What are you playing now

[Drowsy Emperor]

TR reboot has taken a turn for the worse. I ended up in the island equivalent Somalia, a level called shanty town. I think I killed about a hundred people there, and besides all the killing there wasn't much to do in the level.

 

The optional tomb (in a game called tomb raider?) took me 5 minutes to complete. In fact all the optioinal tombs aren't really whole levels, they're a single physics based puzzle and a few jumps until you reach a relic and you're done. Some of them look very nice, but they're so short the can't really be considered a significant part of the gameplay experience.

 

In fact the gameplay is 60% shooting 40% (opitonal) exploring levels for scavenger hunt quests. If you don't do the optional stuff its almost a straight up shooter.

 

Some of the design choices fall into the "why did you bother" category, like the skills and weapons upgrades. There are a lot of them at first, and there's the illusion that you're picking one or the other whereas you'll get almost everything inevitably. My weapons are fully modded and I have a ton of salvage that I can't spend on anything. Other modifications will unlock in time, but really, its a case of "we can't let you miss any of the content and/or not let you have something and make you feel bad".

What it really is is timed unlocking of new abilities and weapons disguised as customization i.e. choice on the part of the player, where there in fact is none.

It left me feeling somewhat cheated. 

 

Even though I'm having fun, and the story is still doing a good job of holding my attention, the game isn't really tomb raider. Its what I assume Uncharted plays like  (I don't have a PS3).

 

I agree with this review, although I'd grade the game a bit higher:

http://www.pcgamer.com/review/tomb-raider-review/2/

Edited April 16, 2014 by Drowsy Emperor

[Keyrock]

TR reboot has taken a turn for the worse. I ended up in the island equivalent Somalia, a level called shanty town. I think I killed about a hundred people there, and besides all the killing there wasn't much to do in the level.

 

The optional tomb (in a game called tomb raider?) took me 5 minutes to complete. In fact all the optioinal tombs aren't really whole levels, they're a single physics based puzzle and a few jumps until you reach a relic and you're done. Some of them look very nice, but they're so short the can't really be considered a significant part of the gameplay experience.

 

In fact the gameplay is 60% shooting 40% (opitonal) exploring levels for scavenger hunt quests. If you don't do the optional stuff its almost a straight up shooter.

 

Some of the design choices fall into the "why did you bother" category, like the skills and weapons upgrades. There are a lot of them at first, and there's the illusion that you're picking one or the other whereas you'll get almost everything inevitably. My weapons are fully modded and I have a ton of salvage that I can't spend on anything. Other modifications will unlock in time, but really, its a case of "we can't let you miss any of the content and/or not let you have something and make you feel bad".

What it really is is timed unlocking of new abilities and weapons disguised as customization i.e. choice on the part of the player, where there in fact is none.

It left me feeling somewhat cheated. 

 

Even though I'm having fun, and the story is still doing a good job of holding my attention, the game isn't really tomb raider. Its what I assume Uncharted plays like  (I don't have a PS3).

 

This very much mirrors my own rant on the game some months ago when I played it, except you did it in a much more calm and rational manner, whereas my rant was a lot more bitter and hate fueled.  The game skews heavily toward everything I hated about the Tomb Rider series (combat) and away from everything I loved about the series (exploration, puzzle platforming).  It's a well made game, but it's a cover shooter masquerading as a Tomb Raider game, not actually a Tomb Raider game.

[Malcador]

GTA 4 still, just going through it doing stuff I didn't do the first time.  Perhaps should also try a clean run that involves me not killing people needlessly.

[AGX-17]

Super Robot Wars Z3.

 

GTA 4 still, just going through it doing stuff I didn't do the first time.  Perhaps should also try a clean run that involves me not killing people needlessly.

Is that even possible in a GTA game? Also, using the phrase "clean" to refer to a GTA playthrough is comically inappropriate.

[Bokishi]

Gen 4, level 10 pilot in Titanfall

[Malcador]

Super Robot Wars Z3.

 

GTA 4 still, just going through it doing stuff I didn't do the first time.  Perhaps should also try a clean run that involves me not killing people needlessly.

Is that even possible in a GTA game? Also, using the phrase "clean" to refer to a GTA playthrough is comically inappropriate.

 

Hm, certainly could be - easiest is to not kill pedestrians and other drivers, harder with the shootouts.

 

Partial enjoyment in the challenge in that regard.

[jillabender]

Playing Deus X:HR, and re-playing Mass Effect 1

 

Maybe someone could answer a question for me about Deus X – I've been doing a Pacifist playthrough, but I accidentally killed a guard while performing a take-down, and then reloaded and continued from an earlier save. Does anyone happen to know whether that might compromise getting the achievement?

[ManifestedISO]

 

TR reboot has taken a turn for the worse. I ended up in the island equivalent Somalia, a level called shanty town. I think I killed about a hundred people there, and besides all the killing there wasn't much to do in the level.

 

The optional tomb (in a game called tomb raider?) took me 5 minutes to complete. In fact all the optioinal tombs aren't really whole levels, they're a single physics based puzzle and a few jumps until you reach a relic and you're done. Some of them look very nice, but they're so short the can't really be considered a significant part of the gameplay experience.

 

In fact the gameplay is 60% shooting 40% (opitonal) exploring levels for scavenger hunt quests. If you don't do the optional stuff its almost a straight up shooter.

 

Some of the design choices fall into the "why did you bother" category, like the skills and weapons upgrades. There are a lot of them at first, and there's the illusion that you're picking one or the other whereas you'll get almost everything inevitably. My weapons are fully modded and I have a ton of salvage that I can't spend on anything. Other modifications will unlock in time, but really, its a case of "we can't let you miss any of the content and/or not let you have something and make you feel bad".

What it really is is timed unlocking of new abilities and weapons disguised as customization i.e. choice on the part of the player, where there in fact is none.

It left me feeling somewhat cheated. 

 

Even though I'm having fun, and the story is still doing a good job of holding my attention, the game isn't really tomb raider. Its what I assume Uncharted plays like  (I don't have a PS3).

 

This very much mirrors my own rant on the game some months ago when I played it, except you did it in a much more calm and rational manner, whereas my rant was a lot more bitter and hate fueled.  The game skews heavily toward everything I hated about the Tomb Rider series (combat) and away from everything I loved about the series (exploration, puzzle platforming).  It's a well made game, but it's a cover shooter masquerading as a Tomb Raider game, not actually a Tomb Raider game.

 

 

I remember the expletive you used wanting the game off your hard drive. 

 

I dig Lara, always have, probably always will. Except Angel of Darkness, which doesn't count. I'm hoping this Playstation Now thing will let me play the blocky originals on PS4. 

 

Not playing anything, right now. I never had a PS3, so The Last of Us on PS4 in June is what I'm waiting for, at the moment. 

[Bartimaeus]

Playing Deus X:HR, and re-playing Mass Effect 1

 

Maybe someone could answer a question for me about Deus X – I've been doing a Pacifist playthrough, but I accidentally killed a guard while performing a take-down, and then reloaded and continued from an earlier save. Does anyone happen to know whether that might compromise getting the achievement?

 

I'm almost certain you should be fine.

 

(edit): Decided to make sure: wiki said you should be good if you reloaded.

Edited April 17, 2014 by Bartimaeus

[jillabender]

 

Playing Deus X:HR, and re-playing Mass Effect 1

 

Maybe someone could answer a question for me about Deus X – I've been doing a Pacifist playthrough, but I accidentally killed a guard while performing a take-down, and then reloaded and continued from an earlier save. Does anyone happen to know whether that might compromise getting the achievement?

 

I'm almost certain you should be fine.

 

(edit): Decided to make sure: wiki said you should be good if you reloaded.

 

 

Thanks! After reading the wiki, it occurred to me that I may actually have killed a guard in the prologue chapter, thus locking out the achievement, haha. But there is always the next playthrough ;D

[BruceVC]

 

 

Playing Deus X:HR, and re-playing Mass Effect 1

 

Maybe someone could answer a question for me about Deus X – I've been doing a Pacifist playthrough, but I accidentally killed a guard while performing a take-down, and then reloaded and continued from an earlier save. Does anyone happen to know whether that might compromise getting the achievement?

 

I'm almost certain you should be fine.

 

(edit): Decided to make sure: wiki said you should be good if you reloaded.

 

 

Thanks! After reading the wiki, it occurred to me that I may actually have killed a guard in the prologue chapter, thus locking out the achievement, haha. But there is always the next playthrough ;D

 

 

Interesting coincidence but I am also playing Deus Ex:HR at the moment. I started yesterday, I am not going to follow the pacifist route though, I am one of those uses the gun and bullets to make my point

[jillabender]

 

 

 

Playing Deus X:HR, and re-playing Mass Effect 1

 

Maybe someone could answer a question for me about Deus X – I've been doing a Pacifist playthrough, but I accidentally killed a guard while performing a take-down, and then reloaded and continued from an earlier save. Does anyone happen to know whether that might compromise getting the achievement?

 

I'm almost certain you should be fine.

 

(edit): Decided to make sure: wiki said you should be good if you reloaded.

 

 

Thanks! After reading the wiki, it occurred to me that I may actually have killed a guard in the prologue chapter, thus locking out the achievement, haha. But there is always the next playthrough ;D

 

 

Interesting coincidence but I am also playing Deus Ex:HR at the moment. I started yesterday, I am not going to follow the pacifist route though, I am one of those uses the gun and bullets to make my point

 

It's become one of my all-time favourite games! Hope you have fun with it

[Nepenthe]

 

 

 

 

 

I'm about to play Deus Ex :HR, it looks good. I'm excited

Its better than it looks, you have the director's cut, I take it?

I do indeed, any advice without spoiling the story?

Remember that a headshot is a lethal takedown.

 

Also, the ability to tear down walls could be said to... pay for itself.

I just used UR DEDs for the walls until I had the spare praxis...

[Labadal]

Baldur's Gate II. Stopped playing once Nalia complained about us not going to De'arnise Keep, so that's where my party of adventurers will head next. Then I have to play errand boy for Korgan. As I plan to keep him around 'till the end, I better help him out.

[213374U]

Interesting coincidence but I am also playing Deus Ex:HR at the moment. I started yesterday, I am not going to follow the pacifist route though, I am one of those uses the gun and bullets to make my point

 

Unfortunately, the devs decided to penalize players XP-wise for killing people. Even more so if you kill them from a distance instead of playing the Gray Fox (10XP per kill vs ~50 IIRC). Chances are you will be swimming in upgrade points by the end of the game regardless, but early to middle game, you will feel the difference, especially as a run-and-gun playthrough will necessitate that you invest in dermal armor and stuff, delaying upgrades to hacking, etc.

 

 

I just used UR DEDs for the walls until I had the spare praxis...

 

Never thought of that tbh. Come think of it I never used explosives in that game.

[marelooke]

Yeah a compelling story is probably one of the things that appealed to me in the TRreboot.  I enjoyed the story as it unfurled and also finding the various text pieces that hinted at the back stories going on.

NOTE: *minor* spoilers.

 

TBH I thought the story started out very strong but really took a nosedive in the second half of the game. I get that Lara is supposed to be inexperienced, but apparently that equals "stupid" (it also doesn't hinder her from turning into "the terminator" halfway through the game); I facepalmed (hard) irl when she actually shouted at someone dragging a kidnapped person around. I mean, really? Ok sure, in my experience I keep my cool better than most, so maybe I can't properly relate, but I'd certainly expect that very quality in someone who's supposed to be a "leader" and a "survivor".

 

That was the most prominent example, there were a few other things that bugged me (like her hiding things from the rest of the group for no good reason resulting in more trouble down the line).

 

Personally I also thought the ending was pretty weak and no real reason was given why she'd continue digging through tombs after such a harrowing experience. Most sane people with that much money would stay the hell away from trouble after that. I mean she lost how many friends on that adventure?

 

 

In other news, I started playing FEAR again. Damn those newfangled shooters with their aim help and other crap have made my aiming skills weak...

Edited April 17, 2014 by marelooke

[Amentep]

^I understand your criticism but not really my feeling. Sure I felt it was stupid when she shouted in the scene mentioned. I didn't mind the hiding information since that seems to be a pretty common occurrence in today's fiction (heck the entire series Lost was based on people not telling things that if they had would have saved people and probably got them off the island faster).

[Drowsy Emperor]

 

Yeah a compelling story is probably one of the things that appealed to me in the TRreboot.  I enjoyed the story as it unfurled and also finding the various text pieces that hinted at the back stories going on.

NOTE: *minor* spoilers.

 

TBH I thought the story started out very strong but really took a nosedive in the second half of the game. I get that Lara is supposed to be inexperienced, but apparently that equals "stupid" (it also doesn't hinder her from turning into "the terminator" halfway through the game); I facepalmed (hard) irl when she actually shouted at someone dragging a kidnapped person around. I mean, really? Ok sure, in my experience I keep my cool better than most, so maybe I can't properly relate, but I'd certainly expect that very quality in someone who's supposed to be a "leader" and a "survivor".

 

That was the most prominent example, there were a few other things that bugged me (like her hiding things from the rest of the group for no good reason resulting in more trouble down the line).

 

Personally I also thought the ending was pretty weak and no real reason was given why she'd continue digging through tombs after such a harrowing experience. Most sane people with that much money would stay the hell away from trouble after that. I mean she lost how many friends on that adventure?

 

 

In other news, I started playing FEAR again. Damn those newfangled shooters with their aim help and other crap have made my aiming skills weak...

 

 

I agree. After the nice platofrming on the moutnain level the second half of the game is more akin to Gears of Tomb Raider. The cinematics are great but the story and the characters (which are shallow walking stereotypes) are going nowhere. I still have a bit to play before I reach the end but the constant combat is wearing me down.

 

 

Finished South Park. Its very well made and there are a lot of great ideas in it. I laughed pretty hard more than a few times. THat said, it still has the Obsidian "bug" of being rather boring to play at times. There is way too much combat, which is sort of pointless given how easy it is. There are way too many unnecessary features in the game and much of the "leveling" is fake in the sense that all classes and options are pretty much equal. My rogue ended up a straight melee powerhouse, dealing 10000 dmg per hit, which is more than double of what his abilities could do.

 

Obsidian's lingering problem is making their games fun to play. They need to make sure the basic mechanics of the game are fun, before all other wacky ideas are put in. South park really only has two, the special abilities that open up new areas in the world (confusingly bound to 2x2 keys, gamepad style) and the combat. The former can be majorly annoying in the latter part of the game where you have to cycle through them constantly and the latter is the very outdated JRPGstyle that IMO has no place in a new RPG. Its simply inelegant and clunky and its saved only by being easy to the point of triviality.

 

Insofar as a grade means anything I'd give SP 4/5. 

Edited April 17, 2014 by Drowsy Emperor

[Keyrock]

More Call of Pripyat.  I made my way to the first helicopter crash site, the one near the sawmill.  I should have just went there when I was at the sawmill getting tools for Cardan, it would have saved me a walk.  Oh well.  After that, I went to the snork filled caverns to get snag's container.  Easy peasy.  Of course, I didn't give the container to Snag, because I'm shady like that, instead I had Cardan open it for me for a small fee.  I kept what I needed and sold the rest, giving me enough scratch to upgrade my SVD and Viper 5 to acceptable killing machine levels.  Next up I'm going to do The Hit.  I had tipped off Beard earlier, so I'm going to wipe out the bandits.  The weaponry I have now will be acceptable for a while.  The SVD is a mean murder machine, but obviously rather situational.  The Viper 5, which I like much better than the 74/2U you start with, is quite effective at short to medium range.  I don't mind that it loses accuracy very rapidly at longer ranges, that's what I carry a sniper rifle around for.  I like that the Viper 5 doesn't have a wild amount of recoil so that I can neatly land 3 or 4 shot bursts and rarely waste many bullets.  The stopping power is...  acceptable.  I'm not going to waste any more money on upgrading it beyond the basic upgrades I've already had done to it, since I'll likely wind up getting something better relatively soon.  My main goal right now is to get some better armor than the sunrise bodysuit you start with.

[sorophx]

I found Call of Pripyat's combat rather disappointing. I don't know if it was the AI of the bandits, my inability to kill them with one head shot, general inefficiency of suppressors, or maybe it was all those things combined, but I though it was one of the worst sandbox shooters I'd ever played. 

[Drowsy Emperor]

My experience was the exact opposite. Wandering about the empty buildings with that subtle music in the background in a complete exosuit with nightvision was one of the most enjoying things I've done in a shooter. Before I got those things it was nerve wracking. 

[Keyrock]

The combat itself, once the shooting starts, in Call of Pripyat, or any of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games is pretty mediocre, in my opinion.  Everything leading up to the combat is absolutely brilliant.  Trying to remain unseen and silent, crawling through the reeds, peeking around a wall, hearing sounds and trying to pinpoint their source, finding a good vantage point and looking for a good spot of cover to snipe from.  Going through all the preparation only to have a blowout approach screwing everything up and turning things into a frantic scramble to get to shelter without getting gunned down.

[mkreku]

I found Call of Pripyat's combat rather disappointing. I don't know if it was the AI of the bandits, my inability to kill them with one head shot, general inefficiency of suppressors, or maybe it was all those things combined, but I though it was one of the worst sandbox shooters I'd ever played. 

 

I hate you.

[Zoraptor]

I rather like the combat in the Stalker games, hits a sweet spot between the autism of OpFlash/ Arma and the pewpewplinkplink of most other shooters. Never had a problem quickly dropping mooks with headshots either.

 

On the other hand I really didn't like aspects of CoP, not least that I ended up with a Vintorez and plenty of ammo very quickly whereas achieving decent kit was a long but ultimately rewarding experience in SoC it felt like the stuff was handed out like lollies in CoP. Plus, for some reason they stopped doing the extremely atmospheric and utterly awesome underground levels like the X labs after SoC, and that was very disappointing.

 

The Viper 5

grrrrrr

 

Seriously bro, use a real names mod. I beg of you.

[Orogun01]

After recently finishing CoP and then trying out the Misery 2.1 mod, I cannot stress this enough: don't play Misery.

I think that a lot of the issues from CoP stem from the fact that it was open world, I still enjoyed it though but I kept wanting a defining moment like the construction site or the army warehouses in previous games.