What are you Playing Now? - Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about rock-n-roll

[Hurlshort]

On 2/25/2025 at 4:11 AM, Wormerine said:

I don't know, didn't try - even if it does might be tricky to use. Breaks grated just fine though.

Edit. @Hurlshort I tried it and it works great actually. You can just walk on water while swinging the axe in front of you.

That's awesome. I'll have to keep an eye out for that axe.

[Wormerine]

3 hours ago, Hurlshort said:

That's awesome. I'll have to keep an eye out for that axe.

Area1 memory quest from your misterious benefactor

[Mamoulian War]

Personal Goal nr 4/2025 achieved  

 

February 26, 23:30 – I have finally decided, it is time to finish my Platinum Quest in Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin on my PS4 and after 923 Deaths and 246 hours I have acquired the last two missing spell trophies. The NG2+ run to Drangleic Castle was pretty fast for my typical pace (took a little bit over 10 hours), but as always, I have started to stumble in the Iron Keep. I did few stupid mistakes, including two just before the last bonfire, while fighting the Black Phantom mob guarding it . I’ve been  victorious in all bossfights, with the exception of three on first try. The worst fight for me was as expected the Old Iron King . Due to my silly wipes at Iron Keep, I started to feel tired, so I have either misclicked a button during last 10% of his HP, or I have misrolled in the small lava pool near the fog gate , but I really want to finish the game this night at all costs. After finishing him off on 5th try, the road to the Platinum was clear, and it took me just one last wipe at Mastodons, before reaching Chancellor Wellager and purchasing last three spells.

[Lexx]

I'm playing Dark Souls 3 again right now, for unknown reasons. I just kinda booted it up again and now here I am, right in the middle of it. Back in the days I never played the DLCs either, because I felt so incredibly burned out from the genre. Though, not sure if I will play them this time... Really not in the mood for the snow stuff, tbh.

After putting like a 100 hours into DS2 and then doing DS3 after that... it was just too much. Interestingly, I only had around 30 hours on Steam in the game... this might have been the fastest I ever beat a Souls-game. Even on my replay right now, all in all it does not feel *that* hard. Usually the bosses are slower and not as hectic / chaotic, which makes me a lot better at dodging them.

In comparison, I also booted up Elden Ring again... over 80 hours in that one... Damn, the game looks so good. Every scene is a painting. But here it's exactly the inverse... this game is hard as hell. I die all the time, enemy attacks feel random and unpredictable. Also this huge game world where you had no pointers at all (at release- I saw the 2D map now shows NPCs on the bonfire locations).. it was very draining. Still.. because of how it looks like, I'm tempted to get back into it as well... at least for a while maybe.

Edited Saturday at 12:55 PM by Lexx

[Malcador]

New zone in WoW is nice in terms of the feel and the soundtrack is great. Usual open world stuff, the activity where you shovel trash is...well, trash. The new drifting mount isn't that great in my opinion, but my reflexes never were and are shot anyway.

 

[Lexx]

Ok, just finished the final boss in Dark Souls 3. Needed some coop help to make it less tedious, but all in all it was reasonably easy. And really, after mastering Bloodborne gameplay, DS3 is so much easier since you can block most stuff with a shield and roll away.

Dipped my toes a little bit into the DLCs, but even at level 100something, the beginning areas wiped the floor with me, and I'm honestly not sure if I can bear that. The Ringed City visuals look kinda nice, which might be able to pull me in, but the one in the snow... meeeh, I dunno.

[Hurlshort]

I think I am entering the final zone in Avowed and it has been a great ride. Eora has really come alive for me. I enjoyed the PoE games, but this is very different.

[Hurlshort]

Top Ten Obsidian Games:

1. Avowed

2. Fallout:NV

3. KOTOR II

4. Alpha Protocol

5. PoE 2

6. PoE 1

7. Outer Worlds

8. NWN 2

9. South Park

10. Pentiment

[MrBrown]

That's high praise. I like Avowed, but wouldn't but it near the top of Obsidian games.

(Currently still in the 4th area, as I got sidetracked into replaying the PoE games)

[Wormerine]

8 hours ago, Hurlshort said:

I think I am entering the final zone in Avowed and it has been a great ride. Eora has really come alive for me. I enjoyed the PoE games, but this is very different.

I had a-ok time with Avowed so far, but my impressions are quite opposite. It's a decent time waster, but I found none of it alive or interesting. I just entered third area, and I think I will be leaving it alone for a while - or at least intertwining it with something else on gamepass - I got quite bored and disengaged with it - and I think it will be better if I wait until smacking Xourips becomes appealing again.

[Humanoid]

Yeah, I'm only halfway through the second zone so it may change by the end of the journey, but at the moment I feel it's a good game that won't live particularly long in my mind.

I mean, I suppose for me personally the ceiling was always going to be kind of low because of its modest ambitions - no matter how I build my character it'll always mostly be about clearing camps of enemies with very few non-combat exceptions. It doesn't even remotely attempt to be simulationist in terms of making a living, breathing gameworld, and that's fine - it just means it's not something I'd be looking to revisit in the future. The ideal Game Pass game, in a way.

[majestic]

Hot take: I had more fun with Veilguard - gameplay wise, I mean. Both the combat and the parcouring feels weightier and better in Veilguard than it does in Awoved, where everything is floaty and weightless.

[Sven_]

Now that Paradox has royally screwed it all up: Fampyr Bloodlines, make it happen.
 

[Hurlshort]

3 hours ago, majestic said:

Hot take: I had more fun with Veilguard - gameplay wise, I mean. Both the combat and the parcouring feels weightier and better in Veilguard than it does in Awoved, where everything is floaty and weightless.

I haven't played Veilgaurd, but I didn't know it had parkour. Avowed feels pretty solid for me as a ranger. I read someone compare it to Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, and I can see that, minus the kicking. I'm also playing in first person. I imagine it is less satisfying in 3rd person, as that seems like an afterthought. 

Other than that, I don't get what anyone else is talking about. The world is beautiful and lively, and the different hubs have a ton of history, engaging characters and personalities. But hey, I always thought Skyrim was pretty boring. I mean, sure, people wander around and go to bed. But they all come across as generic NPC's. I guess I prefer the Obsidian style of storytelling and character development.

[melkathi]

I tried the TMNT turnbased tactic game. It is pretty fun, but already the second mission got tiresome. Maybe the mission is simply too long and goes past that point where you realise that you are always just doing the same thing.

[HoonDing]

I can't believe PoE is 10 years old already... and I still can't be bothered to play it when I remember it's that game with no xp for stuff you kill.

[Sven_]

4 hours ago, HoonDing said:

I can't believe PoE is 10 years old already... and I still can't be bothered to play it when I remember it's that game with no xp for stuff you kill.

I can't believe that so many RPGs are still mainly focused on "stuff you kill". Fallout, Torment and even some of Ultima are three decades old now... And I like "stuff you kill". If it's the main course though...  

Honestly have a typical industry playtest in front of my eyes, the kind of best industry practice that ensures nothing ever too special gets made. With half the testers going: "This is boring! Where's ma stuff to kill!" Well, go back to Call Of Duty. Not yer kind of game.

It's a pity. As if combat, violence and death would be treated as something a bit more special, it may actually turn out to be something MEANINGFUL. Rather than just repetition / an awesome obstacle course that's in there so to pose a challenge. "Oh, another one down. Loot, loot, loot!"  

Then again, what am I complaining about? I've still got KCD2 on my disc for the time being.

Edited Tuesday at 11:22 AM by Sven_

[Wormerine]

Started Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. I wasn't feeling it during the intro where it was recreating the iconic opening from the Raiders of the Lost Arc, but once it was over it really drew me in. I did the opening section of sneaking in into Vatican and I really enjoyed it. Simple but competent stealth system. Satisfying punching and whipping. I think I am gonna have a good time with this one.

I will never understand how Indy never sticks with Marian. Still, so far Machine games seem to get the character really well.

[Chilloutman]

I succumbed and bought Old World on GoG. I got that civ itch with all the talks about civ 7 but it does not seem to fit me anymore. So trying this one out after mild disappointment with Humankind. If anyone is interested as well there is now 75% sale on base game, scooped all DLC with my purchase for 50 bucks total, sounds ok to me. Hope it will keep me hooked, thats my budged for this year xD

[Malcador]

I, too have purchased Old World.  Played a bit of the tutorial, so far. 

Finished off Chapter 4 in D4 season journey as I am lazy.

[Zoraptor]

Old World is good. And that's from someone who doesn't like one unit per tile much at all. I'm a bit behind on the dlc though.

Bruce and Elon wouldn't like it due to the DEI influences.

[Lexx]

So after Dark Souls 3 last weekend, I'm now fully back in Elden Ring... Game got a lot easier by now, since there are lots of walkthroughs and tips and whatnot. Managed to beat quite a lot of bosses, and in general I don't have a too terrible time. Tried my hands on Melania, but... I gave up. This is worse than Orphan of Kos (or some say... kosm). The Orphan at least gave you some chance. Melania is just saying no and I die.

However, I've beat Mogh with my chad ash companion Oleg and I'm now in the DLC. Honestly would have never expected to play it (or start playing it), because the difficulty spike that made me stop playing felt so impossible...

That said, the art style is still amazing.

But I might try to wrap up the base game first, before doing more of that... Don't want to get burned out again.

Edited yesterday at 12:04 AM by Lexx

[MrBrown]

On 3/3/2025 at 10:53 PM, Hurlshort said:

I haven't played Veilgaurd, but I didn't know it had parkour.

It has lots of parkour, but the city designs are very unrealistic, so I found it not as appealing as in Avowed.

[LadyCrimson]

Re: "stuff you kill" ... saw this the other day, sorry, can't resist.

[BruceVC]

Completed the main Witcher 3 narrative after about 110 hours   and as I have mentioned in previous posts the entire Witcher series is one of my favourite RPG of all time

W3 gets a solid 90/100 on the global respected " BruceVC game rating system"

I am now busy with the DLC

As far as the final endings were concerned I had some interesting outcomes and these were all because of the narrative choices I made and a few I made in error now that I know the outcomes
 

• Ciri survived and became a Witcher like Geralt, interestingly this aligns to the W4 narrative where she is a Witcher. But I also supported Ciri like the snowball fights and helping her bury her male friend in Skellige and we destroyed Avallac's lab. I was very happy with this outcome and Ciri surviving
• Radovid ended up defeating Nilfgaard and winning the war, I wasnt happy with this outcome because of his witch hunts and persecutions of Sorceresses. So I should have assassinated him with Dijkstra but I made a wrong choice in the Phillipa quest
• Emperor of Nilfgaard was eventually assassinated, I was fine with that because I found him to be insufferably arrogant
• I ended up not being with Triss or Yen and that was my mistake for saying I loved both of them, oh well. I know for next time and remember " hell hath no fury like a women scorned "