whatchu playing now

I (and, ostensibly, my girlfriend, who mostly only plays the pinball stuff I bought for her) just bought a PS3 a couple of months ago, which I'm completely new to aside from crashing helicopters into gas stations in GTA IV at my brother's. So I've been excitedly hoarding games, since this seems to be the sweet spot between when previous-gen system come way down in price and when they go out of print and skyrocket. But I'm trying to be restrictive in my playing so that I don't play eight million things at once and fail to fully appreciate the varied experiences.

Althought I was completely put-off by it at first (complicated tutorials maybe shouldn't take place in the middle of combat under cover of darkness), probably 75% of my game playing time of late has been devoted to Just Cause 2. So much addictive fun, and great for brief, post-work mayhem sessions. Strangely haven't read or heard a whole lot about it outside of ILG threads, so thanks for that, y'all. Prior to that, I was mostly sucked into Skyrim, which initially impressed and then subsequently overwhelmed me with its breadth. I mean, I'm level 25-ish and realized recently that I'd completed somewhere pretty far south of 10% of the core game, so it feels like a thing that could just go on forever. I'll return to it someday when I'm ready to really dig in.

Other stuff in my current rotation:
Fez (not hugely into platformers but I'm really digging it; music and design and use of color are aces)
Minecraft (kinda don't know exactly what to do with it yet, but it's cool to mess around with)
Arkham Asylum (not crazy about the combat, but maybe I'm just not used to it yet; the beginning of the Scarecrow encounter was amazing)
Where Is My Heart? (cute, cool concept, good for short bursts)
Portal (just started this...the rest of the Orange Box is backburnered for the time being)
Deadly Premonition (not terribly far into it; definitely bizarre as hell but I'm undecided just yet as to whether it's my kind of bizarre)
Prototype (love it to bits; I think I'm near the end so I've been sitting on it for a little while to prolong the love...although I do already have the sequel)
Resident Evil 3 (revisiting after 15 years; controls are for shit but I'm building up anticipation to RE4)
Walking Dead (only played the first episode thus far but it was great and I'm looking forward to more)

I also have a ton of stuff that I've played <15 minutes of (The Saboteur, Tomb Raider reboot, Marvel Ultimate Alliance) that I'm looking forward to jumping into more fully soon.

Kinda want to make a (sadly & ridiculously long) list of the stuff I've acquired and get recommendations of what to tackle next.

MPQ and GTA5, exclusively, for ages now. Very very reluctant to start a new game atm

rotation of dark souls 2 on ps3 and might & magic X and magic online on the laptop. nearly done with mmx and think i am going to finally play monaco. nearly done with ds2 but just going to keep playing it anyway.

diablo 3 on pc! oh nooo

I thought of something else I played recently: WSOP Full House Pro poker on xbla.

I am in a bad place. ;-)

GTA5 in the evenings, still searching for those hidden items
Or Lego City Undercover on occasions.

Any other time I struggle to find time or energy to play anything else right now, I'm trying to design and develop my own games and I find that a struggle in itself.

Games that I *should* be playing anyway...

Pinball FX, really really should fire this up more often
Rayman, not even installed this yet
Red Dead Redemption (still not bothered to attempt the final mission)
Fallout3, embarrassingly never finished this either
Fuel, after having to purchase new PS3 I'll have to start all over again.
Just Cause 2, dropped off the radar a bit, dip into every now and again to get that 100% status
Minecraft/FTB, my only reason for not playing this more often is its just too daunting. In terms of time wasting goes this is the mother of all. FTB packs have basically kicked this game into mind blowing status imo.

(With the exceptions of Pinball and Rayman you might notice a distinct pattern in the games I like)

picked up gta 5 again just to round off the epsilon missions. i was convinced there would be a big heist at the end of all of it, because ripping off the scientologists seemed to make sense and how else would i ever get the cash to buy the golf course etc. so the only one getting ripped off was me :( officially done with this game.

also just finished xcom enemy unknown which i loved to bits. besides it was just long enough to keep my interest through the whole thing.

not really sure what to go with next. ps+ gave me lots of options. i'll probably get going on tomb raider, as soon as i stop struggling to like pes2014.

dayZ and nothing but dayZ. the slow small little updates that come out every couple of weeks just make it that little bit more appealing every day. i try not to think that's there's no real goal or 'end' to it.

Dude, FRACT OSC is out. It's fun, but giving me a lot of flashbacks to Myst, due to heavy puzzles with occasional symbolic language hints. You're exploring this long abandoned machine world and you restoring operation to a giant synthesizer that you wander around in.

SMT4, the soundtrack for this game is so good, running around a post-apocalyptic Tokyo to synthy krautrock <3 http://youtu.be/SG_gB4kb2oA

Oh, FRACT sounds great, might have to grab that.

The only thing I'm playing at the moment is Letter Quest on my ipod. It's quite good but nothing mindblowing.

portal 2 (3rd time), ni no kuni, assassins creed 4, dork souls

FTL and could be on this for a while now that I feel like I finally understand how to play it

im obsessed

so many ships still to unlock and haven't even touched advanced mode...

I've been playing Kingdom Of Amalur, a game that apparently lost the taxpayers of Rhode Island $75m, recently. I kind of hate myself as it's another massive Skyrim-style time sink, but it's quite good fun.

what IS advanced mode

i havent even begun boarding as a tactic yet

sorry "advanced edition"

As a reminder, FTL: Advanced Edition is a free content expansion for FTL. All current (and future) customers will receive this update regardless of where they purchased it. Prior to release, we will post detailed instructions on how to get the update from whatever digital vendor you originally purchased FTL.

http://www.ftlgame.com/?page_id=106

New systems (clone bay??), new race, new ships, just lots more stuff, and it was released as a free sort of patch. It's a toggle option when you start a game, you can choose standard or advanced.

I've been playing Kingdom Of Amalur, a game that apparently lost the taxpayers of Rhode Island $75m
― Yuri Bashment (ShariVari), Thursday, April 24, 2014 3:45 PM

ah yes the curt schilling rpg

oh yeah i'm playing dragon's dogma. i've given up on it twice before so i'm determined to finish it this time. the controls are lacking but it has some of the best gfx i've seen in an rpg. makes dark souls 2 look like shit by comparison anyway.

http://cdn.destructoid.com//ul/266639-curt-shilling.jpg

dragon's dogma was good fun, at its best early before everything becomes too easy, so i encourage you to not progress the story at all until you have been everywhere. one of the best and most unique things it has are the giant wandering monsters that really felt like epic fights, at least until my gang quickly got OP'd. helps if you resist the temptation of the broken pawns that are available early.

infinity wars + starbound

helps if you resist the temptation of the broken pawns that are available early.
― Roberto Spiralli, Thursday, April 24, 2014 4:29 PM

what are the broken pawns. i've just been using the free low level ones and trading them in every so often. groups of bandits on the roads are still kicking my butt

i got one real early with an ordinary woman's name, Karen i am fairly sure, and her owner had limited her level but she had maxed-out, late game rare gear and was a total powerhouse

whatever the fighter class is. i got another midway thru with a more forgettable fantasyish name, also a female fighter.

Dammit, Fract really _is_ like myst. I can't find the symbolic to detangle the tune I'm supposed to play to solve the final puzzle in one of the areas.

Final Fantasy - NES
Assassin's Creed IV - PC
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX - PC
Castlevania: Rond of Blood - T16
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - PSX
Metal Gear Solid - PSX
Metal Gear Rising Revengeance - PC
Metal Gear Solid 2 - PC

you livin' the life, Adam, respect

finished saints row 4
tried diablo 3 again - meh so spammy
maybe back to metro 2033

"Finished" Portal and Fez, loved both. Seems like there's still aftergame stuff for me to do, which is cool.

I'm a good way into the first God of War, and I can't be sure but I think I might kinda hate it. The brutal waves of super tough enemies are awesome, and some of the puzzles are pretty good, but creating Indiana Jones-esque deathtraps with a shitty camera and sketchy controls was the fucking worst idea ever. I've wasted so much of my playtime on failing to kill everything onscreen within a set time before falling to my death or being crushed or sliced up by shit that I can barely see in front of me that it's kinda become a chore for me to continue. I might just be hating the PS2-ness of it, though.

I've been surprisingly digging a lot of arcade-y stuff that I've gotten cheap from PSN recently. Super Stardust and Wipeout took me a little while to get used to but they're amazing once I'm in the zone. Just got Retro/Grade, which I haven't played much but which has an awesome conceit (basically a rhythm game disguised as a shooter that runs in reverse). The Space Invaders update also seems like good value.

This weekend, I hit 50% completion and the 100 hour mark near-simultaneously on Just Cause 2. Clearing a few areas in the game has become such a reliably perfect way to decompress at the end of the day.

kotor + bg2

getting myself psyched + ready for pillars of eternity i guess

xps I played GoW 1 for the first time... a year ago? Maybe two? Felt some of the same frustrations as you, but I'm still planning to truck on through to the others at some point. I can see how it all would've been far more impressive back in 2006, but some of those levels and dungeons are awfully designed.

What build you going for in KOTOR, Mordy?

i guess soldier guardian. tbh i'm kinda more interested in my bg2 half-elf cleric/ranger build (so OP apparently it's ppl's fave for soloing the game). (thought about playing a wild mage too.)

Streets of Rage 3
Bare Knuckle III

So BKIII is the Japanese version of SOR3 and it is WAY easier. This does not mean it is easy though, it only means it is possible to get through stage 1 without using a continue. American version of Streets of Rage 3 is one of the more difficult games I've ever played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VWsJPJ19DA

That level with the bulldozer is all-time unfair.

all that and he's beat by a girder

i love the energy meter for 'wall'.

i guess i only played Streets of Rage 1 & 2.

man why doesn't axel just jump over the damn walls

sor3 is weird. it seems like it admits to tactics then it doesn't really.

I think after you get past the stage where you are fighting kangaroos and evil dominatrix clowns they just figured they could get away w that.

Played 2-player Hyperstone Heist for the Genesis last night. Got to Super Shredder and then we died and we were out of continues! The music in that game is incredible. Orchestrated speed metal.

i'm still playing bg2.

eu4 always with the eu4. genovese colonial empire.

wish i could get into eu. each time i load it up there are like 300 tutorials

if it helps you still won't know what the fuck is going on if you sit thru the tutorials

Just finished Enslaved : Odyssey to the West on the 360 and enjoyed it. Read there were plans to continue, but sales of the game nixed that. Enjoyable mix of story, platforming, and environments, including a ‘Cloud’ hoverboard that was cool to race around on. Cinematically, was fun to have Andy Serkis playing the Monkey character (enslaved with a headband by female protagonist Trip for aid and eventual love interest). Wonder if it was simply the title that turned people off?

xp that's just Sigma 2 with minor gameplay tweaks and a new coat of paint, i think 360 NG2 is doomed to exclusivity due to rights issues, every time they rerelease it it's always based on the sigma versions

Word. Have read it addressed some of the issues ppl had with Sigma, not a 1-to-1 remake. It’s good and worth playing imo.

Digging 4 the more I get into it. Combat flow starting to stick.

I'm playing Look Outside, a relentlessly surprising, twisted and characterful pixel horror rpg set in a Montreal apartment block

i liked that one, though i fucked up one of the main objectives (the painting) and got a bad ending

Ball x Pit definitely getting its claws into my brain, not sure why? Core gameplay doesn’t feel as fun as Vampire Survivors was, and everything else is pretty much a retread. I’m still finding it just as sticky though.

breakout is more fun than asteroids

Haha, hard disagree but yeah that does hit the nail on the head.

100%

i’m kinda enjoying the between sesh basebuilding thing too - not sure if that was in vampire survivors (i “beat” an early version of the game, haven’t played it since so i’m not sure it got built out with other features and stuff. VS always seemed great as a super simple game imo)

nah VS is still what it was, just with more maps and characters and weapons and such

I finally got into Stardew Valley, may god have mercy on my soul

I can confirm that Dead Island 2 is a lot of fun. I never played the first one, and iirc the development and production of this one was infamously delayed and troubled, but a hour or so in and ... they nailed it? It looks great, it's funny without being obnoxious, it's got a real engaging sandbox vibe to it, giving you so many options - avoid the zombie, attack the zombie, or lure the zombie into some goofy trap involving puddles of water and car batteries, etc. It's also a good sign that there are something like 4-6 playable characters, and fans of the game all have their favorites, which enhances replay (if that is your thing).

I had a good time with Dead Island 2 a few months ago. Did find the formula start to wear a bit thin after a while, never finished it, but I had fun. Seems like it would be a blast to play with friends.

inscryption. I really hate that you can’t refuse cards - makes it so hard to get your engine going as your deck gets gummed up with trash

I love Inscryption, although the last two acts are surplus to requirements.

I’m on to act 2 now - I can kinda feel like I’m not going to enjoy it…

Disagree, I loved the whole journey and the variations (particularly act 3 iirc?).

finished Suikoden 1 and what an absolute banger, only 20 hours long but rattles along at a cracking pace with an amazing soundtrack. now one of my all time favourite JRPGs, and people say 2 is even better. welp.

i've had the remake on my wishlist for ages, i love the original, can't remember if i ever got all the way thru 2 tbh

i played 1 earlier this year, though i think i haven't beaten the final bit yet. need to go get that done. love the character-collecting/base-building stuff

I loved how you can find these weird orbs and have no idea what sort of magic they might have - reminded me of the materia in FF7

i played Strange Antiquities, the sequel to Strange Horticulture. basically the same thing but for magical occult objects/trinkets this time instead of plants. there's some minor new mechanics but otherwise it's just a good more-of-the-same game

i think 360 NG2 is doomed to exclusivity due to rights issues, every time they rerelease it it's always based on the sigma versions

it's not rights issues, it's that they lost the source code to the original games and only have the source for the vita ports of the sigma versions on hand, so that's what they've used as the base for all the subsequent re-releases

i played Strange Antiquities, the sequel to Strange Horticulture. basically the same thing but for magical occult objects/trinkets this time instead of plants. there's some minor new mechanics but otherwise it's just a good more-of-the-same game

― ciderpress

tbh this is probably good enough for me to get it - Strange Horticulture was the ideal spooky vibes chillout game for me. When I finally get out of the Hades II obsession I will be on this.

I can totally see why the gameplay of Dead Island 2 can get old, but I can also see why so many people seem to be having fun getting sidetracked by exploration and killing zombies. In this regard the clunky zombie and resource regeneration (sometimes they reappear in empty rooms, for example) works to the game's advantage, since you're never actually *done* clearing things out.

tbh this is probably good enough for me to get it - Strange Horticulture was the ideal spooky vibes chillout game for me.

yeah i try to avoid getting point+click adventure games on switch since even with the best of intentions in the porting job, they're clumsier without a mouse

the flipside of that is VN-style adventure games e.g. ace attorney which feel misplaced on something other than a handheld

it's not rights issues, it's that they lost the source code

thanks for the correction, because NG2 was the last one directed by Itagaki i'd assumed it had something to do with a less than amicable split among TN staff but lost source code sounds par for the course.

Ball x Pit definitely rekindling my Vampire Survivors obsession.

I've also been playing Merge Maestro, which is kind of Balatro methodone -- the mechanics are a little obscure at first, but still pretty good!

Been playing ARC Raiders pretty obsessively.

what do you think of it circa?

well dumb question i guess if you've been playing it obsessively. It looks great from what ive' seen, not sure my pc is good enough anymore to play tho

I was going to complete that thought but got distracted lol.

It's good! Can play solo or in a group of three (or two if you make a private party) and you're thrown into maps with other solos or groups depending on your choice. Very different experiences. Solo games tend to be friendlier, most folks are looking to get their shit and get out and throw the "hey! don't shoot!" comm if they see you, but there's always that tension on a player encounter. You will inevitably encounter some dishonorable scumbags, but the dickhead-to-mensch ratio tends toward the latter. The NPC's are a constant and looming threat, you're more likely to get killed by them than other players. I think that design choice encourages players to be more cooperative than aggressive towards each other. Group games are almost always attack-on-sight and more heavily PVP, slim likelihood of 6 people keeping it civil but it does happen occasionally.

Like your typical extraction shooter, you lose whatever gear you enter a match with or pick up if you die, but the game has some features that make that less punishing. A "Safe Pocket" or two in your inventory you can store a high value item in, a no risk "Free Loadout" option that gives you a basic kit to enter a match with, and you get exp and a few crafting materials after every match win or lose.

It's a very sweaty genre by nature, but I think they did a great job of making it more accessible to the casual player without sacrificing the intensity.

Or at least keeping it intense while making the stakes a little less severe.

Hypogea - really nice little atmospheric 3d platformer, only a couple hours long and obviously made by one person but feels like a complete experience

Öoo - this is a perfect puzzle platformer. only a couple hours long again but so so satisfying.

so much fun when you get a broken build in a roguelike (in this case, absolum.) hope it gets some plaudits in all the EOY hubbub - really is a great game

I just finished Seance of Blake Manor, a spooky detective game that's a little like Obra Dinn. Kind of rough around the edges (and I definitely overlooked a bunch of clues that would've made my life a lot easier), but I really got some of those dopamine hits when I managed to find new clues.

How does Blake Manor compare to Lorelei and the Laser Eyes in terms of puzzle difficulty? Same, easier, much easier?

Seance doesn't really have puzzles, outside of some Golden Idol style "fill in the blanks from a word pool" and connect the dot mini games. Instead, it's about connecting enough clues through some combination of directive vision, exploration, and dialogue to fill in your mind map, and the game will then allow you to form and verify your hypothesis.

So it's not hard per se, but the game definitely lets you hamstring yourself if you miss something. Through stupidity and laziness I overlooked some key clues that made my game harder than it needed to be though by no means difficult, just annoying.

Anybody have any experience with hacking a 3DS? Or plonging around with a Miyoo Mini?

I would like to play, say, old forgotten favourites like Syphon Filter on a handheld

i've hacked my 3ds, there's a site that has a pretty detailed walkthrough (https://3ds.hacks.guide). it was a lot of following instructions but it worked first try. i only did it so i could get more DS/3DS games on there after the shop shutdown though, i haven't tried emulating other stuff.

i've also used one of the cheap anbernic handhelds thats basically the same form factor as the miyoo mini, and it worked fine for ps1 and gba though the buttons felt kinda stiff and cheap compared to a nintendo or sony handheld. dunno if the miyoo is better on that front.

I have an Anbernic handheld with a similar form factor to the MM. I think it works best for games that were originally released on handheld, and older 2D titles. It's great for playing GBA games on the bus. Longer play sessions make my hands cramp. The thing is not ergonomic at all. If you're planning to play anything 3D, I'd recommend something with a larger screen, horizontal form factor, and analog sticks. There are a lot of those around.

I've been playing Demonschool on Switch since it released. I'm liking it OK enough, but it feels very slight. The art style and music are fantastic, but the gameplay feels undercooked. The battles start to feel repetitive fast, and there are a lot of them. Which is kind of a bummer given how long it took this game to come out and the multiple delays involved. I'm going to stick with it for at least a few more hours, but IDK if I'll finish it or move on to something else.

I got the Dragon 32 version of Chuckie Egg to run on an original model DS and it was amazing, but that was about 20 years ago.

My much older English half-brother once told me, while visiting, that he worked as a coder on a game called “Chuckie Egg” and he described it to me— me at age 10 being a solid PC gamer I didn’t know the Spectrum was a thing— I basically didn’t believe him and didn’t believe the game existed and always thought of him as “my older brother who lies”

Thanks for the advice— I think I’m gonna first try fixing up a Miyoo to work before I try hacking my 3DS

Haha that’s amazing! First game I ever loved and it’s still in my top ten to this day.