Currently Playing

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Alan
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Alan » Mon Sep 16, 2019 9:26 am

One of the best stories in gaming history ;)
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Stormbringer
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Stormbringer » Tue Sep 17, 2019 12:04 am

Just finished A Golden Wake from Grundislav Games / Wadjet Eye Games.

Not the most amazing point-and-click adventure ever made; the background art is kinda rough and exceptionally low-res, the voice acting isn't of consistent quality, humour is sparse (though I did chuckle out loud at one point) and some of the puzzles are a little dull. However, the story is quite engaging once it gets going, and the sprites themselves look pretty decent. It was also a nice little history lesson about a city in America I knew nothing about in a time period I'm particularly interested in (1920s/30s), so it was worthwhile for that alone.
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eny
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by eny » Tue Sep 17, 2019 12:59 pm

All 3 of them are great fun indeed, some classic battles in there.
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Sly Boots
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Sly Boots » Tue Sep 17, 2019 1:13 pm

I've been trying to fight the temptation to buy new games, and instead work through the backlog I've built up through numerous Steam sales.

Over the past week or so I've been playing Risen 3, and having quite a fun time with it I must say.

This is with the disclaimer that I've played and enjoyed most of Piranha Bytes games, and they certainly have a unique style. Objectively speaking they're games with huge problems when you look at them individually, but if you can look past the jank then there's fun to be had, and if you've enjoyed one of their games then it's easy to recommend the rest.

It's pirate themed once again (I didn't play Risen 2 after it reviewed poorly even for a PB game), and it's quite nice hopping between the different islands, which are all teeming with caves and coves to explore and creatures to fight. As is pretty much par for the course with any PB game, combat is basically terrible, but seemingly by design. You have your arse handed to you early on, and eventually level up enough to afford the skills that allow you to fight better, such as being able to riposte enemy attacks, attack faster (a big issue is that while you're getting ready to swing your sword enemies attack and stun-lock you because they're quicker), build better combos etc.

I decided early on though I couldn't be arsed with the hours and hours of being beaten shitless by every larger than average rodent I stumbled across, so I joined the mage faction as soon as I could, where you unlock some pretty sweet magic skills that enable you to turn the tables and start beating those larger than average rodents shitless instead. I've also read that the ranged combat with rifles and muskets basically turns the game into easy mode as well, but I didn't want to have to faff with stockpiling ammo.

Graphics are fair for a five-year-old game, voice acting is ok (I'm not keen on the main character, but others are ok)... I find it hard to look past the fact that the actor who voiced Vesemir in the Witcher games seems to voice 80% of the pirates in the archipelago (rough estimate), but at least he knows what he's doing.

I bought it for about £3 in a sale I think, and I've certainly extracted that much enjoyment for it and more besides. I've you've enjoyed any of the previous two Risen games then it's an easy recommendation.

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Snowy
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Snowy » Wed Sep 18, 2019 4:29 pm

I have mostly been playing Classic WoW which is, erm, very grindy. That and Borderlands 3 which is, erm, a Borderlands game.
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Raid
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Raid » Wed Sep 18, 2019 4:53 pm

Out of interest, has WoW Classic reminded you of how much improvement the game has seen since launch, or are you enjoying it? I have fond memories of starting out in the game, but I realised that this was largely down to the size and mystery of an exciting new world I could explore, rather than the game being, y'know, good.

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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Rusty » Wed Sep 18, 2019 4:59 pm

I keep looking at getting BL3 but that price is really putting me off. Just 10 or 15 quid cheaper and it'd be a no brainer..
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Snowy » Thu Sep 19, 2019 7:45 am

Raid wrote:
Wed Sep 18, 2019 4:53 pm
Out of interest, has WoW Classic reminded you of how much improvement the game has seen since launch, or are you enjoying it? I have fond memories of starting out in the game, but I realised that this was largely down to the size and mystery of an exciting new world I could explore, rather than the game being, y'know, good.
Mostly the former if I am honest. Little things - in-game mail taking 20 minutes to reach you for example - really stand out. The same is true of the huge slowdown in XP gain every 10 levels - it reminds you why a Ding! was always congratulated back in the day.

It is kinda fun, wandering around seeing the old places, but would be a lot more fun on my epic flying mount (which won't feature) - I would be finished with it in a couple of hours that way. Can't see myself sticking with it if I am honest.
RCHD wrote:Snowy is my favourite. He's a metal God.
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by DjchunKfunK » Thu Sep 19, 2019 9:07 am

I would be finished with it in a couple of hours that way.
Isn't that the point though? It's supposed to take longer and that's where the enjoyment, if that's you thing, comes from. If you could just fly everywhere and get to level 60 in no time then it would all be a bit pointless as you might as well go play normal WoW. I have been tempted to try it myself as the nostalgia would be a big thing but I also like the idea of loot drops meaning something again and death being an issue. Modern WoW is basically a theme park up to max level and sometimes that can be a bit boring.

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Snowy
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Snowy » Thu Sep 19, 2019 9:53 am

Yes to all you have said DJ, the point I was making was that the nostalgia is very slow-release due to the glacial progress. If I had my way, I would go there as a level 60 toon with nothing to prove, and just enjoy going back over old stomping grounds, instances etc.
RCHD wrote:Snowy is my favourite. He's a metal God.
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DjchunKfunK
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by DjchunKfunK » Thu Sep 19, 2019 12:14 pm

Ahh I see.

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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Medicine Man » Sun Oct 20, 2019 8:30 pm

I don't usually bother posting in the old 'Currently Playing' thread, mainly because I never really have anything interesting to say or if I do you all generally say it better than I ever could, plus it would seem I have a bit of an inferiority complex. Anyway, I've just played Inside.

When Playdead's Limbo first came out on XBLA in 2010 I remember loving it, sure it was no Braid from a few years prior, but I had a great experience with it nonetheless and felt it was right up there with Jonathan Blow's debut at the time. It looked like no other game and was dripping with atmosphere, not only that it was nice and concise to boot. Ideal for me really. However when I replayed it some years later I found it to be a highly frustrating affair, packed full of trial and error and very little beyond simply trudging to the right. Perhaps it was a one and done kind of game not really suited to replaying and I get that, but it was with that second playthrough in mind that caused me to approach Inside with some trepidation.

While Playdead's now trademark remarkable visual style continues to evolve in Inside I'd still argue Limbo is the better looker to my eyes despite Inside's more modern execution of a similar style. That's not to say that Inside isn't visually fantastic. It is. Playdead have created a superb world, full of neat little touches with some wonderful pieces of animation throughout. It has a oppressively heavy atmosphere of fear, dread and panic throughout and the gruesome death animations are right in line with Limbo's grotesque offerings. However the same old Playdead failings are present imo. Inside is also a frustrating, push to the right, trial and error shambles and while it has some great set pieces and moments more often than not they involve things that make no sense in the world they have created. Weird out of place switches and machines that have no logical reason to be there other than to be a part of a puzzle that needs solving. The submarine section in particular involves a frustrating sequence where you have to bash through boarded up passages, but unlike every time you've performed the same action before now for some reason it knocks your light out with disastrous results which I won't spoil here. It's full of silly little things like that that get up my bum.

Now the end section of the game is considerably better than the rest, but is it better because you've experienced the rest of it first? I'm not so sure, but the last little bit definitely drew the same kind of feeling out of me that I had playing through Limbo for the first time. The whole game is kind of like the spider section from Limbo, running and hiding in terror from the big baddie only to gradually have the balance swing in your favour until you ultimately triumph. Inside is like that, although it likes to delay that sweet gratification a little longer than necessary for my liking.

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Sly Boots
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Sly Boots » Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:10 pm

Nice to read your thoughts mate, never feel you don't have something to contribute - rarely a day goes by when I don't think "I wish MM posted more" :)

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Medicine Man
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Medicine Man » Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:46 pm

Thanks Sly. Although you may live to regret that thought. :)

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Snowy
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Re: Currently Playing

Post by Snowy » Wed Oct 23, 2019 6:49 am

Sly Boots wrote:
Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:10 pm
Nice to read your thoughts mate, never feel you don't have something to contribute - rarely a day goes by when I don't think "I wish MM posted more" :)
Yeah I would second that - your nicely written summary of Inside (that echoed my thoughts on it - enjoyable but frustrating in equal measure) only backs up the view :)

A lot more eloquent than most of my posts!
RCHD wrote:Snowy is my favourite. He's a metal God.
08/10/2003 - 17/08/2018
10501 :-({|=

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