Wot are you playing (video games)

Computer Games
#162

I have! It is!

A very competent “Fallout 3”-esque, although with a much more linear storyline (which, I’ll be honest, has a disappointing ending) and no romance options. The cadre of characters you travel with are interesting but don’t have a “Mass Effect” sense of progression to them (ie: they have a loyalty quest, but it doesn’t really change them in an interesting way, as near as I can tell), but the dialog tends to be snappy, the world-building the development team did is very clever, and I had a really good time exploring each planet.

At some point I became a nigh-unstoppable juggernaut, but I was okay with that too. It was a lot of fun, and while I wouldn’t say it was exceptional and it is unlikely I’ll go back to it, if they ever release a sequel I will be all over that. I would give it a solid 7.5/10.

I am in the minority, but I really liked Outer Worlds much more than Outer Wilds, which released almost at the same time and I personally found enormously frustrating… but I have never liked 3D platformers.

2 Likes
#163

Thanks! It was on sale at “Wally-World” where I was buying socks, so I took a gamble and picked it up. I’ve not gone very far in it, but you are correct, it is very Fallout 3-like. That isn’t a plus in my book, but I’m giving it a chance to grow on me. Worst comes to worst, I’ll give it to SWMBO’s brother. He’s a big Fallout 3 fan, and I’m sure he doesn’t have this yet.

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#164

Still not on day 2 :frowning:
Just not enough time to play these days.

Currently in the flashback sequence.

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#165

Took a day off work sick, and while I wasn’t lying in bed feeling sick what did I do with all that glorious free time? Played Civ 6 feeling sick. At the end of the day I regretted every wasted hour. It is not a good game.

Oh, I also finished Sproggiwood. That was a good game. Thanks @Cokho

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#166

I’ve been playing The Last of Us (first one). I bailed quite early first time round, but thought I’d give it a proper shot. It does feel like a PS3 game with its level lay outs and doing the same thing over and over. It generally feels just a touch jankier than a current game would be. A few times I’ve stealthed through a part to find I can only proceed through the exit if I kill everyone. Wish the game was a bit better at telegraphing when I should/can be stealthing and when I should be fighting. The cut scenes leading into the level are all “sssh be quiet so we can sneak by”, and then I need to kill everything? Or even worse, sneak by everything and hit an event that means everyone I sneaked past can see me and I’ve now got twice as many enemies as I clearly should have.

And it is quite brutal, right? I seem to either perfect a section or almost immediately die. When things get bad with clickers around, it’s usually insta-fail. It makes it feel like an ancient NES game or something with not much in the way of recovering.

Every so often are some lovely little touches though. Like the ‘exit’ signs in the hotel indicating the route through to the end of the level. Very handy when there are so many diversions and side rooms.

I’m warming to it though. Up to the hotel basement. I want to get through this so I can play 2 (which I imagine will be the same but a bit smoother).

3 Likes
#167

Ah the warm and fuzzy bits.

#168

The Outer Worlds is not proving to be my thing, so it’s back to No Man’s Sky and they’ve just dropped yet another free block of improvements and content. The Desolation update introduces derelict freighters full of valuable stuff…and numerous hazards including malfunctioning defense systems and xenomorph infestations. I’ve tried one mission and they’ve really nailed the creepiness factor. Frankly, that sort of stuff isn’t really my thing, but it’s nice to know these missions are there if I want to tackle one. In the meantime, I’m happy to tame new animals like my pal the Tristegasauratops here:

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#169

That is a tiny head…

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#170

My mellon is a tad OVERSIZED, thank you very much! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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#171

Could be worse.

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#172

I hope they got the DNA right, because that looks like the wrong skull for that body… :rofl:

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#173

Still working on Valkyria Chronicles 4, which is continuing to be satisfying (I ran into a mission that was kicking my butt, “Protecting The Centurion” I think, but after that it’s been pretty straight forward-ish). But in the meantime I have also played a few hours of Hyperspeed and Convoy.

Hyperspeed is… weird. There were a handful of games of its ilk and I’m not sure exactly where it falls on the continuum… It started with Starflight, I think (and its sequel of course), moved on to the sublime/awful Protostar: War on the Frontier, and then the unparalleled and nigh-flawless Star Control 2. I think Hyperspeed (originally “Lightspeed”) came out before Protostar and after Star Control 1… anyway. It’s weird. Chunky graphics, weird design decisions, and a continual sore point of mine that would be repeated in many, many space sims (if you’re going to give me a TURRET, give me some frakking way for it to fire its frakking self!). But you could trade with aliens and explore solar systems and make alliances and there were usually multiple paths to victory. Plus a lot of your starship could be upgraded with alien technology that was neato. Anyway, played around with it for a while, had fun, remembered why I liked later games of its ilk more, and moved on.

Convoy is a pretty generic rogue-like with some neat pixel-style graphics and some… very questionable writing with a lot of tongue-in-cheek elements that aren’t really earned (in one instance you may have to chase down a man with a huge stockpile of rum you need to convert into techno-babble, and the man is named… Captain Morgan. And if you attack him instead of paying for the rum, Captain Morgan exclaims “Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!”). But it’s fine.

2 Likes
#174

I have just started playing Hollow Knight again using the Rando mod which makes it a little like a Roguelike kind of? It randomises various things like which items are where (including which are behind bosses, and major progression items like dash etc.). It’s quite interesting, but incredibly difficult.

#175

Indeed. :smirk: :+1:t3:

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#176

Gorogoa an app that it all about manipulating beautiful images to tell a story. Loved it!

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#177

I am playing some Death Stranding and enjoy the game a lot. It is mostly walking and trying to find new ways but that is a lot of fun. The game is beautiful and has an amazing soundtrack too.

I also replayed Warhammer Dark Omen after listening to a podcast about it. Still a great game and really good translation of the tabletop to a RTS. It captures the hectic of a battlefield very well :slight_smile:

I started Iron Danger and while its concept of reversing your actions adds something new to the turnbased rpg formula, it sometimes feels a little bit clunky to use it.

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#178

Partway through Day 3 now, possibly right at the end of it, as I just started a flashback with Abby.

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#179

You’ve overtaken me now. Need to get back to it.

#180

My partner has already finished the game he was unable to stop apparently… he is convinced he will not find another game with such a story anytime soon. I watched him play sometimes and it seemed quite impressive even to me just as a watcher over his shoulder. That’s about all I can say without risk of spoilers.

I am now watching him play Ghost of Tsushima :slight_smile:

I am still mostly playing Animal Crossing after finishing the main „story“ of Opus Magnum.

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#181

Recently I have been playing FTL for the first time, though I have owned it for years since my brother-in-law gifted it to me on Steam. What an amazing (-ly hard) little game. Enjoying it a lot, though thoroughly losing most attempts.

5 Likes