Already the beginning segments gave me more scares than all of Callisto Protocol's missions combined. Also, Isaac is voiced, which is nice, I guess.

That said...the game is fucking ugly. These are not PS5 visuals. Hell, these aren't top tier PS4 visuals either. Other capabilities of next-gen consoles, such as haptic feedback, are minimally used. Waste of potential. As far as the technical aspects go, Callisto takes the win by far.

Basically, this is a somewhat prettier version of the original, but not enough to blow any minds. I'd suggest skipping this one for people who are satisfied just playing the original.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
the game is fucking ugly. These are not PS5 visuals. Hell, these aren't top tier PS4 visuals either.
Basically, this is a somewhat prettier version of the original, but not enough to blow any minds. I'd suggest skipping this one for people who are satisfied just playing the original.

Thanks for the heads-up, I was this close the other day but would rather spend my nights doing something else. I thought it looked a little off in the trailers, and I don't like voiced Isaac either, especially since I'm sure it's not an improvement or adding anything.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
I'm playing the Dead Space remake.... Basically, this is a somewhat prettier version of the original, but not enough to blow any minds. I'd suggest skipping this one for people who are satisfied just playing the original.
I read something about how the remake turns the Ishimura into more open-world than hub world. Is that for real...?
 
Thanks for the heads-up, I was this close the other day but would rather spend my nights doing something else. I thought it looked a little off in the trailers, and I don't like voiced Isaac either, especially since I'm sure it's not an improvement or adding anything.

I like the voice, but it does alter your perception of the story. In the original, Isaac comes across as an average person stuck in a really bad situation, which adds to the tension. This Isaac grunts and shouts and curses, and otherwise says things that make him a little more badass.

Anyway, yeah this year is already bloated with releases, so there is no need to give remakes any priorities.

I read something about how the remake turns the Ishimura into more open-world than hub world. Is that for real...?

Not really. I mean, you can backtrack and revisit areas, and there is usually the alternate path in your way, so it's not "linear", but calling it open-world is a stretch.
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
Halo: Combat Evolved: What a nostalgia trip. I won't go into too much detail here, since I already talked about my experience with Halo a post or two ago. I had a marathon (see what I did there?) run the night I beat it where I just couldn't pry myself away and go to sleep. I believe I turned in around 4:30 a.m., much to my wife's chagrin. I loved every minute of the single-player campaign, and I have nothing but good memories about the multiplayer. I'm looking forward to playing the sequel (hopefully, sometime this year).

Return to Castle Wolfenstein: One of the best first-person shooters I've ever played. I mean, is there anything better than gunning down Nazis? Okay, maybe demons from Hell or the Covenant, but killing Nazis is pretty damn fun. I loved Wolfenstein 3D, so I was looking forward to this major upgrade, and I wasn't disappointed. My only complaint: it was too short.

Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy: One of the most vibrant, beautifully animated games I've ever played. I can't believe how well it holds up. For a game from 2001, it sure looks pretty. The gameplay itself was pretty fun, if not standard 3D platformer fare. Collect a bunch of stuff in order to move on to the next area, rinse, repeat. Then again, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. My only complaint: it was too short.
 

Parkus

Keep pushing no matter what
I've been playing this post-apocalyptic game called The Long Dark and it is a beautiful game, it's just you, the cold, and nature. I'm gonna try and get a 100% completion since I've never gotten one before.
 
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Walter

Administrator
Staff member
The Metroid Prime remake on Switch is really gorgeous. Bought it and played for about an hour. They redid all the visuals to make it look and play like a modern (on switch!) game.
 

Dark Emperor

Dweller of the Lotus Moon
Alright after putting in about 10 hrs into Hogwarts Legacy so far, the game does a good job of making you feel like an actual Hogwarts student. It’s super immersive and the game play is great. That being said, Slytherin supremacy!
The Metroid Prime remake on Switch is really gorgeous. Bought it and played for about an hour. They redid all the visuals to make it look and play like a modern (on switch!) game.
Yeah, I’m quite impressed with it. I’ve put it on the back burner because I’m playing a lot of Hogwarts Legacy rn, but the game is pretty smooth.
 

The Index Finger

The Spatula of the Chef Hand
Currently playing MGSV: TPP
I found where "Rebel Yell" was; now I have it on a loop when I do a mission with only lethal weapons.

(P.S.: Don't accidentally turn on the NVGs when you have maximum brightness in the daylight... my eyes still hurt.)
 
I like to play puzzle games, like Rust Lake.I played Disco Elysium last year.
My favorite computer games:
All from steam
Death and taxes
The game is short but fun, with the player playing as the Grim Reaper.The player's choices affect the world in the story.
Mafia
It's a good story, it feels real, and it's a great way to pass the time.
Yakuza 0
About Majima's past.
I enjoyed the first six games in the series, but I have not followed the seventh one since the main character changed.
I like Majima better than Kazuma.It's too bad Majima isn't with that girl. But the series is mostly a tale of regret.
 

Parkus

Keep pushing no matter what
Back in the wild west with Arthur Morgan in Red dead Redemption 2. I lost all my data when my playstation broke though and had to get a new one so time for a new playthrough :judo:.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Resident Evil 4 (demo) - I still have this paused on sleep mode because I keep fucking around and getting killed in the village in more and more hilarious ways. My two favorites: first, running around the entire town escaping the mob, jumping through a window to get away, only to meet Chainsaw right at the front door, vrrrrrrrrrrrm (I've yet to successfully parry or really even try, I don't know what button to press =). The other is when at the top of the tower I hit Chainsaw with two grenades, all the shotgun ammo, a good amount of pistol, and roundhoused him, but he still wasn't dead so I intentionally collapsed the floor to escape, only to land in a giant mob of the whole town at the bottom, where I was unceremoniously beaten to death trying to get out the door. I really should wrap it up, or restart and find the fuckin' SMG. This is on a timer I think though, so you don't really need to kill anybody and I'd probably be better off just running around and avoid triggering Chainsaw as long as possible.

Back in the wild west with Arthur Morgan in Red dead Redemption 2. I lost all my data when my playstation broke though and had to get a new one so time for a new playthrough :judo:.

You gave it all you had. :azan:
 

Vampire_Hunter_Bob

Cats are great
Did I mention I beat Elden Ring? It was fantastic. I gave up solo-ing the final boss and summoned the first people to show up. First, if your user name is "Let Me Solo Him" I assume you can take the final boss, but LMSH got his ass beat. Eventually I enlisted two people who really pulled their weight and helped me finish the game. I celebrated by starting a new game and stomping out the first Tree Sentinel I saw.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Diablow IV: The Clickening Again (beta) - I played it on PC of course (maybe that's not preferable though, more on that later...), but apparently you can cross play with anyone from another platform, and it's definitely Diablo clickety clickety click action. I was underwhelmed at first, maybe overly skeptical, but I started to see the fun enhancements to the skill tree, etc.

Like I'm low level but can already frenzy and whirlwind. Barb class and melee seems weak though, like just to survive bosses you gotta respec from your AoE trash mob killing setup or it just won't be enough DPS.

A potentially neat thing, I was unimpressed with the graphics at first, but they're very dynamic with the in-game direction for story purposes. Like it goes down and gets in there and the models are good enough to do over the shoulder and close-ups, so it feels like more of a story driven game, and so far it's nothing special but they're playing it straight. Whether the story will actually be worth it... I'm still skeptical, but it's potentially very immersive.

Also, maybe the biggest difference between this and D3 is this is a real open world with multiple cities and interconnected areas, whereas D3 was the traditional Act system with disconnected areas that they eventually shoehorned into "one world" by letting you port anywhere freely, so we'll see if that distinction makes a big, positive difference or if it's just the default these days.

Another neat trick, my offhand weapons auto-switch depending on what skill I'm using. Obviously two one-handers for frenzy, my strongest, longest two-hander for whirlwind, so clicking monsters to death has never been so smooth. I can only imagine how well the skill synergies work considering how crazy D3 could get, but it's obviously still in the early phases.

Graphically it's much more desaturated and gothic than D3, going for more of a D1 or even 2 vibe I'd say (but then you could just play D2 Resurrected). The maps seem pretty shitty and almost exactly the same as D3. There's definitely story rooms or small dungeon areas with set layouts and then others where it appears more random, but I haven't played it enough to know if it's just a couple presets; it might not matter because the layouts are big and boring in any case. So probably no Durance of Hate or Ice Cavern-like mazes. They certainly feel so big, vague and samey enough it doesn't matter how random they are except which direction the exit door is.

To be honest, it really doesn't feel too different from Diablo III overall. Like the difference feels pretty negligible compared to the difference between 3 to 2, or 2 to 1. It doesn't feel like a whole new take on Diablo, like I'm not sure why this took a decade to come out after D3 when it feels more like a D3 expansion, but maybe the full-sized game world will make the difference apparent. Also, maybe if I was playing it on a PS5 with a controller it would feel more novel for Diablo and more of a "physical action game." I even got a little of that from D2R and D3 was supposed to be even better, but as a new Diablo game on PC the big upgrade or upsell here isn't clear to me yet other than making it like every other open, online game in existence now.:shrug:


RE-REsidREnt BioREvilhazard 1, 2, 3 to the 4 (but it's actually a remake of the 5th one and literally the THIRTIETH overall, UGH!) - I finally wrapped up the village by doing what I would if I were playing for real: RUN AWAY!!! Pretty easy really, and you can still collect a ton of ammo, and I'll experiment with how many dudes I can kill with unreliable weaponry like grenades to get more. If it sounds like a foregone conclusion I'll be playing this, congratulations, you have adequate reading comprehension! My main concern going in was it could be more a RE3 style butchering than a RE2 style revamp, and the over-the-top reviews suggest it's at least decent, but we'll see if it's truly the next entrant into the pantheon of Best Residents like RE2R or if this is just some manufactured advertising hype.
 
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Walter

Administrator
Staff member
I’ve been playing Phoenix Wright on 3DS. I realize i’m about 20 years late to this one. I’ve had the trilogy for a while but it never clicked with me. It probably hit me well this time because i’m between books, and playing these games can feel like reading a book. I find it pretty cool that even though the game system is very limited, the script is smart enough to lead players in the right direction, and have just enough information to know which evidence to present or line of interrogation to pursue.

Anyway, I’m enjoying myself enough that I plunked down $20 for the latest game on Steam (Great Ace Attorney Chronicles). I’ll probably get to that soon after wrapping the first game.

BTW, the 3DS eshop will permanently close this week, March 27. As a result, Capcom (and a few other publishers, but not Nintendo of course) is having a huge sale, with all their big games lowered down to $3, including all the Phoenix Wright games, Monster Hunter 4, Resident Evil stuff too.
 
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