[Briar King]

I finished up Trails into Reverie last month but rather than jumping straight into Trails Through Daybreak 1 I decided since Death Stranding 2 was just a month away from release that I should just play…nothing. It really has felt strange this entire time being on a break but it has allowed me to have extra reading time.

[Mentalist]

Man, Stellar Blade has so much stuff on those relatively small maps.

[Maark Abbott]

The global version of Uma Musume dropped and it's very addictive.

For a gacha game the gameplay loop is pretty in depth: you have goals with turn limits, and can select to use turns to train certain stats (which impact race performance), you have to be quite strategic in how you approach training because if you mess up you can waste turns that cost you the run. It's surprisingly satisfying to play.

[Mentalist]

Got the "true" ending in Stellar Blade. The last boss was erratic AF.

Don't feel up to NG+ to get the other ending.


Also dipped into the backlog and played "Echo", the stealth game where you are trying to get around clones that gain abilities (sneaking, shooting, mantling, opening doors, etc) based on what you do. Interesting concept, the worldbuilding inspired me to read "Causal Angel" finally (when I re-read the other 2 books).

Currently messing around in Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Very pretty, decently fun to explore, combat is so-so, especially the timed and "don't get hit" challenges.

[Mentalist]

Finished "Echoes of the End".

A real old-school linear AA game of the climby-puzzly-stabby variety. Heartily recommended.

EDIT: Kena was fun, beat the last boss, but been stuck for better part of the month on the last Trials challenge. Because my Healing Charm doesn't work in it, for some stupid reason.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 01 September 2025 - 05:33 PM

[Briar King]

Been playing some old PS1 games on the PS3 once everyone else is asleep since I’m now awake till sun comes up to watch the meth drones/traffic/chases. I broke down and took advantage of the HD upgrade s on Grandia 1&2(I’m playing 1 for 1st time) and Chrono Cross. I held off for a few days as I didn’t like the thought of rebuying games I already owned but those consoles could crap out and they were 50&60% off so fuck it.

I was only 11 hrs in PS3 Grandia and I’ve passed that up on the PS5 play through already. The difference between them is crazy so that was well worth $25.

[Mentalist]

Played the first few hours of Otherskin.

This game plays like a modern day Soul Reaver. Except you access levels from a hub, and in each level you kill critters to take their DNA for your own powers. Like a toad tongue to grapple to points, or insect wings for a high jump.

4rth level and I'm on a giant walking stone spider. My first morph gives me ability to burrow under sand patches, the second lets me use acid to clear away obstacles (and also to damage enemies).
It's a pretty linear collectathon with insanely old-school sensibilities. But I'm really digging it.

[polishgenius]

The game I'm playing is Silksong.

[Briar King]

I’m watching someone play that on YouTube as I type this. It’s pretty.

Not my cup of tea choice wise. I would suck at it.

[Tiste Simeon]

polishgenius, on 04 September 2025 - 05:10 PM, said:

The game I'm playing is Silksong.

I've seen this one floating around the internet with a lot of people rating it, what are your thoughts?

[polishgenius]

I think it's great, but Hollow Knight was my favourite game of all time, so that was always likely. The little differences to HK, in how Hornet moves, are very satisfying.

[Mentalist]

Hell is Us is sooo good.


I mean, the combat was a bit "meh" to start, but now I can channel my mana to heal at any time, and I also get health back each time I kill someone, so it's gotten much more manageable.

The subject matter is dark AF, but I seem to be mostly immune to it, for now. Guess following the war this closely for nearly 4 years made me more numb.

But anyway. Solving puzzles is fun, and un-earthing and exploring ancient ruins to piece together a weird fictional history is giving major Soul Reaver 2 vibes. So I'mdigging this.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 05 September 2025 - 07:17 PM, said:

I think it's great, but Hollow Knight was my favourite game of all time, so that was always likely. The little differences to HK, in how Hornet moves, are very satisfying.

So I'm playing Hollow Knight for the first time, and at first I wasn't sure if I could stomach the runbacks to benches or how challenging the bosses were...but I'm well into it now and yeah, this is going to end up being one of my fave games of all time for sure.

Double Stamp.

Also, Team Cherry giving Iselda (storekeeper wife of mapmaker Cornifer) a dumptruck was not on my bingo card for a game ostensibly about insect kingdoms...but here we are and I ain't mad. LOL

[polishgenius]

Yeah full disclosure I've never actually got the final true ending to HK, let alone beaten the DLC bonus bosses, that shit's way too hard for my unco-ordinated dyspraxic ass. And yet it's still my favourite game, because the exploration is just so good, and even though the bosses are well hard they never feel unfair.

Corpse running can die in a fire though.



Silksong definitely has a couple moments in the earlier parts where I was more irritated at it than I ever did get with HK, but I broke through that and it might be even better. Its difficulty is more in-your-face but it does, once you go looking, offer more ways to face that difficulty.

[polishgenius]

Lil Gator Game is getting a full-sized DLC? I am delighted.

[Maark Abbott]

Hollow Knight is really good but I got a refund on Silksong. It's one of the most miserably unpleasant gaming experiences I've had in a very long time and after two hours of getting my nuts stamped on by the devs I'd had enough and got my money back.

Not sure how they managed to bollocks it up this badly after HK got everything so right but there we go I suppose.

[QuickTidal]

Maark Abbott, on 25 September 2025 - 11:44 AM, said:

Hollow Knight is really good but I got a refund on Silksong. It's one of the most miserably unpleasant gaming experiences I've had in a very long time and after two hours of getting my nuts stamped on by the devs I'd had enough and got my money back.

Not sure how they managed to bollocks it up this badly after HK got everything so right but there we go I suppose.

To be fair, the curve on HK is steep too...before you're charmed out, it's much more fiddly and difficult...hell I wonder now how I lived without Monarch Wings, Vengeance Soul, or Sharp Shadow...or hell even Quick focus...The first time I faced the Mantis Lords I was like "How the fuck am I ever going to beat this?"....fast forward a few weeks and I did it in two tries.

I've heard that curve is even steeper in Silksong, but just like HK once you break through it gets much better and more rewarding. I just hear it takes longer and I could see how that would bother some folk.

When I get there, I'll treat it like HK in that if I run up against a boss or area I can't get through I'll take a few days break and come back to it fresh....has worked on every boss so far....and two Dream Bosses (Lost Kin, and Soul Master)...I also understand you can change Hornet's diagonal pogo to the traditional one from HK at the very beginning of the game in some secret area, so I plan to do that.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 25 September 2025 - 01:02 PM

[champ]

I don't say this lightly but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the greatest games I've ever played.

The story, the music, the combat and gameplay mechanics, I am just totally blown away. It's one of those games that everyone should play and if you cannot play it, watch a playthrough of it.

It'll be a tragedy if it doesn't win GOTY though I think Hades 2 could have something to say about that.

[Maark Abbott]

QuickTidal, on 25 September 2025 - 01:00 PM, said:

Maark Abbott, on 25 September 2025 - 11:44 AM, said:

Hollow Knight is really good but I got a refund on Silksong. It's one of the most miserably unpleasant gaming experiences I've had in a very long time and after two hours of getting my nuts stamped on by the devs I'd had enough and got my money back.

Not sure how they managed to bollocks it up this badly after HK got everything so right but there we go I suppose.

To be fair, the curve on HK is steep too...before you're charmed out, it's much more fiddly and difficult...hell I wonder now how I lived without Monarch Wings, Vengeance Soul, or Sharp Shadow...or hell even Quick focus...The first time I faced the Mantis Lords I was like "How the fuck am I ever going to beat this?"....fast forward a few weeks and I did it in two tries.

I've heard that curve is even steeper in Silksong, but just like HK once you break through it gets much better and more rewarding. I just hear it takes longer and I could see how that would bother some folk.

When I get there, I'll treat it like HK in that if I run up against a boss or area I can't get through I'll take a few days break and come back to it fresh....has worked on every boss so far....and two Dream Bosses (Lost Kin, and Soul Master)...I also understand you can change Hornet's diagonal pogo to the traditional one from HK at the very beginning of the game in some secret area, so I plan to do that.

The thing with HK is it's a steady curve but it also scales beautifully well. The game always feels like a challenge without every being too punishing. The difficulty amps up with every upgrade.

Silksong is a difficulty wall. It starts off at the same point Hollow Knight was getting to by the last major upgrade, except now you have no skills and 50% of the hit points because everything is double damage.

Honestly whatever reward is awaiting after the opening, I ended up just not even wanting to get to. The game made it very clear it does not want to be a game, and just wants to be punishing. A crying shame given how good the first was, but it is what it is.

[Tiste Simeon]

champ, on 25 September 2025 - 02:10 PM, said:

I don't say this lightly but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the greatest games I've ever played.

The story, the music, the combat and gameplay mechanics, I am just totally blown away. It's one of those games that everyone should play and if you cannot play it, watch a playthrough of it.

It'll be a tragedy if it doesn't win GOTY though I think Hades 2 could have something to say about that.

I've seen some gameplay for it and I think it looks stunning but I would be TERRIBLE at the combat. I may just watch a full gameplay of it like I would watch a TV show or something.