Just completed - The Bear and Badger

Moot_Geeza

I've ditched the Vita for the PSP btw, so I've got a world of 8/16-bit games at my fingertips on the train. Was thinking about firing up The Terminator on Megadrive, as it's been a while since I savoured all four of its levels (five if you count Tech Noir as stage 3, but it's only 40 seconds long).

yourfavouriteuncle

Facewon wrote:

Is that the one about

Spoiler:

The couple who have a car crash?
Looked promising

Yup. That's the one and it's great.

JonB

Nioh

Dark Souls level design with faster paced combat. Souls meets Ninja Gaiden would be a lazy description, but not really inaccurate. The combat is very good and everything works well. Lots of depth and different stuff to play with, and some bastard bosses who are a pleasure to beat.

Only real issue is repetition, but it's quite a big one. Too many fights against the same enemies, too many similar levels, too much unnecessary loot. There's an imbalance between all the RPG type systems and the actual core gameplay, which just isn't complex enough to make all the minor customisation options worthwhile.

The last part of the game is actually very good, as it gets a bit more experimental with the level design, but it really sags in the middle. A slightly shorter campaign with some more variety and invention would've gone a long way.

Moot_Geeza

Huge FOMO about Nioh. I won't commit to the undertaking, but it looks fantastic.

Are we still allowed to use 'FOMO' without internet eyerolls or is its time up?

hylian_elf

What is FOMO?

Facewon

Fear of missing out.

hylian_elf

Ah. Thanks.

Facewon

So, Hollow Knight then.

Prohibitive GOTY fav for me.

http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2017/09/01/hollow-knight-revitalises-metroidvania-thanks-to-a-little-souls

tempy wrote:

The unspoken truth being, of course, that talking about such design is easy — but very few developers can pull it off. Most games that try to copy Metroid end up as little more than empty, glorified mazes with obvious ability gates. As for the burgeoning 'Soulslike' genre, the less said the better. But Hollow Knight is brilliant, if you'll excuse the pun, at cherrypicking. It uses the example of Dark Souls' oblique lore and history to imbue its own world with a more meaningful sense of place, adapting the game's narrative ideas rather than simply copying them. So too does that little twist with the death mechanic — making your 'corpse' an enemy — result in the mechanic feeling a little more like Hollow Knight's own thing.

Read tempy’s article. It’s right, this game is brilliant. I’ve left 44% of the game unfinished, but am more than satisfied. If you want to be a masochist, you can be. There’s buckets of optional tough bosses.

The reserved way everything unlocks is lovely. Where Ori throws stuff at you in a traditional RPG-lite way, this takes hours to drip feed new abilities, and the charm system, which is basically a clever rethink of the ring modifiers in Dark Souls, allows for some clever tactical changes and gives you the ability to deal with different sections in different ways.

The combat and bosses are very fair. Although some do go on too long.

The game is huge, and more importantly, the design and tactics for enemies and areas remains strong all the way to the end.

It’s a similar structure to DS’s final section, but it’s just done better. It doesn’t drag anywhere near as much and feels like a natural conclusion.

There’ll be a few times early on that may frustrate, see article re map, see the same with regards to knock backs when you hit enemies. Give the game time.

So many brilliant touches, so coherent all the way through.

hylian_elf

So so jealous.

hunk

Face speaks the truth. Hard to argue his reasoning, Hollow Knight's an insta classic, especially to those who enjoy Metroid, Castlevania and Souls titles. Even if you don't enjoy them, HK might just charm you over. Just.

JonB

Still hoping for PS4 announcement. Would definitely be interested.

hylian_elf

I think I need a new laptop...

acemuzzy

I'm going to buy it soon. My resolve will not last. I will love it I think. Though TBF I've been on radio blackout, so don't know that much about it!

Blue Swirl

Gone Home (Xbox One)

I have to admit, not ever been drawn to the walking simulator genre, and I only downloaded it because it was free with Gold this month, but I may be sold on the idea. Loved the story, loved the way it was presented, loved the incidental details, loved it all, really.

[9]

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to grow a hipster beard, buy a flat cap, and spend my time discussing ludo-narrative dissonance in my local artisan coffee shop.

Bollockoff

Just buy Tacoma then I won't be alone in the thread I made.

hylian_elf

I would've but it didn't get great reviews did it? I still will. At some point.

Facewon

Bollockoff wrote:

Just buy Tacoma then I won't be alone in the thread I made.

It's on my list.

[Deleted User]

Blue Swirl wrote:

Gone Home (Xbox One)

I have to admit, not ever been drawn to the walking simulator genre, and I only downloaded it because it was free with Gold this month, but I may be sold on the idea. Loved the story, loved the way it was presented, loved the incidental details, loved it all, really.

[9]

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to grow a hipster beard, buy a flat cap, and spend my time discussing ludo-narrative dissonance in my local artisan coffee shop.

I didn't enjoy it.
I appreciated the story but thought it was one note. The gameplay (if that's what it is) allowed me to be too systematic in the way I explored which meant I was clearing rooms rather than exploring.

I wouldn't say it was shit and I can definitely see how others would like it. My reaction at the end was more "Is that it" than anything else.

[5] because it was free.

Probably would have been a bit pissed off if I had spent money on it.

acemuzzy

Yeah I'm Team Live here. Don't understand the love.

Tempy

If you played it at launch I imagine it had more impact, considering it was a rarity. The ability to put objects back in their place is such a great touch, and far more games should have it.

[Deleted User]

If I played it at launch I would have payed for it and would have scored it a [2]
1 point for functioning.
1 point for the note about leaving all the lights on.

Tempy

Eh, takes all sorts.

[Deleted User]

If the story clicks then it will appeal more, I get that. However the story wasn't exactly deep, sure it is brave given that it is a game but that is only because of shit tier attitudes in the gaming community, it wouldn't be brave to do that on a soap.
I've seen better stories play out in Hollyoaks.

The house feels very much like a game environment. Repeated assets and a lack of life. Something like a cat that follows you around, jumps out of the closet boxes, won't go down into the basement would have added a hell of a lot. Maybe power going out in a couple of rooms due to the storm.

superflyninja

Gone Home is brills. I threw it on a cold,wet and windy Friday night after the wife fell asleep, cracked open a few cans and had a whale of a time. Super atmospheric and lovely story

I do not like the sound of Tacoma at all though.

Tempy

Liveinadive wrote:

If the story clicks then it will appeal more, I get that. However the story wasn't exactly deep, sure it is brave given that it is a game but that is only because of shit tier attitudes in the gaming community, it wouldn't be brave to do that on a soap.
I've seen better stories play out in Hollyoaks.

The house feels very much like a game environment. Repeated assets and a lack of life. Something like a cat that follows you around, jumps out of the closet boxes, won't go down into the basement would have added a hell of a lot. Maybe power going out in a couple of rooms due to the storm.

The medium is the message though, a game doing this kind of story is new and interesting. The game world as a means for telling a story was good too, if they did tell a similar primary story in a soap it wouldn't be the same precisely because of the method of delivery. It's not perfect, largely because of its platform, but if you can get suckered by it, and the multiple story threads that are woven into the environment, it's pretty special. I also think adding any NPCs would have ruined it.

hylian_elf

People should just stick to CoD and FIFA. Best games ever.

[Deleted User]

hylian_elf wrote:

People should just stick to CoD and FIFA. Best games ever.

Yeah because that is what I am saying.
Note the point where I have said I felt it's failings were where it was too gamey.
Or how I don't think a mid-tier story is somehow amazing because it is in a game instead.

Tempy

I guess also a point of disconnect is that I didn't think it was a mid-tier story, I found it pretty heartfelt and poignant, and I thought the game made it more intimate on a lot of levels than its portrayal in TV would have done.

JonB

It never worked for me, and I didn't think the story was well served by the game structure. The set up didn't establish any motivation to start behaving like a game character by exploring the house and picking everything up. I wanted to find a bed to sleep, and then sort things out in the morning, or just phone other friends/family members to see if they knew anything. And from then on I'm learning all about this family not as a character that's part of it and has only been away for a while, but as a complete stranger with no prior knowledge. It just doesn't make sense as a way of delivering the story and is therefore not a good advert for this kind of interactive fiction. Plus the resolution of the story itself was nothing special.

acemuzzy

So yeah, I've got some overdue reports...

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