What is the last video game you played?

[Jay 37,372]

6 hours ago, Kasey Kockroach said:

I got a copy of it awhile ago with birthday money, but haven't gotten around to playing it yet since I have the Wii U hooked up, and am taking a gaming break after finishing Wind Waker. I'll dive into it once I put the PS4 back! I tend to avoid games that are surrounded by "IT'S SO HARD" hype, but the atmosphere looks positively divine, so I'm obligated to at least give it a try.

 

I don't think Hollow Knight is hard at all.  At least not 7 hours in.  I mean, it's not easy or anything, and the bosses so far are hard, but it's not like you have to face them 100 times before you figure out how to finally defeat them, it's more like 3-4 times at most.

[Quintus 5,399]

The hardest single player boss encounter I ever fought was the flying dragon thingy at the end of Metroid Prime on the Game Cube. I actually gave up. It's always bothered me! 

 

I finished Bloodborne, but I couldn't finish Metroid! 

 

The hardest ever boss fight in memory though would probably be Val Ca'uor from the Spire of Stars raid lair in Destiny 2, a six man encounter. I absolutely hated that. We must have wiped about 50+ times until he finally went down. 

[Jay 37,372]

Hardest boss battle I've had in awhile was the lightning Ganon from Breath of the Wild, but that could be because I was too stubborn to go out and get better weapons and come back

[Nick Parker 3,040]

4 hours ago, Quintus said:

The hardest single player boss encounter I ever fought was the flying dragon thingy at the end of Metroid Prime on the Game Cube. I actually gave up. It's always bothered me! 

 

I was really confused because I've heard so many people say that's one of the hardest boss fights ever, and then I ended up beating it in one try. But I was stumped for years at an embarrassingly simple "puzzle", so it evens out.

 

2 hours ago, Jay said:

Hardest boss battle I've had in awhile was the lightning Ganon from Breath of the Wild, but that could be because I was too stubborn to go out and get better weapons and come back

 

Which form was that? The one in that underground arena?

 

Any love (hate?) for the bosses in Ninja Gaiden? I've never beaten the NES final boss, and with the XBox game, there were a few times I thought I would have to start the whole game over!  

[Jay 37,372]

Thunderblight Ganon

 

 

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Oh hot damn, yeah, that boss was a toughie! I want to say the DLC features a harder fight with him, and man, there were obscenities said.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

On 4/7/2019 at 3:32 PM, Nick Parker said:

I hope I didn't overhype the game for you! Regardless of how you feel about it, I'd love to know your thoughts if you go through it.

Glad you enjoyed it so much, but Phantom Pain ceases to be a Metal Gear game after its brilliant opening. I hated the open world structure and gave up on the game soon after. Guns Of The Patriots is the ending for me. 

[Nick Parker 3,040]

1 hour ago, Koray Savas said:

Glad you enjoyed it so much, but Phantom Pain ceases to be a Metal Gear game after its brilliant opening. I hated the open world structure and gave up on the game soon after. Guns Of The Patriots is the ending for me. 

 

See now, I didn't like Guns of the Patriots until I played through Sons of Liberty. Then I really didn't like Guns of the Patriots. After such a beautiful, bold, and thought-provoking way to end the series--as far as the timeline goes--for Kojima to go and follow that up with frankly what I consider to be a hamfisted, nostalgia pandering, small-universe story trying to connect _every, single, dot_ and tie every single thread, especially the ones that didn't need to be...all that came out for me was a bloated mess that made me think Kojima was an overrated fluke boy for years. And plus, the game just wasn't that fun to play.

 

All that said, there are still some brilliant things in there, and I return your sentiment to me: I'm glad you like it enough for it to be the closer for you.

 

I can totally see why the structure of Phantom Pain wouldn't be your thing, _very_ different feel from the previous ones. It took me a while to get warmed up to it, myself...I didn't even realize the game had a plot until about 8 missions in. Another thing Sons of Liberty made me notice: my love for Phantom Pain didn't diminish in any way, but I did appreciate more why past fans didn't like it. 

 

But. Phantom Pain has this:

 

 

 

 

[Koray Savas 2,251]

The story of Metal Gear is so convoluted and ridiculous, I was impressed that Kojima managed to tie it all together in Guns Of The Patriots.

 

To be honest though, I also never forgave them ditching David Hayter for Kiefer Sutherland. 

[Nick Parker 3,040]

3 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

The story of Metal Gear is so convoluted and ridiculous, I was impressed that Kojima managed to tie it all together in Guns Of The Patriots.

 

To be honest though, I also never forgave them ditching David Hayter for Kiefer Sutherland. 

 

Haha, we _really_ disagree about this series. I think Hayter did an excellent job in 1, 2, and 4, but Sutherland was the _perfect_ choice for Big Boss in 5. His delivery (jokes about lack of dialogue aside) of the lines had such a natural grit rife with tonal subtleties and undertones in a way that I don't think could be accomplished with an actor who has to put on that kind of voice (also, if Hayter would have given the same type of performance that he gave in Peace Walker...no thanks). 

 

Some of the lines Sutherland performs in the game are so badass, they give me chills. I wouldn't want him to re-dub any of the older games, though. 

[King Mark 3,631]

I needed to take a gaming break for a week after those ultra long RPG's but now I'm enjoying Vampyr. I'm  going for a non lethal playthrough where I don't kill the citizens and I keep them all alive. it's an underrated game

 

Dragon's Dogma is getting a switch version .That was one of my favorite PS4 games. I'm sure it's downgraded but at least a good game for the crappy console

[King Mark 3,631]

Finshed Vampyr

 

Pretty good game where you make moral choices that really affects the outcome. The game is fairly hard because you can't level up whenever you want. When you "sleep" to upgrade your skills , citizens can get sick and you have to cure them afterwards with limited resources, so you have to choose your moments. No fast Travel. You can easily die in random encounters if your not careful and some bosses took me several attempts. Not Dark Souls hard but still requires all your concentration

 

I might have been a bit under leveled for the final boss. 

 

Next up Immortal unchained,another Dark Souls-ish game

 

 

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

 

Gonna be playin' this tonight.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Was that on a CD-ROM you found in a cereal box back in 2002?

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

21 hours ago, Nick Parker said:

Was that on a CD-ROM you found in a cereal box back in 2002?

N64, you boob.

[King Mark 3,631]

I finished Immortal Unchained, which was a rather difficult Dark Souls like game

 

one boss took me at least 25 attempts

[Jay 37,372]

I am just LOVING HOLLOW KNIGHT - it is an extremely well made game!  So far really every aspect of it is top notch, the map design, controls, combat, music, graphics, upgrades, backstory... it's fantastic.

 

I'm about 12 hours in.  I have the mantis claw and dash now so exploring is much easier, and have gotten a bunch of cool charms that help too.  I've also upgraded my nail and gotten the dream nail.  Really every new upgrade is fun and exciting and lets you explore more new areas you couldn't access before.

Remarkable game.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

9 minutes ago, Jay said:

I am just LOVING HOLLOW KNIGHT

 

Apparently so much you've abandoned your "most recent JW release" avatar theme!

[Jay 37,372]

There hasn't been a new JW release in months!

I thought about switching back to Superman, but figured I'd just wait for the next new one instead

[Holko 9,529]

 

And there's already at least two people using the Supes cover anyway.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Copy cats!

[King Mark 3,631]

I got this re-make of a 1999 game .Outcast Second Contract .Apparently it was one of the first open world games

 

 

And I also got a Sword Art Online game on PSN so I'm watching the anime on Netflix so I understand what's going on

[Jay 37,372]

Finally found my way into the City of Tears in Hollow Knight.... wow.

 

The Crystal mining area nearby was cool too.  

I love how varied each little area is, and how the entrances to each start morphing towards it as you approach them from other areas.  So cool

[King Mark 3,631]

one of the Final Fantasy XIV expansions is free for the next 2 months. I have the base game so I might get around to playing it. It would be the first true MMO I play

[Jay 37,372]

Speaking of Kingdom Hearts, anyone here play all three main games and if so, how do you feel the third entry held up to the original two?

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

Speaking of Kingdom Hearts, anyone here play all three main games and if so, how do you feel the third entry held up to the original two?

It’s the best of three, by far.

The most fun to play, at least. 

[Jay 37,372]

Nice!

[Quintus 5,399]

 

Finally! I've waited decades for this.

[Jay 37,372]

PS4 exclusive?

[Nick Parker 3,040]

6 hours ago, Quintus said:

Finally! I've waited decades for this.

 

Did you ever play Concrete Jungle back in the day?

[Wojo 2,453]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

PS4 exclusive?

 

Probably. It hasn't been explicitly stated as such, but it's a strong likelihood. 

 

https://www-gamerevolution-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.gamerevolution.com/news/537135-predator-hunting-grounds-announced/?amp_js_v=a2&amp_gsa=1&amp&usqp=mq331AQCCAE%3D#referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From %1%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gamerevolution.com%2Fnews%2F537135-predator-hunting-grounds-announced

 

Quote

While there has not been a proper Aliengame in a few years, Sony has announced Predator Hunting Grounds on its State of Play stream. It is an asymmetric multiplayer shooter that will come to PS4 courtesy of IllFonic, the studio behind 2017’s Friday the 13th. It due out sometime next year.

The trailer was pre-rendered and didn’t show actual gameplay. We only know it is an online asymmetrical shooter that pits soldiers against the Predator. It also might be a PS4 exclusive since “Sony Interactive Entertainment” appeared at the front of the trailer and it is a partnership between Fox and Sony.

 

Bummer. 

[Quintus 5,399]

9 hours ago, King Mark said:

I read reddit comments when I'm stuck in a game

 I know you like shooters but once in a while we play the same games

 

Last week I burned though Immortal Unchained , a 50 hour game, in 6 nights. I took a break from gaming this week but have 3 titles lined up

 

Other than a ton of Battlefield 1 and V (I'm alternating), which are my current evening chill out go-to games, I've also recently played a handful of other titles.

 

Life is Strange, or rather just the first episode of it anyway; I bought the whole thing in the sales, but I sort of regret it now as it's just not really for me. The themes I mean, young aspiring college girl with edgy friends, drugs, bullying, emotional yearning etc, turns out she also has time altering powers and becomes embroiled in a small town mystery. I'd heard it was really good game and I don't doubt that it is, but I'm basically not the target demographic. It's like how at one time I thought Heathers was all cool and edgy, but now that I'm a middle aged bloke with kids I just find it cringeworthy. So not for me.

 

Also played and finished God of War, a very good and supremely well polished adventure with unusually good writing and characterisation (for a game), but it was the mechanical feedback and satisfaction of the combat which impressed me most, every thud, slash and stab reverberates gloriously from the controller into the hand, it's really something, especially in a genre which isn't exactly lacking in well designed combat.

 

But even with all that, I still found the game rather underwhelming overall. Pacing is glacial at times, I felt there were areas lacking in atmosphere (there isn't much in the way of nice or evocative music playing in the background like the sort you would hear in other games of its type (Zelda, Arkham Asylum, Metroid) and so a lot of the moment to moment exploration felt strangely empty to me somehow, and frankly I got bored with it at times. So for me God of War is a good game not a great one (meanwhile everyone else falls over themselves to label it a modern masterpiece).

 

What Remains of Edith Finch was another worthwhile little diversion that I played, after picking it up dirt cheap in a Humble Bundle sale (it's also free this month on PSN). This was another walking simulator with a beautifully realised quirky domestic setting, but again, I felt it didn't quite live up to the hype. The mystery of the story was quite a thoughtful one, but like Firewatch before it, I was disappointingly unaffected by it all by the time it finished. I'd probably give it 3 out of 5.

 

Right now I'm making my way through Metro Exodus. It's the closest I've ever gotten to Half-Life 2 feelz in a shooter. Imagine Fallout but with all the tedious loot rifling meta gameplay and inventory management jettisoned, without endless NPCs wanting to be your friend and pestering you to go and bring something to them, without all the generic skill trees and overly elaborate branching storylines! Metro Exodus distills post apocalyptic world building and gameplay back down to its basics, and it's all the better for it. It's just you, with your makeshift rifle, a flashlight and a gasmask, and it's atmospheric as hell. Really grim stuff, like The Road -1.

[Quintus 5,399]

Some pics from my adventures in post apocalyptic Russia:

 

 

 

 

 

 

In hindsight probably should have stayed outside.

[King Mark 3,631]

that look cool, is it in HDR?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

How does it compare to the previous games, @Quintus?

[Quintus 5,399]

4 hours ago, King Mark said:

that look cool, is it in HDR?

 

Yes.

 

 

3 hours ago, Koray Savas said:

How does it compare to the previous games, @Quintus?

 

I personally prefer the quasi open world design of this over the strictly linear previous games. Tbh, although I've finished both of the other games in the series, I never really thought they were as great as a lot of fans reckoned they were. Exodus's levels are divided into several large fully explorable areas, each connected by a lengthy train ride as one progresses the story. So it isn't a true open world, and I think it's better for it. Each biome easily feels large and dense enough, and there's a satisfying sense of progression as you 'complete' an area and finally get to move onto a fresh, brand new location. It's terrific for players who enjoy environmental diversity and interesting sandboxes, without the daunting 'busy work' icon ticking exploration one can feel in big open world games. 

 

What it boils down to though is you get to feel like you're a survivor on a journey in a brutal world, full of detail.

 

Word of caution though: movement and gunplay is very heavy and even cumbersome, compared to other shooters. Think Killzone not CoD. Once you get used to it though, it seems to create a slow and steady gameplay rhythm that I quite enjoy. Traversal and combat feels purposeful and considered, which is fairly unique, and I think it helps add to the sense of encumbered preservation. But it won't be for everyone.

[Koray Savas 2,251]

8 hours ago, Quintus said:

I personally prefer the quasi open world design of this over the strictly linear previous games. Tbh, although I've finished both of the other games in the series, I never really thought they were as great as a lot of fans reckoned they were. Exodus's levels are divided into several large fully explorable areas, each connected by a lengthy train ride as one progresses the story. So it isn't a true open world, and I think it's better for it. Each biome easily feels large and dense enough, and there's a satisfying sense of progression as you 'complete' an area and finally get to move onto a fresh, brand new location. It's terrific for players who enjoy environmental diversity and interesting sandboxes, without the daunting 'busy work' icon ticking exploration one can feel in big open world games. 

 

What it boils down to though is you get to feel like you're a survivor on a journey in a brutal world, full of detail.

 

Word of caution though: movement and gunplay is very heavy and even cumbersome, compared to other shooters. Think Killzone not CoD. Once you get used to it though, it seems to create a slow and steady gameplay rhythm that I quite enjoy. Traversal and combat feels purposeful and considered, which is fairly unique, and I think it helps add to the sense of encumbered preservation. But it won't be for everyone.

I played a bit of Last Light on PS3 and 2033 on PS4 and enjoyed them, but like you said, felt limited by the heavy handed gunplay. Exodus looks absolutely gorgeous though, so I’ve been meaning to check it out at a decent price. Cheers!

[Nick Parker 3,040]

10 hours ago, Quintus said:

Word of caution though: movement and gunplay is very heavy and even cumbersome, compared to other shooters. 

 

Sounds like my kind of shooter! I _love_ when games give you a sense of heft, where you almost flinch in sympathy for the enemies you take out. In this regard, Resident Evil 2 Remake is one of the most satisfying shooters I've ever played. The recoil of the guns, the way the zombies jolt when you land a shot, and the way they'll slowly crumble when you take them out, in the most realistic form I've seen in a video game...I realize this all would sound really insane out of context, but oh my god it feels satisfying.

 

It would totally ruin the game they were going for, but I almost wish they made this a more braindead shooter with more ammo, just to soak in the shooting mechanics. Fortunately there are other modes you can get for free (can't take that for granted anymore), that are more gun heavy while still maintaining this sense of deliberation, tension, and strategy.  _Every_ shot counts in this game.

 

For example, there will be more than one occasion where you find yourself inadvertently cornered by several zombies, and you know you'll drain most of your ammo on just three of them. So what do you do? Take the loss and try to line up as many headshots as possible? Those aren't usually one-hit deals, but you could get lucky...if not, say goodbye to most if not all your ammo. Try to quickly blow their legs off and run past their fallen bodies before they recover enough to grab or bite you from the floor? It takes less ammo, and the legs are easier targets, but they won't be dead dead, so if you have to return to the area you'll have to encounter them again. Do you risk getting hit and try lining up a three-in-one shot, Indy and the Last Crusade style? This of course all takes places in seconds, and it's only one specific kind of scenario you could stumble into.

 

 

 

I played one of the older Metro games on the 360 a few years ago, but I couldn't get into it. You're making this one sound really enticing, though!

[Quintus 5,399]

11 hours ago, Nick Parker said:

 

Sounds like my kind of shooter! I _love_ when games give you a sense of heft, where you almost flinch in sympathy for the enemies you take out. In this regard, Resident Evil 2 Remake is one of the most satisfying shooters I've ever played. The recoil of the guns, the way the zombies jolt when you land a shot, and the way they'll slowly crumble when you take them out, in the most realistic form I've seen in a video game...I realize this all would sound really insane out of context, but oh my god it feels satisfying.

 

It would totally ruin the game they were going for, but I almost wish they made this a more braindead shooter with more ammo, just to soak in the shooting mechanics. Fortunately there are other modes you can get for free (can't take that for granted anymore), that are more gun heavy while still maintaining this sense of deliberation, tension, and strategy.  _Every_ shot counts in this game.

 

For example, there will be more than one occasion where you find yourself inadvertently cornered by several zombies, and you know you'll drain most of your ammo on just three of them. So what do you do? Take the loss and try to line up as many headshots as possible? Those aren't usually one-hit deals, but you could get lucky...if not, say goodbye to most if not all your ammo. Try to quickly blow their legs off and run past their fallen bodies before they recover enough to grab or bite you from the floor? It takes less ammo, and the legs are easier targets, but they won't be dead dead, so if you have to return to the area you'll have to encounter them again. Do you risk getting hit and try lining up a three-in-one shot, Indy and the Last Crusade style? This of course all takes places in seconds, and it's only one specific kind of scenario you could stumble into.

 

 

Resi Evil 2 is the only game in the series that I loved enough to finish it. I've forgotten pretty much everything about it all these years later, so I'm definitely interested in playing the remake at some point. But more than anything, I really want to play the most recent entry in the series, in VR. I hear it's feverishly effective, and maybe even too much to stomach.

[Nick Parker 3,040]

[Disco Stu 15,495]

13 minutes ago, Nick Parker said:

 

 

How did you manage an empty post?

[Nick Parker 3,040]

53 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

How did you manage an empty post?

 

Crap, that was actually a multi-paragraph response to Quint! I have no idea what happened there, ughhh.

[Quintus 5,399]

Grim desert land:

 

 

 

 

At the certain times of the day and under the right weather conditions, Exodus can appear almost photorealistic:

 

 

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Damn, I just found out Metro Exodus is only being sold through Epic's Store. Has anyone here dealt with that?

[Koray Savas 2,251]

PS4

[Nick Parker 3,040]

Oh hush! 

 

Hmmm, I wonder how much those go for now....

[Koray Savas 2,251]

$300 for the Slim. $400 for the Pro.

 

I know the Slim dips to $200 on Black Friday though. 

[Quintus 5,399]

I've used the Epic Store a few times, it's fine. I'm playing Exodus on PS4 Pro though.

[Jay 37,372]

The wife's been traveling for business so I've had more time than usual to play video games and I've been plowing through HOLLOW KNIGHT
 

Some of the bosses in this game are hard AF, but luckily you can ignore many and just come get them later at your leisure and still get alot of updgrades you need to keep exploring.  Some bosses I beat on the first try though.

 

I've gotten a lot of new exploration tools lately - super dash, downward dash, still haven't found a double-jump or anything to let me survive in the acid pits.  But I've also gotten a ton of charms and weapon  upgrades which has made combat especially against bosses much easier.

I love the hints of story/lore you get as you explore around too.  The last few nights I've been exploring outside the City of Tears - Royal Waterways, Ancient Basin, and Kingdom's Edge.  Some creepy places!

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

Looking forward to that one once I hook my PS4 back up (I have one console hooked up at a time, and it's currently the Wii U's turn still), even if I tend to prefer exploration-focused gameplay to have it so I can bring friends with me on the journey. I like not feeling lonely. I know that's really corny, but it's a huge part in why I've already played KH3 three times in all the difficulty modes. In Hollow Knight's case, I would have had, I don't know, a cute little fly dude follow you around and fight alongside you or something.