Tomi on 28/9/2024 at 08:14
So I finally decided to give Mass Effect a try. I'm now playing the Legendary Edition on the Xbox, and started with the first game of course.
I've never played the original game (despite actually owning a physical copy for years! :erm:) but I got to admit that I was hoping that this remastered version would feel a bit more "modern". I don't mind the outdated graphics (although I do wish that there were more than about two different faces for human NPCs!), but the gameplay feels a bit wonky as well. The cover system in particular seems just annoying, and so far the gunfights haven't been particularly fun. I also still find the inventory system quite confusing. But it's the dialogue that carries Mass Effect, and that part of the game at least has been quite impressive so far.
I have a feeling that once I get past the beginning and the game really opens up, I'll start enjoying it a lot more, but for now I'll just try to progress in the story and get used to the game mechanics.
nicked on 28/9/2024 at 08:38
The final act of Mass Effect 1 is the high point of the series in my opinion, but there is a lot of tedium to slog through to get to it. The 2nd and 3rd are more polished and accessible overall experiences but at the cost of a less interesting narrative overall.
Thirith on 28/9/2024 at 14:32
Having played some more PoP: The Lost Crown, I'm impressed by now well it echoes The Sands of Time. It's neither a facile collection of "Remember when?" nostalgia nuggets nor does it copy the classic game. Instead, it looks at how various elements from SoT's could work in this particular world and with these specific gameplay elements and aspects of the Metroidvania genre. I don't love everything about the game by any means, and I can especially take or leave its anime influences, but I'm impressed by how considered its design is. It's the first Ubisoft game in a long, long time where I don't feel I have to make allowances for its Ubisoft-ness in order to enjoy the things I generally like.
Subjective Effect on 30/9/2024 at 06:38
I'm still playing Stardew Valley, but it's on PS4.
The latest update is only coming to PS4 in November I think. It's anyone else playing it on mobile or PC? Rumours are the update is massive, changing a lot of things. Can anyone confirm and say what the biggest change is for them? E.g. I'm expecting wild turnips etc to be processable, which would change what I do with them now if true.
Tomi on 30/9/2024 at 10:20
Quote Posted by Thirith
Having played some more
PoP: The Lost Crown, I'm impressed by now well it echoes
The Sands of Time.
I totally expected the new PoP to be mediocre at best, but I've heard a lot of people recommend it now. Gotta add it to my wishlist! It looks like a lot of fun. :)
Quote Posted by Subjective Effect
I'm still playing Stardew Valley, but it's on PS4.
The latest update is only coming to PS4 in November I think. It's anyone else playing it on mobile or PC? Rumours are the update is massive, changing a lot of things. Can anyone confirm and say what the biggest change is for them? E.g. I'm expecting wild turnips etc to be processable, which would change what I do with them now if true.
I've been playing Stardew Valley on the XBox together with my daughter, and it's been great. I just had a look at the Stardew Valley 1.6 patch notes, and looks like it's going to be massive indeed! Couldn't find any information whether it's compatible with old saves, so I'm going to assume that it is.
As for the mobile version, I personally wouldn't recommend it. I
thought it was good, but then I tried it on the XBox, and haven't looked back since. The controls on a small phone screen can be quite frustrating when you keep tapping wrong things. You constantly have to zoom in and out and squint your eyes if you want to get things done. The combat is also automated (because of the lack of extra buttons on the phone) and not very fun, and I found some of the minigames practically impossible.
Thirith on 30/9/2024 at 11:16
Quote Posted by Tomi
I totally expected the new PoP to be mediocre at best, but I've heard a lot of people recommend it now. Gotta add it to my wishlist! It looks like a lot of fun. :)
I can absolutely see people being put off by the game's aesthetic and storytelling, but if they give the game itself a chance, it's a very well made, fun Metroidvania with enjoyable traversal and combat, challenging but fair platforming and one or two neat ideas that other games in the genre should absolutely copy.
Sulphur on 30/9/2024 at 12:17
I think the aesthetic's nice, but I'm disappointed in it being a combat-heavy metroidvania spin on PoP. I'm sure it's a good game, but I've never thought of PoP being anything other than itself, which is a fantastically weird and dreamlike platformer unafraid to do interesting things with its design and setting. Unfortunately, the last time that was all true was with Sands of Time.
Having said that, I still think a good metroidvania's worth playing, so TLC is still on the wishlist. I'm just not seeing any real reason to treat it as a PoP game.
Thirith on 30/9/2024 at 12:29
For what it's worth, I don't think The Lost Crown all that much more combat-heavy than the Sands of Time trilogy - but then, Sands of Time had less combat than Warrior Within, so it's not like the trilogy was entirely consistent in that respect. It's also not more combat-heavy than other Metroidvanias I've played (something like Nine Sols strikes me as considerably more combat-focused), but what combat there is is reasonably varied and involves some of the more esoteric tools in the main character's toolbox.
But the platforming and powers are very clearly Prince of Persia-flavoured. I went in expecting this to be a PoP in name only, but I now think that it uses its lineage more and in more interesting ways than I'd expected. The platforming challenges have a flow to them that reminds me much more of Sands of Time than of Hollow Knight, for instance.
Though I do very much miss the wallrun. Sands of Time has one of gaming's Top 3 wallruns, as far as I'm concerned.
Sulphur on 30/9/2024 at 12:44
You know, that's fair enough. I adored getting into a platforming flow state in SoT and The Forgotten Sands, so colour me more intrigued than before.
And yes, I miss that wallrun too.
WingedKagouti on 30/9/2024 at 18:25
You all should be trying out (
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2198150/Tiny_Glade/) Tiny Glade (or at the very least the demo) if you have any kind of creative impulse. I managed to put together the ruins of a village for my rpg group in less than half an hour.
