Hawke64

Stray Blade. Defeated the first major main boss on the first try, while repeatedly getting killed by a random halberd warrior and low FPS (there was a lot of clutter in the area) before that. The boss had a reasonably interesting story background (the companion had been talking about him for the past 8 hours), some specific battle mechanics (required to break 4 glowing things in the arena), and visually distinct design (a lightning sword and deer-like facial features). So, it was fine, but the combat encounters with the regular foes are rather uninspired, even before taking into account the occasional FPS drops. 2 more areas and 4 bosses to go. The skill tree is filled for about 75%, and I am curious if the character development system is going to change.

Stray Blade. Defeated the first main boss by face-tanking and hitting it with a halberd. Spent 2 hours running in circles before that - the goal of the past 7 hours was to find a way around several locked gates and collapsed bridges to the boss, so I suppose it is on point. Encountered 1 rather unpleasant bug - a weapon blueprint, thus, a skill upgrade, was not dropping. It was resolved by switching to the beta branch, then back. Story-wise, it is funny that the NPC companion wants the invaders out of the Valley, because they kill and destroy everything there, including each other, and this is exactly what the MC and the companion have been doing throughout the game. Except destroying buildings - the buildings are invulnerable. So, it is either some meta commentary or a ludonarrative dissonance. So, overall, the game is not terrible, but I would have felt bad if I didn't get in a bundle. Granted, another game from the same bundle tried to fry my CPU, so this is definitely an improvement. And the story might get better.

If it is anything like DDDA, you can actually "romance" anyone. Though, as you said, random NPCs have less story content than the main ones. Curious if the issue with the duchess (forgot her name) and the lack of dialogue options was solved. Unironically, the best beloved from the gameplay standpoint was From the story perspective, there were several options with some quest lines, including the best friend, the travelling merchants, the knights, and the witch. --- Stray Blade The companion drags the MC's body to the checkpoints for revival. I have not noticed any negative consequences for dying - only unfinished groups of enemies recover, which is very convenient for upgrading weapons. The "Enemies Cleared" message means that the foes will remain dead.

Fable: Lost Chapters, III, Anniversary (haven't played Fable II ) are stylistically consistent heroic (villainous) adventures in the more or less classic magical folklore setting. While they might lack complexity in combat and story, they are generally nice. Also, setting up homes (and optionally adopting orphans) was the best way to play Fable III - the story was built around fulfilling your promises after becoming the kingdom's ruler, while also trying to have enough resources to mitigate an upcoming calamity. Having a steady stream of income from the property helped greatly. Another relatively immersive action-RPG I can think of is Outward, but I have not played it much - going to do a full co-op playthrough at some point. There is also Hardland, but it was a rather unusual action-adventure game and it could be annoying at times. --- Stray Blade. The character upgrades are locked behind the weapons, which blueprints first must be obtained (seems like random drops so far), then the crafted weapons must be used, and only then the level up points can be spent on the upgrades. On one hand, it is probably good that there is a reason to try various weapons, on the other, I want those dual daggers from the store page and nothing else.

These AC spin-offs look great. I played AC Chronicles: India, but didn't finish.

Unless it does not affect the game itself completely (e.g. artbooks, soundtracks, clearly labelled donations), it should not be included - any in-game benefits screw if not the balance, then the immersion. --- https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/new-arc-line-is-a-party-based-steampunk-rpg-with-notes-of-bioshock-and-dishonored Added the link to the article in case the video does not work. I would prefer RTwP, but the game looks interesting and somehow reminds of Arcanum (which I have not finished). The PC seems to be customisable.

I would suggest to avoid the game - the IP owner is a piece of ****. If you haven't played them, the Fable games are quite decent - might be a bit too light on dialogues, but they are immersive and the last one has a dog companion. --- Thought of starting another playthrough in Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen as Frodo and Sam (someone already had the same idea). My old saves from the Steam version are compatible with the GOG one, so while I could just start a new NG+ cycle, I went with a completely new character, because the challenge does not scale with levels. @WormerineThe thing with pawns is that their AI should handle encounters on their own (I could not find the video, but the pawns absolutely can solo drakes) or assist you (e.g. a Fighter can launch you to reach hydra's heads). The intended way is for your pawn to learn from your application of the available commands (e.g. "Attack", "To me", etc.) and witnessing monsters' weaknesses. Though, the former goes better when the pawn's AI is occasionally reset with the Inclination elixirs. --- There is no Light. The game looks quite good visually and the controls are rebindable. The story is a bit weird - the MC's wife gets kidnapped by 2 soldiers while he's just standing and watching, then he picks up a sword and kills a few squads of them. Crystal Tales Tactics demo. Looks very similar to Fire Emblem but with much lower production costs. The controls are rebindable, I could not get the combat yet (2 battles in) - there is some synergy, but I am unsure how to apply it. Stray Blade. I had thought it to be an RPG, but it feels like an action-adventure. I like the design decision to have full armour, so the MC's face is never shown (so no facial animations; the armour is customisable). The controls are rebindable, though the combat is not exactly comfortable - there is no attack cancellation and it seems like the system is build around parries, but the enemy attacks are delayed, thus, it is hard to time the parries correctly. The exploration feels good enough - there are some paths that I should be able to take after unlocking the required abilities, the environment is readable, the loot is fine. The system requirements and the visuals do not align - 4GB VRAM and 30GB storage should not look like TESIV.

Does the story remain grimdark throughout the game or gets anyhow more optimistic? The options for the first chapter (and their outcomes from the wiki) were not particularly inspiring.

Thanks to the bank holidays (and to ShadySands for the key), finished Citizen Sleeper. It is a visual novel with management elements in a cyberpunk setting (the MC is a runaway cyborg on a falling apart space station). I did not notice much branching in the dialogues - quite often the options were "yes" with different levels of enthusiasm, but the ability to fail or not to complete quest lines somehow alleviated it (there were timers and the MC needed to consume resources to avoid dying and/or death spiralling). The game used only the mouse (including the scroll) and Esc, and they could not be rebound. The most frequent action was dragging something across the screen - dice, items, cash, etc. So, while I did not find the dystopian narrative too compelling or the gameplay too engaging, it was generally fine.

Finished Death of a Wish. In short, it is a good action game with good controls and a variety of builds. Review: It was somehow funny to play DoaW alongside Saints Row - both MCs are very good at combat and prone to start it, but where the Boss is laid-back and has a social support circle, Chris spends most of the story being angry and causing unhappy accidents to his immediate environment.

Finished Saints Row. Shared the late-game thoughts here. After finishing the post-game, I would add that I would love if the side activities were more tightly bound to the main story and less numerous and repetitive, while the main rivals and companions had more dedicated missions. I liked the Eurekabator quest line - there were 3 missions, they directly referenced Marshall, and each rewarded with a cool gadget. The Food Truck ones, on the other hand, were very similar, not related to anything, and there were 5 of them. So, to unlock the final final mission I spammed the Lottery Ticket in-game cheat to get the funds required to build the final Criminal Ventures. I probably could go and finish all side quests, while the funds built up through the passive income, but I did not want to. About DDDA. I liked that the nights were dark and the random areas were not FOMO-inducing - there was nothing of note there and nothing to miss by not exploring them meter by meter, while they still provided the sense of travel and adventure, thus, being the opposite of Ubisoft's approach.

There have been small levels of DRM in some of the released games, e.g., Twitch drops, online functionality/multiplayer, one (?) game "can be started but can't be played without creating a player profile and save game online. It is fully DRM-ed!". https://www.gog.com/forum/general/drm_on_gog_list_of_singleplayer_games_with_drm/page1

Saints Row Sergio defeated. The context of the battle was fine, though I would not mind to have 2-3 missions dedicated to Los Panteros' lore. The Necromancer contract. And so the party decided to rescue this work of art. The nature in the game is beautiful. Unlocked the VTOL, which made the Threat side missions significantly easier. The aircraft was unlocked from the start in the previous SR. There was a hover craft and I discovered it only post-game. Randomly found several good cars and saved in the garage. The ones available by default were somehow harder to drive. These are loading screens with, I assume, the max settings. As I understand, the house was added in a free DLC. Probably the longest side mission chain I did not finish. Late-game spoilers (Marshall). The restored HQ. The final mission(s).

For random encounters without much positioning or any sort of tactics, it often feels like they should be over as soon as possible. The boss battles (with 1-2 large/very dangerous foes) usually require some strategy, have significance for the story, and are quite engaging (unless they are puzzle-like and require 1 very specific solution), but they would not feel that way without some low-effort (from the designers and the player) fights. So, yes, RTwP systems allow to speed up the later and focus on the former.

(Looking through my Steam library for RPG games with a party in any setting). If action-RPGs (little player's agency) count, then: Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. Dungeon Siege III has quite a lot of combat, but technically there is a party (of 2) and some decent decisions>consequences. I also have it in my Steam inventory if anyone is interested. There is also Ember, which was fine (amusing, but, again, quite light on dialogue options). Any of Spiders' games - they all (except Steelrising) were party-based action-RPGs of variable quality. Sword Coast Legends was fine (?). Not sure if it is still available for purchase. There are several quite good party-based RPGs, though the combat is turn-based. Expeditions: Viking was good, with several outcomes and paths to victory (the PC's village not dying out). The sequel was prettier and the combat was better, but it also had more grind (may the conquest battles and random encounters be damned) and felt more shallow. In either game, the PCs' societies were not exactly pleasant, though it somehow depends on the roleplay. The above-mentioned Encased, Wasteland 3, and Shadowrun: Dragonfall and Hong Kong were excellent. Torment: Tides of Numenera.

Saints Row is an interesting juxtaposition of a coming of age story with the usual Power of Friendship and cartoonish violence, gang violence, and the very modern job market. I found it particularly touching after almost 4 months on LinkedIn. It is also a stark contrast to SR2, at the same time being a logical evolution of the series, with the previous entries How the Saints Saved the Christmas and Gat Out of Hell. But ultimately, it is a story about imperfect people in an imperfect world doing their best (through violence)*. So, while the party is not investing in education or researching renewable energy or creating legal job opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, one of the companions donates toys to orphans and there is an actual cat who is unharmed. The graphics and visual style are fine and I found them more appealing with the visual accessibility settings and some filters. As is, they seemed a little too detailed yet some animations were occasionally too minimalistic, but as mentioned, it fit the general style. The controls are comfortable and rebindable, though the aim assist felt a bit too strong by default. The combat felt simple but functional (when compared to Devil May Cry, which might be an unusual example), though I have not used the special abilities. Same for movement and driving, but there are flying suits, which are more grounded than the superhero abilities from SRIV. The range of customisation options is excellent and includes body sliders, layered clothing, and several voices. On the negative side, the missions have been linear so far, and I am 50% in**. The side missions and collectibles are nice, though I would have preferred them being available from the start. As is, their availability is bound to the main story. The number of the save slots is limited to ~16 (not sure, but not enough to save every other main mission). Disabling the online DRM requires adding a launch parameter to the executable. Overall, I would recommend it with the right expectations. *just finished the game. It was about the Power of Friendship. The final mission was very touching and well-made. **one choice for the main story. --- Nioh 2 is an exploration-light (mission-based) Souls-like with a linear story, a quite (for the lack of a better word) shiny (visual-effects-heavy) combat system, and absolutely horrible inventory and loot. Aragami 2 is a decent stealth game. You also can jump there, unlike Aragami 1. It was sad that the developer closed about a year ago. Soultice (EGS) didn't run. Haven't played the rest. --- I am curious about Citizen Sleeper, though I might dislike it. There is no Light: Enhanced Edition looks visually appealing. So, if no one else is interested, the key for either would be appreciated.

https://www.ign.com/articles/dragons-dogma-2-mods-undercut-capcoms-controversial-microtransactions-dish-out-infinite-save-slots Somehow a modder adding essential functionality to a $70 game seems rather odd. Just how hard it was for Capcom to implement manual saving with several characters and into several slots if Bioware managed to do it 25 years ago with BG1 and 10 years ago with an engine for multiplayer FPS? To Dragon Commander.

Sorry for the late reply, but yes - if the combat tutorial has started, backing out is not possible. Some random info on the no-kill run: There's a knock out/non-lethal combat system. The fatigue damage does not scale with anything, so it is possible to KO a foe in one turn + surprise turn. The one possible inconvenience is that the PC gets tired as well and will need to sleep without foes around (by passing out and passing time). A companion recruitment spoiler: Technically, you can reverse pickpocket, but the number of timed explosives is low and so are the crafting materials for them. Not all side quests can be resolved without combat, so having a party (who also can hit people on the head) is recommended. The Magellan Station is enormous (as far as I know, it was the starting point in the EA) and easily can take 30% of a playthrough. There's nothing comparable to it later. The writing in the low-Int playthrough is significantly different. The only thing I can recall about the survival elements is that I was low on food at the beginning of Act 1 in my critical path run.

The holograms seem to count towards human kills (at least one of the guides says so), but a full pacifist/stealth run should take about 4-5 hours when you do only critical path and know exactly what you are doing (there is a step-by-step guide on Steam written and tested by me). Death of a Wish. Defeated 3 out of 4 main bosses. So far so good, though I liked the silent MC in Lucah more.

Saints Row The team building is going well. Got a new hat. Death of a Wish The game is unintentionally funny. And there is a cool garden.

Regarding DD2, the saving system seems to be (not going to get it, so comparing to the experience) the same as in DDDA - one save file per PC/account. As mentioned, can be easily bypassed with Windows Explorer and creating your whole party can be done with Steam Family Sharing (but one would have to go online with each account to upload and download the AI companions). Though, it is really inconvenient that the game lacks such a basic thing as manual saving with several characters. I suppose, it is tied to the online system, which, unlike saving, is a gimmick. Regarding MTX in Capcom games, I can remember the MTX being in their games for quite some time. They definitely were added post-release to DMCV and were present in Monster Hunter (which I refunded). --- https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/no-more-heroes-and-resident-evil-devs-cult-shooter-shadows-of-the-damned-finally-gets-a-pc-release-this-year https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/if-working-overtime-on-aaa-games-with-giant-budgets-is-the-only-way-to-succeed-then-maybe-the-industry-deserves-to-die-says-rpg-veteran-david-gaider-there-is-another-way-to-be I definitely would not object to lower system requirements, no DRM, and no MTX.

Just in case, PC Gaming Wiki says that the Steam version is DRM-free. So, it is possible to download, zip the folder, and put on 2 external drives as backups. It also should be possible to run without Steam, just from the *.exe.

It sounds rather odd - the people who purchase on GOG are less likely to trust their continuous access to their purchases to the publishers' whims (or whatever Amazon is). On the other hand, the ones who use streaming services are less likely to bother with backups, which are the main feature of GOG, or concerns about ownership and preservation, while Steam has a wider selection or titles. So, odd.

It's a visual accessibility option + the Retro filter. The trailers show that the game would look different without them - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAvdbvX79H4. I suppose, if there was a dedicated cell-shading option, like in Prince of Persia 2008 reboot, I would have preferred it.

29% on the save file, I think? Just got the actual recruits and started planning to rob a train. And yes, the quest line was fun. The dialogue with Gwen was good as well (as a rather friendly rivalry).