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STEAM | September 2017 - Summer Ys Ending
- Thread starter MRORANGE
- Start date
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On normal difficulty you can buttonmash your way through pretty much every Platinum game.
spindoctor
Member
Played a couple of short games in the last week.
The first was Last Day of June which seems to have flown under the radar and/or bombed. It's part adventure game and part puzzle solving with some groundhog day type elements. You spend most of the game replaying the events of the day that the titular character, June, died and it's from the perspective of various people in her life. Each of them could potentially cause her death by their actions so it's your job to avoid that from happening. One interesting thing is that the actions taken by one of the characters will affect things for the other characters so you sometimes have to jump back and forth between them to avoid the failure condition.
The game has this really beautiful, water color painting aesthetic
Also has a great soundtrack by Steve Wilson. It even has a fairly interesting collectible system where you can see the items you need to collect but you can't get to them until you have changed the world state by performing certain actions with different characters.
The game isn't without flaws. The big one is that there's no manual saving system and the autosaves are too far apart. This would be annoying in most games but it's doubly so in a game which is all about repeating the events of the same day over and over again. You have to watch the same cutscenes and do the same things several times and while they handle transitions fairly well within the game itself, the save system is not well made which means quitting anywhere in between will increase the repetition. I also felt they padded the game out at the end with increased repetition. It took me 4 hours to play through it (including getting stuck once) but a friend of mine got it done in 2 so it's possible they felt compelled to increase the length of the game near the end. The problem is that it's not quality content and after 4 hours I was getting pretty tired of it.
It's a decent game all told but I wouldn't really recommend it unreservedly. Interesting experience but it's also a bit shallow so I'd say check it out at half off maybe.
The other game I played was ICEY. This is an older game with really good Steam reviews but I didn't like it.
The game is a light 2D platformer/brawler with pretty decent combat. It actually has very nice production values. Good visuals, nice music and the combat system has some depth and variety with good animation work. But the real hook of the game is that there is a Stanley Parable style narrator who is guiding you on your journey and you are supposed to ignore or defy him to find secret paths and areas to explore. All the cool shit in the game happens when you go off the main path and find new places you're technically not supposed to be in.
The problem is that the English narrator of the game is horrible. Absolutely terrible voice acting. Worst I can remember in a long time. It's a common complaint in the Steam forums but for me it absolutely ruined the game. After playing along with the meta game for an hour or so I couldn't stand it anymore and just wanted the game to end. Which basically meant following his directions precisely, and that basically kills the entire charm of the game. If you follow the main path all you get is 2-3 screens with waves of enemies followed by a boss fight and then you repeat this about 8-10 times until you've finished the game. There's nothing special about the game if you don't engage in the meta game that they have set up, but I would rather pull my ears off than listen to that horrible narrator.
The game is made by a Chinese studio so I don't know if they didn't have enough money to hire a good voice actor or if, because of language differences, they did not realize just how bad this guy was. People on the Steam forums say the Chinese narrator does a brilliant job. After release they even hired Stefanie Joosten to do some voice acting for the game but it turns out that she wasn't redoing the narrator's role (which, to be fair, would be a substantial amount of work). In fact, in my fairly rushed playthrough, I didn't even hear her speak once when she apparently voices the main character. I guess that's one of those things you're supposed to find in the secret areas.
I know quite a few here liked the game but man I just could not stand it. It's a shame because I can see that it's a pretty cool game otherwise.
The first was Last Day of June which seems to have flown under the radar and/or bombed. It's part adventure game and part puzzle solving with some groundhog day type elements. You spend most of the game replaying the events of the day that the titular character, June, died and it's from the perspective of various people in her life. Each of them could potentially cause her death by their actions so it's your job to avoid that from happening. One interesting thing is that the actions taken by one of the characters will affect things for the other characters so you sometimes have to jump back and forth between them to avoid the failure condition.
The game has this really beautiful, water color painting aesthetic
Also has a great soundtrack by Steve Wilson. It even has a fairly interesting collectible system where you can see the items you need to collect but you can't get to them until you have changed the world state by performing certain actions with different characters.
The game isn't without flaws. The big one is that there's no manual saving system and the autosaves are too far apart. This would be annoying in most games but it's doubly so in a game which is all about repeating the events of the same day over and over again. You have to watch the same cutscenes and do the same things several times and while they handle transitions fairly well within the game itself, the save system is not well made which means quitting anywhere in between will increase the repetition. I also felt they padded the game out at the end with increased repetition. It took me 4 hours to play through it (including getting stuck once) but a friend of mine got it done in 2 so it's possible they felt compelled to increase the length of the game near the end. The problem is that it's not quality content and after 4 hours I was getting pretty tired of it.
It's a decent game all told but I wouldn't really recommend it unreservedly. Interesting experience but it's also a bit shallow so I'd say check it out at half off maybe.
The other game I played was ICEY. This is an older game with really good Steam reviews but I didn't like it.
The game is a light 2D platformer/brawler with pretty decent combat. It actually has very nice production values. Good visuals, nice music and the combat system has some depth and variety with good animation work. But the real hook of the game is that there is a Stanley Parable style narrator who is guiding you on your journey and you are supposed to ignore or defy him to find secret paths and areas to explore. All the cool shit in the game happens when you go off the main path and find new places you're technically not supposed to be in.
The problem is that the English narrator of the game is horrible. Absolutely terrible voice acting. Worst I can remember in a long time. It's a common complaint in the Steam forums but for me it absolutely ruined the game. After playing along with the meta game for an hour or so I couldn't stand it anymore and just wanted the game to end. Which basically meant following his directions precisely, and that basically kills the entire charm of the game. If you follow the main path all you get is 2-3 screens with waves of enemies followed by a boss fight and then you repeat this about 8-10 times until you've finished the game. There's nothing special about the game if you don't engage in the meta game that they have set up, but I would rather pull my ears off than listen to that horrible narrator.
The game is made by a Chinese studio so I don't know if they didn't have enough money to hire a good voice actor or if, because of language differences, they did not realize just how bad this guy was. People on the Steam forums say the Chinese narrator does a brilliant job. After release they even hired Stefanie Joosten to do some voice acting for the game but it turns out that she wasn't redoing the narrator's role (which, to be fair, would be a substantial amount of work). In fact, in my fairly rushed playthrough, I didn't even hear her speak once when she apparently voices the main character. I guess that's one of those things you're supposed to find in the secret areas.
I know quite a few here liked the game but man I just could not stand it. It's a shame because I can see that it's a pretty cool game otherwise.
I felt a little better about the performance of the narrator
once you realize that he's supposed to be kind of a whiny asshole
StrangeRoboMemory
Member
I might have missed this discussion, but has anybody noticed the reviews for Senko no Ronde 2? The English reviews are all positive and the only negative reviews are from Japanese-language owners. The game has a "Mixed" overall rating right now due to those reviews. Anyone know the story there?
OK, I finally finished Ys Celceta. I was pretty meh on the game, but everyone is raving about Ys VIII. So, if these were my primary issues with Celceta, are they addressed in VIII?
- mindless hack and slash with little reward
The enemies were very easy to cut down. There were a lot of special abilities to unlock, but there really wasn't much strategy to using them other than mashing buttons and making chaos. And no loot drops, which are generally the benefit of this kind of gameplay, but I hear that's not in VIII either.
- little exploration
The map was pretty boring. I uncovered near 98% of the map just going to the obvious places. I think I found one hidden area. I hear there is jumping in VIII? Is it used to make getting around the world more interesting?
- normal was too easy
I know I could just bump up to hard, but that's not really my thing. You start on hard and things are fine, and then later on you wind up hitting a brick wall. But normal in this game was really easy except for a few bosses, and those could be dealt with by spamming potions.
- mindless hack and slash with little reward
The enemies were very easy to cut down. There were a lot of special abilities to unlock, but there really wasn't much strategy to using them other than mashing buttons and making chaos. And no loot drops, which are generally the benefit of this kind of gameplay, but I hear that's not in VIII either.
- little exploration
The map was pretty boring. I uncovered near 98% of the map just going to the obvious places. I think I found one hidden area. I hear there is jumping in VIII? Is it used to make getting around the world more interesting?
- normal was too easy
I know I could just bump up to hard, but that's not really my thing. You start on hard and things are fine, and then later on you wind up hitting a brick wall. But normal in this game was really easy except for a few bosses, and those could be dealt with by spamming potions.
Shalashaska
Member
Only major change since the last time we had a playtime post was the amount of time I put into OOTP for the GAF league moving it into the 3rd spot.
I expect no major changes until I get a PC that can run PUBG which will then likely take over my #3 spot pretty quickly.
I expect no major changes until I get a PC that can run PUBG which will then likely take over my #3 spot pretty quickly.
that's not very high praise haha
Quick question about Destiny 2, not sure where to ask, so posting it here and the OT:
Wanting the PC version. Does the retail release include a Battlenet code? Is there any other sort of DRM? Will I need the disc in the drive? (I don't have an optical drive in my laptop).
Cheers.
Wanting the PC version. Does the retail release include a Battlenet code? Is there any other sort of DRM? Will I need the disc in the drive? (I don't have an optical drive in my laptop).
Cheers.
The main issue with Windows Insider that keeps me from installing it on my primary machine is that to uninstall it/leave the program, you have to reinstall Windows. That, or wait until the next biannual stable release to leave the program.
Rockin' Ranger
Member
Yes, anywhere you buy it from will give you a Battle.net code.
I skimmed some of them and most of the complaints seem to be about multiplayer not working very well.
Sweeeeet!
Tesco UK have money off vouchers currently running. One of which is £5 off orders of £40 or more. Destiny 2 retail disc is £40, so drops to £35, which is 3 quid cheaper than CDKeys, and there's free delivery.
Rickenslacker
Banned
The PC version is Battle.net only (at this time), so yes it'll have a code. You won't need the disc in the drive, you'll be able to plop in the code and download from the client.
Poor JShackles. Every time.
The Dear Leader
Banned
Hah, actually I'm well aware that it's due to Enhanced steam.
Poor Teggy. Every time.
jshackles
Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
Awww you guys are gonna make me blush.
Seriously though, I get absolutely tickled when people think that Enhanced Steam's features are part of Valve's regular day-to-day operations - the entire point of the project is to try to blend into the page seamlessly to the point that users wouldn't know they're even using the plugin if it weren't for the additional functionality.
Seriously though, I get absolutely tickled when people think that Enhanced Steam's features are part of Valve's regular day-to-day operations - the entire point of the project is to try to blend into the page seamlessly to the point that users wouldn't know they're even using the plugin if it weren't for the additional functionality.
Shalashaska
Member
Ahh I just had that earlier this month, thought it was Steam doing that. Well I retract my positive vibes to Valve and send you my belated positive vibes.
pantsattack
Member
Yes, to play the DLC after the main game. It is inserted in the Director's cut.
Does it not fit well when they inserted it into the main game?
that alien whale tanker mission in xcom enemy within is so bullshit
HAD to savescum out of it, got my whole squad wiped out -__-
can't remember if they added this in 2, i think they did, but having a bit of a preview of what you'll face so you don't just send a couple rookies to what turns out to be a nightmare mission would be nice
specially for some special missions that don't even have the courtesy of stating how difficult they'd be
anyways, saoirse is now mecha
bye
HAD to savescum out of it, got my whole squad wiped out -__-
can't remember if they added this in 2, i think they did, but having a bit of a preview of what you'll face so you don't just send a couple rookies to what turns out to be a nightmare mission would be nice
specially for some special missions that don't even have the courtesy of stating how difficult they'd be
anyways, saoirse is now mecha
bye
The Director's Cut is also based on the unpatched original version, so there's some stuttering and technical issues that are fixed in the non-DC version of the game. I've not experienced much of them, but quite a few people did at release.
Unrelated:
Anyone who thinks shitty Steam reviews are bad should go look at Amazon's book reviews. Troll reviews of Hillary's new book that just whine about Hillary, or base a book review off of two excerpts found on Twitter.
God, the internet was a mistake. Burn it all down.
Rickenslacker
Banned
Alright, so the DLC is made in such a way that it's disconnected from the main game. You reset your skills, your inventory is wiped, and the things going on in it don't really relate to the main thread of the story. It's fine as a DLC because you're starting fresh there anyway, but it's annoying when slotted in to the main game because it then has you needing to pick up your stuff again at the end (and dealing with all the crap you picked up along the way and trying to fit that in) and rejiggering your skills again all for a complete diversion that lasts like two hours.
The changes to the boss fights are nice, but on the whole I highly prefer the vanilla experience for Human Revolution for that, among other reasons -- such as what Pixieking touched upon.
I think that's the cheapest I've ever seen it at. I'm somewhat tempted but September is such a busy month.
AHA-Lambda
Member
So good.
Ouch :/
Say what you will about his stance on Steam curation but I do agree with him on loot boxes :/
But that mission was the best in the entirety of XCOM1. Going in it for the first time, not knowing what you're about to face and then having
Chrysalids coming out of freakin everywhere was scary AF. I remember i lost 2 of my best men back then
They added it into XCOM2 for most, but not all missions. Personally i prefer not exactly knowing what you're about to face, that makes it more thrilling and it forces you to develop tactics on the run rather than prepping yourself perfectly.
Unfortunately
Chryssalids
The metagame in the first xcom is all about putting up as many satellites as early as possible. Putting a satelite above a country will lower it's panic levels, as will succeeding a mission (you will increase panic levels if you loose or ignore an alien threat).
It's also important that you make use of adjacency boni for the comm relays in engineering. Reserve a 4 space square to put them in.
That said, it's normal to loose a country or two in your first playthrough and the game is perfectly beatable with those losses. The game is balanced around loosing stuff.
For research, go for Laser weapons and better armor early. Once you have that, you're in a pretty good spot equipment wise.
Enemy Within change alot of those mechanic. Just putting satellites if not enough now, you have to do a timed secret mission as well.
It's been a while since my EW campaign but i don't recall satelites being less important there. There is a huge increase in missions to play though, which means injuries are a bigger factor.
LurkerPrime
Member
3 of Divinity: Original Sin 2's unlisted achievements have disappeared, just days before release.
~how mysterious~
XCOM 2 handles the scripted "quest" missions a lot better than 1, IMO. 1's are completely scripted in a way that feels cheap, with unexpected reinforcements or other gimmicks that you'll never know ahead of time, whereas XCOM 2's are twists on existing missions. I think the improvement comes down to the random level generation mostly.
That's what the Long War mini mods are for:
~how mysterious~
Is that the Newfoundland mission? It's... an experience, for sure. A whale of a tale.
XCOM 2 handles the scripted "quest" missions a lot better than 1, IMO. 1's are completely scripted in a way that feels cheap, with unexpected reinforcements or other gimmicks that you'll never know ahead of time, whereas XCOM 2's are twists on existing missions. I think the improvement comes down to the random level generation mostly.
That's what the Long War mini mods are for:
I'm not sure what the current update is like but the one from about a month ago was totally borked for me. I couldn't have Twitch running on the 2nd screen when running a game as the 2nd screen would run at like 5-10fps, always seemed like some Windows power/resource management but I could never find a fix.
I had trouble with file permissions in some cases which I found a fix for in the registry, I had pretty poor performance running borderless mode and had to run exclusively fullscreen, again I think this was some new Windows resource management thing kicking in but I couldn't find a fix.
Finally I bought Forza Horizon 3 and that flat out didn't work, it just instantly closed after loading and was apaprently a known issue but wouldn't be fixed in the current preview. At least that is what I read on the Forza forums, it may of been fixed now but still pretty bleh.
Oh nice! Is this worth it if you watched the Anime and really enjoyed it? Also for someone who doesn't play VNs very often.
Uh,..no?
I think it was clearly a smart design choice to let everyone be able to see the content, they just did the same thing every AAA designer did and labelled 'easy' as 'normal' so players don't feel bad about playing on easy.
curi0usBystander
Member
Okami HD seems to have been confirmed. (December 21)
Wok
Member
Thank you for the heads up!
I have not played draft in months, because I am not sure I understand how it works now.
If I remember right, after the second set was introduced, one draft out of two is with the first set, and one draf out of two is with the second set, so players who have 100% of the first set and 0% of the second set are completely owned. Is that right?
Rewards are nice though. It looks like I am really experienced with the blue and purple colors.
Tizoc
Member
Bring on the 8K downsampling goodness~
is Steam down? Cant log in on the client, I mean I know its tuesday but its a little early in tuesday for that >_>
also Max has been streaming the final Steam version of Marvel (he's the only one that is doing the PC version it seems, all the other pro streams are PS4) and seems the port came along at least (no surprise since Capcom usually delivers on PC)
also Max has been streaming the final Steam version of Marvel (he's the only one that is doing the PC version it seems, all the other pro streams are PS4) and seems the port came along at least (no surprise since Capcom usually delivers on PC)
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