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[Noncanon Ship]

I like including pictures in my posts, but my god, it's much easier just pressing F8 in retroarch and capturing a screenshot than what I'm doing now with real hardware: pausing the game, taking a picture with my cell phone (and getting all of the TV refresh artifacts along with it), then transfer it to my computer, then crop it, then...

Yet another reason why the Switch 'easy mode' version is superior!

You're making me want to replay – especially since the podcast I'm listening to (The Besties) is talking about LTTP and the entire Zelda series – but I've got to tackle my backlog.

---

I've borrowed a hacked vita so I can play the patched version of FFT:WotL (I own the game, not to worry). So far though, I've just been falling asleep during the tutorials lol.

In playing my backlog, I especially want to focus on games that I've always meant to get around to and have long wanted to experience, and considered them so special that I'd need to set aside a chunk of gaming time to solely focus on them but found myself distracted by new games. The feeling I got from finally finishing Valkyria Chronicles after saying "man, I should really get around to playing that" for over a decade was so satisfying, and also made me feel more well-rounded as a gamer. So I'm prioritizing those important games over my other backlog titles. Final Fantasy Tactics is one of those.

 

[Bakkus]

Yeah, play the best version:

I only have the GC version.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Yet another reason why the Switch 'easy mode' version is superior!

You're making me want to replay – especially since the podcast I'm listening to (The Besties) is talking about LTTP and the entire Zelda series – but I've got to tackle my backlog.

---

I've borrowed a hacked vita so I can play the patched version of FFT:WotL (I own the game, not to worry). So far though, I've just been falling asleep during the tutorials lol.

In playing my backlog, I especially want to focus on games that I've always meant to get around to and have long wanted to experience, and considered them so special that I'd need to set aside a chunk of gaming time to solely focus on them but found myself distracted by new games. The feeling I got from finally finishing Valkyria Chronicles after saying "man, I should really get around to playing that" for over a decade was so satisfying, and also made me feel more well-rounded as a gamer. So I'm prioritizing those important games over my other backlog titles. Final Fantasy Tactics is one of those.

What's the Switch "easy mode"?

Also, you have the right attitude towards your backlog. Tackle those games you've always wanted to play -- and let us know your thoughts!

I only have the GC version.

I read somewhere that, to this day, the GameCube version of the game is the one with the best lighting. I think that only the Wii is also based on the GameCube version, otherwise most other versions of RE4 are based on the PS2 (!!!) version. In fact, one of the goals of the RE4 HD mod on PC was to fix all the messed up lighting in the game.

 

[Noncanon Ship]

What's the Switch "easy mode"?

Also, you have the right attitude towards your backlog. Tackle those games you've always wanted to play -- and let us know your thoughts!

You can create suspend points wherever you want and more importantly, you can rewind your mistakes like the prince of persia. It's fantastic for someone like me who doesn't have the patience for mistakes making me lose progress in dungeons and having things reset.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

You can create suspend points wherever you want and more importantly, you can rewind your mistakes like the prince of persia. It's fantastic for someone like me who doesn't have the patience for mistakes making me lose progress in dungeons and having things reset.

Ahhhhh. I see. Yeah, my first Zelda game ever was A Link Between Worlds on 3DS (I remember, I even bought the special edition Link Between Worlds 3DS), and now that I'm playing A Link to the Past... man, I really miss some of those "Quality of Life" improvements that ALBW brought. I absolutely loved my time with A Link Between Worlds and it's a game that I'm very fond of. Some of the things I miss:

• In ALBW, you've got these "weather vanes" that actually double between save points and also "fast travel" checkpoints; there's a witch character (I think her name is Irene...?) that can take you between checkpoints. In ALTTP... nope. You either start at Link's House (in the light world), or at the center of the map (in the dark world).
• In ALBW, you can also have checkpoints within dungeons, and you can teleport there at some point. In ALTTP... nope.

Let's take my situation from yesterday: I was playing in Dark Palace (first dungeon in Dark World) and had to run off to meet a friend. When I came back and played later in the day, I realize I had to haul ass all the way from the middle of Dark World to the Dark Palace, then go through the entire dungeon (again), in many cases re-"unlocking" some doors (in some dungeon rooms, you have to defeat all the enemies in the room for the door to unlock). And one of my paths through the dungeon was to go through a room with fairies.

Oh! I forgot. Why do I need to go to the fairy room in the dungeon to begin with? Well... Link is not that strong yet (I have about 8 or 9 hearts), and enemies in the Dark World are aggressive and do a lot of damage. Multiply this by a big number when dealing with a boss. I don't know how other ALTTP bosses are, but the first one in Dark Palace had a tail move that spanned half the screen, and this fire move in which little droplets of fire would shoot out in the room; at that point I might as well have been playing a shmup

I understand game developers didn't design with a lot of QoL features at that time. But... hot damn . I'm really enjoying A Link to the Past a lot, it's masterful game design; but some of these lesser issues are preventing me from loving the game.

 

[Soodanim]

Mods (i.e. replaying a game you already own) seem very much in line with the spirit of the thread.

You thought I'd be fine. You thought my backlog wouldn't suffer.

10 days.

That's how long I haven't played anything for.

I didn't fancy playing any of the games I looked at in my library one day, and on a whim I started building a Skyrim mod list. From scratch, because I deleted my old one. I've got 40GB of texture mods downloading to add to the 30GB across 255 mods (coincidentally the old limit, before new developments made the limit thousands), and that might be it for now. I haven't even booted the game to test yet, there's still stuff to do. But it's enjoyable in its own way. Hand picking this and that from the thousands of mods out there to craft my own custom version of a game, sorting through everything I downloaded then organising the installations is... I wouldn't quite say it's fun, but it's not a chore. Not even the manual patching of mods to resolve the conflicts between different mods when there aren't existing patches on the Nexus. That's why I haven't been posting lately.

I'm trying a ton of new mods in this build, so it's likely I'll have to chop and change some stuff. But that might work in my favour - I can get sick of it and jump back into something else for a while. I'm not sure there's much to say about playing an old game in a new way, but I'll be keeping up with everyone's posts even when I don't have much to offer.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

You thought I'd be fine. You thought my backlog wouldn't suffer.

10 days.

That's how long I haven't played anything for.

I didn't fancy playing any of the games I looked at in my library one day, and on a whim I started building a Skyrim mod list. From scratch, because I deleted my old one. I've got 40GB of texture mods downloading to add to the 30GB across 255 mods (coincidentally the old limit, before new developments made the limit thousands), and that might be it for now. I haven't even booted the game to test yet, there's still stuff to do. But it's enjoyable in its own way. Hand picking this and that from the thousands of mods out there to craft my own custom version of a game, sorting through everything I downloaded then organising the installations is... I wouldn't quite say it's fun, but it's not a chore. Not even the manual patching of mods to resolve the conflicts between different mods when there aren't existing patches on the Nexus. That's why I haven't been posting lately.

I'm trying a ton of new mods in this build, so it's likely I'll have to chop and change some stuff. But that might work in my favour - I can get sick of it and jump back into something else for a while. I'm not sure there's much to say about playing an old game in a new way, but I'll be keeping up with everyone's posts even when I don't have much to offer.

Are you having fun?

... yes?

That's all that matters, champ. Don't worry about the rest.

 

[Soodanim]

Are you having fun?

... yes?

That's all that matters, champ. Don't worry about the rest.

I won't be truly having fun until Gemini finishes and releases Classic Rebirth for RE3, but I'm sure I can make do in the meantime

 

[Sidney Prescott]

Hey guys. Been playing some Steam lately. I have a PC that is at least useable, so no reason not to.

Obviously my PC can't really run anything recent, but older games are fine. I've actually been playing Vice City on PC, which has been a really fun experience. I haven't ever really experienced playing GTA on PC properly, it's really fun.

It doesn't really count as a backlog, but I am planning on doing it to 100% which would be a first for Vice City. I never got around to doing everything in that game, despite it being one of my favourite games!

 

[Soodanim]

Hey guys. Been playing some Steam lately. I have a PC that is at least useable, so no reason not to.

Obviously my PC can't really run anything recent, but older games are fine. I've actually been playing Vice City on PC, which has been a really fun experience. I haven't ever really experienced playing GTA on PC properly, it's really fun.

It doesn't really count as a backlog, but I am planning on doing it to 100% which would be a first for Vice City. I never got around to doing everything in that game, despite it being one of my favourite games!

Have you been using one of the mod packs from the Steam Guides section? I use the Definitive Edition for all 3 games and it's really good.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Hey guys. Been playing some Steam lately. I have a PC that is at least useable, so no reason not to.

Obviously my PC can't really run anything recent, but older games are fine. I've actually been playing Vice City on PC, which has been a really fun experience. I haven't ever really experienced playing GTA on PC properly, it's really fun.

It doesn't really count as a backlog, but I am planning on doing it to 100% which would be a first for Vice City. I never got around to doing everything in that game, despite it being one of my favourite games!

This is a most pleasant surprise. Glad to have you back, brother!

 

[Sidney Prescott]

Have you been using one of the mod packs from the Steam Guides section? I use the Definitive Edition for all 3 games and it's really good.

Nope. I wasn't sure if you needed additional requirements to run it. I'm literally rocking Intel HD Graphics. My PC is that potato. I did have to use a SilentPatch and run it in Compatibility Mode as it wouldn't work at first. I'm guessing that is a Windows 10 thing.

This is a most pleasant surprise. Glad to have you back, brother!

Still chomping down on that backlog?

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Nope. I wasn't sure if you needed additional requirements to run it. I'm literally rocking Intel HD Graphics. My PC is that potato. I did have to use a SilentPatch and run it in Compatibility Mode as it wouldn't work at first. I'm guessing that is a Windows 10 thing.

Still chomping down on that backlog?

Oh, you know it!

And don't you dare leave us again, you wanker!

(Just kidding obviously...)

 

[Sidney Prescott]

Oh, you know it!

And don't you dare leave us again, you wanker!

(Just kidding obviously...)

I promise. I use this website blocker now anyways, which is basically the same as being banned but I don't have to cut out posting entirely. Which is a million times better. I don't want to ditch GAF entirely, that sucks.

I want to talk about PC gaming anyways. I'm going to get in to Steam a little bit, at least the games my PC can handle.

 

[SpiceRacz]

Currently playing through Lunar Silver Star Story Complete on PS1. It's a very by-the-numbers RPG, but there's something about it that really grabbed me. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Depending on how much I enjoy it, I'll play Eternal Blue next. Probably will switch it up and try the Sega CD version.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Currently playing through Lunar Silver Star Story Complete on PS1. It's a very by-the-numbers RPG, but there's something about it that really grabbed me. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Depending on how much I enjoy it, I'll play Eternal Blue next. Probably will switch it up and try the Sega CD version.

I'm not really a JRPG guy (yet... got a couple in my backlog), but I've read good things about Lunar Silver Star Story Complete.

It's also hella expensive on eBay, LOL.

 

[DelireMan7]

In playing my backlog, I especially want to focus on games that I've always meant to get around to and have long wanted to experience, and considered them so special that I'd need to set aside a chunk of gaming time to solely focus on them but found myself distracted by new games. The feeling I got from finally finishing Valkyria Chronicles after saying "man, I should really get around to playing that" for over a decade was so satisfying, and also made me feel more well-rounded as a gamer. So I'm prioritizing those important games over my other backlog titles. Final Fantasy Tactics is one of those.

I can related so much to this. There many games I want to play since years/decade ! It's so good to finally beat. I am few hours away from beating Baten Kaitos and it feels so good to finally play this game after so many years of expectation.
Final Fantasy Tactics is also one of those ^^.
My holy grail is Vagrant Story. Around its release I have heard a review (on a French gaming TV channel) of it saying it was consider the best RPG ever made. Since then I have check constantly this game without never playing. I am still completely amazed by its visuals and its gameplay looks really interesting (but also really clunky/slow). I think I am kind of afraid to play it because I probably idealize it too much so I kind of always postpone the time I'll play it. But one day for sure, I'll go for it !

Currently playing through Lunar Silver Star Story Complete on PS1. It's a very by-the-numbers RPG, but there's something about it that really grabbed me. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Depending on how much I enjoy it, I'll play Eternal Blue next. Probably will switch it up and try the Sega CD version.

I have played and beat it for the first time this January (PSP version) and I can't agree more on that. It's an extremely classic RPG. It has its charm for sure but was a bit disappointed due to the so high praise for it I heard across the years (also the combat system pissed me off).

 

[Soodanim]

Nope. I wasn't sure if you needed additional requirements to run it. I'm literally rocking Intel HD Graphics. My PC is that potato. I did have to use a SilentPatch and run it in Compatibility Mode as it wouldn't work at first. I'm guessing that is a Windows 10 thing.

I can’t remember what parts do what, and Silent Patch covers a lot, but the one I’m using is more functional than graphical. It adds in some PS2 effects that the PC port didn’t have, but it mostly does things like adding the removed radio tracks back (Billie Jean is a must in Vice City), fixing widescreen stuff, and giving proper controller support. I run it at 60, but technically the games were made for around 30 and the physics engine can reflect that.

 

[mekes]

Glad to see everybody doing well and some good games being played!

It's just been Street Fighter 5 every evening for me since the balance patch was released a week or 2 back. I've got back into it in a big way. Decided to learn some new characters which has been fun. Dragons Dogma has been put on hold but definitely is still my current single player game.

 

[Aurelius]

Nice! When I played it, and on my very first fight against some thugs in Sotenbori, this shit kicks in:



I knew I was in for a hell of a ride. I was hyped.

It is really good! Looking back, I think I might never have played this one. I remember buying it for PS2, but that was around the time I already switched to PS3.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Glad to see everybody doing well and some good games being played!

It's just been Street Fighter 5 every evening for me since the balance patch was released a week or 2 back. I've got back into it in a big way. Decided to learn some new characters which has been fun. Dragons Dogma has been put on hold but definitely is still my current single player game.

Sorry if I missed it earlier in the thread, but do you play competitively, or mostly single player content? Who's your main? What's your strategy?

I dropped off intense Street Fighter play after Third Strike, so I definitely understand all the technical terms, so don't feel you need to hold back in your answer

 

[InfiniteCombo]

It is really good! Looking back, I think I might never have played this one. I remember buying it for PS2, but that was around the time I already switched to PS3.

For anybody reading this, don't watch if you plan to complete Yakuza Kiwami 2, as there are obvious spoilers.

Anyway, somebody made a "supercut" of all Ryuji Goda scenes. I mean -- the dude was given the best dialogue in the game. (Even reigning dialogue champion Goro Majima is second to Ryuji, at least in this game)

I had read about him before and wondered what was the big deal. But after playing through Kiwami 2, I understand what makes him such an awesome villain/boss character.




[EDIT: Wait... I forgot that we actually have a Ryuji Goda on this forum, LOL]

[Double EDIT]: I obviously love the Yakuza series (second favorite game series after Resident Evil). I don't usually watch a lot of game-related media, but I did watch this video and appreciated it. Obviously if you're a Japanese speaker, you'll understand everything right away. Otherwise I think there are transcripts of what they're saying on both the YouTube comments for the video, and elsewhere online. You can tell how passionate and excited these guys are to do their roles, especially Ryuji Goda's and (most of all) Goro Majima's voice actors:

 

[SpiceRacz]

I have played and beat it for the first time this January (PSP version) and I can't agree more on that. It's an extremely classic RPG. It has its charm for sure but was a bit disappointed due to the so high praise for it I heard across the years (also the combat system pissed me off).

it's like no one aspect of it really jumps out at you, it just does everything pretty well. I'm enjoying it quite a bit though. Not sure if they balanced the PSP remake, but SSSC is very grindy. And yea, the character & enemy movement in battles can be really frustrating.

 

[mekes]

Sorry if I missed it earlier in the thread, but do you play competitively, or mostly single player content? Who's your main? What's your strategy?

I dropped off intense Street Fighter play after Third Strike, so I definitely understand all the technical terms, so don't feel you need to hold back in your answer

Hey, I’m just an online scrub! My favourite fighter was CvS2, I took myself online thinking I was good and got bodied. Inevitably ended up on SRK where I met some players I’m still friends with today. I ended up getting pretty good at CvS2, nothing was technically off limits, I could RC, any combos in A-groove etc. But we never really had a scene for it where I live, so it was always a few of us over at a friends house.

I played 3S too, but always had a love/hate relationship with the game. All I wanted to do was play CvS2 but UK scene only really liked 3S at these times. I was partial to good old Ken SA3 and absolutely do love Oro. I made the switch because, online, it just felt like everybody jumped from CVS to 3S.

SF4, I just bailed from anything resembling serious play. I played for 3-4 months and then quit. But SF5 has a certain thing about it that I appreciate, so I have played on and off since it’s release. But mostly against friends of mine. I’ve learned a few characters, but mainly Ken, G, Alex, Ryu, Urien and Juri.

My time with anything SF, I’ve mainly wanted to play a rush down kind of style. I loved K-Groove in CvS but begrudgingly learned A-Groove after literally everybody went with top tier characters in that groove. If you didn’t punish one Sakura roll, she could activate point blank and chip you out for 50% of your life which was infuriating. Since CvS2 tho I’ve had a kind of ceiling I struggle to break through. I will just play the way I want to play nowadays. I reach that ceiling with a character, realise I need to break bad habits to improve, try for a little while. And then just start learning a new character

How about you with fighters?

 

[InfiniteCombo]

How about you with fighters?

Two part answer:

1. Today: I've practically retired from all competitive fighting game play. I still play several of the fighting game classics I grew up with. If I had to narrow it down to 4 "non-negotiables" that I could not be without, they'd be: Super Street Fighter II X; Garou: Mark of the Wolves; X-Men vs Street Fighter; SoulCalibur 1. Most of my playtime is quick pick-up games in Arcade Mode, against the computer.
2. Historically: I grew up playing almost exclusively fighting games, and it was definitely my favorite genre for a long time. Many of the games that were "formative" to me were all fighting games: Street Fighter II on SNES, KoF 95 on Saturn and Tekken 2 on PS1, in particular, were all VERY important in how they shaped my view of games. Hell, my username on this form is a throwback to the many hours I spent practicing/perfecting "infinite combos" especially in combo-heavy games like Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs Street Fighter, and some of the pre-bankruptcy era SNK (later King of Fighters games of that period, like KoF 98 or KoF 2000).But in part, it's also a callback to my fondness for fighting games in general growing up. To this day, I still own many, many fighting games across several generations of consoles and on PC.

I ended up getting decently competent/good/proficient at several fighting games over time; I could range from "advanced casual" to "hey, I could actually enter a tournament if I wanted to, and not get bodied immediately" depending on the game. But I never did. It's the same reason that I love running but never sign up for 1/2 or full marathons, because then it has the potential to become stressful, and I would no longer be having fun.

But then I realized that I was missing out on a lot of other genres, and that something was happening with fighting games that I didn't like: they were becoming almost purely technical, at the cost of losing their "soul" (kind of hard to explain, and don't want to make this post any longer than it already is). So competitively speaking, I put away my pad (yes, I'm a pad player, don't "@" me, LOL). But I sort of peripherally kept up with the scene, and I know all of the concepts and what to look for, even for games that I never really played. (I guess after playing so many games in a single genre, you kind of build some sort of "intuition" for it.) Even though I don't actively play fighting games anymore, I'm thankful for all the awesome memories, and even made some great friends along the way.

Probably a much longer answer than you were looking for (LOL), but... there it is.

Cheers!

 

[Sidney Prescott]

I need some good low end games, friends!

I'm talking games that could run on a calculator. That sort of thing.

 

[Soodanim]

I need some good low end games, friends!

I'm talking games that could run on a calculator. That sort of thing.

You're probably going to be alright with anything either ported from or designed to look like a SNES-era game: Chrono Trigger, Axiom Verge, Shovel Knight, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, Metal Slug, Mega Drive Classics
Or there's older isometric/3D titles that shouldn't be too taxing: Deus Ex, FEAR, Fallout 1/2, Doom (and all of its mods like Brutal Doom), Star Wars: KOTOR, Titan Quest

 

[Noncanon Ship]

Oh! I forgot. Why do I need to go to the fairy room in the dungeon to begin with? Well... Link is not that strong yet (I have about 8 or 9 hearts), and enemies in the Dark World are aggressive and do a lot of damage. Multiply this by a big number when dealing with a boss. I don't know how other ALTTP bosses are, but the first one in Dark Palace had a tail move that spanned half the screen, and this fire move in which little droplets of fire would shoot out in the room; at that point I might as well have been playing a shmup

I understand game developers didn't design with a lot of QoL features at that time. But... hot damn . I'm really enjoying A Link to the Past a lot, it's masterful game design; but some of these lesser issues are preventing me from loving the game.

It's no understatement that lttp is a hard game. The early zeldas are far harder than their 3d counterparts and sometimes it can be hard to remember that because we've been getting 3d zeldas for a while. But the puzzles and boss design were actually quite tricky in lttp.

It does make me a bit sad that you won't come out of the game loving it, because it deserves to be loved and not marred in memory by the limited tech that held it back at the time. As you say, you're comparing it to albw. lttp in its original form with its frustrations was par for the course to players back then, so it stood out as incredible - they had no modern games to compare it to so its limitations didn't mar the experience in their minds. But nowadays, a player's experience is broader and so these limitations do affect their perception of a game.

What you mention is also why I feel no guilt about playing it on the snes emu on Switch. It effectively adds in some modern features to make older games more accessible. It's one thing for a game to challenge you - we don't need to dumb everything down, but if its difficulty is preventing a player from enjoying it fully, that's when modernization really helps.

I can related so much to this. There many games I want to play since years/decade ! It's so good to finally beat. I am few hours away from beating Baten Kaitos and it feels so good to finally play this game after so many years of expectation.
Final Fantasy Tactics is also one of those ^^.
My holy grail is Vagrant Story. Around its release I have heard a review (on a French gaming TV channel) of it saying it was consider the best RPG ever made. Since then I have check constantly this game without never playing. I am still completely amazed by its visuals and its gameplay looks really interesting (but also really clunky/slow). I think I am kind of afraid to play it because I probably idealize it too much so I kind of always postpone the time I'll play it. But one day for sure, I'll go for it !

Ah but that is also a danger! When you idealize a game so much that you put off playing it, it runs the risk of becoming outdated and then you can't appreciate it as much as you may have been able to earlier on. After all, if a bunch of games later on adopt a predecessor's incredibly innovative combat mechanic and improve upon it or ape its storyline, once you've experienced those later games the OG won't have as much of an impact on you. That's why you shouldn't be afraid to jump in asap!

I will say though, I went into Okami with deep misgivings when I got it back in the day on Wii. I had heard how incredible it was for a number of years. When I first started playing and got introduced to Issun, I thought oh boy I'm really going to hate this game. Issun is annoying, the graphics look really desolate... and then over 80 hours later I was choked up with a tear in my eye, not wanting it to end. Great games can defy your expectations.

By the way, did you finish Baten Kaitos?? I think your next game should be... oh, I don't know, maybe FFT!

 

[stn]

I've been playing the same games the last while, mainly Sekiro and Bayonetta (both for PS4). I play Bayo when I'm looking for a break from getting my ass kicked in Sekiro, lol. I've actually been making great progress in Sekiro and I just beat one of the hardest bosses for the first time recently, but I always need a break because every encounter leaves me with high adrenaline and sweaty palms, lol. Such a bloody good game.

I'm thinking of getting back into Devil May Cry 3 (X360) this weekend, I'm somewhere around 50% completion and want to finally beat it for the first time.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

I'm thinking of getting back into Devil May Cry 3 (X360) this weekend, I'm somewhere around 50% completion and want to finally beat it for the first time.

Interesting; if I go a long time without playing a game, I just start again from the beginning. But it sounds like you can pick up right where you left off; that's awesome and wish I could do it, too.

 

[stn]

Interesting; if I go a long time without playing a game, I just start again from the beginning. But it sounds like you can pick up right where you left off; that's awesome and wish I could do it, too.

I can do it easily in games where I don't really care about the story, such as DMC, where I just want good action. Otherwise, I gotta restart just like you.

 

[DelireMan7]

Ah but that is also a danger! When you idealize a game so much that you put off playing it, it runs the risk of becoming outdated and then you can't appreciate it as much as you may have been able to earlier on. After all, if a bunch of games later on adopt a predecessor's incredibly innovative combat mechanic and improve upon it or ape its storyline, once you've experienced those later games the OG won't have as much of an impact on you. That's why you shouldn't be afraid to jump in asap!

I will say though, I went into Okami with deep misgivings when I got it back in the day on Wii. I had heard how incredible it was for a number of years. When I first started playing and got introduced to Issun, I thought oh boy I'm really going to hate this game. Issun is annoying, the graphics look really desolate... and then over 80 hours later I was choked up with a tear in my eye, not wanting it to end. Great games can defy your expectations.

By the way, did you finish Baten Kaitos?? I think your next game should be... oh, I don't know, maybe FFT!

Definitely waiting to much and especially building high hype for an old game can backfire.

I think in general I am not that sensitive to old mechanics and such...

I am on the last boss of Baten Kaitos. I failed once this afternoon. I'll probably beat it the next time I play. I'd like to go for FFT but I already started Hollow Knight (and I wait playing several games at once or not finish a started game) so it will be the next.

In plus I have quite a list of game I already own to play so I don't want to add on the list now. But my gaming plan often change according to my mood. For now I plan to redo a run of Bloodborne after Hollow Knight but this might change till I beat it xD

 

[SaturnSaturn]

COMPLETED: Cyberpunk 2077 (PC) : 60~ Hours

Honestly, i regret not starting this sooner, i heard over and over how bad this game was from everywhere, its the best game i have played in years, that suprised me, as i went into this not expecting to like it since i did not like The Witcher 3.

Gunplay is super fun, and the world is immersive, story is really good and its just all around a good game.

Sure i encountered a few bugs here and there, it might be worse on console, but if you are looking for a great story and something fun to play you have to play the game, i went in almost entierly blind to the story, and boy im glad i did.

Also there are a few cons, side missions can get repetative, bossfights dont feel good, stealth can be to easy (might be a pro, depending how you look at it) but other than that its great, dont really have anything else to say, other than it rejuvenated my love for gaming, as i really have not felt like playing anything, and games i played i just put down after 1 hour and never returned to it. With cyberpunk i literaly sat down and played for 12 hours straight, even forgot to eat. I am honestly sad that i am finished with the game, because i know whatever i play next will not be as good. Its a bitter-sweet feeling (Last time i felt this was when i finished my first Yakuza game)

Final Rating 9/10 (No game i know of deserves a 10)

 

[Sidney Prescott]

COMPLETED: Cyberpunk 2077 (PC) : 60~ Hours

Honestly, i regret not starting this sooner, i heard over and over how bad this game was from everywhere, its the best game i have played in years, that suprised me, as i went into this not expecting to like it since i did not like The Witcher 3.

Gunplay is super fun, and the world is immersive, story is really good and its just all around a good game.

Sure i encountered a few bugs here and there, it might be worse on console, but if you are looking for a great story and something fun to play you have to play the game, i went in almost entierly blind to the story, and boy im glad i did.

Also there are a few cons, side missions can get repetative, bossfights dont feel good, stealth can be to easy (might be a pro, depending how you look at it) but other than that its great, dont really have anything else to say, other than it rejuvenated my love for gaming, as i really have not felt like playing anything, and games i played i just put down after 1 hour and never returned to it. With cyberpunk i literaly sat down and played for 12 hours straight, even forgot to eat. I am honestly sad that i am finished with the game, because i know whatever i play next will not be as good. Its a bitter-sweet feeling (Last time i felt this was when i finished my first Yakuza game)

Final Rating 9/10 (No game i know of deserves a 10)

Glad you enjoyed it!

Cyberpunk was rough on console, but I still managed to love it. It just shows how incredible the game would be without the bugs overshadowing it.

I am honestly excited to see how it looks when it gets some quality updates down the line.

 

[SaturnSaturn]

Glad you enjoyed it!

Cyberpunk was rough on console, but I still managed to love it. It just shows how incredible the game would be without the bugs overshadowing it.

I am honestly excited to see how it looks when it gets some quality updates down the line.

Has to go down as a classic when it gets quality updates, if not im at a loss.

Also so you looking for low spec games, i have a few for you to check out.

Kult: Heretic Kingdom
Operation Flashpoint Cold War Crisis (Or known as ARMA Cold War Assault)
Outwars

I have like over 200 games that i have not played in my steam library, dont know where to go now with my backlog lol

 

[Sidney Prescott]

Has to go down as a classic when it gets quality updates, if not im at a loss.

Also so you looking for low spec games, i have a few for you to check out.

Kult: Heretic Kingdom
Operation Flashpoint Cold War Crisis (Or known as ARMA Cold War Assault)
Outwars

I have like over 200 games that i have not played in my steam library, dont know where to go now with my backlog lol

For sure. I think it will be one of those games that sees a resurgence in popularity in the coming years.

I actually have Arma on my wishlist. Hopefully pick it up eventually!

200 games, eh? Better get to work.

 

[YCoCg]

Just to drop in, things are going well, no new games purchased, mainly playing old games and have hot Yakuza keeping me busy for the foreseeable.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Just to drop in, things are going well, no new games purchased, mainly playing old games and have hot Yakuza keeping me busy for the foreseeable.

Nice! Which Yakuza?

 

[YCoCg]

Nice! Which Yakuza?

Yakuza 0 with Kiwami 1&2 up next. Playing them on PC and I'm intending to get as close to 100% as possible this time so luckily these are packed with content. Before that finished off Little Nightmares.

 

[Aurelius]

I’ve retired from the Yakuza lifestyle in Kiwami 2, and I’m now a full time Cabaret Club manager. So addictive...

Spoiler

Good luck with those kidnappers Daigo!

 

[DelireMan7]

My challenge :
No 2021 games . I can buy older games as my backlog is limited to 1 genre and I might want to change genre during the year according to my mood.

Physical Backlog :

• Lunar Silver Star Harmony (PSP) Done !
• The Legend of Heroes : Trails in the Sky (PSP)
• Rogue Galaxy (PS2)
• Odin Sphere (PS2)
• Baldur's Gate : Siege of Dragonspear (PS4)
• Baldur's Gate 2 : Shadows of Amn (PS4)
• Baldur's Gate 2 : Throne of Bhaal (PS4)
• Assassin's Creed IV : Black Flag (PS3)
• Baten Kaitos : Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (Gamecube) Done !
• Zelda Ocarina of time (N64)
• Hollow Knight (PS4) Ongoing !
• [Replay] Final Fantasy X and X-2 (PS2)
• [Replay] At least one SoulsBorne (PS3/4)
• [2021] Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)
• [2021] Project X Zone (3DS)
• [2021] Radiant Historia : Perfect Chronology (3DS)

Games completed :

1. Rayman Origins (PS3) (started in Spring 2020, main story finished 5th of January 2021, coop with my 4 years old daughter, her first video game)
2. Lunar : Silver Star Harmony (PSP) (Started 1st of January, finished 17th of January, 25h56m)
3. Baten Kaitos : Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (Gamecube) (Started 19th of January, Finished the 13th of March, around 67h)

The final boss was harder than expected. I had to go back and farm lvl and cards a bit. But thanks to the battle system it was a real pleasure. Also like to optimize my deck and strategy.

Love the game.

First the setting and world are interesting : a lost Ocean, an "Earth" covered with poisonous cloud and people living on 5 islands floating in the sky. Each of these island has it's own identity (cloud, illusion, jungle...). The art direction is really strong on some of them.

The visuals are beautiful for my standard. I always loved the graphics of this console generation so...

Story kept my interest all along. Some nice twist, nothing mind blowing, but interesting enough. I liked to learn more and more about legend of the lost Ocean.
Just the ending is a bit too long (something like 40 min of "cutscene" after the final battle) especially that 2 "events" happened suddenly (one being quite a WTF moment with a battle you can't lose...)just to be completely reversed few min later...

The soundtrack is really charming. There is no "killer" track à la Final Fantasy but most of them are fitting perfectly the scenery. I love the music on the world map.

Then the real meat : the whole Magnus (cards) and battle system.
In this world object's essence can be seal into Magnus. Then you can "summon" them for use (a sword for attacking, a shield to defend...).
But the object still evolve while in Magnus. Food will eventually rot, plant will grow, etc... so your Magnus will constantly evolve and change application (a healing Magnus can become an offensive one for example). So the deck management is quite important.
Also this aging system is use to solve sidequest. This make them quite interesting since you have to use some real world logic for them (someone wants cheese ? Find some milk and wait for it to become yogurt and then cheese).

Battles are turn based. But you have to be focused to be the most effective. Each Magnus has 1 to 4 numbers (one on each of its corner, you choose it with the right stick).
The goal is to play a combo of Magnus (at the beginning you can only play 2 cards and at the end of the game up to 9).
If you play some pairs or straight with the number you get some bonus in damage (or healing). It can go up to quadruple your damage output for a straight from 1 to 9.
In plus you have an elemental system. There are 6 elements. They go by pairs and are antagonist (FIre/Ice, Light/Dark, Time/Wind). If you play opposite elements in the same combo, their damage nullify each other. So you have to avoid that but sometimes it's better to continue a straight with some antagonist elements to have a huge bonus at the end.
Element are also a big part of the defense system. When the enemies attack, you can also play Magnus for defense. The straight and pairs system is still a thing to increase the damage reduction. Also if you are attack by an element attack, you have to play the opposite one to block it.
Finally there is "crafting" system include in the battle system : the Special Combos. If you play some specific combination of Magnus in battle, it will reward you with a new Magnus at the end.
The "recipes" are hinted in the Magnus description. Some are obvious and some are much more cryptic. So you have to experiment to find them out.

Turn are rather fast, so you have to select Magnus quickly and always think about the elements you play, the numbers for bonus and potential special combo. If you don't select a Magnus quickly enough, your turn ends. It makes you constantly focus and thinking.

A small complaint is than you have to wait around 35h to be able to freely explore the world and solve majority of the sidequests (and I had already forgot quite some since there is no tracking system like in modern games). And then if you advance too much the story, you'll be again unable to explore the world till the late in the game.

After waiting so long too play it, I was expecting a true gem and it's what I found. It took me in its fantasy world, with its visuals and charming music. Then it's Magnus and battle system made me addicted to it
I can't recommend it enough for JRPG lover who likes unique battle system.

Currently playing :
So now I will continue with Hollow Knight. Really like it so far except some really frustrating platforming section for me.... But I love all the rest.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Yakuza 0 with Kiwami 1&2 up next. Playing them on PC and I'm intending to get as close to 100% as possible this time so luckily these are packed with content. Before that finished off Little Nightmares.

100% in the Yakuza games... As a huge Yakuza fan, I'm going to jokingly say: "See you next year, Y YCoCg "

I got a pretty high completion percentage in 0, Kiwami 1, and Kiwami 2. But I guess someday.... I will learn Mahjong. Some day.

I’ve retired from the Yakuza lifestyle in Kiwami 2, and I’m now a full time Cabaret Club manager. So addictive...

Spoiler

Good luck with those kidnappers Daigo!

Out of my playtime in both 0 and Kiwami 2, the Cabaret Club Manager is the mini game I spent the most time on, by far. The music is so damn addictive, too:

Yakuza 0 regular cabaret:




Yakuza 0 Fever Time:



Yakuza Kiwami 2 regular cabaret:



Yakuza Kiwami 2 Fever Time:



I love all of these tunes. I prefer the general storyline, the hostesses, and Majima as the manager in 0, but prefer the music in Kiwami 2.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

As I continue playing A Link to the Past, I realized... I actually like the Dark World theme more than the Link Between Worlds version.

The first version I heard: The Link Between Worlds version:



A Link to the Past version:



There's a certain "retro" charm about how in-your-face the drums are on Super Nintendo tracks. When 8 or 16 bit music tracks get remade for modern versions of games, there's... I don't know... something that is lost. My humble opinion, anyway.

 

[Ascend]

So... Yesterday I decided to pick up Pokémon Sword again. I had a really busy and stressful week, and needed a bit of a distraction. I played for maybe one hour just before going to bed, and decided to continue the story, rather than doing the addicting Max Raid Battles.

I noticed three of my Pokémon had Pokérus... But, all of them already cured of it. That, is one of the most annoying things I have ever experienced. Just when I decided to drop the game, one of the rarest events happens to my Pokémon. The chance of getting Pokérus is 1 in 20k or something. You have a larger chance of encountering a Shiny than your Pokémon getting Pokérus.

For the ones that don't know, Pokérus is a virus that makes it easier to power up your Pokémon. There is no downside to having it. Unfortunately, when your Pokémon cure of it, they can never get it back, nor can they spread it around anymore. The way to keep it active is to store an infected Pokémon that has not been cured in a Box. Obviously since I was away, I didn't get a chance to do that, so, yeah. Bad luck.

All that being said, I still had an overall good time with the game. There's always the chance that if I did play, they never would have gotten it. The game is simply trolling me lol.
Maybe an hour a month will do nicely, considering my priorities. I didn't feel like I was wasting my time, I had a good time with it, and I had done what I needed to do for the day and the week.

Pokémon is almost the perfect game for this. Although there are mechanics that try and hook you to come back every day, you don't need to play it like that, and the sessions can be as long as you want. The story is not so detailed either that you will be lost if you go away for a while.

 

[Sidney Prescott]

Finished a couple of games on Steam over the past few days. The jumping game was so fun that I went for all the achievements. Very frustrating also! Especially trying to get 10,000 points without dying. Took me a good couple of hours to nail it.

They were both free, and I managed to run them on my potato PC. I can't complain. Over 6 hours of gameplay out of them.

 

[stn]

Finished Bayonetta (PS4), its an 8.5/10 game for me overall. I really enjoyed the combat and the music, but the story sucked and some of the non-combat stuff, like the platforming, was tedious. 99% of my deaths happened due to some random QTE's or some really awkward platforming.

Next up: continue Sekiro (PS4).

 

[Phase]

Finished Bayonetta (PS4), its an 8.5/10 game for me overall. I really enjoyed the combat and the music, but the story sucked and some of the non-combat stuff, like the platforming, was tedious. 99% of my deaths happened due to some random QTE's or some really awkward platforming.

Next up: continue Sekiro (PS4).

Nice. Cool to see so many finishing Bayonetta this year.

 

[Sidney Prescott]

Nice. Cool to see so many finishing Bayonetta this year.

I'm so tempted to get a proper Gaming PC eventually. After dipping my feet in and getting involved with Steam, I just really dig it.

I have seen you playing Stalker and posting about it, it has given me some serious cravings.

It's just a lot of money to throw down, I guess. I have always been console for the most part.

 

[Phase]

I'm so tempted to get a proper Gaming PC eventually. After dipping my feet in and getting involved with Steam, I just really dig it.

I have seen you playing Stalker and posting about it, it has given me some serious cravings.

It's just a lot of money to throw down, I guess. I have always been console for the most part.

I definitely understand the hesitation. It's a lot to drop to make a pc. I build mine with the thought that they will last almost a decade. With overclocking and one cheap gpu replacement a couple of years ago my soon to be retired pc lasted 10 full years. I'm very happy with that. Plus there are always sales. On pc I haven't payed more than $20 for a game in roughly 3 years. It probably doesn't offset the cost compared to a console completely, but it's nice and I get to use my pc for other things too.

If you want to build your own there are very helpful communities and tutorials out there (/r/buildapc on reddit for starters, /r/buildapcsales for sales too). That's where I started. I did some research and picked parts I thought were good and then asked them what they think of my build and got good feedback. If you don't want to bother with all that you can buy prebuilt. They are more expensive and sometimes limited in part choices but is way less hassle.

If you've got some money to spare and you want to jump in I say go for it! I built my first pc in 2011 for Battlefield 3 and never looked back. I used exclusively consoles before that.

 

[Bakkus]

Resident Evil 4 (GC) was finished some hours ago and man, this was great. The village was awesome and the castles were absolutely fantastic. The island however was more of a mixed bag. The end with the helicopter and that felt more like a Metal Gear Solid game. It's like they ran out of ideas at the end and had to pad it out. It's also funny of the end boss monolouges before his fight that this isn't like your American Hollywood, yet the end part couldn't have been more your typical Stallone/Schwarzenegger flick. But I digress; Despite a tad weaker last few hours, this is still up there among the GOATS and I would love to play the PC version soon in fullscreen and 60 fps with the aforementioned mod. The letterbox and 30 fps annoyed me a bit.