Author Topic: What are you playing?  (Read 692490 times)

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Offline magicpixie

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #200 on: November 02, 2013, 01:22:56 AM »
I picked up Splinter Cell Blacklist shortly after launch for the PC, but there were some major issues with running the game in DX11.  I couldn't get the game to start up without crashing, so I angrily put the game aside, hoping for some patches.  I decided to boot the game up tonight, and after patching the game, everything seems to run fine now. 

I probably enjoyed Conviction more than most people, but I can see why people were upset with the direction the series took.  So far, I'm really enjoying Blacklist, with the exception of the new VA for Sam Fisher.  He isn't bad, it'll probably just take some more getting used to.  I really like the way the game is balanced toward the three play-styles; it really feels like you can play whichever way you choose.  Personally, I enjoy the "Panther" play-style the most.  Ghosting missions can be tricky in spots, but it's definitely a very rewarding feeling when you get a section right.  I'm curious if anybody actually predominantly uses the "Assault" style; I don't feel those kills are at all satisfying.

I was really ticked off at Ubisoft for releasing a broken game on PC for a while there.  While all is not forgiven, being able to play Blacklist is making me feel a lot better.  The game feels a lot more complete than the previous games, while the balance between the different play-styles is, to me, easily the best.

Edit: Still loving the game so far, trying to Ghost as much as possible creates a lot of these incredibly tense moments that are so much fun.  I find it helps to be decisive in your movements, as it seems that any kind of hesitation or delay on my part always ends poorly.  Movement on the left joystick is a bit touchy for me.  I kind of wish the pressure sensitivity for the different speeds Sam can move at could be adjusted.  I feel it's too easy to get up to a running speed, while the sensitivity range for crawl speed is too small. 

Conversely, I've just completed a section of forced combat that was just... dreadful.  I get why they put these sections into the game, I just hate them.  Normal levels are designed to be a sandbox for you to play in, with plenty of options for stealth and general ninja-ry.  The forced combat sections remove way too much of the freedom and I felt like I had to cheese the game to get through them.

Speaking of cheesing the game, some stealth elements are way OP.  I was doing one of the side missions for the cyberhacker dude(can't remember his name) in Pakistan, and it's basically horde mode.  I found a stairwell with a pipe running along the ceiling that I could cling to, with a dark corner to hide in.  I could basically hide on the pipe and, with enough patience, defeat all enemies.
« Last Edit: November 02, 2013, 03:05:07 PM by magicpixie »

Offline ejamer

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #201 on: November 03, 2013, 03:41:38 AM »
SteamWorld Dig (3DS eShop):  So this game received a lot of positive word of mouth. I wanted to try, but was a bit skeptical that it would live up to the reviews. Glad to admit that I was wrong: the game deserves every bit of hype it's received.


My only complaint is that digging starts off a bit slow... but a steady stream of power-ups helps to make the game more complex as you progress, and new environments and caves to explore ensure it stays compelling. This is one of those rare games that I've had a hard time putting down, playing late into the night at twice so far when I really should've been resting. Even typing this up makes me eager to go play again right now... in fact, I think I will. You should too!
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Offline magicpixie

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #202 on: November 03, 2013, 12:54:42 PM »
Battlefield 4 on PC.  I'll admit to being one of "those" people who actually enjoys the single-player campaigns of these kinds of games.  I've heard this one is really short, but from what I've played it is a massive improvement over Battlefield 3.  I still don't like the tendency of these games to just drop you into a random soldier's life with no explanations.  I often feel little connection to the story because the game drops you into these campaigns with no clues as to what the heck you're doing.  Sometimes, you don't have any idea who you're shooting at, or why.  It gets worse when, as the story progresses, things actually get even more vague and aimless.

Only played the first mission so far, but everything feels a bit tighter than in 3.  I'm having much more success picking off enemies, and graphically, the game is just tits.  One thing I don't like is the suppression system.  When you are taking fire, stability is significantly reduced, and it feels like no matter where you aim, you will miss.  It's a feature that's been around for a while, and has been tweaked endlessly, but it seems that no matter how they tweak it, they can't seem to get it right for everybody.  YMMV.

If you've played one of these types of games before, you know what you're in for: big set pieces, plenty of explosions, and spotty AI.  These kinds of campaigns are all about "go big or go home" and technically, Battlefield 4 is backing that up.  The way this game looks, it has no right to be running 1080p/60fps, but it is, and that astounds me.  If the PS4 can match/approach this, it'll be a fantastic launch title to add.

I've only been playing the game through my TV speakers so far, but I'll try with my headphones later.  So far, the sound is, as expected, excellent.

I like the scoring system they've added to the SP game from MP for your actions.  Headshots are worth more than regular kills, you can get points for "squad kills" which I assume is just another way of saying assist, and there are bonus points for killstreaks.  I don't remember, but I think that's a new feature for SP.  I believe mission scores are linked to SP weapon unlocks, so there is an added incentive to perform better during your missions.

For as much flak as these set-piece shooters receive, I usually enjoy myself for however little time they last.  It really is like being in a Michael Bay movie.  Or course, the real meat of these games is in multiplayer, which is another beast altogether.  EA are having issues with their PC servers, don't know if that is happening for their console versions, but they had plenty of issues with Battlefield 3 servers, too.  It reminds me of just how crappy an online-only console would have been.  I remember Battlefield 3 had an issue where I(and just about everybody else) couldn't get into a match for over a week, though, that was apparently due to hackers.

On a side note, I really miss arena shooters like UT.  I understand that the proliferation of console shooters(and the subsequent rise of controllers) means that there is less appetite for that style of game, but I really wish somebody could revive that genre.  I'm really hoping that Titanfall can approximate that style of gameplay, which CoD multiplayer actually does feel like at times.

Offline azeke

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #203 on: November 03, 2013, 11:55:32 PM »
Bayonetta (360):
This weekend was all about Bayonetta. Got platinums one two levels and now working on the third one.

Facing Grace and Glory -- most challenging enemies in Bayonetta, made me appreciate Kamiya's attention dispersion trick he does to make his games hard.

You can't concentrate just on one enemy you're currently fighting, other guys on background aren't gonna just wait and stand there. You have be aware of where they are and if they're about to launch their attack.

Grace and Glory make this task especially hard. First of all, they always come in pairs. Secondly, both of them are the fastest enemies you'll ever meet. They strafe and jump all around the arena even if you manage to catch one of them in your combo the second one can still get you from where you don't see him and will kill you in three undodgeable hits.

And the worst thing, is in later levels, you will get to meet Gracious and Glorious who are same enemies but removed of one single weakness regular GnGs had -- now it's nearly impossible to pull Witch Time on them. These two are the only thing between me and Platinum rank on "Paradiso: Sea of Stars".

You can see it as early as Viewtiful Joe. Wonderful 101, as the most recent game is ALL about dispersing your attention. You see the entire battlefield and have to look out for everyone.

Also i randomly found out that you can teleport. I am playing this game for almost a year now and only now figured it out. What a game. Also description for this ability is absolutely terrible -- when i bought i had zero idea how to use it.

Assassin's Creed III (Wii U):
That combat system... is ridiculous. You can just spam counter button and pull of ridiculous kill streaks. I even got to use human shield mechanic a few times. It's still super janky and unreliable.
« Last Edit: November 03, 2013, 11:58:10 PM by azeke »
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Offline azeke

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #204 on: November 05, 2013, 01:42:45 AM »
AiRace Speed (3DS):
This has become my new game to play while in toilet. Previous holder of that dubious title was Zen Pinball. Online leaderboards make both these games very addicting. I am constantly motivated to shave off one more millisecond off my friend's time to be number 1. Only to find that he/she improved my time even more on the next day.
Some funny achievements there too, like crashing right before the finish.

Rayman Legends (360):
I really like "replacement" control scheme for touch-based Murphy levels. I played Rayman Challenge and also own full game on Wii U, so i can actually compare. That's why i decided to finish singleplayer on 360 first, and then i miiiight do the same on Wii U...

Interestingly, online stuff on 360 is less smooth than on Wii U. When i entered Challenges mode, there was a loading screen to connect to Ubisoft servers, while Wii U version never does that, you just enter it and bam -- you're there. Weird.

Going from Wii Classic Controller and GamePad to Xbox controller to play Rayman is a bit weird at first, but doable. Mainly i missed d-pad.

Still can't get over how much the game seems to be lacking in content compared to Origins. Third of the levels is ripped directly from Origins and yet they still have less teensies to collect than previous game did (teensies here are like stars in Mario 64)? And not only teensies, but Legends also less worlds (again, one of the worlds is Origins levels)?

The game is still very solid though. Music is great if a bit rehashed from previous game (or it's just because i played Rayman Challenge App too much and hear all these tracks there).
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Offline ShyGuy

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #205 on: November 05, 2013, 12:39:32 PM »
What is the replacement control scheme for Murphy levels?

Offline azeke

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #206 on: November 05, 2013, 01:53:53 PM »
Originally on Murphy levels, you control things by touching and dragging stuff.

On 360, PS3 and i'm guessing PC, you control your character as usual and just have to press B button to move things around in predetermined manner.

I really like it because that way you're not losing control and still platforming.
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Offline magicpixie

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #207 on: November 06, 2013, 11:26:12 PM »
So, I've been playing CoD: Ghosts on PC since GMG had a pretty nice deal on it.  There have been rumours that the Xbone version has a pretty steady framerate, while the PS4 version has a few framerate drops here and there.  I'm inclined to believe that, because, for whatever reason, Ghosts runs crappier than BF4 does on my PC, and that's just silly.  The game looks okay, but you can definitely see it's current-gen heritage.  At times, it feels like they just threw some effects in because they could, without really giving much though to optimization.

The campaign starts off pretty awesome, in my opinion.  It's like the team thought "Well, we've done nukes before, what can we do to kick it up a notch?"  Giant space lasers, thank the Good Lord Reagan.  The general plot of the game so far is more interesting to me than the previous entries in the series, but the execution is as ham-fisted as usual.  The Giantbomb guys were saying they took the shortcut to making you care for the characters by making them familial connections... and a dog.  I think I agree with that assessment, and it isn't a really effective technique, really.

I think I enjoy the MP from CoD more than I do Battlefield's.  While Battlefield effectively mimics large scale warzones, the fast-paced gameplay of CoD really does remind me of old-school arena shooters, minus obvious things like rocket-jumps.  I think everybody knows what they're getting into with the CoD series, and if you aren't already tired of it, you've already probably bought it.  I was just trying out the new "Extinction" mode and it was a lot of fun.  It isn't very different from the other wave-based survival modes that have been packaged into games lately, but I do think this one is worth playing.  I dunno if previous versions had them(Black Ops II did), but Ghosts gives you the ability to play MP matches against bots, if that's your thing.  I played a few rounds of free-for-all earlier, and the bots are competent.  I tried an 18-player match on one of the larger maps, and it was just a clusterfark.  There seem to have been a lot of complaints about spawning in this game, and I totally agree.  It feels like spawn points are poorly thought out, and I swear I saw multiple people spawning together.  I tried a 10-player match on the same map, and I had a much better time.  I never went too long without seeing any action, but there was time to strategize and build some tension.

So far, Ghosts is... meh.  I don't think I would recommend it as a next-gen title, unless you have to get your fix and you are abandoning current-gen completely.  I'm fairly certain that Xbox Live and PSN communities will be strong for the foreseeable future.

Offline azeke

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #208 on: November 07, 2013, 12:49:28 AM »
Luigi's Mansion 1:
Ehmm... What's up with these controls? They don't feel good in either "standard" or "sidestep" variant. It's like they put RE style tank controls on BOTH sticks.

This is what messes me up when catching ghost. Or they just break away randomly and then you have to do the routine where you stand with your flashlight off in the middle of the room luring ghosts out again.

Bayonetta:
Got Plat on Temperantia level and then got Pure Platinum on Prologue for the heck of it.

Unlocked Sai Fung (Bruce Lee style gun nun-chucks). They are very cool looking, but so, so weak. Not even all that good to raise combo points -- lightning claws are still better.

After struggling in Alfheims enough, i finally caved in and started using cursed sword Shuraba. It's SO much easier now. Sword is very fast and has very different combos from other weapons and that throws me off a bit.

After figuring out teleportation trick i started using Z targeting in this game more. Dodging with Z targeting (RB, then press B when someone attacks you) is more precise and much faster than pressing right analog trigger. Still it's not ideal to constantly keep focusing, so i sometimes switch between two and change my fingers positions accordingly.

Made a quick reconnaissance run into Broken Sky level. Seems doable enough. Jeanne's hair weaves that keep destroying the plane while i'm going though the level are annoying though.

With that i have only 3-4 levels left from full Platinum on Normal. Tower to Truth is gonna be rough, but aside from that -- should be easy enough. Couple of boss levels, one gimmick Space Harrier level. The end is near.

Super Mario Land 1:
DAT third world. All these random easter island statues running and flying around...

I kinda like how different the game feels. Not physics, no, it sucks. I mean levels that are designed completely differently than in other Mario games.

All other Mario games make their levels allowing and encouraging you to just run through them, pressing run button all the way.

SML constantly stops you. Enemies are positioned to kill you if you try to run through them head on. It more like a Sonic game in that regard.
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Offline magicpixie

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #209 on: November 10, 2013, 01:01:24 PM »
Call of Duty: Ghosts - for all the flak this game is getting(and deservedly so), there is a core here that is fantastic.  The tech issues are well-known, the netcode is as it always has been, but the game just feels tight when you get into it.  I got a message upon startup saying that new automatic graphics optimization settings were available, and I decided to let the game choose mine.  It turned down the res and graphics options and made everything look like a pixelated mess.  Strangely enough, it was easier to spot and target enemies at mid-long range.  It kind of reminded me of days past when people would play FPSes @ 640X480 for the faster framerate and being able to better discern enemies from the environment.

Battlefield 4 - good lord, EA have released yet another buggy mess.  However, when everything works as it should, the experience is unrivalled.  Level destruction and deformation is awesome, and maps often look completely different at the end of matches.  It is almost crucial to play this game with a group of friends in a squad just for the advantage that being able to communicate and support each other takes the game to a whole new level.  "Levolution" feels like it's being ignored by the community right now, partly because the skyscraper crashes servers, and partly because after a while, it loses some of the "wow" factor.

Ace Attorney 5 - I'm slowly digesting this one; I just started the third episode.  I love the charm and personality of the series, and it's packed in this game, too.  I love the graphic style, and the animations are great.  The localization is a bit spotty, as I've noticed numerous errors already.

Assassin's Creed III - After watching a few Let's Plays, I'm really excited to play Assassin's Creed IV on PC.  I'll be getting a new video card next week, and it comes with a code for ACIV.  In the meantime, I restarted III on PC, and so far, it's better than I remember.  It might be because the Haytham part was the best part of the game, but I'm also playing the game a bit differently.  I'm going for 100% sync on missions, and really trying to get the most out of how those missions are designed.  I don't know how far I'll get before the 22nd, but hopefully I can get more out of this run than the first.

Offline azeke

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #210 on: November 12, 2013, 02:00:52 AM »
Bayonetta:
This is gonna sound weird, but Bayonetta actually makes for a great pick up and play game.

You can catch 10-15 minutes before going to work and then resume the level after getting home in the evening. Missions within levels are pretty short and you're free to turn off console between missions to resume next time.

And it's more or less endless: there are always things to strive for: if you're done platinuming (i'm almost there, i'm in the middle of Tower to Truth and it looks promising enough and after that only two boss level left) you can go for Pure Platinum, if you did that you can go for harder difficulty and so on.

This makes me wish Kamiya made 3DS game in this style.

Space Harrier tribute level that i Platinumed this saturday is actually not that bad. Once i understood combo system, it became much more enjoyable than on first playthrough.

Earthbound:
Starting to enjoy it more. I usually don't like RPG (or anything with numbers). Finally getting into game's humour.

Dark Souls (PC):
In what world this can be considered a "hard" game? Hype around this game is stupidly ridiculous. I am really starting to suspect people who think this is supposed to be hard don't really play videogames much at all.

Yes you die, a lot, but your death means so little -- you keep all your items and stats, you even get your potions refilled. The only thing you lose is money (souls) and your time.

Just don't act stupid and you'll get through. Yes, there are some traps, but they're not even the same galaxy as, say, "La Mulana" or "Milon's Secret Castle". And again, you can resume all your progress by coming back anyway.

Black Mesa:
I was stuck in fridge for some reason. And just as i got out of it, game crashed on me.

I started playing it year ago trying to get more comfortable with dual analog controls on FPSs (my idea was to pick the game that is slow enough for me cope with unnatural controls), HL2's controller support isn't perfect but workable.

Link's Awakening:
Did color dungeon, it's pretty insignificant both as a dungeon and with it's reward.
On the last boss.

Super Mario Land:
Also on the last boss. I didn't expect him just to pop out right after i beat previous one. I was all prepared to to see Daisy turn into monster once again, but nope -- new boss. Classic Arino moment.

Viewtiful Joe:
Got through Hulk Davidson. His level was pretty annoying with puzzles. Hulk himself was pretty tough (he's fun though), but it becomes doable once you figure out patterns. Videogames! And of course, this game has a shmup level too...
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Offline Stogi

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #211 on: November 12, 2013, 06:57:54 AM »
KINGDOM OF ALAMOR

Playing this because it was free on PSN Plus. Gotta say, it's pretty entertaining. It's like an RPG and God of War were mashed together. I like the fact that I can reset all my level up points at any given time for just some cash. That means I can go stealth mode for part of the game, pay some money and reset, go beast mode with a great sword, pay some money and reset, and then destroy people with meteors as a sage. Nothing is set in stone.

The gameplay is really the only reason to play this game. The story is more of the same J.R.R. Tolkien-esque bullshit of evil races, smart small races, monsters and beasts. The gameplay, however, is fun. Simply that; it's fun. I like how can I change my approach at any moment. I also like that there is an incentive to use all of your talents. Doing racks up a bar much quicker than spamming an attack and at it's peak, you can go Super Sayain.

Anyway, check it out if you like RPGs and God of War and free.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2013, 06:59:46 AM by Stogi »
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Offline azeke

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #212 on: November 13, 2013, 12:52:19 AM »
Bayonetta:
Platinumed Tower to Truth and now i am just two boss levels away from full platinum row on normal.

Feels pretty good.

While i am 97 hours into the game i still didn't use most of the weapons. i only used guns, shotguns, bazookas and lately lightning claws. Still have to learn how to use whip and sword properly.

Dark Souls:
Played for another hour. Killed that tall black armour dude. Used the same trick as before for both previous bosses: lured him out and positioned him near ladders, then climbed to the roof (he can't climb) and jumped off swinging with an axe. Then few dodges and i repeat the routine.

Now i think i have to kill that steel boar thingy. Game gave me special skulls that attract monsters and i tried throwing them from the bridge above hoping boar will stand where i will be able to do the same jumping trick, but no dice.

Still have no idea what humanity system does. Or kindling. Or reverse hollowing. Sometimes i get humanity as an item and sometimes it just says i have 1 humanity.

Whatever.
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Offline MagicCow64

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #213 on: November 13, 2013, 03:05:28 PM »
Bayonetta:
Platinumed Tower to Truth and now i am just two boss levels away from full platinum row on normal.

Feels pretty good.

While i am 97 hours into the game i still didn't use most of the weapons. i only used guns, shotguns, bazookas and lately lightning claws. Still have to learn how to use whip and sword properly.

Dark Souls:
Played for another hour. Killed that tall black armour dude. Used the same trick as before for both previous bosses: lured him out and positioned him near ladders, then climbed to the roof (he can't climb) and jumped off swinging with an axe. Then few dodges and i repeat the routine.

Now i think i have to kill that steel boar thingy. Game gave me special skulls that attract monsters and i tried throwing them from the bridge above hoping boar will stand where i will be able to do the same jumping trick, but no dice.

Still have no idea what humanity system does. Or kindling. Or reverse hollowing. Sometimes i get humanity as an item and sometimes it just says i have 1 humanity.

Whatever.


I would highly recommend playing through Dark Souls with a guide. It's systems and items and whatnot are just too arcane otherwise, especially if you're playing offline. But here's one tip: do NOT use the Fire Keeper Soul you find in the church, give it to a Fire Keeper to boost your estus.

Offline azeke

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #214 on: November 14, 2013, 11:24:17 PM »
I would highly recommend playing through Dark Souls with a guide. It's systems and items and whatnot are just too arcane otherwise, especially if you're playing offline. But here's one tip: do NOT use the Fire Keeper Soul you find in the church, give it to a Fire Keeper to boost your estus.
I had no idea what you just said, but thanks i'll keep that in mind.

Manual that comes with a game is a joke, twelve pages and only one has anything to say about game's mechanics. Everything else is keyboard controls (that i don't use) and online stuff notes.

Bayonetta: (360)
Done. Platinumed last level, unlocked Jeanne, unlocked endless Angel Slayer mode.

Tried out playing as Jeanne. It's kinda funny to see two Jeannes in cutscenes. She loses Witch Time on dodge (still can do it by parrying with Mahaa Kalaa though), but instead you're getting infinite dodges.

Also tried out sword in Angel Slayer. Wow, it's actually easy mode -- you can just spam X and will have endless ridiculous combos.

Not sure if will go for hard playthrough. My entire platinum run clocked to seven hours, so realistically i might do it in one two days. Maybe to prepare for Bayonetta 2 sometime next year.

But for now -- i am done. Wow. Put over 100 hours into it.

Punch Out!!: (Wii)
Played it on GamePad while watching TV. Not sure if i got better or GamePad has less lag than TV but i did better than last time i tried it on Wii U.

Because i was constantly distracted by TV i noticed that theoretically you can play blind jut going by sound cues, similarly to Rhythm Heaven games.

I'm stuck on contender mode Hondo. His hondo rush move is what does me in. At least i am able to properly block half of the times now.
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Offline azeke

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #215 on: November 17, 2013, 11:13:40 PM »
Ninja Gaiden (NES):
Got to fifth boss, big gladiator dude. No idea how to dodge his fireball attack or if i even can.

Punch-Out!! (Wii):
Yep, TV lag is definitely there. Switching between Gamepad and my TV made it really obvious. My plasma ideally should have very little lag in game mode, but it's there. Maybe it's something to do with Wii mode...

Skullgirls (free weekend on Steam):
Couldn't even get through first stage in story mode. Impenetrable.

Viewtiful Joe (GC):
Breezed through shooting sky stage and spent a few hours fighting shark boss. His fight made realize how cramped the screen really is in this game. Joe is relatively big and he can jump as high as entire screen, so visible area is very limited.

Shark dude and Hulk Davidson both have very fast attacks that can span many screens and ideally you should be able to tell where they're coming from at any moment. But when they go off screen, you can't see them and when Gran Bruce appears on screen with his chomp attack you barely have a second to react and dodge it.

Sound cues help somewhat, but i wish there was an option to mute music a bit.

Solution for shark boss is to be aggressive. He replenishes his health so you need to deal as much damage as fast as you can. You need to spam zoomed-in kicks and keep hitting him at all opportunities.
« Last Edit: November 17, 2013, 11:15:55 PM by azeke »
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Offline magicpixie

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #216 on: November 18, 2013, 07:33:18 PM »
Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies: Just beat the third episode, and I'm am, once again, totally in love with the series.  There is so much wackiness stuffed into each of these characters, I'm wondering if the creators of this game got into Rob Ford's personal stash.  Every episode so far has managed to make a character my favourite with each quirk. 

Also, my new video card arrived today.  Special thanks to Canada Post for updating their tracking system to show that it was delivered Friday afternoon and making me lose my **** over the weekend.  Redeemed my Assassin's Creed IV code, and now I'm just waiting on uPlay to let me activate the game.  In preparation for this game, I almost beat Assassin's Creed III again; I'm very near the end, but I don't feel the need to push through completely.  I found this run much more enjoyable than my first, possibly due to skipping every optional quest.  I found that I enjoyed Connor's character much more this time(mostly when he was an "adult").  The biggest complaints about this game still exist.  The intro/tutorial section is way too long, and some of the mission failstates aren't exactly clear.  I feel like the AI's detection ability isn't consistent enough to make this a legit stealth game ala Splinter Cell.  The naval battles are awesome, and they looked great on my PC.  I hope that ACIV actually improves on that, and by all accounts, they have.  Free-running is mostly good, with the occasional times where I would want to go one way, but the game would interpret my input completely differently.  I think the game could have done a better job of helping you keep track of enemies in combat.  There were occasions when enemies would be off-screen, and it would be really hard to see when they were going to shoot you in time to take action.  Eventually you kind of get used to working around that, by being more aware of your environment, and limiting your exposure to those situations.

Also wanted to mention that, to celebrate the release of NFS: Rivals, I jumped back into Most Wanted for about 20 minutes.  I didn't do any races/events, I just drove around the city.  At first, I couldn't get the hang of the controls: a) since I've been playing so many sims with my wheel recently, and b) the handling model feels so foreign to me.  It took me about 2 minutes to get reacquainted with the handling and controls, which is definitely a credit to the system.  I'm not sure the same could be said the going back the other way.  Still not sold on Rivals, hearing that the framerate is locked to 30fps on PC is kind of a bummer.
« Last Edit: November 18, 2013, 07:53:51 PM by magicpixie »

Offline azeke

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #217 on: November 18, 2013, 11:52:55 PM »
^ It's actually very cool how videocard manufacturers bundle games with their stuff. That's how i got Brotherhood.

While AI in ACIII does ruin stealth i think controls are an even bigger problem.

Split Second (PC):
I think we and my pal have finally found our split-screen racing game.

We also tried out Blur, but it felt off, mainly handling and weird drifting. It was still fun enough in "poor man's Mario Kart" way.

So, Split Second. Explosions and stuff. You're like "oh, oh, i wonder if i can crash this tower!" and "look at this hanging truck! and BAM here it goes down". It's pretty Bay, i know, but i am not judging.

Bad thing is that you have to unlock most of the stuff in single player. And there is no local co-op campaign. So if you just want race with a pal from the get go you only have three maps and three cars to choose from.

Whatever, it's still fun.

Punch Out!! (Wii):
Finally beat up Hondo in title bout. Had to prolong till round 3. Knocked him out two times in first two rounds but couldn't do it third time -- not enough time and Hondo Rushes that are nearly impossible to block (especially coupled with TV lag).

At least he had enough in third round and didn't get up after his fifth KO.

According to his profile it took me 50 or so tries to beat him. I'm pretty sure i had less trouble with Sandman before. Title bout mode Kaiser was also surprisingly hard as i remember (he had unblockable instant knock-out attack).

I am now fighting Bear Hugger. Oh man. That squirrel of his. Super entertaining fight. It's not just adorable, it's also a gameplay element -- you have to watch out for that squirrel to know that this is a delayed attack.

Animations in this game are just amazing. And so full of little details. Like Hondo reading his "manga" comic books in between rounds. You can even tell that he reads it from right to left!

And the moment you're knocked out camera instantly flies away from your view to show you falling down -- it's so fluid it really takes you away by surprise first time this happens.

And recovery after almost knock-down. Very empowering.

I am still not sure how energy system works (that number inside heart near my health). It's probably something like stamina in action games.

Probably the only thing i don't like about this game is pointer controlled menus. It's a small nitpick but i just don't like that i should constantly switch between NES style and vertical orientation all the time.

God of War (uh... PCSX2, i guess):
Oh man, so much macho bullshit. Rather laughable at how hard they try. Voice acting... Kratos is better than others, but some of the gods are pretty bad.

Gameplay wise, it feels rather shallow after playing VJ, Bayo and W101. Maybe combo systems will get more involved later on.

I'm still not comfortable with dodge put on right stick. Fixed camera also messes me up a bit. Probably that's why took me too much time to take down Hydra.

Levels have alternate routes? From what i see there are two ways to go into Athens. Cool, i guess.
Winners don't hate and W101 rocks

Offline AnGer

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #218 on: November 22, 2013, 11:11:48 AM »
The Legend of Zelda: A Link between Worlds (3DS)

This is probably the game that comes closest to what I want Zelda to be. It is non–linear save for a few dungeons, none of the items are completely limited to a respective dungeon (like in Twilight Princess, where you had an item and never used it again after finishing "its dungeon"), they do fun new stuff with the items, the music is awesome, the dungeons have some neat extras that reward exploring, rupees are worth something again (yay), gameplay is fast–paced, there is only very little you need to do before getting to a dungeon... I'm in love with this.  :D

Offline lolmonade

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #219 on: November 22, 2013, 02:08:27 PM »
My PS+ Membership has resulted in me having more games than I can probably ever get around to playing, but I decided to dive into Hotline Miami for the Vita.  I hadn't heard anything about the game before playing it, but I have to say I've really become enthralled with it.
 
There's some thin storyline of the main character being a vigilante/serial killer who wears animal masks taking out houses full of henchmen (Russian mob?), which is also interlaced with short segments occasionally depicting you talking to 3 people in a dark room wearing animal masks while they speak in vague questions & accusations. 
 
The gameplay?  It's like if you took the controls of Smash TV, and instead of being in one room with waves of enemies, you have to navigate a building to take-out armed enemies & animals (so far, I'm not sure if there are more enemy types later in the game).   You can use doors to stun enemies, and you can use weapons (pipes, clubs, machetes, swords, guns) to take out enemies, but guns make you more easily detectable from enemies nearby.  I have a few gripes with the gunplay, but all in all it's very addicting to string together kill combos & clear-out a floor in a quick, efficient manner.
 
Definitely would recommend this to anyone to try out, as long as you don't mind a violent game.  Definitely don't pass it up if you have PS+.
 
 

Offline azeke

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #220 on: November 22, 2013, 10:48:45 PM »
It's a crime to write about Hotline Miami and not mention it's amazing music. These tracks coupled with overall atmosphere will make feel you like serial killer yourself.
Music is the best part of it, considering gameplay while very good was hampered by numerous critical bugs in PC/Steam version.
Winners don't hate and W101 rocks

Offline ShyGuy

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #221 on: November 23, 2013, 04:01:03 AM »
Played two games with my cousin tonight:

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag (PS3) suprisingly good! At least the first couple of hours. Great looking, with a charming protagonist and an intersting environment. This is the first AC game I have played since AC1 (which I didn't care for) Maybe I will pick it up for the Wii U.

Young Justice: Legacy Think of the graphics of the early PS2 with some of the worst looking cut scenes I have ever seen. The brawler style game play is also clunky, boring and repeptitive. Too bad. The Wii U didn't miss anything!

Offline Adrock

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #222 on: November 23, 2013, 07:18:55 AM »
Super Mario 3D World
It's bangarang.

Peach's floaty jump isn't as useful as it was in Super Mario Bros. 2, mostly because it doesn't last long. I may switch to Mario because Peach is noticeably slower than the other characters. I'm still trying to get the hang of the cat suit. Sometimes, I press the wrong button when trying to climb.

It's obvious that the game was built for four players so the stages feel rather large while playing solo. I wouldn't necessarily call that a negative. It just makes avoiding enemies a lot easier than it was in Super Mario 3D Land. That makes the game even easier than Mario titles typically already are. It may (and probably will) get way more difficult later on.

The graphics are excellent. They're as good as graphics in a Mario games are ever going to get unless Nintendo changes the art direction. There are no jaggies or pop up and from what I've read, the game runs at 60 frames per second all the time, even when there are things everywhere. Not that Mario games will never impress again or can never improve in terms of graphics (since what can be done with art can't really be quantified), but the art direction doesn't really lend itself to looking better than it does here. For what Nintendo has been going for with the Galaxy games and 3D Land, they topped themselves off with 3D World.
« Last Edit: November 23, 2013, 07:20:26 AM by Adrock »

Offline lolmonade

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #223 on: November 23, 2013, 07:35:55 AM »
It's a crime to write about Hotline Miami and not mention it's amazing music. These tracks coupled with overall atmosphere will make feel you like serial killer yourself.
Music is the best part of it, considering gameplay while very good was hampered by numerous critical bugs in PC/Steam version.


You're absolutely right.  That music is what really brings you into the game and makes it so atmospheric.

Offline azeke

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Re: What are you playing?
« Reply #224 on: November 29, 2013, 02:25:55 AM »
Bravely Default (demo):
Know what? This feels a lot like mobile game. Like you can unlock stuff with time using your streetpasses to speed it up (and full game can use real money for that?). And you can use your sleep time? Definitely sounds like mobile game.

Otherwise it's a regular RPG with new gimmick -- brave and default system. It's really cool how you can abuse braves and kill lesser monster in one hit.

Interface was kinda confusing at first, but it's actually really fast and comfortable.

I really like how models of my characters change depending on jobs. I chose one of my guys to be performer and now he looks like Elvis and other funny anachronistic stuff like that.

I'm on devil girl boss in demo. She keeps killing my dudes with hurricane spell in one hit. Maybe i need to level up to get through her...

Sonic: Lost World (demo):
Hey, this is actually a very nice game! Looks nice and finally -- it's a 3d Sonic game with controls that work (for me). I usually play it like Mario -- slowly and methodically collecting stuff, usually on first running speed (pressing ZR).

First level alone has like 20 alternate routes, lots of replay value, maybe even too much because collecting all the red stars will take you five-six replays of the same level.

Mii Force (3DS streetpass game):
Also feels like mobile game because of how it keeps eating your streetpasses and coins to keep playing.
The game itself is very solid shooter. Rotating slots mechanic is really cool. Achievements and hats as per usual for streetpass games.

Probably best streetpass game of them all.

Toki Tori 1 (Wii U):
After enjoying Toki Tori 2 so much (second best game on Wii U, after Wonderful 101), i had to buy and play first game (and it's just 2 bucks anyway). TT1 is very different from second game which had metroid elements and had no items, first game is more like a regular puzzle platformer. The only thing common is main character and how hard some of the puzzles are.

It's really cool that game has touch interface. Makes for a great game to play while you eat/watch TV.

Ninja Gaiden:
Still on final boss. Finding new patterns to level 6 enemies so that i could get through them reliably.

Oh and 4-2 music is great.

Viewtiful Joe (GC):
Took me entire evening to beat Another Joe's level. It was so, so annoying. Both puzzles on the level and the boss himself. Cramped screen and bosses just keep running away from you and you have to look for them...

I will keep at it, but now i really don't think i will finally meet the point where i will start to enjoy this game more. Combat system just doesn't feel as good and fluid as in Bayo or W101. Maybe it's because the main gimmick are mode based (slow, speed, zoom) put on top of regular punches or kicks instead of fully fledged combo and weapons system.

Super Mario 3d World (Wii U):
Bought it this morning the moment it went online on PAL eShop. Had to get up at 6AM for this. I had to go to work so didn't had much time to play it.

I only played 1-1 with and tried out all available control options: gamepad, wiimote (workable enough if you don't have anything else), wiimote+nunchuck (controls almost the same as in Mario Galaxy games only crouch is now put on B button), wiimote+classic controller pro (same as gamepad, but it's really cool that it is supported at all).

My favorite one is probably wiimote+nunchuk (simply because it's the lightest and the most flexible option) though pressing B to crouch is kinda disorientating at first.

I already made arrangements and am going to play it with my two pals tomorrow. Can't wait.
Winners don't hate and W101 rocks