[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.