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

aria of sorrow. it’s class

My favorite Castlevania tbh.

I had to drop Control Resonant because my modest CPU really couldn't hack it in overworld encounters. I've been getting into the horror season with a playthrough of the 2002 remake of Resident Evil, which remains one of the best-looking games ever made, IMO. Next up will either be Silent Hill 3 or Parasite Eve

SH3, look forward to your comments. I'd like to replay it eventually. The SH Revelations movie used that as the plot, more or less, and Heather was a good protagonist. Have the SH 2 remake and f for Xbox X to play, but so slow these days, will probably have Townfall out on Xbox before I get to them.

Still playing Resonant, but mixing it up with Ace Combat 8. Which is excellent. Only played 7 before and it’s quite good, but this is basically superior in every way. Looks gorgeous and the heavier feeling of the planes makes for a more satisfying flight model. Good stuff.

Started the Star Wars racing game, fun so far, I'm thinking of it like the ultimate version of F-Zero. I don't really play racing games though, so I think there's a big learning curve of standard genre stuff to get a handle on, like how/when to drift vs brake or let up on the gas.

i bought Weyrwood after reading about it in 50 Years of Text Games and i'm really enjoying it - nicely written, good mix of story and choices, feels like lots to discover and it invites that

I think Star Wars Galactic Racer has a steep curve whether you’re used to racing games or not. Structuring it as a roguelite is a really interesting idea but it flips standard racing game progress - normally they start fairly easy and get harder as you get deeper, this tends to be the opposite though - obviously roguelite means “expect to keep failing but getting slightly better stats each time you do until you get good enough to push through”.

I’m really enjoying it but yeah, took a bit of time to accept the constant fuckups, not least because they all come with severe NPC trash talk.

Star Wars Zero Company meanwhile is 100% great, finished it just in time to jump into Galactic Racer, had a great time with it.

Good to hear, after somehow winning one race in the campaign I switched over to the arcade mode just to practice. It took me awhile even to figure out that L2 brakes! But it's nice to be able to restart on the same track without any of the other npcs. Starting to get the idea that it's really about identifying the steepness of the turn coming up, deciding whether you need to brake or drift, and knowing the timing for the vehicle.

Also might turn on the setting to always auto-accelerate, since I was never really taking my finger off R2 and it's a bit of a tense hand position.

It took a while but eventually I got to the point where I wasn’t using brakes at all - once you get a feel for drifting it’ll get you round pretty much any corner even while boosting.

Also, feel a bit ashamed to admit it but I bumped the difficulty down to easy for a while, just so I could get used to the handling without constantly being griefed by the cpu drivers. So that helped a lot.

What craft are you using? It's probably just a speed/timing thing, but using the landspeeder on turns that aren't super steep I was finding that if I hit the drift, I was turning sideways and crashing into the wall.

Just landspeeder so far for me too. And yep, I’m only drifting for the tighter corners, for the rest I guess it’s just learning the courses and getting used to the racing lines so you can steer through them normally.

Super uncomfortable talking like I’m some kind of expert though, I still suck!

The speeder bike arcade courses are very fun, but I'm sure it would crumple like a soda can with other racers on the track.

I've gone from very bad to slightly less bad, and finally got to the second third of the campaign. I've still never survived an eliminator race though, but got lucky and got a path without one.

i watched a bit of someone streaming it and was aghast that it has movie score music and not high speed racing game music. huge blunder that could only ever happen with a star wars game

Lol I wouldn't have it any other way, love the music and sound design.

Yeah like… what? Music and sound design are A+ perfect

Been on my ass recovering from surgery so playing everything including this. It is great. Beat it and kinda don’t feel much desire to return though.

As it's on PSN at the moment, I thoguht I'd give Frostpunk a go.

Like every city building survival game I've ever played I got so far, figured everything was ticking along nicely, and then suddenly EVERYTHING JUST WENT WRONG! I just didn't have enough people to gather enough coal to power the engine. And when I tried conserving power, they all got angry with me. I'd make a terrible Prime Minister

Most make the people eat saw dust.

the star wars racing game really should have figured out how to make jazz fusion sound star wars

Don't you mean jizz fusion?

Oh man, I haven't gotten past the last couple stages of the second tour in the SW racing game, but I felt like I was getting the hang of it, so I tried a multiplayer match. I couldn't believe how much the speed ratched up, I could barely process what was happening. What a crazy choice, it's like a different game.

I looked up Towers of Babble from a thinkygames.com newsletter and it's really fun! It's tower defense game but with the added twist where you use letter tiles to spell words that become your towers. Then you place the tower, which, on the map, becomes a letter (namely, the first letter of the word you used to create it), and so you can spell words with your towers to add bonus effects.

Forgot to mention that it releases in November, and I sunk 90 minutes in one session into the demo.

Twice now I've taken second in that final eliminator in SW racing (second campaign), which ends your run. Brutal. Still very fun though.

Did anyone here play Blood Of Dawnwalker, from some people who worked on the Witcher but formed their own company? Thought it was really great. Good story and choices and a tricky ultimately rewarding combat. A lot of it is build on the consequences of choosing one task over another even though it's open world. Finished it a week or so ago but might play through again.

Since then I've also been enjoying Silver Pines a bit. It's side scrolling and similar to a point and click and adventure game. The plot is extremely derivative of something like Twin Peaks which I guess is a well worn path in games, but somehow it still works really well just due to them landing the homage quite well. The soundtrack is good and the lofi graphics kind of add to the creepiness.

I'll probably play the Blood of Dan Walker I mean the Blood of Dawnwalker over Christmas, looks up my street

I've played 30 hours of the new Onimusha and it scratches a nice adrenaline-rush Sekiro kind of itch, but I don't think I'll actually finish it because it's too repetitive at this point, and if I come back to it later the timing for the four kinds of parries will be gone

Final Fantasy Resonance looks great and has a satisfyingly crunchy battle system. Default difficulty is very easy. I'm also kind of sick of the sappy, glib stories you get in these Team Asano games tbh, it lacks any of the narrative or musical eccentricity of the good 90s FF games. It's like the characters are constantly turning to an imaginary cohort of young children offscreen to remind them of the importance of trying their best

Also it's one of those main characters who is a Very Special Boy and everyone is required to talk about what a special boy he is, give me a surly identity crisis lunatic at this point. Adventures of Elliott was also horrendous for this

Dan Walker as a religious man would be appalled to have this Satanist game take his name.

Really recommend it, I held off doing the final mission for a week or two because I didn't want it to end.

I’m enjoying Onimusha but the side quests and open world exploration get old fast. The combat is really good though. Especially the bosses. I’m about to fight the final guy.

Huh I'm intrigued by Onimusha now...sounds like it might be the opposite of Phantom Blade Zero, which apparently is more of a fast-paced power fantasy?

I got Celeste from an Itch bundle and installed on my Deck and reached the hotel surprisingly quickly, which was about where I stopped when I played it on PS4 years ago.

celeste is pretty high on my personal favorite games list

I loved that game, too. It's so hard! I know an 11 year old who just 100%'d it after probably a year.

looking forward to the co-creator of Celeste's new game City Of None which is coming out next year
modded my old 3DS yesterday, my god those screens are so bad!

i hope Lena Raine does the score

I'm obsessed with Galactic Racer, still in act 2 of the campaign though. I can get to Kestar without too much worry now but he's been outpacing me. I think I need to start caring about the shortcuts now? Been taking the straightforward routes with a redlining or burning build.

i have never played a game with so many good ideas and so many bad ideas as emuurom, it's fascinating. i'm way more positive than negative but the bad bits are absolutely atrocious and without those it'd be a masterpiece

Started playing Off, the 2008 meta-RPG. Strong Earthbound / Undertale vibes here so far

LocalGarda I'd like to play Blood of the Dawnwalker. Looks like it might scratch a 7-year Witcher 3 itch. Heartening to hear the combat is interesting as I'm a bit tired of arbitrary upgrades and tap-tapping my way through enemy hordes with a lot of games

I fully recommend it, it's a lot of fun and I didn't want it to end.

You also get two modes, daytime when you're mortal and use a sword and spells and night time when you're a vampire and rip people to shreds while drinking their blood and becoming progressively more evil and hated (optional)

sounds ace. I like games where my actions feel like have consequences and aren't just an illusory dialogue/decision tree that ends the same way whatever the route.

Yeah there are entire storylines I didn't follow or groups of people I didn't align with which could merit a second playthrough.

Dawnwalker looks cool.

Galactic Racer: I finally got good enough for act 2, and breezily finished with all 1sts & 2nds on a charmed run. Now act 3 seems to have a pretty huge difficulty spike, and I wrecked on the first track, lol.

finished the FF Resonance demo and I'm sold, just the right amount of early FF nostalgia with updates from the Bravely/Octopath games blended in

picked up Sons of Forest when it was discounted, played with a friend. Actually enjoyed it. Never got it the previous one, but tbh there's not too much difference.

Had fun with this though and first normal game I've played in a while

looking forward to the co-creator of Celeste's new game City Of None which is coming out next year

oh hell yeah! hadn't heard about this but celeste is the best (prob top 10 or so for me) and this looks cool

admittedly I did think "_another_ metroidvania?" to myself when I saw the screens but this comment from a dev sounds promising:

I think it will generally be considered a Metroidvania, but the way the maps/levels are structured isn't like a standard Metroidvania.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3189450/City_of_None/

hopefully this means it isn't too backtrack-ey

Corrypt has the weirdest kind of addictive replay value - every time I restart at the checkpoint, I’m convinced I can somehow memorize my way through fifty 7X7 grids and find the most efficient way to clear the game. It never happens, but the carnage along the way makes me want to try again, often with even worse results.