Currently Playing

[The Jackal]

I'm lovin' this so far, slight clunkiness aside. Had a real pulse-raiser in the "second" building area outside of the start (not the one you clear of bandits, the one on the left side of the road - I was there to find a stash).

It was evening, and dark. Really dark - my torch was aiding fine detail but I was utterly alone. There were two anomalies, one in the courtyard and one under the building I was in, trying to reach the roof where this stash was. I slipped on the narrow planking into a kind of silo hopper-slash-funnel. The anomaly-detector noise was getting worse and worse the more I flailed around trying to jump out, knowing if I fell through the gap in the floor the anomaly was right there. What do anomalies do, anyway? I wasn't thinking rationally enough to permit an outcome less than violent death. I did manage to climb out, eventually.

Then I got fucked up royally by the one in the embankment tunnel. I thought if I threw the bolt at it, it kinda, like, stunned it for a time enough to let me run past. Nope.

[Sly Boots]

Yep, the bolts are just there to help see where the anomalies are.

The book the game is based on, Roadside Picnic, is well worth a read as well incidentally.

[Sly Boots]

In other news, I'm currently playing Witcher 3. Again. And loving it. Again.

It was partly Soli's post about wanting to pick it up, then I read an article on it somewhere and then the stuff about the TV show... in any case it entered my life a few times over a period of a few days and I realised I was ready for another playthrough (it's been about a year I think since the last time). So bloody good.

[Jez]

It is brilliant. I won't say anymore as it'll get me started

Might need a replay now.

[Mantis]

I've been playing Divinity Original Sin 1, Enhanced Edition.

I love it, but the start is rather slow to build up. There's a bit too much running back and forth between places in town for my liking, though I'm sticking with it as other than that it is a fantastic game. Such great writing in places, amusing quests even in the tutorial area and unlocking Pet Pal instantly makes the game twice as entertaining.

[Jez]

Played the second have you Mants?

[Mantis]

I'm playing it in co-op with a friend at the moment, but once I've polished off my run through the first game I will probably start up a solo run on the sequel so that I can really take my time and enjoy it.

[Jez]

I Love it. I think I can't pick between OS2 and witcher 3 as my favourite game anymore.

Haven't tried the MP...is that basically the single player but doing it coop?

[Mantis]

From what I've gathered it's pretty much exactly the same. We tried it with four people at first and all took a character each, it was hilarious and pure chaos half the time. I recall coming back to Fort Joy after trading with the lizard in the cave only to immediately be plonked into combat because one of our team had tried to murder a merchant in the town for his spells and had accidentally aggro'd all of the magisters.

When the enhanced edition came out, I started again with just one friend this time and we're controlling two characters each.

[The Jackal]

Yep, the bolts are just there to help see where the anomalies are.

The book the game is based on, Roadside Picnic, is well worth a read as well incidentally.

I've had that on my birthday/Christmas lists* for a bit, aye.

*My mum insists on them so she doesn't have to guess, shut up.

[Pew-Pew]

DOOM (2016).

Fucking awesome, you really get in the zone with it, constantly moving and jumping whilst blasting demon scum. I love the silly lore they've added to the Doomguy's backstory, being the hellwalker etc. It makes you feel like even more of a badass. I dunno about anyone else, but I find myself making an angry face (teeth bared) whilst playing this without thinking. The soundtrack is great too.

[eny]

Yep, I'm playing too.... Totally polar to my usual measured sniper approach to games. Great, intense, run and gun fun, but I can't play it for extended periods.... Which suits me fine.

[DjchunKfunK]

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

I'm a big fan of this reboot series so have been looking forward to playing Shadow. The big difference this time out is that the balance between combat and exploring/puzzle solving has been shifted so that there is much more of an emphasis on the latter and it shows. In the 6 hours I've played I've only participated in three combat scenarios and one of those was via a side-quest. They have all been brief as well and only involved killing a handful of enemies. It's weird, but at the start I actually found myself missing the combat because it has always been good fun to play, I think it's some of the best third-person combat around.

The rest of the game is pretty similar to the last one and as before it's a very pretty game. The only other big difference to note is that the areas you explore feel slightly smaller than in Rise and the story pushes you along a lot more. I felt like I had time to stop and explore in previous games, but in Shadow I feel more of a push to continue down the story path. I think part of this is due to Jonah being a larger presence, going off and doing side stuff whilst he is about feels off.

On balance it is very much more of the same and Square Enix Montreal haven't really added anything to the formula, but as the base game was good already it's not a major problem. I've been enjoying my time with it and look forward to play some more.

[The Jackal]

Got my first CHEEKI BREEKI and it only took five hours.

[Snowy]

So life has been unexpectedly manic since getting back from hols, hence not been on here so much (normal service will resume when I am able).

Been on a bit of a retro kick recently. I would love to play CK2 but I have bounced off it's seeming impenetrability every time I try, so instead I returned to my old favourite Medieval Total War 2, for my money the best in the series.

I built up an empire but then had a couple of crashes falling at the end of some monstrous turns and couldn't face going back straight off, so have replayed Splinter Cell: Blacklist from the start. Great game, although some of the forced action elements annoyed me. Nothing will ever beat Chaos Theory I don't think. On the final mission now, not sure what I will turn to after - possible a Chaos Theory replay!