What Games Are You Playing?

I'm falling in love with Chrono Trigger all over again. It really is a masterpiece.

Stalled on the final dungeon of Tales of Graces F's Future Arc, but I intend to complete that this week. In the meantime, I started playing Tales of the Abyss on 3DS. I'm not sure if the developers were trying to set the record for the most unlikeable cast of characters in a JRPG but they've certainly done a good job of it so far. I realise there are very good reasons for Luke's behaviour, but my God I've never wanted to punch a main character so much. Don't even get me started on Mieu, doesn't hold a candle to Xenoblade's mightiest heropon Riki. At least Tear isn't massively offensive. The game itself is very pretty and quite fun, though having been spoilt by Graces the combat here feels like a step back (the game did come out a few years before Graces though so I can't fault it).
 
Dubya Dubya Thirteen. The attitude era mode is fun, even if the character models are hilariously bad. Having trouble beating the British Bulldog with HBK - trying to get the historical objectives always ends up costing me the match.
 
Spent 4 days away from the PC (which is very odd unless I'm not home), all because of WWE '13... And now I'm trying to catch up with the world. XD
 
Been marathoning my Daniel Craig Bond games (Quantum of Solace, Goldeneye Reloaded, Blood Stone) in anticipation of 'Skyfall', I really love 'Blood Stone', I think it's an underrated gem (pun not intended, but I wish it had been).

I also rented 'Agent Under Fire' which was pretty good for the first PS2 era Bond game (and the atrocious lack of sensitivity settings.. thank God the game has auto-aim...) though very, very short and pretty easy too on the normal difficulty, especially considering that 'Everything or Nothing' on normal can be really REALLY tough even on the second level...(another game I'm replaying due to 'Skyfall')) but the driving segments are SO much fun, the Aston Martin DB5 level especially; nice hectic chase round a rather quaint town, rocket boosting over rivers and swerving through a train station.
 
I've been meaning to pick Bloodstone up for ages. As soon as I'm not poor (after Xmas I guess) and I see it for cheap I might go for it.

Currently juggling Forza Horizon, Assassins Creed 3, Pokemon White 2, Resident Evil 6, Borderlands 2 and being forced to play Rock Band with the girlfriend. I lack focus :(
 
Quick reviews for the recently finished:

Sleeping Dogs.

Enjoyed it, but fear that enjoyment was down to the location rather than any gameplay content.

6/10

Silent Hill: Bottom Edition.

Or Downpour as it's also known as. Really despised everything about it, found it dull, insipid, a chore to play, by the numbers and about as scary as a bowl of rice krispies. The ludicrous focus on the vapid combat made it feel like Adrian Edmondson and Rik Mayall should be popping up all the time. A shame since the prison theme was a good one.

1/10Only the third game I have ever given 1/10. Be proud, Downpour.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

Got stuck for ages when a lever I was supposed to pull said 'It's stuck in its position' (Cistern area) despite it not being stuck and needed an extra dosage of oomph to get it going. I... didn't find this scary, frightening or even eerie at all :? Guess I wasn't really in the mood. That or the first time I briefly saw the pursuing monster I thought it looked like an ostrich, so 'Ostrich Guy' kind of ruined a lot of it for me. Finished with about 70 tinderboxes and 19 oil jars of oil, so was maybe playing it wrong. Was an interesting walkthrough of a mansion and located areas, but a bit on the boring side... not really my thing. Shame.

5/10

Also playing through Shenmue again. Beat Chai in the arcade 8) Arse handed to me by Enoki :(
 
Started Virtue's Last Reward (3DS version).

Think I chose the version to go for since there's a lot of screen prodding that would get tiresome on the Vita.

Got a bit scared when the first room was stuck in easy mode thinking I'd done something drastically wrong, not wanting. Found out it was the tutorial-room-ease-you-in thing. Good.

As for so far? Only up to the next escape room and... it didn't start as strongly as 999. The mystery wasn't as intriguing, neither were there any 'WTF?' moments like that with a certain someone in the other game...

Some returning characters are nice, though I never thought that's how they would sound. A few subtleties of the Japanese language have also been noted, something I'm sure the English dub would lose out on - As are the rabbit puns that must be a new device for the translation.

Also found myself heading down 'the left side of the flow chart' and had a conversation after a completed room that was insipidly boring.

Can't say I'm liking it that much, to be honest :(
 
After hearing that the EU 3DS version of Virtue's Last Reward also has the infamous save bug, I've put the game on hold for now. Rising Star have promised to issue a statement about the issue soonish, it's the developer's fault for not fixing the problem though, it's been there since the original Japanese release after all!

Bah, if only I had a Vita, I'd import the US Vita version. No save bug, similar-ish price and dual audio! The text is definitely adapted to the not-present dub and it's really awkward when it doesn't seem to match the Japanese audio. I understand why Rising Star chose to cut out the dub, but it's still irritating knowing that there's a more fully featured 3DS version out there that's not available thanks to region locking :evil: Oh well, at least I have the voices of Mamiko Noto and Chiaki Omigawa to soothe me!
 
(I think) I reached a dead end in Virtue's Last Reward.

Have been going down the left side of the flow chart route (using 'ally' in every situation) and... a computer needs an ID and Password.

Thing is I haven't the foggiest what it is. The Flashbacks haven't helped despite me putting in everything relevant as to what it's implying. Sigma says 'I've seen it before,' either he has and I wasn't paying attention or it requires going down another route to see it, in which case I'm not really bothered to be honest.

Been really disappointed with this :( Something about it just doesn't... work.
 
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Ath said:
I'm falling in love with Chrono Trigger all over again. It really is a masterpiece.
Click to expand...


I have this on DS just waiting to be started! I really should play it.

Recently I've been playing a variety of games, that sadly meaning nothing is getting finished. It started with Deus Ex being replayed, then most of Yakuza 3, then playing some LA Noire with a friend. Alas I'm just trying to find what I want to play still.

I really want a Japanese 3DS to play とびだせ どうぶつの森 (the new Animal Crossing) -- one day I'll have the cash maybe!

I also want to buy a WiiU, but I'm not sure if I can play with my friends in Japan or interact on MiiVerse effectively with them. Does anyone know about this?

Any suggestions for engrossing PS3 games, I'm open to-! Playstation All-Stars looks good, but I think I more just want to play Smash Bros. again, and see obvious comparisons (saying this, playing as Sir Dan, yes please!)
 
The only issue with Dan is that, he's actually the weakest in All stars battle royale, i think the new patch may have some buffs to him, but we'll have to wait and see until mid-week i think to see.

I've been working on a fair few games myself. Completed the Halo 4 main storyline on legendary w/ 4 skulls last week, which was fantastic. it was fairly challenging with that, but i think if i had mythic on as well it'd be better. Trying to 1000g it now, which i'll be able to do from tomorrow. Just need to find someone to go through the campaign with and get the last couple of achievements(only need 7 more, 3 of which are co-op ones).

Been blitzing Tales of the Abyss a fair bit too in my spare time between work, sleep and more work. Pretty good overall, but Luke takes a bit of getting used to as a character. He wasn't as abysmal as made out to be, but maybe those low expectations kind of helped him. Now i'm 24 hours into it, he is a lot better. Not sure how far in i am, but i'm seeing me putting at least another 25 hours in before i hit the end, will see.

Finally, the main other game i've started recently is Tokyo Jungle. Only got it a couple days ago, but damn is it good. It has this Binding of Isaac feel to it in some ways with randomisation and some of the ideas, which is nice. The idea of watching your hunger meter, stamina and having to mate actually make it fairly deep as well. Not to the point of ZOMG WHAT DO I DO, but in a sense that, you don't just have to you don't get into a fight you can't deal with. Really enjoying it, just trying to beat it with the Alley cat now.
 
Have been playing Alice: Madness Returns.

Interesting concept, dull execution.

It's okay to play in bursts, but the level design (especially the second half of chapter two) gets dull. But as one would expect from making a darker version of the Wonderland/Looking Glass universe, it has visual imagination. It's just a shame that that enthusiasm isn't reflected in the tedium of the game itself. They've made an effort, there's no doubt about that, it's just... so... very... average.

And after seeing a good attempt from Americans to get a grasp of British colloquialism at first, it falls flat on its face when the word 'ass' appears. Close, but no biscuit, chaps.
 
Halo 6 :)

For the first halo game made by 343 industries (exc halo ani) I think they have done a good job with this game, the new enemy's are designed well and it still feels like a proper halo game :) (although I still miss the flood)

There have been quite random server side problems. Kinda weired to notice you have 23 kills just after it saying "your team won/lost" and then when you get into the lobby it says you made 26 kills :?

So around a 8/10 because of server problems :) Should buy it at somepoint (only rented for a week)
 
Dragonborn the new Skyrim dlc.

Brilliant so far and big! I was playing it all day yesterday and other than travelling to the island I didn't touch the main quest! I spent the day side questing!
 
Have been bitten by The Binding of Isaac again.

Now trying... TRYING to conquer The final stage. Always end up getting stuck in rooms with thousands of holes and those annoying worm things. There's also next to no available health anywhere to be seen. The fact that I'm awful at the Mom boss fight doesn't help :(

EDIT: And a MASSIVE frustration in Virtue's Last Reward (through the Blue door - though, I think the Ambidex Game results alter which one of the specific doors you go in?).

Anyway it was the...B. Garden room.

Really stupid bit of design with the scales. I understood quite clearly that you had to weigh the coins to guess their weight and then put them in order in the wall behind the waterfall. But... it throws a tizzy with you after five attempts and THEN forces you into Easy Mode after a few tries (seriously - what the hell was up with that!?!). What with the usual 'Failure' comment popping up I thought that it was something to do with the drawer beneath the scales (having not bothered to click on them thinking both things together were linked).

Figuring out the coin weight was simple, but with it forcing you in limited tries and with the fact that there might be something more to it was plain atrocious design.

The safe and gold password were perfectly fine to get, but that? Be off with you :evil:
 
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