Malf on 13/12/2021 at 22:56
If they really did keep the gameplay the same as the original game as they claimed, you could cheese Maneater by sniping them through the fog before starting the encounter, meaning you'd only have to face one.
Thirith on 14/12/2021 at 08:14
Quote Posted by Aja
Next is
Deathloop, which is trying so hard to be cool it's almost endearing.
I have to say, for me
Deathloop isn't trying hard, it just *is* cool. There's a lightness of touch that works perfectly for me.
I've recently started playing the first
Halo. It's okay, I guess, but I'm not sure I'll finish it. In 2021, it does feel quite dated in terms of gameplay and game feel.
henke on 14/12/2021 at 08:49
Glad your console-woes got resolved, Aja!
Speaking of Halo, how come no one is talking about the new one? I played the opening bit. Am I supposed to know who these Banished guys are? I barely touched Halo 4 and I forgot until like yesterday that a Halo 5 even existed. Anyway, the grappling hook is kinda cool and the shooty bangs are decent enough. Master Chief is basically just the Doomslayer now. They're the SAME GUY! I'm not feeling super-compelled to get back to it and play more but I probably should.
Also recently played/finished:
Lake
I came for the postal worker sim, I stayed for the story. This game is kinda what I wanted from The Good Life. Good slice of life sim where you're working and hanging out in a small town.
Heavenly Bodies
2D astronaut physics game, I've been ridiculously hyped for this and yeah it was great! Too short tho, at ~5h. Currently replaying and trying to do all the bonus-objectives.
Unpacking
A 2D game where you unpack boxes and decorate your new home(s). A story plays out, wordlessly, communicated entirely by the mise-en-scène, where YOU are doing the mise-en-scène-ing. The premise maybe overstays its welcome a bit with the really big houses you decorate towards the end, but it's worth sticking with it for the amazing end credits song. Wonderful pixelart graphics and amazing sound design.
Briareos H on 14/12/2021 at 13:04
Recently played/playing:
Days Gone
Functionally, the game is pretty much Open World: The Game and everything I hate about AAA open world games. An endless repetition of quest markers, areas to clear, bases to conquer, stealth kills, crafting, upgrades, skill points, loot and non-stop radio calls to jump on always the same tasks within a limited range of gameplay loops.
Yet I keep enjoying it. The combat works fine, the story and world are engaging, traversal on a bike is fun (past the first hours) and it feels genuine. Like GTA, the game world is a good reflection of today's America but is more of a synthetic assessment of the human condition rather than a sarcastic one.
And I like that the central narrative thread is a touching love story.
If you're looking to lose yourself in a decently engaging albeit repetitive and traditional open world game, check that one out.
Exo One
Kind of the opposite end of the spectrum: very short, original, surreal. A Journey-like atmospheric flight art game with gorgeous visuals.
Like a sleek and walking sim version of Earth Analog, which I absolutely love despite its flaws. I'm waiting for the next major update to start it all over.
Teardown Part 2
I'm having a hard time adapting to the more dynamic planning phase without resorting to unpleasant approaches when dealing with enemy robots. Still a very engaging and exciting game that I intend to finish.
Filcher
I cannot get into this because I am a savescummer by trade who has never enjoyed Thief without the safety net of knowing I won't need to restart the mission if I get caught. This one is 100% on me, the game feels really great.
Afterthoughts after a few months:
Sable: Possibly my GOTY 2021. I loved every minute of it and I hope to revisit it again soon.
Metroid Dread and Psychonauts 2: I remember enjoying them but have mostly forgotten what happened. Worse, I can't easily remember any of the levels/environments. Not much long-term appeal in my opinion.
PigLick on 15/12/2021 at 14:08
Yeh I agree about Metroid Dread, it really felt like almost a proof of concept rather than a full blown game. Still decent though.
glslvrfan on 16/12/2021 at 13:51
So many games, so little time. 7 Days, The Forest, Valheim, Ark, all single play, and Im only playing these for the crafting and building aspect. Subnautica, Satisfactory and Volcanoids also. Sorry no better reviews, but my neighbor has said the story for The Forest is very good. Forza 5 is pretty great, but gets really boring really fast. Thank goodness for Gamepass. Tried Halo Infinity through Gamepass also. Very early into it, but it seems really good. Ive never played any Halo games before so this has been pretty fun so far. It Takes Two is fantastic. Ive been playing with my granddaughter, she loves it. Its difficult for me to play it with keyboard and mouse. She uses the controller and just has a blast.
Aja on 16/12/2021 at 16:40
I get what Pig is saying about Metroid feeling like a proof of concept; it's got a solid foundation that hopefully can be used in another game with a richer story and world. That said, I enjoyed it a lot, more than I was expecting.
Psychonauts 2 had a slow start for me, but by the end I was engrossed in the story. I didn't feel much desire to complete it after finishing the main game, though.
And I agree about Forza getting boring. It's a great concept, but maybe because I don't have a giant Xbox friendbase (or a single friend, actually), it felt pretty empty, just a big list of tasks to complete with no real reason to.
And speaking of having no friends, if you've got a PS5, please add old dimedancing to your friend list. We can have jolly cooperation in Demon's Souls and whatever people do to each other in Deathloop.
reizak on 16/12/2021 at 17:06
Quote Posted by Aja
And speaking of having no friends, if you've got a PS5, please add old
dimedancing to your friend list. We can have jolly cooperation in Demon's Souls and whatever people do to each other in Deathloop.
I'd love to, but I'm one of those stubborn weirdos who refuse to pay for multiplayer out of principle. I don't really mind that it's a paid subscription for literal multiplayer games since I have little interest in those (although I do find it weird that people go along with it), but DS is a singleplayer game with limited online features and AFAIK the multiplayer wasn't gated in the original version so they made a conscious decision to try to twist your arm to pay their little fee. You can't even see the messages without PS plus, which just seems petty, so screw them :mad:
Aja on 16/12/2021 at 17:18
Yeah, it sucks, but I at least got the subscription on sale for half price, and it does come with a pile of free games (a couple of which I already had bought, but oh well). After playing the first few hours of Demon's Souls without the online components, I'd forgotten how important they are to the atmosphere. So I'll either always renew when it's heavily discounted or else let it expire once I'm done with these games.
henke on 16/12/2021 at 17:50
Going for the speedrun record!
[video=youtube;Umqhzfzc4p4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umqhzfzc4p4[/video]
Ok I'm no real speedrunner. If I was I'd be going for the fire-extinguisher-boost-strat like Sandra Bullock.
