Currently Playing

[Rossell]

You're not far off, it gets unlocked after a story mission.

[Sly Boots]

I can also remember the progression being a bit weird in a couple of places, like I'd unlock a higher tier upgrade before a lower one.

[Animalmother]

The fucking Gastown race in this almost made me beat my poor controller again the wall! It's a collimation of how terrible the camera can be and the shitty driving controls. I need to leave it for a few days.

[Rossell]

Oh god I forgot about that. Make sure you got some good upgrades on the car. The trick is to have patience and not go mad trying to get to the truck quick as you can. Long as you keep a steady pace you don't have to worry about the timer just keep your eyes on the mines.

[Animalmother]

So I finally finished Mad Max and enjoyed it for the most part. I initially hated the game but it grew on me once I figured it out, that is both a plus and a negative I suppose. I had so much scrap by the time I unlocked the V8 I was able to buy all the types so that felt like a bit of an anticlimax. The story was pretty good, bleak as hell but that's the point of Mad Max I guess.

Spoiler

Rough ending as well, I was very fond of Chum Bucket and his beloved car

I do hope they make another one with a bigger budget. A proper open world with tons to do would be a corker.

[Wrathbone]

Hitman 3

It’s a mix of the best and the worst of the trilogy. When it allows you to go about your hitmanning, it excels, but too often it gets infatuated with its own run-of-the-mill plot that previously served as an unintrusive background to events, and now takes an active part in some missions. A couple of times it railroads you into not being able to get the silent assassin rating (unless I’m really missing something), which is a slap in the face.

Hitman works best when it provides a murder sandbox in a sumptuous environment, and Hitman 3 succeeds at that about half the time. A couple of the missions are dull, grim environments, and when it tries too hard to force the story on your plans it becomes frustrating. Overall it’s a great time on a par with the previous two installments.

[Mantis]

Absolution had the same problem. Some really great sandbox levels mixed in with a ton of rubbish on rails stealth sections. It didn't help that they broke the social stealth mechanic with unnecessary changes to the disguise system too, but it was the crap story missions wedged in everywhere that gave that game a bad reception.

[Wrathbone]

Yeah, Absolution is the only one in the entire series I've not finished. I think I need to play Blood Money again to see how it stands up today, because there are several missions in the new trilogy which I would say are even better than Blood Money at its best. The mansion mission in Hitman 3 especially is going to take some repeat plays to get the most out of it.

[Mantis]

That would be quite something if true. I've yet to play any of the newer games since Absolution but Blood Money is up as there as one of the best games ever made in my opinion. I played it extensively trying to get Silent Assassin rank in as many ways as possible back in the day. Absolutely brilliant level design.

[Wrathbone]

This is why I need to play it again (must be at least 8 or 9 years ago since the last time). It’s certainly an amazing game, I’m just not sure if today it would be as amazing as I remember it and whether the new Hitman hasn’t at times surpassed it. I’d say that Blood Money definitely is more consistently good, as the new trilogy has some real duffers amongst its brilliant levels (I’m looking at you, Colorado).

[elgaucho]

Century Age of Ashes
I applied for an access to this dragon rider based pvp arena game and got accepted into the closed beta for this weekend.

First impressions are... average, i guess.

I like that the client is only about 5gb.
I hate that the menu's are crawling with in game store stuff, but I guess that's par for the course for the monetisation model. All of it appeared cosmetic, at least. (apart from XP boosts)

Mechanics wise. It has some interesting ideas. Speed boosts are limited to 4, but you recharge them by flying low on the water over specific segments. Shield power ups. Updrafts to gain height quickly.
Three different classes, although not enough that in the three or four games I played i could tell who was riding what or any material differences.
The game plays in a best to 5 model in what's available at the moment, and you start the first round with basic attack skills, and additional skills are unlocked each round.

It's hard for me to assess how much skill is required at this early stage, but it definitely feels a bit chaotic, mostly because of the simulation of the dragon's wings beating making you weave constantly.

I think I'll probably give it a pass when it comes out, either way. PVP arena games are not what I want to be playing right now, although i do like the concept.

Gunfire Reborn
I haven't stopped playing this, and steam tells me I have 25 hours clocked on it now!

A new early access patch dropped this week, including a new hero. I quickly boosted some cheaper skills to unlock him and had a go, and the new char definitely brings some bad-ass chain lightning and thunder based skills!

I had a couple of bad rounds with him, but on the third I ended up with a super OP sniper rifle, which the character can boost damage on, plus a bunch of scrolls to update it, and it meant I could use this limited ammo weapon to one shot mini bosses and destroy the bosses, while my machine gun did the rest on the chaff!

I finished the normal mode for the first time and unlocked Elite.

First couple of goes on Elite have been pretty punishing, but I'll be persevering on it.

I'm definitely high on the value for money ratio on this. It's just a really good balance of rogue lite, RNG, and diversity through the now four classes available.

I highly recommend this at under a tenner!

[Alan]

Medium
Its a bit tedious. Its almost a point and click adventure mixed with silent hill but so far its just drawn out "puzzles" that break any atmosphere it's built up. Theres a scene in a funeral home at the start that could have really been quite nice if you werent tasked with busy work finding items in the world when they could have put that time more into dealing with the body which might have been more effective than just being annoyed. The gimick of split worlds seems to just be navigate to the spirit battery in spirit world and use spirit battery to power thing which powers thing in real world. Its not great so far, very ropey. I'll give it a wee while longer and if it doesnt pick up I'll ditch it.

Also the split screen thing kills my old card, never drops from 100% load and it doesnt even look that great!


Monster Train
Played a bunch and I think I'm over it now. Its just a clusterfuck of a game. If Slay The Spire is chess then Monster Train is hitting a chess board with a big squeaky hammer. Fun for a bit sure but for me no staying power. Inellegant.

[elgaucho]

Monster Train
Played a bunch and I think I'm over it now. Its just a clusterfuck of a game. If Slay The Spire is chess then Monster Train is hitting a chess board with a big squeaky hammer. Fun for a bit sure but for me no staying power. Inellegant.

Well put. Slay the Spire is leagues ahead of it!

[DjchunKfunK]

Disagree about Monster Train, it is doing something slightly different to Slay the Spire and brings it's own ideas to the table. It might not be as good as Slay the Spire, but that's a pretty high bar and it's still a really good game in it's own right.

[Snowy]

Not played Slay the Spire but Monster Train visited my HDD very briefly - really not at all my cup of tea.