LazBro
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Posts: 10,281 
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Post by LazBro on Dec 8, 2023 9:19:38 GMT -5
No Silksong trailer or release date at The Game Awards, of course.
There was that Edge magazine article and that Xbox trailer from last year, but Team Cherry themselves have not released anything on Silksong since 2019. It's still a day-one buy if it ever comes out, but goodness the feelings about it have grown so apathetic or even negative. I didn't back the kickstarter, so it's not my problem, but technically they still haven't delivered on one of their funded stretch goals: a Hornet DLC for Hollow Knight. Until Silksong lands, that's a goal funded all the way back in 2014 that hasn't been met.*
(*Not that they didn't release a ton of FREE shit for Hollow Knight that they never promised or funded, so like, they're not stealing or anything. Just think it's kind of gobsmacking how it's taking them to make this game. Announced waaaaaaaay too early.)
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Post by Nudeviking on Dec 10, 2023 21:19:20 GMT -5
I beat Baldur's Gate 3 again last night and the ending I got bummed me out so much I reloaded a my save from just before the final chunk to make one different choice and then redo two extremely overlong fights and everything turned out great. Spoiler'd for spoilers. I told the Emeperor to fuck off and let that Orpheus guy out but he was like "Someone's gotta become illithid," even though I was going to just let Gale explode everything. I'd romanced Lae'zel this go round so it felt shitty to let Orpheus turn into a squidman and so for some reason it fell to me even though Gale was right there and already like 70% squidman.
Fights happen. I use squid powers and a rag tag crew of child thieves, an owlbear, a war demon, vampire hunters, and gnomes with hand grenades to save the day and then at then end of it all everyone is tadpole free save for me because I'm a squid.
Orpheus is like "Lae'zel c'mon let's do a civil war!"
I tell her to go and she's like, "I will never no joy again without you..." but she goes with a Prince to do war.
I then start to get a hankering for brains or something so I knife myself in the guts. Then because I'm dead Karlach just explodes on a dock because Wyll doesn't actually tell her "I'll go to Hell with you. You don't have to be alone," he just thinks it in voiceover.
Then because I was dead there's no party post-script for me other than Withers visiting me in Limbo or something and being like, "That's weird you don't have a soul but somehow I'm still able to find you in here. I guess Fate has unfinished business with you."
End Credits. |
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Baron von Costume
TI Forumite
Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
Posts: 4,684
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Post by Baron von Costume on Dec 11, 2023 12:43:36 GMT -5
Does anyone have a cheaper switch pro 3rd party controller they like? I want a second one for when someone is hanging out but given we're in the downslope of the system and it's a rare occasion don't really want to spend the official nintendo money.
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Post by The Thanksgiving Goblin. on Dec 12, 2023 19:31:56 GMT -5
let's see yours
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Post by Frohman on Dec 12, 2023 20:29:06 GMT -5
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Post by liebkartoffel on Dec 12, 2023 20:51:30 GMT -5
 Thanks to TotK it was a Switch-heavy year. Plus the whole "having a kid" thing. |
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Post by Nudeviking on Dec 18, 2023 3:25:30 GMT -5
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Post by The Thanksgiving Goblin. on Dec 18, 2023 8:52:26 GMT -5
this is hilarious
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LazBro
Prolific Poster
Posts: 10,281
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Post by LazBro on Dec 29, 2023 10:53:40 GMT -5
Been wanting to replay the FF7 remake, so I picked up Intergrade on Steam sale.
Enjoying it every bit as much the second time around. All the same positives and negatives. One thing that really impresses me, though, is just how well it runs. I've got a good machine, so I wasn't expecting it to chug or anything, but this being a Square Enix port, you never know. On highest settings, it runs smooth as silk, and perhaps even more amazing is how quickly it loads. From hitting the "Play" button in Steam to having a loaded save file and moving Cloud in less than 60 seconds. It also quits to desktop and immediately stops taxing the machine in a finger snap. Wild.
It runs so much better than FFXV.
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Baron von Costume
TI Forumite
Like an iron maiden made of pillows... the punishment is decadence!
Posts: 4,684
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Post by Baron von Costume on Jan 3, 2024 11:35:29 GMT -5
I'm playing the tactics ogre remake and while I'm loving it there's a few QoL improvements they left out while making other changes that kind of baffle me. Man the soundtrack just slaps though.
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Post by Nudeviking on Jan 3, 2024 19:19:28 GMT -5
I'm playing the tactics ogre remake and while I'm loving it there's a few QoL improvements they left out while making other changes that kind of baffle me. Man the soundtrack just slaps though. FIGHT IT OUT!!! |
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Post by Nudeviking on Jan 3, 2024 19:21:42 GMT -5
So I've played Baldur's Gate III from beginning to end twice. I'm on my third playthrough and I am in awe that I'm still finding new stuff that I did not know was even in the game. Like there's a jungle area where you fight dinosaurs that I never found in either of my earlier playthroughs. Shit's wild.
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Post by Lurky McLurk on Jan 15, 2024 9:42:58 GMT -5
I am about 90 hours into Dragon Age Inquisition.
Not sure how I feel about it yet.
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Post by sarapen on Jan 16, 2024 8:38:22 GMT -5
I am about 90 hours into Dragon Age Inquisition. Not sure how I feel about it yet. Funny you should mention it, I'm a little bit into Guardians of the Galaxy and it feels like a more fun version of Inquisition. The combat is exactly the same but I'm actually enjoying it - I guess it flows better? Plus it's not open world so I don't feel like the game is padding its playtime by making me trek back and forth across various landscapes. |
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LazBro
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Posts: 10,281
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Post by LazBro on Jan 16, 2024 12:25:59 GMT -5
I'm very interested in the new Prince of Persia metroidvania game, but I'm not at all happy about having to buy that game anywhere but Steam. Stupid Epic Store.
Oh, and $50 seems like a lot. I think I may wait on this one.
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ABz B👹anaz
Grandfathered In 
This country is (now less of) a shitshow.
Posts: 1,993
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Post by ABz B👹anaz on Jan 18, 2024 13:23:31 GMT -5
City of Heroes is back as CoH: Homecoming! It's a volunteer server that started up something like five years ago, but this month got the official support of NCSoft to keep running! Go here to create your 100% free account: I'm having fun creating 5-6 new characters and remembering how to play. So far my favorite is a military- themed melee punching guy I named Harmy Man. Because I'm cheesy like that.
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Post by liebkartoffel on Jan 18, 2024 15:29:40 GMT -5
The fates, a solid week of winter break free of social commitments, and our daughter's successful sleep training have finally, finally given me the time to finish off Baldur's Gate III.* It's a masterpiece, it's the clear-cut 2023 GOTY, and it's...still kind of a mess, even after a few hundred updates. Mostly just the third act is a mess, I should be clear. Once the game reaches Baldur's Gate proper, Larian's reach really starts exceeding its grasp. The first clue is, where previously even the most minor NPCs had unique dialogue and full voice acting, Act III is suddenly filled with nameless "Refugees" who say nothing and wander around aimlessly. But beyond that I was playing on PS5 and I was dealing with texture popping, broken animations, and just general lag left, right, and center. Nothing truly game-breaking, but it's jarring after the relative polish of Acts I and II. I can also see why people had issues with the too-abrupt ending, before they patched in a decent epilogue. And some character arcs were stronger than others. Some were kinda boring (Halsin), some were done dirty (Karlach), and some were just confusing and underwritten in the first place (Wyll).
Still, I mean, c'mon, it's one of the greatest RPGs of all time.
*Okay, I probably would've beat it a lot sooner if I hadn't randomly given up on my bard in Act III and re-rolled as a sorcerer.
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Post by liebkartoffel on Jan 23, 2024 19:37:38 GMT -5
I was traveling for a wedding and missed most of GDQ. Anybody catch any interesting runs?
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Rainbow Rosa
TI Forumite
not gay, just colorful
Posts: 3,604 
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Post by Rainbow Rosa on Jan 26, 2024 15:57:57 GMT -5
I was traveling for a wedding and missed most of GDQ. Anybody catch any interesting runs? Over on the TMI board we were collectively making googly eyes at the " Super Mario 64 on a drumset" run and "a Shiba Inu plays Gyromite." |
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Post by liebkartoffel on Feb 1, 2024 20:45:49 GMT -5
Hey, I'm on a roll! Just beat Tears of the Kingdom a couple nights ago. I had all but beaten it months ago, foolishly decided to complete all the shrines before taking on Ganondorf, got bored, and ooh, hey, Baldur's Gate 3 just came out...So anyway, I really wanted to watch the GDQ TotK speedrun and I figured "eh, what the hell." TotK is objectively better than Breath of the Wild in any way you can name, but...I still think I enjoyed playing BotW a little more. BotW is massive, but conquerable. TotK is... more. There's a lot to do, a lot to explore, a hell of a lot to collect, a lot of resources to grind, and it all just gets kind of numbing after a while--hence my Baldur's Gate sized-hiatus. It doesn't help that I largely found the sandbox stuff frustratingly fiddly and exploring the Depths to be tedious and stressful. Still, it's a tremendous game and I'm glad I finally saw it through to the end. Plus that fusion mechanic is brilliant, and an ingenious way of appeasing the whiney babies who like to cry about weapon durability without caving in completely.
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LazBro
Prolific Poster
Posts: 10,281
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Post by LazBro on Feb 1, 2024 22:47:27 GMT -5
Hey, I'm on a roll! Just beat Tears of the Kingdom a couple nights ago. I had all but beaten it months ago, foolishly decided to complete all the shrines before taking on Ganondorf, got bored, and ooh, hey, Baldur's Gate 3 just came out...So anyway, I really wanted to watch the GDQ TotK speedrun and I figured "eh, what the hell." TotK is objectively better than Breath of the Wild in any way you can name, but...I still think I enjoyed playing BotW a little more. BotW is massive, but conquerable. TotK is... more. There's a lot to do, a lot to explore, a hell of a lot to collect, a lot of resources to grind, and it all just gets kind of numbing after a while--hence my Baldur's Gate sized-hiatus. It doesn't help that I largely found the sandbox stuff frustratingly fiddly and exploring the Depths to be tedious and stressful. Still, it's a tremendous game and I'm glad I finally saw it through to the end. Plus that fusion mechanic is brilliant, and an ingenious way of appeasing the whiney babies who like to cry about weapon durability without caving in completely. Ha! We can't be appeased. |
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LazBro
Prolific Poster
Posts: 10,281
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Post by LazBro on Feb 7, 2024 13:00:39 GMT -5
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is very, very good. Great even. I'm currently at about 18 hours played and 72% completion, definitely feeling like I'm nearing the end, but I'm still getting new traversal abilities so who knows?
At this moment, I'm willing to rank it up there with the Oris, the Guacamelees, Haiku, Grime, Symphony of the Night, and even Blasphemous 2 ( which I loved). Basically everything in that "just shy of Hollow Knight" tier. What I'm really loving about it is how much it really feels like a Sands of Time-era PoP game transposed into a Metroidvania. While it doesn't have that trilogy's signature rewind mechanic, it borrows so much of their feel: the platforming is incredibly responsive and tight, the puzzles are thinky without being aggravating, and the combat is fast-paced, reactionary, and rewarding of really learning. You can mash, and succeed doing so, but it makes it so much harder.
It also has a perfect map system, seen also in Hollow Knight and the Ori games, in which the map design actually reflects the shape of the individual rooms and includes unique art elements to make important areas stand out. It's so much better than a blocky Metroid or Castlevania style map. I've written about this. In addition to being able to add your own pins to the map as a way of remembering places to go back to, which most games with maps have these days, The Lost Crown has a unique mechanic in which you can take in-game screenshots of rooms that you can then review on your map. Pins are nice, but a screenshot of the actual problem - a locked door, a too high jump, a swirly blue thing that you have no idea what that does yet - is incredibly helpful. Interestingly, these screenshots are a limited mechanic that you unlock, and you can find upgrades to your total allowable screenshots in the world.
The only thing I'm not in love with so far are the amulets. These would be the equivalent of Hollow Knight's charms or Ori's shards. Slot-limited equipment that confers bonuses to your "stats" (the game doesn't have stats or levels) and abilities. They work fine, but my problem with them is the same as with all these games: there are LOTS of amulets, and they're mostly good, but realistically I'm a creature of habit, and I mostly stick to the same few amulets throughout the game. And it's always the most basic stuff: more health, more damage, etc. The weird ones, while fun, can never win the DPS and/or survivability argument.
I did not want to pay full price for this game, so I purchased one month of Ubisoft+ for maybe $18. Sad I won't own the game afterward, but for a one-time play, that's an excellent price for what is turning out to be an excellent game. If it eventually comes to Steam, I'm sure I'll pick it up again on sale one day.
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ABz B👹anaz
Grandfathered In
This country is (now less of) a shitshow.
Posts: 1,993
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Post by ABz B👹anaz on Feb 11, 2024 14:33:38 GMT -5
Anyone interested in a Steam Key for The Witness? I got an extra from a Humble Bundle of puzzle games. Just send me a message.
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Post by liebkartoffel on Feb 19, 2024 17:32:55 GMT -5
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth: So much fun. "Hawaii" (or a parallel universe Hawaii where everyone conveniently speaks fluent Japanese) is a perfect setting, they finally nailed the turn-based-plus combat (positioning matters now, so even basic attacks can trigger interesting combos), and I've already spent far too much time dicking around in their fully realized Animal Crossing clone.
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LazBro
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Posts: 10,281
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Post by LazBro on Feb 21, 2024 13:14:52 GMT -5
Cate Blanchett as Lilith is such a weird fucking choice. Just absolute bonkers level casting. Anyway, this movie won't be good, and I do want to see it.
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LazBro
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Posts: 10,281
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Post by LazBro on Feb 22, 2024 9:32:56 GMT -5
Ugh, the FFVII: Rebirth reviews are rolling in, and I keep having flits of excitement instantly punched down by the reminder that it's PS5 exclusive at launch. Gonna have to patiently wait for a PC release.
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LazBro
Prolific Poster
Posts: 10,281
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Post by LazBro on Feb 28, 2024 9:35:56 GMT -5
My kids seems to really connect with the Souls games. I play games while they watch sometimes, and while some capture their attention, with others they'll quickly lose interest and drift away. Bastion and Okami are two notable games they bounced off, to my surprise. The Souls games grab them, though. They loved both Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro, and while I wasn't sure at the time if I'd ever go back and do Dark Souls 1, thinking that it just looks so ass compared to what they'd already seen, I finally booted it up. They've been loving that one too. We've reached the back half of the game now, and they keep asking to play more.
Not here to talk about DS1 though. If they like Souls games that much, then obviously the thing to show them is Bloodborne. My first, and still the best. Problem is, Bloodborne is a PS4 exclusive, and my one and only PS4 controller doesn't work. The d-pad is dead somehow, and you can't play Bloodborne without the d-pad. You can't menu without it, and sure, there's probably a "no menu" category of Bloodborne speedruns, but that's not what I'm talking about here. I discovered that my PS4 controller was broken about a year and a half ago, before I'd played any Souls game for my kids, and in fact when I was trying to play Bloodborne just for myself over a stag weekend. At the time I thought, well, that's that. No more Bloodborne until Sony decides it could use a few more millions in the bank and puts out some kind of remaster / remake. Sad, but oh well. It's hard to find time to play console games anyway.
But with my kids showing such a passion for Souls games, and with us likely finishing up DS1 in the next couple weeks, I revisited the situation in my mind. So it was, in the year of our Lord 2024, I bought a Playstation 4 controller. An off-brand one, so here's hoping it works, but I did it. I spent $20 to essentially re-buy access to a 9 year-old game I already own.
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Post by The Thanksgiving Goblin. on Mar 4, 2024 6:59:43 GMT -5
My kids seems to really connect with the Souls games. I play games while they watch sometimes, and while some capture their attention, with others they'll quickly lose interest and drift away. Bastion and Okami are two notable games they bounced off, to my surprise. The Souls games grab them, though. They loved both Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro, and while I wasn't sure at the time if I'd ever go back and do Dark Souls 1, thinking that it just looks so ass compared to what they'd already seen, I finally booted it up. They've been loving that one too. We've reached the back half of the game now, and they keep asking to play more.
Not here to talk about DS1 though. If they like Souls games that much, then obviously the thing to show them is Bloodborne. My first, and still the best. Problem is, Bloodborne is a PS4 exclusive, and my one and only PS4 controller doesn't work. The d-pad is dead somehow, and you can't play Bloodborne without the d-pad. You can't menu without it, and sure, there's probably a "no menu" category of Bloodborne speedruns, but that's not what I'm talking about here. I discovered that my PS4 controller was broken about a year and a half ago, before I'd played any Souls game for my kids, and in fact when I was trying to play Bloodborne just for myself over a stag weekend. At the time I thought, well, that's that. No more Bloodborne until Sony decides it could use a few more millions in the bank and puts out some kind of remaster / remake. Sad, but oh well. It's hard to find time to play console games anyway.
But with my kids showing such a passion for Souls games, and with us likely finishing up DS1 in the next couple weeks, I revisited the situation in my mind. So it was, in the year of our Lord 2024, I bought a Playstation 4 controller. An off-brand one, so here's hoping it works, but I did it. I spent $20 to essentially re-buy access to a 9 year-old game I already own.
I can play PS4 games on a dual sense just fine? EDIT: Oops just realised you meant playing on an actual PS4 |
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LazBro
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Posts: 10,281
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Post by LazBro on Mar 4, 2024 8:30:34 GMT -5
I can play PS4 games on a dual sense just fine? EDIT: Oops just realised you meant playing on an actual PS4
Haha, yeah. Sadly, no PS5.
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Post by liebkartoffel on Mar 4, 2024 9:56:16 GMT -5
Unicorn Overlord looks very much my jam. I appreciate how Vanillaware stepped up and said "all right, if no one else is going to make another Ogre Battle we guess we'll just make our own." My only reservation (aside from, obviously, the title) is Vanillaware's house style, which, no matter how detailed, still just screams "mobile game" to me. Not sure when I'd play this thing, as I'm currently about 60% of the way through Infinite Wealth, and next in the queue is Persona 3 reload. Then, of course, there's FF7 Rebirth. This has been quite the winter for JRPG fans.
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