Hawke64

Blasphemous. An incredibly well-made Metroidvania. Not sure if the gore and the religious aesthetics are supposed to make it more humorous, but they do. The visual design is outstanding and the controls are reasonably comfortable, though the insta-kill spike traps are rather unfun. Discovered that I can get more Estus Flasks by filling the empty ones at the blood fountains after the third (?) boss. Celeste. A very beautiful platformer. Despite the checkpoints being quite frequent, I activated almost all Assist Options by the end of the second area and didn't feel like I was missing anything. I guess, my reaction limit is closer to PoPTSoT than Celeste. The soundtrack might get slightly annoying, though.

Thank you for the suggestion. I will look into it, though installing BIOS images correctly might require slightly more experience than I have. Edit. It seems Asus actually locked the voltage settings in one of the updates (I doubt that the files for a different model would work for mine): https://www.reddit.com/r/ASUS/comments/qdvyui/asus_undervolt_unlocked_for_model_gl704gw_via/

I am looking for a safe way (software suggestions and step-by-step guides) to decrease the CPU temperature while being able to use the notebook for gaming (Elden Ring, Baldur's Gate 3) and ML (e.g. XGBoost). Asus ROG GL704G, Intel® Core™ i7-8750H. The CPU reaches 90+C under stress. The goal is <80C without blue screen, ~45C when idle. The notebook has not been used much and changing the thermal paste at the moment is not an option. I have not found the CPU-related settings in UEFI/BIOS. I have tried to decrease the performance via Control Panel/Power Options, but it did not change anything, and to undervolt the CPU with ThrottleStop by -125mV (cores and caches)*, but it led to hard crash and 3 blue screens. The monitoring software is HWMonitor. Could try with smaller steps (-50mV), though would prefer to know more about the process first. *the guide used: https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-undervolt-cpu-guide/ Edit. Found an official Intel software (https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/17881/intel-extreme-tuning-utility-intel-xtu.html), which lists CoffeeLake as supported, but not the exact CPU model. If anyone has experience working with, the information would be most welcome.

Chests, not barrels. Barrels are single-use, chests last for the whole game. From what I've heard, there should be less surface effects than in D:OS, though, as you've said, meta is still recommended (getting everyone into stealth and on the higher ground before starting combat). I guess, there should be less obvious exploits in a year of active updates. Then again, they might be features, not exploits. Edit. The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk is free on EGS.

Finished The Last Hero of Nostalgaia (pronounced as Nostal-GA-ia). It is an action-adventure/Souls-like. The world is dying and only the main character can save it. The controls are rebindable, the progress is saved on exit. Can't exactly recommend or not recommend, thus not posting it on Steam - the combat is clunky and the backtracking is uncomfortable, but the location design is memorable and the weapon upgrade system is unique. Though, I had to edit the save file to enable fast travel (after trying to backtrack through the woods) and to fix a failed side quest (the time limit and the need to backtrack were not clear). Review:

I think that the puzzle or stealth elements don't work well with more active action platforming. E.g. Guacamelee is an excellent platformer/metroidvania, but has no puzzles or stealth. Same for Celeste (the game is very impressive, but I don't think I would be able to play it without the Assist Mode). The Last Hero of Nostalgaia. It is a purposefully junky Souls-like. Some systems are simpler, some are more intricate. The location design feels a bit linear (the path forward, a dead end, a shortcut), but nice otherwise - there are reasons to return to the previously visited areas, but I have not unlocked the fast travel system yet (if it is present in the game). The second boss battle was ridiculous (might have something to do with me trying to use a new sword and repeatedly misjudging the attack range) - several very different stages, including a group, and the save point was far. Edit. Reached the Wilds (woods). The place is a labyrinth and it is connected to the previously-visited areas.

Finished Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. It is as good as can be expected, though the technical quality of the Sands of Time was higher. I think the boss battle against the twins was bugged (the Eye of the Storm ability turned off after one hit), I fell ~12 times on the jumping plate in the Middle Tower (it did not throw me far enough to reach the dagger-holding point), and there are quite a few differences between the pre-rendered cut-scenes and in-game graphics. Mixed feelings about the idea of accepting fixable mistakes*. The total playtime is around 5 hours, including 20-30 minutes away from keyboard. *

Somewhere in the middle of Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. A few things I've noticed only because I'm playing through the series sequentially - the sound design is better (VA, music, and random noises are separated mostly correctly), the targeting is much less forceful, and the boss battles are somehow more diverse (might be because of the QTEs, though - no giant griffons* this time). On the other hand, the graphics and animations are poorer and the gallery unlocks are not exactly immersive (the "Sand Credits"). *it was odd that the only boss faced during the infinite Sand period did not have any Sand-related gimmicks (like slowing down Mahasti in T2T). Purchased The Last Hero of Nostalgia after playing the demo. It is a Souls-like with a very unfriendly narrator, similar to The Stanley Parable. The controls are comfortable and mostly rebindable and the progress is saved on exit. Will continue after finishing the trilogy.

Mostly agree, though the only issues I had with Farah in T2T (vs TSoT) were the lack fire support during gameplay and the kidnapping part. Liked the new VA a lot, though. The Prince's character development seemed to make sense in the context (especially that not all switches and arena-shaped spaces are traps, but one should think before pulling/entering them). For combat, stealth became a viable approach (which was incredibly ironic with one the Prince's lines in WW - "Where I came from, we face our opponents"). Going to replay T2T next.

Finished Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. The "realism" (as in "How would it work/be used by human beings normally?") of the environment and the combat barks/visual design of the enemies are somehow worse, but the platforming and the ability to traverse the island more freely (to backtrack to collect the health upgrades) feel good. There are more optional collectibles, such as weapons and artworks, but now I am much less interested in hunting them down. I also realised that I had forgotten what some of the switches did and was pulling/pressing them to find out, which was very in-character. Defeated the final boss on the first attempt, the thing did not glitch (it used to instantly pull itself from the ledge in one of the previous playthroughs). In terms of combat, Warrior Within is more comfortable than the Sands of Time, but the targeting and auto-activating the combat mode are somehow inconvenient and some of the actions are bound to the same inputs (e.g. rolling back and doing a backflip with S+Space, which was unpleasant during the final battle). The total playtime, according to Steam, is around 6 hours. Finished Fable III - Traitor's Keep and Understone DLCs. I had forgotten some of the design issues (rather poor combat, untracked fetch quests, and good-looking but inconvenient GUI, including maps), but overall it was a very nice experience. Also Fable III has one of the most impressive character customisation systems and environments - the stats affect the PC's appearance and the story choices change the locations. I suppose, if the reboot is anywhere close to that (and preferably returns visible HP/MP, local maps, and the magic system from the original Fable), it will be great. Also, the game definitely needs a chicken companion animal.

Finished Lucifer Within Us. A short (3-4 hours? If I didn't check the store page, I'd think that it the whole game was an introduction) investigation game. Somehow, it captures the idea better than Pentiment did, but the objective is also different and there is a specific murderer for each case. Fixed the save files for Fable III and was able to load them. Somehow relieved that I can access and use my digital media (technically, we purchase licenses, while the files are the means to fulfill the agreements), although with third-party tools (DRM remover and save editor). I still might start a new game after finishing the DLC, as the saves are from the post-game. Finished Solasta: The Lost Valley. The update slightly messed up the pregen characters' backgrounds. The paladin's I noticed (from Lawkeeper to Lowlife), but missed the wizard's (from Aristocrat to Acolyte) and added her to the party (a rogue, a barbarian, a wizard, and a druid). At some point, the party got another wizard as a follower for a side quest. Because the quest was for a higher-level party and the follower wizard was very effective, he stayed with the party for the rest of the campaign. Overall, I chose a wrong party composition and the parts that I liked were not the ones intended by the developers, such as being able to explore an area without fighting our way through it or using an NPC in the manner described above. I am curious if it is possible to kill and loot Orenetis on the first meeting (thus skipping most of the game), but not going to test it.

You are correct - the water sound does lead to the right door, and I have never noticed it between the characters' comments and the music. The reboot is fine (the controls are a bit unresponsive due to the animations), though the semi-open-world format hurts it - you know that nothing horrible will happen mid-area and that you have to clear all the areas and possibly backtrack to gather the light blobs. But it looks gorgeous and the companion is likable. The Forgotten Sands would be better if it was a stand-alone game (the trilogy has 1 theme and it has concluded; it also does not have HP pickups falling out of vases) without any online components. I think, at different points I've encountered 2 progress-stopping bugs (a handhold not appearing mid-game and a door not opening somewhere late-game). Also, the Steam version might not work at all due to the DRM issues. --- Installed Fable III. After downloading external patches, it agreed to run, but I could not access my saves, because the DRM player's ID was different.

Finished Bad End Theater, a visual novel with the ability to replay the story from each MC's perspective and set the behaviours of the other MCs. The number of unique images is very impressive, though the playtime is rather short - 2 hours in total. Replayed Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. It still holds well, though the combat, the targeting, in particular, is rather uncomfortable. At least once I was defeated in combat (was getting hit while trying to get up and the rewind was reset due to finishing off a foe) and the NPC companion died once as well (was surrounded during the final elevator ride). It is also interesting that the save points are locked behind combat encounters, some of which are skippable. Overall, PoP:TSoT proves the quality over quantity approach - it is concise, on point, and takes less than 5 hours (including the doors puzzle that requires a sheet of paper and a pencil to solve).

It was somehow low on interactions, and the ones present were rather uncomfortable, from the slow exploration to the mini-games to the very low interactivity of the story. Speaking of, the first MC becomes severely unrelatable, as a major story event happens off-screen, and (end-game spoilers):

Finished Tacoma. Nice, but linear. End-game spoilers:

While regional pricing is an issue, especially with the last year Steam guidelines adjustments, waiting for a more bug-free and less expensive versions of the AAA games* seems to be the most reasonable course nowadays (the last 15 or so years). Starfield is also a Bethesda game, which are well-known for their issues on release. *Not applicable to independent developers, they do need support and less likely to attach invasive DRM or exploitative monetisation to their games. --- On another note, I am curious if the Prince of Persia reboot requires the Ubisoft DRM. As is, the game does look interesting, but not outstanding. I guess, I would prefer it to be a separate IP. Also, I think, it would look better with cell-shading, considering the visual style. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown-is-so-much-better-than-it-looks-in-the-reveal-trailer

Agreed. I hope, there will be different ways to approach the oath and the employment, even if their presence is pre-determined.

Finished Dreams of an Exile. It is a functional and minimalistic action-adventure with platforming. Due to a bug, I was able to achieve only the bad ending and not quite inclined to replay the second half of the game. Review: Started Tacoma. It seems to be a walking simulator. Unironically, the character models are very impressive - the NPCs have different heights and weights, which is rather rare. Usually, there are at most 2-3 models of the same height in sci-fi games (thinking of Mass Effect in particular).

Sounds reasonably good, though I would have preferred more races and specific classes. Curious if it is possible to do a complete diplomatic pacifist/stealth/murder playthroughs. Also, I am very happy to see a purely single-player game. An adequate integration of co-op tends to mess up SP and drains resources. Speaking of, I doubt that Obsidian would go for text-only dialogues in a first-person game, so less interactive dialogues, I suppose.

A fair point. The developer and publisher is Neowiz. I haven't played any of their titles, but have 2 of them on the wishlist. I suppose, Lies of P looks somehow similar to Steelrising (a fancy-looking robot* fighting other robots in a European city), but, according to Steam forums, is better optimised. I didn't get further than the main menu, but unlike Steelrising, Lies of P (demo) does not support the 4th and the 5th mouse buttons, which might be fixed in the full version. *I also can't quite unsee that P looks somehow similar to Evie Frye (Assassin's Creed: Syndicate). I don't think that it is intentional, though.

Lies of P PC demo is available on Steam. The price seems rather high for an independent game. https://store.steampowered.com/app/1627720/Lies_of_P/

Finished Self-Checkout Unlimited. It was a quite surreal 2-hour-long walking simulator, despite the first scene implying horror.

There is some sort of complex survivability rating for each character, depending on their role, loyalty, and team composition. So, it is entirely possible to have a fully loyal team and lose some of them and vice versa. The non-combat crew survivability depends solely on the reaction time - the sooner you start the final mission, the more survives. It also introduces a problem with the ME3 world state generator - it is either the loyalty missions or alive non-combatants, but not both. As mentioned above, the OOC PTSD was worse. Kai Leng is poorly introduced and written in-game (he first appeared in one of the ME books and seemed less annoyingly dumb), and covered in plot armour, but fine otherwise. The ending is fine, though I would have preferred it to be more open. --- Finished Record of Lodoss War ~Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth~. Enjoyed it overall, though cannot see another playthrough. Review:

Record of Lodoss War-Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-. I have realised that I should have watched the anime (or at least read the summary) first - the MC recognises NPCs and bosses, but does not elaborate on their background nor there is an in-game wiki (that I could find). The elemental system (Fire and Air spirits charge one another when the MC attacks foes, and when the charge at level 3, the MC regenerates HP and MP) is rather convenient, but it feels slightly OP. Then again, it also seems to be incorporated into the boss battles - when you get hit by a Fire/Wind attack and the corresponding spirit is active, you take no damage and regenerate MP. Thank you for the information. Could you elaborate if there is any branching in the story, alongside the sponsors (what do they affect)?

If I remember correctly, the werewolf is to be encountered somewhere in the late-game. Finished Hob. It looks good and the changes in the areas are quite original - a lot of them literally rise from the ground, but the fixed camera angle, poor collision detection (worked more often in my favour in combat), and the somehow simple combat are disappointing. The worst aspect is the story and its presentation - there are no spoken dialogues or written texts, the characters just gesture vaguely, then a quest marker appears. Maybe. When it does not, trying to guess how to progress, when you also do not know the objective due to the lack of dialogues, is somehow unpleasant. The map takes some time to get used to and still does not cover the dungeons, but it is serviceable when it works. Additionally, there is one unique boss, the rest are regular foes with armour. Occasionally, it is not clear when killing everything on the screen is required to progress. The most reliable indication is an inactive mechanism in the room. If it is still inactive when everything is dead, then the battle was optional. The character development system is present - the health can be improved, the sword can hit harder, the glove can charge faster. There are also outfits that change the stats, but I was unable to unlock them - they required both to be found, then to be unlocked with XP points, which seem to be better spent on the glove.