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[od-chan]

Played through the prologue of Pirate Yakuza which was great. Unfortunately, Goro the tiger cat rustles my dog's jimmies and he just growls and barks at the TV. Sigh.

I just can't with some of this series. Yakuza overall is definitely something I'm gonna get off my pile of shame eventually, but I really don't like how much the community and devs embrace the bullshit cringe elements of it so much, Pirate Yakuza being the new epitome of that. Yeah I get it, haha, it's so funneh. I guess the venn diagram between people who enjoy Yakuza and JoJo is basically just one circle.

Obviously it's very silly to rant about that earnestly, it's just what the series always is and has been. I just was hoping for a bit more of a Shenmue kinda vibe when I first got into the series - which was still very humorous and loved playing off of cliches and tropes too but just not in suuuch an obnoxious way.

So I'm very much inclined to believe that the reddit crowd will love that guy you're complaining about :3

 

[adamsapple]

Trails through Daybreak 2 is such a .. non-game. Releasing both the first and second localized so close to each other, and them both essentially being 90% the same game made slogging through 2 more of a bore-fest. There isn't any meaningful continuation to the main Trails plot arc with the Grandmaster and whatnot and the main antagonist is just disappointingly dumb.

 

[HRK69]

Spider-Man 2

It's an absolute joy to play. It started off a bit slow but the story is picking up pace now. I'm happy my 3070 runs this stable on high @1080p/75fps. DLSS is a godsend lol

 

[bender]

I just can't with some of this series. Yakuza overall is definitely something I'm gonna get off my pile of shame eventually, but I really don't like how much the community and devs embrace the bullshit cringe elements of it so much, Pirate Yakuza being the new epitome of that. Yeah I get it, haha, it's so funneh. I guess the venn diagram between people who enjoy Yakuza and JoJo is basically just one circle.

Obviously it's very silly to rant about that earnestly, it's just what the series always is and has been. I just was hoping for a bit more of a Shenmue kinda vibe when I first got into the series - which was still very humorous and loved playing off of cliches and tropes too but just not in suuuch an obnoxious way.

So I'm very much inclined to believe that the reddit crowd will love that guy you're complaining about :3

I forgot which martial artist said this, but he explained Chinese Action movies needing romance and comedy because the audience being served was poorer so they needed to deliver a product that would satisfy the interests of an entire family because that family wasn't going to be able to go out and see multiple movies. And that's what I equate the Yakuza series too. I love Japanese quirk though and I don't think many game studios are better at introducing and endearing you to new characters like Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Did the two sections after Gizah yesterday in Indiana Jones.

That Uncharted stuff was completely unnecessary. Kinda tainted my impression of the game. Glad I’m back now to the previous gameplay style.

 

[Dazraell]

Just finished Gears 5.

What a shitshow.
They really thought Gears fans were going to fall in love with Kait, apparently.
Everything about this game was significantly worse than the other games. Other than the graphics, of course.
I hated the whole experience.

2/10

Have you tried Hivebusters DLC by any chance? I had a similar opinion about Gears 5 and didn't enjoyed it that much, but that DLC was fantastic, at least in my opinion

 

[intbal]

Have you tried Hivebusters DLC by any chance? I had a similar opinion about Gears 5 and didn't enjoyed it that much, but that DLC was fantastic, at least in my opinion

Yes. I've played Hivebusters a couple of times.
I wasn't including the DLC campaigns. If I was ranking those based on similar criteria, they would be:
1. Hivebusters
2. Aftermath
3. Raam's Shadow
4. Road to Ruin

 

[Dazraell]

Yes. I've played Hivebusters a couple of times.
I wasn't including the DLC campaigns. If I was ranking those based on similar criteria, they would be:
1. Hivebusters
2. Aftermath
3. Raam's Shadow
4. Road to Ruin

I recently replayed Gears 2 and Road to Ruin and I agree. It tried to do some interesting things with semi-stealth segments but I feel it was a bit too repetitive and didn't really fit with the tone of what happened storywise prior to that segment. So I can understand why they decided to cut it. I haven't played Aftermath (and Judgment in general), but planning to catch up later this year

 

[EerieArcade]

Wo Long
Beat Lu Bu on the third or fourth try. Probably my favourite encounter in the game. The ice build I'm using is quite a bit more fun than the fire build I used in my first playthrough. Think I'll grab all the DLC. I've heard the DLC is just more of the same which is okay by me.

 

[Blank Space Invader]

Wo Long
Beat Lu Bu on the third or fourth try. Probably my favourite encounter in the game. The ice build I'm using is quite a bit more fun than the fire build I used in my first playthrough. Think I'll grab all the DLC. I've heard the DLC is just more of the same which is okay by me.

I need to give this game another go. I forget why I dropped it the first time I played it...

 

[NeverYouMind]

Wo Long
Beat Lu Bu on the third or fourth try. Probably my favourite encounter in the game. The ice build I'm using is quite a bit more fun than the fire build I used in my first playthrough. Think I'll grab all the DLC. I've heard the DLC is just more of the same which is okay by me.

I am guessing you mean the first Lu Bu battle, but he is one of the few memorable characters in the game so it is good that there is another encounter. DLC is better than main game by a long shot. The first chapter of it might might feel like dejavu and the third chapter like the epic ending the game should have had. Second chapter is my favorite experience in the game and hits different though.

I need to give this game another go. I forget why I dropped it the first time I played it...

Terrible pacing and dull Yellow Heaven intro levels are why I dropped it the first time around.

 

[Blank Space Invader]

I am guessing you mean the first Lu Bu battle, but he is one of the few memorable characters in the game so it is good that there is another encounter. DLC is better than main game by a long shot. The first chapter of it might might feel like dejavu though and the third chapter like the epic ending the game should have had. Second chapter is my favorite experience in the game and hits different though.


Terrible pacing and dull Yellow Heaven intro levels are why I dropped it the first time around.

Do you have any advice, tips, tricks, since I am starting over? I intend to play fairly casually, as in I won't be trying to max a build or see all endings, etc.

 

[EerieArcade]

I am guessing you mean the first Lu Bu battle, but he is one of the few memorable characters in the game so it is good that there is another encounter. DLC is better than main game by a long shot. The first chapter of it might might feel like dejavu though and the third chapter like the epic ending the game should have had. Second chapter is my favorite experience in the game and hits different though.

I don't remember the second encounter at all. The one I beat was the one where he starts on the horse in the arena-like area. I'm gonna grab the DLC then. Sounds like I'd enjoy it!

 

[Hookshot]

I just completed A Link To The Past (again). Realized I hadn't played it in well over a decade, forgot about 1 medallion and couldn't be arsed to get the optional cane. It's nowhere near as big as what I thought as a kid, because I remembered to get the flippers I didn't get stuck or have to wander about, and with the switch rewind feature none of the dungeons are an issue because it's impossible to fall of an edge or something equally daft to waste time or health.

 

[bender]

After finishing Order of Ecclesia I've started up Portrait or Ruin. I'm only two bosses in but I'm already enjoying this more.

 

[NeverYouMind]

Do you have any advice, tips, tricks, since I am starting over? I intend to play fairly casually, as in I won't be trying to max a build or see all endings, etc.

1. Morale controls how enemies scale relative to you so raise it by planting flags and run away if an enemy is too tough.
2. If you want to buff your damage and spam Martial Arts invest in Fire Phase.
3. If you want to debuff an enemy or spam wizardry invest in Metal Phase.
4. If you want to be an equipment towing tank with huge close-range damage or use deflects to force enemies into submission invest in Earth Phase.
5. If you want to ease up mechanical restrictions on your abilities and have mid-range versatility invest in Wood Phase.
6. Do not invest in Water Phase until you get to the Sage that can reset your attributes as it is best suited for long-ranged spam with heavy investment (and stealth).
7. Weapons in the first playthrough are only as good as their Martial Arts which are permanent.
8. Salvage low level armor and weapons you don't need to get gems as they are often worth more. This can be automated in settings but be sure to lock what you covet.
9. If a boss is too tough you can often flip the script by changing to a different element with the Sage's help or more conveniently with battle sets you saved.
10. Do not do side missions (except Training Ground ones) unless you want to level up or farm for gear as they will wear you out otherwise.
11. The divine beast Qinglong summon found early in the game is ideal for healing allies and self when Dragon's Cure is limited.
12. Best way to approach enemies is to take out (or aggro) the farthest ones out with a ranged weapon systematically.
13. Use up Genuine Qi before facing an area boss as they will more often than not prevail over you and require several attempts where retrieval is a handicap.
14. Once you beat the main game you will open up whole new equipment categories and weapon upgrades and raise upgrade level limitations.

P.S. It is kind of obvious but the five elements have a rock, paper, scissors interaction based on diagram. [Water>Fire; Fire>Metal(Poison); Earth>Water; Wood>Earth; Metal>Wood]

 

[Blank Space Invader]

Thank you for that very thorough post! I will save it!

 

[Xellos]

AVGN 8-bit demo: It's a Mega Man clone with sub-weapons from Casltevania and the blaster power-up mechanic from Sunsoft games (power-ups increase damage and projectile size/spread, you lose power-ups when you take damage). It's pretty good.

Shadow of the Ninja Reborn: Great remake with fantastic 2D graphics. If you like SNES/Genesis-style 2D action/platform games then I can't recommend it highly enough.

Echoes of Wisdom: I'm enjoying the game but it is a little weird how many obstacles can be overcome if you can just spawn enough beds. It's nice to have actual dungeons.

Ghosts 'N Goblins Resurrection: I'm going back to try the game on harder difficulty and to get all the Umbral Bees. On my first playthrough I tried to play it like the SNES/Genesis games, using magic sparingly (since it was locked behind gold armor in those games), but this time I'm spamming magic as much as I want. It's much better this way. I had been ignoring useful spells like frogs/medusa to clear the screen of fodder enemies or doppelganger to take down bosses quickly. There's still some frustration but I'm enjoying the game more this time around.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Been playing a lot of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. Can't say much that's not been said already, game is beautiful and an amazing RPG.

Also set up Rune on my Steam Deck and will be playing that as well. Seems to run great, and this game's pretty close to a project I'm working on so I'd love to get some inspiration and ideas from it.

 

[Bond007]

Final Fantasy XVI.
Having trouble remaining motivated half way though.

 

[foamdino]

Just finished FF7 Rebirth last night. Now I want to focus on some smaller and or turn based games for a change of pace.

Trying to unlock the cosmetics in Path of Exile while waiting on the next PoE2 update.

Started Trails through Daybreak which is going to take a big chunk of my time, not clicked with the combat yet as I am still in the tutorial section...

Finally started Shadowrun Returns (thanks Epic), so far it's quite nice.

 

[EerieArcade]

Wo Long
Unlocked the ice spell 'ominous ruin' and have just blown through the last few bosses - it completely wrecks them. I'm up to the mission 'The Way of the Warrior'. Can't remember how long I have left. Don't want it to end any time soon.

 

[Chuck Berry]

Forspoken - Attempting the plat...again (it's a fuckin task)

Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance 1 & 2 - Need some good old school isometric hackin n slashin (too bad Fallout Brotherhood of Steel sucks balls)

Sudeki - It's like Fable meets Remember Me lite combat (thanks Avowed for the inspiration!)

 

[Punished Miku]

Eternal Strands - Probably one of my favorite action RPGs in recent memory. The combat and magic system were just such a breath of fresh air. Each power delivered more than I expected, with hidden ways to use each one that they trust the player to figure out. Great game, absolute A-tier gameplay, great lore, great crafting system. Story is good enough but a little light. I'd love a sequel. One of the best debut games I've ever seen from a new studio, probably ever. I don't know if others would feel that way necessarily, but it truly clicked for me. I feel like you have to be a bit creative and inventive to get the most of the magic system, similar to using the powers in Breath of the Wild. You can pull off endless tricks, or you could ignore it and mostly miss what makes it great if you don't try.

Citizen Sleeper 2 - Just got to play a few minutes. The vibes are just as great as the original. Slick menus, slick user interface, great OST, horrifically bleak sci-fi setting and great writing that sucks you in like a good book. Still near the beginning but it feels more like Citizen Sleeper 1.5 than a full evolution, but that's good enough for now. Pretty small team.

Balatro - Tried it a bit last night and really enjoyed it. I personally wouldn't ever call this a GOTY, but it's a welcome pick-up-and-play quick game that I could see myself coming back to for a long time.

 

[engstra]

Just finishing up getting some of the remaining trophies for High on Life.

Thought it was a solid 7/10 game. Had some funny moments but found it way less funny than some of the previous Squanch Games titles. Might be one of the ugliest games I've played though. The achievement of unlocking all forum posts is a real pain, forcing you to just farm enemy kills but nearly done now.
Was planning on playing Jusant or Star Wars Jedi Survivor but noticed that Life is Strange: True Colors is leaving PS+ so will need to play that first!

 

[Punished Miku]

Citizen Sleeper 2 - got past the 1st part, maybe a prolonged intro. Just as dark and desperate as the 1st one. I literally was certain I was about to trigger a permanent game over about 3x. Somehow made it with lasting damage. The game is definitely adding multiple new systems not in the first game and is starting to feel like a worthy sequel.

 

[adamsapple]

Popped in a bit of Persona 4 on PCSX2 after the recent remake rumor.

Using a wide-screen hack with HD textures that clean up the character art and give a little boost to the in-game textures.

Why Persona 4 and not Golden? Because I don't like the Chie/Teddie voice re-cast and it took a big hit in a lot of texture work to bring it to Vita.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Getting somewhat addicted to Pharao: A New Era.

I'm now at mission 10 or so and just starting to build to really big pyramids. Playing this is soooo funny.... Gives me legit flashbacks to my teens. Used to play this quite a lot but I have a hard time to actually putting myself back. I know I used cheats ALL THE TIME to have enough money to build everything. It doesn't really make sense to me now because trade in this game is so darn easy - and also part of the fun. I really must have been an impatient little shit back in my youth.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Currently playing final fantasy vii rebirth on pc. I'm 25 hours in and its got it's hooks into me.

The over world feels like they took queues from xenoblade series with a more action rpg combat system. Maybe it's me.

Enjoying it now...even with all the animations.

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

Proceeding to the second area in Avowed - great stuff.

Also exploring this same area. Avowed has taken all my free time.

 

[Duchess]

(no spoilers)

Finished Sea of Stars.

A very good 2D RPG, with gorgeous pixel art. Rather funny in places. As I approached the end, however, I couldn't help but feel there was something missing, and I concluded that the two main characters could've done with having a bit more depth; they really needed to be fleshed out more, as they're quite forgettable. I also found the relative lack of side quests to be a bit of a downer.

Having said that, I do recommend this for those who are looking to scratch a 2D RPG itch.

(Chained Echoes is better, though..!)

 

[touchfuzzy]

Popped in a bit of Persona 4 on PCSX2 after the recent remake rumor.

Using a wide-screen hack with HD textures that clean up the character art and give a little boost to the in-game textures.

Why Persona 4 and not Golden? Because I don't like the Chie/Teddie voice re-cast and it took a big hit in a lot of texture work to bring it to Vita.

As someone who has never attended school in Japan, Persona is really my only framework of reference for it. Is 'class' there really just teachers rambling on about whatever random stuff comes to mind, or is that a game thing? I've always thought their version of class was so weird, but since it's been like that across three games in different settings I start to wonder if that's just how school in Japan is...

 

[adamsapple]

As someone who has never attended school in Japan, Persona is really my only framework of reference for it. Is 'class' there really just teachers rambling on about whatever random stuff comes to mind, or is that a game thing? I've always thought their version of class was so weird, but since it's been like that across three games in different settings I start to wonder if that's just how school in Japan is...

I'm sure it's exaggerated for the game. Like, one of the teacher calls one of girls something like 'the best cutie in school'. That shit won't fly in any school, lol

 

[intbal]

Alan Wake Remastered (thanks to that store glitch a while back)

Is there a fix for the missing cutscene audio? If I had never played this before (and had paid for it), I'd be really pissed. Hard to believe they just let this slide.
Aside from that, it's a solid remaster. Looks great with AutoHDR. The controls still have the same feel of the original. And Quick Resume works.
Don't know if I'll finish it. Already played the original several times. I'll probably quit at the rock concert.

 

[adamsapple]

Alan Wake Remastered (thanks to that store glitch a while back)

Is there a fix for the missing cutscene audio? If I had never played this before (and had paid for it), I'd be really pissed. Hard to believe they just let this slide.
Aside from that, it's a solid remaster. Looks great with AutoHDR. The controls still have the same feel of the original. And Quick Resume works.
Don't know if I'll finish it. Already played the original several times. I'll probably quit at the rock concert.

Glad to see they haven't revoked keys for that.

What audio glitch are you talking about? I'm not familiar or it isn't coming back to me right now.

 

[amigastar]

(no spoilers)

Finished Sea of Stars.

A very good 2D RPG, with gorgeous pixel art. Rather funny in places. As I approached the end, however, I couldn't help but feel there was something missing, and I concluded that the two main characters could've done with having a bit more depth; they really needed to be fleshed out more, as they're quite forgettable. I also found the relative lack of side quests to be a bit of a downer.

Having said that, I do recommend this for those who are looking to scratch a 2D RPG itch.

(Chained Echoes is better, though..!)

I have Sea of Star installed and waiting for me to launch. Its just i always find something else to play and i procrastinate the game all the time.

 

[intbal]

Glad to see they haven't revoked keys for that.

What audio glitch are you talking about? I'm not familiar or it isn't coming back to me right now.

There is no audio at all during cutscenes for the first chapter of the game.
I quick-resumed out after the first chapter was over and had dinner. When I started the game back up on chapter 2, the audio was working in cutscenes again.
Not sure if it's only a Ch.1 issue, or if dropping out then coming back somehow fixed the issue. There are other reports of people having the same audio problems with the Xbox version that date back to the original release. I didn't investigate further since my problem appears to be fixed now.

 

[Punished Miku]

I have Sea of Star installed and waiting for me to launch. Its just i always find something else to play and i procrastinate the game all the time.

Its super good

 

[Brigandier]

Finished Silent Hill 2 the other night, Will start Robocop tomorrow!!!

 

[Deerock71]

Having recently beaten Persona 4: Golden on the Switch, I think I'm finally settling into Persona 5.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Having recently beaten Persona 4: Golden on the Switch, I think I'm finally settling into Persona 5.

Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5 Strikers both run great on Switch in Docked mode. Not sure about Portable Mode

 

[od-chan]

I just completed A Link To The Past (again). Realized I hadn't played it in well over a decade, forgot about 1 medallion and couldn't be arsed to get the optional cane. It's nowhere near as big as what I thought as a kid, because I remembered to get the flippers I didn't get stuck or have to wander about, and with the switch rewind feature none of the dungeons are an issue because it's impossible to fall of an edge or something equally daft to waste time or health.

That's an interesting take. I played ALttP a couple of times over the past years, thanks to randomizers, and I'd say the complete opposite: It's absolutely amazing to me how big that game is. For reference, ALttP is literally the first game I ever played, so there'd be a good chance that nostalgia completely messes up my perception of the scope. Sure Terranigma or FFVI or whatever is probably bigger, but since everything is so seamless in ALttP, this game is almost even more impressing to me. Definitely more fun to fuck around in for another playthrough and get back to once every so often.

 

[yogaflame]

Gt7

 

[amigastar]

Its super good

Cool, gonna give it a try finally.

 

[Hookshot]

That's an interesting take. I played ALttP a couple of times over the past years, thanks to randomizers, and I'd say the complete opposite: It's absolutely amazing to me how big that game is. For reference, ALttP is literally the first game I ever played, so there'd be a good chance that nostalgia completely messes up my perception of the scope. Sure Terranigma or FFVI or whatever is probably bigger, but since everything is so seamless in ALttP, this game is almost even more impressing to me. Definitely more fun to fuck around in for another playthrough and get back to once every so often.

It’s just as soon as you get the flute you can instantly travel to the spots needed to get into the dungeons so I stopped running around the world and if I did explore most of what you find in the dark world is just shops or rupee rooms.

I remember it as two huge worlds but this time I breezed through it in no time, but that’s because I knew what to do and where to go. Not that I went for 100%

 

[hemo memo]

Finished Teslagrad 2. Very short, but good.

 

[od-chan]

It’s just as soon as you get the flute you can instantly travel to the spots needed to get into the dungeons so I stopped running around the world and if I did explore most of what you find in the dark world is just shops or rupee rooms.

I remember it as two huge worlds but this time I breezed through it in no time, but that’s because I knew what to do and where to go. Not that I went for 100%

Yeah, I get what you're saying in regards to the flute. I guess that's what's so great about randomizers: It can take hours to find it I remember once on stream I was doing like 6hrs or so already and I just couldn't find the goddamn thing, which locked me out of progression, I was on the brink of insanity at like 4am. Good times. Essentially you're left with having to run back and forth through the whole map, which might contribute to the fact why I perceive the game as huge.

btw I obviously suck at randomizers, but it is great fun.

 

[Deerock71]

Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5 Strikers both run great on Switch in Docked mode. Not sure about Portable Mode

Persona 5 runs at a locked 30. Looks great on the OLED.

 

[NotMyProblemAnymoreCunt]

Persona 5 runs at a locked 30. Looks great on the OLED.

Have fun man

I still consider it the weakest in the franchise but it's still a great game. The fourth game is still my favorite

 

[Dr. Suchong]

Judgement.
I really want to like the combat, but it won't let me.
Granted, Yagami is no Kiryu, but even fighting grunts seems like a chore. They seem to block too often for my liking, and are able to interrupt combos.
I never feel like I'm fully in control, you don't get that feeling of power play like you got with Yakuza.
Grinding skills takes aeons because of the measly amount of skill points you get after battles.
Story is all over the shop, I've forgotten what's going on several times and had to re-read cases to fill in blanks.
I think I'm just growing weary of the usual Yakuza tropes of a million characters to keep track of, with a splintered narrative that just irritates.