What Video Game Are You Currently Playing?

[DrRock]

managed to break the lvl 800 barrier in TGM2 for the first time just now

felt more like luck than anything but I won't complain

[Rudolph]

I did it. I have beaten Fallout 2. Finally.

 

I have no idea how many hours I spent on it, as GOG does not keep track of the playtime, but it must have been a couple of weeks at least.

 

Overall, I liked it better than Fallout 1, especially thanks to the Fallout 2 Restoration Project, but the Enclave Oil Rig was just a slog to fight my way through and the final boss fight was a letdown, as unlike most of the situations in the game, there is really only one way to deal with him; also, unlike the Master, Frank Horrigan is just not an interesting character at all despite being quite memorable visually speaking.

 

Now, on to Fallout 3.

[vyruss]

Just bought Grim Dawn after hearing about it for years.  It's a fun little game with some good ideas, and is a breath of fresh air compared to watching GGG constantly do everything in their power to just completely screw with Path of Exile in new ways every league.  Getting near the end of Ashes of Malmouth expansion.

[yakfak]

i missed that pathfinder kingmaker discussion but I totally agree that the difficulty's a mess (playing on normal requires constant management, playing on easy you can just do anything you like and win), you suddenly need a manual when the nation management aspect begins, the load times are terrible, inventory and quick bar management is horrible and the region is larger than the ideas contained within, i kinda hate that i bought it lol

 

good aspects: that one snatch of fantasy orchestral music you get while wandering the world map rules and tieflings are cute

[MrFroz]

Jurassic World Evolution. As a kid who loved the first Zoo Tycoon game and its expansions, really like this.

[heliumlamb]

freecell (for 32-bit windows)

Edited November 23, 2022 by heliumlamb

[MrFroz]

I'm going right now through Alien: Isolation Last Survivor DLC. I beat the main game some time ago, but recently got the DLCs due to the Autumn Sale and decided to try them out. Crew Expendable was sweet.

[TJG1289]

I finally bought Stray and started playing through it. It was a game that I initially wanted a PS5 for (that and the new Ratchet and Clank), but after buying a new PC, I decided to not get a PS5 and just bought the game for this instead. I'm really enjoying it so far! I just hit the Midtown chapter which looks to be pretty far into the game (it's short). It is kinda a walking simulator, as there's only a tiny bit of "combat", while the rest of the time is just wandering around the environment. That being said, it's a fantastic environment to get lost in. There's a deep sadness that runs through this city, and there's an insidious uneasiness when you venture out from the safe zones. The robot NPCs have a nice charm to them, though there is some repeat dialogue between them all when showing them items. Jumping around areas looking for stuff is pretty fun, and just taking in the environmental design is probably its biggest strength. Plus, there's ample opportunities to act like a cat, clawing doors, carpets, sofas, and knocking things off shelves. I'm digging the OST too, which goes from peaceful, to tense ambient. Kinda reminds me of Portal's OST at times in that sense. So overall, I'm really enjoying it! Should be able to finish it up by Saturday night. 

[Rudolph]

Still playing Fallout 3 and enjoying it very much despite my initial expectations and finding it to be easily on par with Fallout 1 and 2 in terms of writing and level design. Well, the main game, that is, as I have just stumbled upon the Operation Anchorage DLC quest and I think I have finally stumbled upon something that is legitimately bad. Like, what the hell was Bethesda thinking there? It started promising enough, but once I got inside the simulation, the game suddenly forgets that it is supposed to be a Fallout game: flat story, obnoxious one-note characters that are not over the top enough to be thought-provoking, let alone funny in a Far Cry: Blood Dragon kind of way, very few looting and exploring opportunities... I was playing as a scientist diplomat type of character, so imagine my dismay upon finding myself being forced into mandatory linear Call of Duty-esque combat scenarios. Now this is what I was initially expecting Fallout 3 to be based on all the negative feedback from diehard Fallout fans who thought the game was a disgrace.

 

I was going to compare this to Mass Effect 1's Pinnacle Station, which is easily THE worst piece of DLC I have ever played, but truth be told, as boring and disappointing as Operation Anchorage has been so far, it is still leagues above Pinnacle Station. And I must admit that the beginning of the simulation reminds me a lot of GoldenEye 007 and even Metal Gear Solid, which is neat, even if I am not sure how much of it was intentional.

 

Oh well, at least, it was included in the game, which I got for free, so I guess I cannot complain too much... I still feel bad for the poor suckers who had to pay to access this piece of garbage, though. Again, what the hell was Bethesda thinking there?

Edited November 25, 2022 by Rudolph

[MrFroz]

Blair Witch. Really exceeded my expectations, after the shoddy remake of the original film in 2016.

[Rudolph]

The Devil In Me, the latest entry in the The Dark Pictures Anthology.

 

 

It is alright. The characters manage to be quite likeable, but the premise feels a bit too contrived, even for a slasher horror experience. Apparently, the developers tried to pay homage to SAW, Halloween and even Psycho at the same time, which does not quite work, as you cannot expect me to believe that a villain could be Jigsaw, Michael Myers and Norman Bates all at once. Also, is it not a bit tasteless to portray H. H. Holmes, a real-life figure who, while most probably a murdering scumbag, was demonstrably not the cartoon evil genius/serial killer the game is making him to be? I do not know. I am not going to shed any tears for the guy and I do not think he even has descendants to be offended on his behalf anyway, but still, it feels like such a weird choice from a writing perspective, especially when they could have just played it safe and come up with an original character instead.

 

All in all, while better than Man of Medan and Little Hope, the game does not hold a candle to House of Ashes, which is so far the best Supermassive game since Until Dawn. I am looking forward to Directive 8020, though: judging from the trailer, I could not help but be reminded of System Shock 2! :D

Edited November 27, 2022 by Rudolph

[Lila Feuer]

Got Fallout 3 GOTY on Steam recently for $4, playing through it on very hard with a hardcore mode and aim down sights mods to better match New Vegas, as well as the updated unofficial patch.

[Rudolph]

4 hours ago, Lila Feuer said:

playing through it on very hard

Wait a minute, there are difficulty settings for Fallout 3? I did not know about that! :o

 

That aside, how do you feel about it so far?

[Kyka]

Jupiter Hell on the recently unlocked Apocalypse difficulty mode.

 

(Jupiter Hell has two unlockable difficulty modes. Nightmare, which you unlock by finishing the game on Hard, and the Apocalypse, which you unlock by finishing a number of rather brutal challenges eg finishing the game on Nightmare using only pistols etc etc.

 

Apocalypse difficulty is, to put it mildly, apocalyptically difficult.

 

[Rudolph]

@Kyka I take it that Jupiter Hell is a game worth getting?

[Wyrmwood]

2 hours ago, Kyka said:

Jupiter Hell on the recently unlocked Apocalypse difficulty mode.

 

(Jupiter Hell has two unlockable difficulty modes. Nightmare, which you unlock by finishing the game on Hard, and the Apocalypse, which you unlock by finishing a number of rather brutal challenges eg finishing the game on Nightmare using only pistols etc etc.

 

Apocalypse difficulty is, to put it mildly, apocalyptically difficult.

 

 

Loving the game, you must be much better than me at Rogue games though, played 40hrs total, not finished normal yet!

[HeatedChocolate]

Ace Combat 5, not very far into it, on the mission where you protect Sand Island from the Scinfaxi.

[Kyka]

15 hours ago, Rudolph said:

@Kyka I take it that Jupiter Hell is a game worth getting?

 

I personally love Jupiter Hell. It is by far my most played game over the last couple of years, I have been playing it since the first betas were released and yes I definitely recommend it.

 

That said, it is definitely a little bit niche. If you love roguelikes, overcoming challenges, thinking and planning, finding cool items and guns etc, then this may be your jam. You really have to like dying a lot!!! It feels to me like a game of murder chess. Plan your moves one move at a time, always have the right gun out for the right ranges of combat, always be thinking two steps ahead. (Of course I am playing it on a murderously difficult setting, if you play it casually, you are much more free to just have fun killing zombies and demons, and the game is immensely more forgiving of mistakes. On Apocalypse difficulty, if you run into the wrong monster at the wrong range with the wrong weapon, then you are most probably dead.)

 

It really is a unique take on the roguelike thing, and the devs are continuously updating and adding new content. (over the last 6 months they have added new enemies, new weapons, and 3 entire boss fights) I think it is worth the money. :)

 

14 hours ago, Wyrmwood said:

 

Loving the game, you must be much better than me at Rogue games though, played 40hrs total, not finished normal yet!

 

Not necessarily better, I just have a thing for brutal survival gaming challenges. :) Also, I am on the Jupiter Hell forums, and there are elite players there, far better than me, and I have learned a lot from watching their gameplay videos, tutorials, etc etc. :) Happy Killing!! I am glad you are enjoying the game. If you are interested, search on youtube "sylph jupiter hell" or "Tormuse jupiter hell". They are some of the best players and have some really helpful tutorials and stuff. :)

[Rudolph]

@Kyka So this is more like playing Fallout 1 & 2 than Doom?

[Lizardcommando]

I have been playing The Forest and Metal Gear Solid V on PC. The Forest is oddly relaxing in Peaceful mode. MGSV is pretty fun, although the keyboard controls take a bit of time to get used to.

[HeatedChocolate]

Oh man I love MGSV, never got far into it cause I suck at games but it was very fun. Had to get rid of it to save space on my PC (So I could get MGS3, naturally).

[hybridial]

I'm on a deep run on Infernax, I'm in 

Spoiler

hell, looking for a rumble with Baphomet for the True good ending. 

 

Game is fantastic. 

[scalliano]

Gunvein. NG:DEV's love-letter to CAVE. Considering CAVE have buggered off to mobile and settled into licensing old ports of varying quality it's good to know that the indies are stepping up.

 

Also Star Fox EX.

[Rudolph]

Made it to Vault 112 in Fallout 3, which is pretty cool, but also makes me hate the Operation Anchorage DLC even more.

 

Spoiler

Like, what the fuck, Bethesda? You had the good sense of giving me the option to break the simulation, but not in Operation Anchorage? Really?!?

 

Usually, it is supposed to be the other way around: the DLC should be improving upon a subpar aspect of the base game, not the other way! :S

[hybridial]

10 hours ago, Rudolph said:

Made it to Vault 112 in Fallout 3, which is pretty cool, but also makes me hate the Operation Anchorage DLC even more.

 

I loved that segment, Fallout 3 has it's issues but it has some great, great parts and that for me was one of them.

 

I skipped all the DLC in 3 and New Vegas. I just didn't feel like after playing the campaigns, that I wanted any more, that any more was needed. With F3 I was kinda just done, with NV I was totally satisfied and didn't feel more would add anything more to that feeling. 

[Rudolph]

Well, what bothers me the most about Operation Anchorage is that the Outcast subplot itself is fine, but the whole simulation segment is just so dreadful to play if you are not specialized in combat. The fact that there is no way to skip those parts is made all the more infuriating by the fact that Bethesda knew to give such option with Tranquility Lane, which when you think about it has almost the exact same premise as Operation Anchorage:

 

Spoiler

The player is required to take part in a fucked-up fantasy designed by a narcissistic asshole.

 

Anyway, yeah, Vault 112 is great, albeit a bit simplistic in hindsight: in many ways, it reminds me of Marvel's WandaVision. And I do intend to check out the DLCs: I am worried about what I am reading about Mothership Zeta, but I hear the Pitt and Point Lookout are well worth the time.

[THEBaratusII]

Revisited Unreal Tournament 3 recently, looking at it now, doesn't seem too bad of a game despite being the weakest link in the series.

 

I remember my young self laughing alot because I played in some LEGO map with Spongebob player models.

[Lila Feuer]

On 11/28/2022 at 7:45 AM, Rudolph said:

Wait a minute, there are difficulty settings for Fallout 3? I did not know about that! :o

 

That aside, how do you feel about it so far?

Yep, they affect damage received and output, it isn't so drastic as to make it cheap but it makes things more appropriately stressful.

I played like 60 hours on Xbox game pass earlier in the year of the base game, and now 20 hours in on PC. Coming off of New Vegas which I played first I can see the difference in writing and quest lines like it's day and night, but I still really like the game world and don't mind things even being scaled back content volume-wise compared to NV. The most egregious sin is probably the state of things, as it proves Bethesda didn't really understand what makes Fallout, well, Fallout. It's suppose to be the post-apocalypse, but it looks like the bombs dropped a couple decades prior. Atmosphere is more akin to something like the Metro series or even STALKER. That said I dig the environments and find the gameplay loop and exploration to be on par with NV.

[Rudolph]

7 hours ago, Lila Feuer said:

It's suppose to be the post-apocalypse, but it looks like the bombs dropped a couple decades prior.

Well, it was like that in the first two Fallout games too, no? From what I understand, it would take the world a very long time to even begin to recover from a nuclear apocalypse. Which makes Fallout 76's depiction of an earlier Wasteland all the more puzzling - and questionable when you find yourself given the opportunity to drop nukes yourself.

 

But speaking of Fallout 3, I made it to Little Lamplight and it was fantastic. Imagine that: a whole society made of children descending from classes of children who took refuge in a mine when their school trip got interrupted by the nuclear apocalypse. It was not just adorable but also so much more compelling than everything in the game so far, and as such, I find myself wishing I could spend the rest of the game getting involved in that society and helping them with their problems. But alas, since it was only a side area, there is only so much you can do there before having to move on and that is a shame. I guess that is ultimately the fundamental flaw of open-world games: unlike a series like Doom, which only has to focus on being good at one thing (i.e. the shooting), games like Fallout have to do so many things at once and it is simply impossible to truly excel at everything. You simply cannot design compelling worlds, quests and characters by computer - No Man's Sky proved as much - and the closest thing to a solution would have to make every side-quest its own game, which is a highly-ambitious venture that I just cannot see any studio being willing or even able to undertake.

Edited December 3, 2022 by Rudolph

[Silhouette 03]

Currently playing through Blasphemous, a souls-like. It has some of the most gorgeous art that I've ever seen, as well as punchy combat and an interesting world to explore. The art direction is also superb. I'm around halfway through and I highly recommend this one. It's challenging yet fair, and it just plays remarkably well.

 

I'm also playing Condemned: Criminal Origins. It has a focus on melee combat, which is satisfying and rewarding. It's a very basic combat system, yet it somehow works, and it works well. Condemned also has that Monolith level of detail, similar to F.E.A.R. You can look down and see your characters body, as well as their shadow. Enemies will tear weapons off walls, occasionally infight with each other, lose teeth during combat once hit and spit out blood, etc. It's just really subtle yet cool detailing. To me, it's the small details that stand out the most. As much as I liked shadow of Mordor, I wish Monolith would go back to making games like these. They know how to make a good single player game , with no open world frills. Returning to a franchise like F.E.A.R would be amazing, just going back to it's roots and what made games like F.E.A.R work. Anyway, I highly recommend you check Condemned out, if you like a good melee combat system, as well as an interesting story. Especially if you like F.E.A.R.