[Obdigore]

Finished my first playthrough of Solasta.

Sort of Odd how varied the difficulty was. Some bosses/mini-bosses are terribly hard, others are a cakewalk.

Story is ok. Has some interesting elements but mostly paint by the numbers.

It is a very good reproduction of DnD 5e rules, but it is missing a few base classes.

Would recommend for fans of RPGs and/or DnD fans. 7.5/10

[Traveller]

 Briar King, on 18 June 2021 - 11:49 PM, said:

 Traveller, on 18 June 2021 - 11:29 PM, said:

Tooling around an outcrop collecting rubies. I really love the Seamoth, have upgraded it with some shielding and depth modules.

I still get caught out when I leave it for too long, get that 30 second warning, and panic because I can't find it.

Thought about you 2 nights ago as I hooked up the PS5 to my big new tv for a few minutes before taking it back to my bedroom. I threw on No Man’s Sky and boy was it on fire after the update and in that 2.1 hdmi slot. Also threw on Ghost of Tsushima to look around and the difference from regular PS4 to 2.1 slot PS5 was mind blowing!

Then of course the more important game Cold Steel 3 gave me wood. It was so good to be back on a big screen(which is even bigger than late tv) with this franchise. I’ve been stuck on a little 32in screen for the ending 1/3 of CS2 all the way through 187 hrs of current CS3 play time.

Ghost of Tsushima looking even better than it does already is quite the temptation.

I will go back to NMS, but right now I'm totally absorbed with Subnautica.

Its gone all survival horror - way down deep in the Cyclops gathering samples, and there's a proximity alarm and a monster circling around in the dark which starts knocking holes in the sub. Alarms all round, had to hightail it for the surface for repairs.

[Aptorian]

I finished Mass Effect 1 Legendary edition.

That game only sort of holds up. There's still that core of a solid story that I remember but what was good in 2008-2010ish, when I played ME1, doesn't work so good in 2021.

The character animations, namely the facial animations, make Mass Effect Andromeda seem okay. Coupled with very rudimentary character dialogue, it makes for some not very impactful story moments. It's hard to get invested when the writing seems like it is barely trying.

It's also relatively buggy for a remaster. Audio cuts out, companions get stuck in corridors, there inventory bugs that will get you stuck in your menus for ever, etc.

And yet, the Mass Effect formula still works. The universe is fascinating and you want to read every bit of lore you encounter. The design of the space stations and equipment, the sound track, the cinematic editing... it creates something that still feels special today. My complaints aside, I cannot wait to start up Mass Effect 2.

[Aptorian]

Played around half way through Halo 2.

That game is rough to play in 2021, even though it's the anniversary version. It's just so basic. it has the most rudementary possible design, where most of the missions consists of you being told to stay put in an area and wait for stuff to happen, with very little feedback about your progress or what to do next.

I also think the dual wield sysrem is a bit broken. I've just been rocking around with two elite plasma riffles the whole game, plowing through anything that gets in my way.

My plan was to replay all the Halo games before Halo: Infinite comes out but I think I might end up jumping straight to Halo 4 and 5. All I really need is to be up to date on the forerunner stuff and Cortana.

Also started up Mass Effect 2.

Big leap in quality. You can tell they had a lot more money to play with. Everything feels more streamlined - Especially running ariund the Normandy and exploring star systems. That percentage indicator telling you how much you've uncovered is a godsend.

Very curious about all the bundled in DLC. I just ran into this South AFrican sounding, scar faced bounty hunter that I can recruit as a companion. He was definitely not in the original game I played.

[Mentalist]

Been messing around with Steam NextFest demos.

GRIME is awesome. Weird, souls-ish, but instead of parrying enemy attacks, you channel the black hole in your head to absorb them.

"Unsighted" is a top-down zeldalike, but post-apoc sci-fi, where you playt an amnesiac android piecing stuff together. cool key items unlock new areas, the combat's pretty fun, and i'm feeling all the good Blood Omen-esque vibes from it

"They Always Run" is an action platformer where you are a 3-armed space bounty hunter. The 3rd arm does all kinds of weird gagetry stuff, and can also punch out your bounty targets, if you don't wanna kill them. COntrols were a bit awkwards, since I couldn't remap them, but cool vibe and Aesthetic.


"Legend of TianDing" is a platformer/kung fu brawler, where you are a Taiwanese Robin Hood rebelling against the Japanese occupiers and the rich merchants who ally with them against the poor common people. Cool art style, and the story is told through comic panels, but also the tone is like a radio serial. Did a bunch of exploring and fighting and then fought a weird boss.

Frontier Hunter: Erza’s Wheel of Fortune is a VERY Anime-ass metroidvania. you start on an airship, trying to penetrate an artificial storm to discover new lands, so after exploring the ship and picking up some RPG equipment you need to do a rail shooter sequence, shooting up asteroids, and then a bunch of lizard peopel try to board the ship, and you have to fight them.... it's weird, but looks gorgeous. I actually own the first game in the series, which was more of a roguelike, so I should probably check it out.

[Morgoth]

Wildermyth on Steam. A semi procedural generated RPG and I absolutely love it. A powered through the first campaign in one sitting, and my characters grew distinct and interesting, especially one of my fighters that ended up with a spirit familiar, a soul of fire and a cursed ice spear she used to murder all the things. It was obvious I had to bring her into the legacy system.

[Silencer]

 Aptorian, on 20 June 2021 - 07:26 PM, said:

Played around half way through Halo 2.

That game is rough to play in 2021, even though it's the anniversary version. It's just so basic. it has the most rudementary possible design, where most of the missions consists of you being told to stay put in an area and wait for stuff to happen, with very little feedback about your progress or what to do next.

I also think the dual wield sysrem is a bit broken. I've just been rocking around with two elite plasma riffles the whole game, plowing through anything that gets in my way.

My plan was to replay all the Halo games before Halo: Infinite comes out but I think I might end up jumping straight to Halo 4 and 5. All I really need is to be up to date on the forerunner stuff and Cortana.

Also started up Mass Effect 2.

Big leap in quality. You can tell they had a lot more money to play with. Everything feels more streamlined - Especially running ariund the Normandy and exploring star systems. That percentage indicator telling you how much you've uncovered is a godsend.

Very curious about all the bundled in DLC. I just ran into this South AFrican sounding, scar faced bounty hunter that I can recruit as a companion. He was definitely not in the original game I played.

So, first of all, why would you ever want to play Halo: Infinite? XD

I dunno about you, but I am firmly in the camp that 4 and 5 were trash and the franchise should have been left alone after Reach (the best Halo game). The best I can say about the newer games is its basically fan-fiction tier trash with some steps towards gameplay more in line with the current state of FPS'.
And even then, if nice gameplay with poor story is what you're after, Destiny is better in the 'feel' department anyway. >.> This, despite the actual gameplay loop in Destiny/2 being rather poor.



Also glad to see people enjoying Subnautica - it is good fun.


As for me, I have but one love in my gaming life right now: DCS World. It is everything. I have spent so much money on peripherals and modules. But between the clicking and the clouds and the cool jets, I am so happy with my return on investment. XD

[Aptorian]

 Silencer, on 22 June 2021 - 08:16 AM, said:

 Aptorian, on 20 June 2021 - 07:26 PM, said:

Played around half way through Halo 2.

That game is rough to play in 2021, even though it's the anniversary version. It's just so basic. it has the most rudementary possible design, where most of the missions consists of you being told to stay put in an area and wait for stuff to happen, with very little feedback about your progress or what to do next.

I also think the dual wield sysrem is a bit broken. I've just been rocking around with two elite plasma riffles the whole game, plowing through anything that gets in my way.

My plan was to replay all the Halo games before Halo: Infinite comes out but I think I might end up jumping straight to Halo 4 and 5. All I really need is to be up to date on the forerunner stuff and Cortana.

Also started up Mass Effect 2.

Big leap in quality. You can tell they had a lot more money to play with. Everything feels more streamlined - Especially running ariund the Normandy and exploring star systems. That percentage indicator telling you how much you've uncovered is a godsend.

Very curious about all the bundled in DLC. I just ran into this South AFrican sounding, scar faced bounty hunter that I can recruit as a companion. He was definitely not in the original game I played.

So, first of all, why would you ever want to play Halo: Infinite? XD

I dunno about you, but I am firmly in the camp that 4 and 5 were trash and the franchise should have been left alone after Reach (the best Halo game). The best I can say about the newer games is its basically fan-fiction tier trash with some steps towards gameplay more in line with the current state of FPS'.
And even then, if nice gameplay with poor story is what you're after, Destiny is better in the 'feel' department anyway. >.> This, despite the actual gameplay loop in Destiny/2 being rather poor.



Also glad to see people enjoying Subnautica - it is good fun.


As for me, I have but one love in my gaming life right now: DCS World. It is everything. I have spent so much money on peripherals and modules. But between the clicking and the clouds and the cool jets, I am so happy with my return on investment. XD

Hey, don't harsh my Halo hype! I haven't played Halo since the 360 era ended, I want to believe in the resurgence of Microsoft and the Halo franchise. I agree that Reach was the pinnacle and that Halo 4's story was terrible. But I enjoyed the gameplay and I was really into Halo 4 multiplayer until the console ate my disc and that put an end to that. Haven't played Halo 5 yet.

Despite the graphical wonkiness of the 2020 reveal of Infinite's gameplay, I want to believe this is going to be special. Surely Microsoft have given the devs a gigantic check to make Infinite and they've built a big open halo playground. I think I heard at one point they had spent like half a billion on that game. Even if it turns out to disappoint, it will be "free" with Gamepass and I can jump into the multiplayer.

Also DCS: World? That is so nerdy I've never even heard of that game before. That makes World of Tanks players sound like console bros.

[Morgoth]

I worry that if I try to google what DCS: World is, I’ll be placed on some kind of list.

[Tsundoku]

 Morgoth, on 22 June 2021 - 09:41 AM, said:

I worry that if I try to google what DCS: World is, I’ll be placed on some kind of list.

It's cute that you think you aren't already.

[Silencer]

 Aptorian, on 22 June 2021 - 08:50 AM, said:

 Silencer, on 22 June 2021 - 08:16 AM, said:

 Aptorian, on 20 June 2021 - 07:26 PM, said:

Played around half way through Halo 2.

That game is rough to play in 2021, even though it's the anniversary version. It's just so basic. it has the most rudementary possible design, where most of the missions consists of you being told to stay put in an area and wait for stuff to happen, with very little feedback about your progress or what to do next.

I also think the dual wield sysrem is a bit broken. I've just been rocking around with two elite plasma riffles the whole game, plowing through anything that gets in my way.

My plan was to replay all the Halo games before Halo: Infinite comes out but I think I might end up jumping straight to Halo 4 and 5. All I really need is to be up to date on the forerunner stuff and Cortana.

Also started up Mass Effect 2.

Big leap in quality. You can tell they had a lot more money to play with. Everything feels more streamlined - Especially running ariund the Normandy and exploring star systems. That percentage indicator telling you how much you've uncovered is a godsend.

Very curious about all the bundled in DLC. I just ran into this South AFrican sounding, scar faced bounty hunter that I can recruit as a companion. He was definitely not in the original game I played.

So, first of all, why would you ever want to play Halo: Infinite? XD

I dunno about you, but I am firmly in the camp that 4 and 5 were trash and the franchise should have been left alone after Reach (the best Halo game). The best I can say about the newer games is its basically fan-fiction tier trash with some steps towards gameplay more in line with the current state of FPS'.
And even then, if nice gameplay with poor story is what you're after, Destiny is better in the 'feel' department anyway. >.> This, despite the actual gameplay loop in Destiny/2 being rather poor.



Also glad to see people enjoying Subnautica - it is good fun.


As for me, I have but one love in my gaming life right now: DCS World. It is everything. I have spent so much money on peripherals and modules. But between the clicking and the clouds and the cool jets, I am so happy with my return on investment. XD

Hey, don't harsh my Halo hype! I haven't played Halo since the 360 era ended, I want to believe in the resurgence of Microsoft and the Halo franchise. I agree that Reach was the pinnacle and that Halo 4's story was terrible. But I enjoyed the gameplay and I was really into Halo 4 multiplayer until the console ate my disc and that put an end to that. Haven't played Halo 5 yet.

Despite the graphical wonkiness of the 2020 reveal of Infinite's gameplay, I want to believe this is going to be special. Surely Microsoft have given the devs a gigantic check to make Infinite and they've built a big open halo playground. I think I heard at one point they had spent like half a billion on that game. Even if it turns out to disappoint, it will be "free" with Gamepass and I can jump into the multiplayer.

Also DCS: World? That is so nerdy I've never even heard of that game before. That makes World of Tanks players sound like console bros.

Haha, sorry, sorry, I just have zero faith they will somehow magically fix the story or even produce anything more than average gameplay-wise. Budget alone doesn't a good game make. On the plus side, if I dampen your hype a little, maybe you'll be less disappointed?


And, uh, yeah, nerdy is a great description. DCS is pretty much the pinnacle of a subgenre called 'study sims' - half the fun is in reading 500+ page manuals to understand how anything works. The community definitely has a non-zero percentage of people who laugh at anyone daring to refer to World of Tanks as 'deep' or a 'simulator' - never mind anyone who thinks War Thunder is anywhere close to DCS. XD
Of course, its community also has a non-zero % of people who get off on hating on it, as far as I can tell. Particularly ones who think the developers are (for reasons unknown, but clearly malicious) deliberately ignoring information as it pertains to whatever-it-is-the-user-has-a-hate-boner-for-right-now. It's very confusing. I try to avoid those parts of the community.


Side note @Morgy - incidentally, there was a big kerfuffle a year or two ago where someone allegedly related to the developers got accused of smuggling Defense stuff out of the US for use in developing the game. XD
Also, DCS has been known to have several jokes made about its acronym. But the developers, Eagle Dynamics? Yeah, imagine having a game called DCS with a publisher 'ED'. Sometimes I think it was deliberate....lol.

[Maark Abbott]

Realised that I'd never played Dungeon Keeper's expansion so took a dip. Man, the ramp up in difficulty is lovely. On map 4 just now, really enjoying it.

[champ]

Playing Assassins Creed Odyssey and loving it. What a game...


Probably my favourite AC game so far though I am yet to play Valhalla.


I am sure a lot of you will know as it is an old game but what a stunning setting/world-map, it's easy to just get lost in the world travelling around rather than playing the story.


Chaire...

[Aptorian]

Odyssey was definitely a fun game, far, far too long but still a cool game. If you haven't unlocked it yet you need to get the Sparta Kick and start punting people of edges and tall buildings. So satisfying. I've killed so many elite enemies that way.

In other news - Any of you guys try out Glittermitten Grove? It came out 4 years ago but I didn't own a gaming PC at the time. It's supposedly a sneaky sequel to Frog Fractions, which was itself a sneaky game hidden inside another game... game.

I tried getting this going. I can sort of see what the management game is about but oh god is it terrible. I am not going to keep playing this bullshit to discover what ever is hidden underneath.

[Mentalist]

Wrapping up the demo season, tried a few lof-fi immersive sims, which are interesting enough to warrant a wishlist- "Peripeteia" and "HexCraft"

Also, this weird Chinese game "Drifting: Weight of Feathers", which is trying to be like Gravity Rush? I think? Anyway, the femal protagonist is very anime-esque, which makes the whole thing look weird, even though wall-running and hook-shotting everywhere in pretty fun.

"Reina and Jericho" is a fun puzzle/action platformer (not sure if metroidvania), that's like... sci-fi, but with... magic? the story is weird, but intriguing enough. Pretty polished demo, so that was fun.

Guessing I'm gonna be dipping back into "Biomutant" fairly soon. Maybe start chipping away at that main story, finally.

[Mentalist]

Man, the bat sucks. All it does is glide, and it can't use its wings to actually gain altitude. What's the point of having a giant bat you can summon, when I already unlocked a glider on my robo-cricket? they're functionally identical.

[Aptorian]

Playing more Mass Effect 2.

Recruited Garrus and Mordin. Those two are such great characters. So much charisma and fun dialogue. The fact that we STILL don't have a Garrus spin-off game where you're cleaning up the streets of Omega or the Citadel is a crime.

I remember pretty much strictly choosing Paragon the first time playing this trilogy. I'm still following a path of using dialogue and helping as much as I can but I am using the Renegade option more this time around. If people talk shit or act threatening I tend to chose the Renegade optioon. Sheperd gets a bit psycho sometimes when you choose the red options. Just made a guy a guy drink poison after threatening to shoot out his eyes one by one. Like sheesh, I just wanted to threaten him.

[Morgoth]

Renegade is genuinely fun in Mass Effect. And it doesn't lock you out of content like most other games do when you follow the "bad" route. I found myself gravitating towards the renegade options as the story progressed. By the end of ME3 I was much higher on the renegade side. I had no patience for nonsense when I was saving the galaxy from destruction.

[Aptorian]

Ha, Shepard just headbutted a quarrelsome Krogan that was denying Grunts Rite of Passage. Renegade options are fun.

[Mentalist]

After about 52 hours played, I started using Fast Travel in Biomutant. The mounts are still pretty slow, and some of these hunt quests require me to double-back all the way to the DeadZone to hand them in, and it's just a PITA.

I crafted some sick pistols to dual-wiled, though; and I put an electrified chainsaw blade on the tip of my Katana for that extra special touch. This game is great at constantly giving you loot you wanna tinker with, on top of being a fun and colourful place to explore.