dartmonkey

I was similarly cautious and relied on other means to regain Humanity once I discovered them, but I'd estimate the total number of effigies available throughout the game (to be found or bought) is 50ish. If you've played DS before, or are generally pretty handy, I wouldn't worry too much about conserving them. I'm just a bit shite at games.

I have the standard guilt about games I've never played. Fallout, Metal Gear, Super Metroid, Minecraft, the list goes on. The only Monkey Island I've played is 4. They've fallen through the cracks, games are time-consuming, yadda yadda yadda. But there's a whole other world of games about which I have zero guilt. Big ones, often acclaimed with several sequels to their name. I have absolutely no interest in them. For better or worse, I feel like I've got their number. I could genuinely be missing out, but I'll never know. So I thought a thread listing these games might be interesting to see if there are any correlations and perhaps zero-in on some reasons. Remember, inclusion here does NOT mean it's toilet. It could be the greatest. But you'll never know because you're never going to play it. Rayman The Thumbs read an email I sent about this a while back. I just can't get down with Rayman and I can't say why. The latest one looks amazing - the art and animation is first rate. By all accounts it's inventive and colourful and Continentally crazy. But it's just not happening. The character himself neuters my enthusiasm. It's like if Nintendo took Galaxy and replaced Mario with a Mortal Kombat-alike digitised sprite of Vanilla Ice. No. Resistance Grey and brown FPS. There's five of them. Knowledge and interest limit reached. Ridge Racer Somewhere there exists a dusty contract that ensures a perfectly serviceable arcade racer must launch with your console. You'd think they'd come up with the sequel a couple of years down the line...but no. Average launch games only. Feels like it thrives on the fumes of fanboys validating their Day One Perch. Rachet & Clank Okay I'm spotting an R pattern here which must surely be coincidence. Second series from Insomniac. Solid. Reliable. Fun, I'm told. Yerp. Killzone Had to Google this and make sure it wasn't Resistance. Probably says it all. There are six. They look lovely.

If you've got 4 or 5 Soul Vessels knocking about, are there any benefits of starting over with a new build, beyond experiencing the progression and growth from Paul Daniels to Dumbledore 'properly'? Edit. Sorry, super UK-centric ref there. Paul Daniels was a celebrity magician here in the 80s, famed for his most impressive feat - having an improbably super fit wife/assistant.

HOLY shit. I'm at the Dragon Shrine making my way up. Taking ages and I've picked up loads of gear so thought I'd try swapping out my 10+broadsword 10+heide sword combo. Flicked through my inventory, what's this? A Dragon's tooth? Bit goofy, but let's give it a swing.... HOLY SHIT! Where have you been all my life?!?

Batman Beyond Good & Evil Dead.

I played BG&E years ago and remember a very 'complete', unified experience. As Cineaste said, none of the mechanics felt tacked on. I remember thinking it was the game Star Fox Adventures wishes it was. If/When this is released, I'd wager it won't have a 2 in the title. I'd guess BG&E: Reckoning. Or Resurrection. Insurrection. Bigerrection. Origins. Far Beyond Good & Evil. Well-Past Good & Evil. Approaching Grey Area.

Have had similar problems in that area. Also had a strange moment where I thought someone had turned on a radio in my flat, but actually it was the death cry of one of those casters. It IS the intro 'wwoooOOO' from Don't Stop Til You Get Enough.

I hit a wall on Friday, had some online issues. It's strange how quickly your opinion can change if you don't step away for a while. Reyturner's comment in the DS thread on areas going from terror -> discovery -> utility -> banality sums it up. I got stuck on the Royal Rat Big Bastard. I can't get in under him and still haven't defeated it. I can't seem to summon help in that area. I guess I'll return there when I'm souped up. Then again, levelling is plateauing. Anyway, cooping has brought me back round today and got me through Drangleic to the watery blue area beyond. I'll probably do the rest of the game by calling in the cavalry. I've not too proud to enlist bros and I don't want the great experience I've had so far soured by a sloggy backend.

I really fancy trying this out but last time I played 40 hours vanished into the ether.

They're like the normal ones, but red. Demon's Souls is £6.49 on PAL PSN until April 30th. I really don't need a another epic 80 hour slog as I'm knee-deep in 2, but I'm interested in comparing the two and seeing the evolution. Do you think I'd get enough from the experience (with no servers) to warrant a purchase? I'll probably get DS on PC when it goes on sale. Thanks for that.

It's endlessly hilarious, even if I do it! I guess it's the juxtaposition of the noble, serious tone - the outfits and deep bows - and the slapstick. Like the Fellowship nodding at one another before departing Rivendell, the music swelling... and Boromir falling off the cliff. Kills me every time. I went to Shaded Ruins first because I wanted to get through while hollow (is there any way to negate the effect of those curse pots other than destroying them quickly?). Did the female boss and reached the next area(s), then revisited Lost Bastille and I've now tackled a few bosses alone, which was satisfying. I've managed to defeat several invaders. I'm still a little fuzzy on the dark spirits - you can summon dark spirits to fight against from red summon signs while hollow? I've tried to summon a couple but the connection was lost. Also I'm hoarding all the boss souls - apart from the afore-mentioned petrified person, is there any other use for them? A problem I have is that I tend to be inflexible when it comes to weapon tactics. I like to be nimble. I'm starting to remember to use my shield, which is unsurprisingly useful. I'm rocking the same Broadsword I've had for ages (though now it's +10). I'm levelling up a Zweihandler for shits and giggles, but it cripples my mobility by comparison so I never use it. I expect I'll have to upgrade at some point. What relatively low-level weapons are you guys attached to, for whatever reason?

Gah, where's the British Button of Apology? I summoned some phantoms to help me get rid of the 'Night on Bald Mountain' lava demon and managed to die several times in a row. So I summoned a couple of the same guys and prostrate myself by way of apology. There was no return gesture, and I knew what they were thinking - not this goon again. Not wanting to waste another second of their time, I dashed forth over the roof towards the mist gate, jumped and rolled straight into the lava. FUCK! I was too ashamed to summon them again. I did this about three times last night. A thoroughly nice chap was guiding me through the Iron Keep, away from dodgy Lockstones and such. This kind of silent cooperation, using only the basic vocabulary given to you, makes me smile so much. It's joyous. Not that it lasted long. I locked on to an enemy and then walked backwards into a lava pit. Another guy was in my world for all of ten seconds before I rolled off a bridge. Anyway, I've opened up multiple routes now. I've . I don't mind wandering but my playtime is creeping past 40 hours now. Any suggestions as to where I should concentrate efforts next?

Looks Saturn-y. Sign me up!

I just read Jeremy Parish's article on it at usgamer which explains the lack of GBA titles on 3DS (save the ambassador titles). It seems ridiculous to me that 3DS would have trouble running a GBA emulator. It seems equally ridiculous that Nintendo lack the resources to make one, or get M2 on the job. It's nice they're on Wii U, but they belong on 3DS too, no? The Ambassador exclusivity wasn't binding, just a 'no plans' thing. Anyway, most importantly, is there a GBA surround onscreen if you choose 'proper' resolution?

Isn't it the duty of every Rapture inhabitant to be Just finished Burial at Sea 2. For me it characterised all the problems I had with Infinite, though it minimised the combat which was nice. As with all previous games, I never felt motivated to use the plasmids over a meaty shotgun. I have always thought guns were problematic in this series. If I was given only a puny pistol as a last resort weapon, it would force me to experiment with the plasmids and forge some kind of empathy for the splicers. As is, I simply shotgun everything because it's more satisfying. Colombia was a great visual design achievement but that glimpse of Rapture in Infinite proper was thrilling and it's the star character here. However, I always felt they should have set Bioshock 2 in Middle America, with Jack being forced to return to the city mid-game. Rationing it a little would have been more interesting. This doesn't outstay its welcome though. Neat-little-bow retconning aside, I felt more patronised than ever by the writing. Everything was vocalised. - Locked door? Ah, probably best to follow the MASSIVE TRAIL OF BLOOD LEADING TO AN ADJACENT ROOM THAT'S ALMOST CERTAINLY GOT A VENT. "At least they left a trail." - Big Daddy need repairing? Maybe the Little Sisters can help. "Err, excuse me girls - is there any documentation closeby?" (paraphrased, but only a bit). Those two GLOWING CLIPBOARDS I PASSED IN THE PREVIOUS ROOM might be relevant. Probably the Instruction Manual. - Somebody just double-crossed you? "I guess I should have seen that coming." I DID SEE IT COMING, YOU ARSEHOLES! IT WAS TELEGRAPHED LIKE A COLOSSAL NEON PHALLUS. The visual design is more than enough to clue you up and there's always the idiot arrow to fall back on. Please just stfu. Also, who was Sally? I forgot who the hell she was. I had to wiki it at the end. Credits had her as Stock Motivation #4.

Reading various opinions around Bioshock Infinite got me thinking about how faults in games can sometimes be justified or explained through an in-universe detail, or because the perceived fault is intended to mirror the protagonist's experience in some way. For example, one could argue that a confusing and fractured narrative (produced through whatever production/personnel difficulties) evokes empathy for Booker's plight. It's very difficult to know authorial intentions (and you could argue they're irrelevant anyway) but I always feel like I can sniff out BS. It happens a lot in films. I have heard arguments that the superfluous ninety minutes of the three-hour Wolf of Wall Street is intended to bore the reader, evoking the dissatisfaction the protagonist increasingly finds with his indulgent lifestyle and mirroring the MOREMOREMORE fatigue of '80s excess. This conveniently justifies/disguises what I perceive as a fault. However, if anyone has managed to get through Gaspar Noe's Irreversible, they'll know that the reversed narrative (that begins with the violent culmination of the story - a horrendous shaking steadicam attack - before gradually, scene by scene, calming down, becoming 'readable' and providing context) is a REAL grind the first time round, but by the end the authorial intent is very clear. It's a confusing mess at first, and very difficult to stick with. A second viewing is infinitely more rewarding, and in a more affecting way than something designed to tease the reader the first time round with a more puzzle-like narrative (like watching Memento or The Sixth Sense again knowing the 'twist'). The 'it's-supposed-to-be-broken' argument often feels like an author or fan-based retcon rather than a design 'solution'. So I thought a thread discussing examples might be interesting. The Bioshock multiverse can now be used to justify anything and everything (in another universe there exists a Bioshock Infinite where everyone's expectation were met and/or surpassed!) but can you think of other examples of content being used to excuse deficiencies in form, intentionally or otherwise? I can think of a couple of clever intentional instances. Mario 64 did well to make the camera a little dude on a cloud, abstracting it from the mechanic. When the camera got caught somewhere I visualised little Lakitu squished against the wall and laughed off his incompetence. Similarly I forgave my idiot Pikmin as they succumbed to fire or water thanks to poor pathfinding. Bless 'em.

This game! As a newcomer, the biggest surprise for me is the multiplayer interaction. I was expecting a long solitary slog and I have that when I choose, but when I'm feeling lonesome I can warp to the rescue or summon some gracious chaps to aid me in my quest. And every time has been an absolute pleasure. Much as in real life, my level reads 90-odd but inside I feel 35.

I've been to the Forest and got a weapon which I reinforced at the Blacksmith's. I left the forest after finding The merchant there has another key for sale so I'll probably make that my next port of call.

300K is an unimaginable number to me right now. If I've got anything over 1000 I'm whipping back to the Levelup Lady. I'm approaching the flaming tower. I've killed the first knight enough that he has stopped respawning but the second is murdering me with his macey thing.Are there any other DS noobs around? It was only this morning that I worked out that Inventory items need to be mapped to the d-pad through the Equipment menu. And I thought I was wearing 4 rings but turns out I didn't have them equipped! Schoolboy error. I feel like i'm getting to grips with it, but there are some very basic things (like blocking) that I've yet to think about. I'm enjoying the process, but you guys sound like levitating supernatural beings. 300K souls?!?! Shit. Where's the My First SoulsTM thread?

If the GBC is pristine and complete then that sounds fine. Everything else sounds pricey considering the age.

I've played for a couple of hours so far. I spent a long time in the tutorial area dying a lot. It was a while before I discovered the old z-targeting. When I'd got the basics down, I restarted to give myself a fighting chance with a full healthbar and I didn't die quite so much. I need to spend more time getting to grips with the Inventory and menus but I'm enjoying myself. The stats screen is a wash of grey, red and blue - without devoting time to it I've picked a macey thing that was a lot bluer than the broken sword I was using. Just killed a White Knight with it and legged it back to the green lady to level up - another screen that needs deciphering. Going to spend some time tonight with a cup of tea looking at stats. I've found various bits but don't know if the Hoodlum(?) Gloves are better than what I'm wearing, if I'm even wearing any. On another note, what do you guys call yourselves? I swapped out the 'i' in my name for a 'y' to make it olde, but now I'm thinking I should have made myself Lord something. Or Lord Somethyng.

Rockstar weekend Steam deals are looking tempting. I don't even like GTA but 5.99€ for III, Vice City, San Andreas, IV, and Liberty City Stories? I heard The Ballad of Gay Tony was great, but then I heard that IV was the Citizen Kane of video games. I hear lots of things. Is it worth 5.99€ to a man not sold on GTA?

Framerate dips can be irritating but, for me, screen tear breaks the game - I can't play a game that has it. It's constantly distracting. The first time I ever saw it I immediately stopped and educated myself on the function of v-sync. Growing up on consoles, it's something I'd never encountered. If I had, I would have returned the game saying it was faulty. I find it very strange that anyone could play through 80 hours of a game with screen tear and pass it off as 'one of those things' like framerate dips. But hey, I get livid when I see someone watching a sexy HD TV in the wrong aspect ratio. They're quite happy while my bile is boiling.

My money's on the Amazon copy arriving before the download is complete.