Recently completed video games

[Twig]

Alan Wake is one of my absolute favorite games from around that time and I'll fight anyone who trashes on it!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

American Nightmare is kind of incredible but also fucking weird.

[thenexus6]

Alan Wake's American Nightmare

 

Within 20 minutes I already preferred it to the original game. The setting and atmosphere are probably the strongest things about the first game, but I liked the different look in this game. More colour, nice new HUD, way more weapons, you actually get rewarded for collecting manuscript pages with the weapon boxes, easy enemy encounters. I also dug the live action segments. 

 

The gameplay loop did get a little repetitive but luckily its slightly different each time so make it interesting still.

 

Also finally you can turn off motion blur! However the annoying auto switch shoulder was present.

[Rilen]

Half Life: Source 

 

I remember my first experience with games as a larger thing that existed outside my house was a PC Gamer issue where they did their first 50 best games ever roundup. Most of the issue was about Half Life and Deus Ex. I read and re-read the articles, and though it turned me into a pc player, I never managed to pick up copies of either of these two games. In the intervening years I read many many retrospectives, re-plays, and commentaries on both games, their genius, their historical impact, etc. Still never played them. So when I finally sat down to play HL, I was worried that the dated graphics and famously frustrating platforming would stop me from enjoying it. I was Half-Right   

The game is incredible! It's astonishing to see the development of Valve's slick ability to do environmental storytelling, their plotting and suspense chops, and the overall weirdness and oppression of that world that I had become so used to from HL2 and Portals. The story was fun, creepy, exciting, and intriguing, even though I knew what was coming. It was a blast and I was genuinely affected by most of the story beats more than 90% of the game's I generally play. It was great, and I'm glad I finally played it. 

Good god that game is old and needs some love, though. The movement is awful, crouch-jumping makes me hate everything, I had massive gaphical tearing and sound effect problems in several levels, and occasional it would cause my graphics card crash. Considering how good and historically significant the game is/is considered to be, I can't believe that Valve haven't bothered to release even a token re-skin/remaster. Bleugh. I think I also had forgotten how hard shooters of that era was, it definitely took me a while to get back into the mindset. 

Anyway, I think I'm going to replay HL2 and then play the episodes for the first time. 

[Beasteh]

You need to check out Black Mesa, the fan-made reworking of HL1 in Source. It's so much better than Valve's token effort. You'll still have to crouch-jump though, it's part of the game.

[thenexus6]

Costume Quest

 

Been meaning to play this for so many years. I only ever played the first 20 minutes a few times but never got any further, mostly due to it not running great on my MacBook. Now I have a Windows 10 desktop so jumped in for the Halloween season.

 

I really dug it, very simple game with alot of charm. I did find a weird choppiness to the game, which is a little puzzling seeing as the game isn't very demanding..

 

I finished it in around seven hours, moving into the DLC and Costume Quest 2 next during the build up to Halloween. 

 

Definitely worth playing this time of the year.

 

Edit:

 

Grubbins on Ice 

 

Neat little DLC. I enjoyed the new locations and costumes. Not really much else to say about it!

[Tanukitsune]

I just got Jaehee's good ending in Mystic Messenger, a very unique otome VN/social sim since it's in REAL TIME!

 

While you can pay with the in-game currency for what you missed, if you missed a call or chat room, the story goes on without you... What's the story? You find a strange app that leads to the RFA association, where they hire you to deal with getting guests for a party. While their personal private chat room, people will suggest guests for the party, who will email you if you agree. The guest's email are mostly a test, some will ask questions from their field, while one chauffeur asked me advice in how to reconnect with his son for some reason.

 

While in the chat room, replying to the RFA members give you hearts which will lead you to their story line.

 

The game does have some issues, you need the in-game currency to unlock some story routes and even worse, to see the "after ending", a.k.a. the real ending and what you want to see. The game starts using not that much space, but it keeps downloading more data as the story progresses and I heard you could need 1.5 to see everything.

 

While I enjoyed the game... I'm not sure if I like the real time VN approach to see the other endings, I suppose most people just pay money to get as many hourglasses as you can? 

[Griddlelol]

Transformers Devestation

 

Bayonetta light, with the cartoon aesthetics of 80s transformers. Unfortunately I am slightly too young to ever have loved transformers, having been born in the late 80s. Still, I appreciated the look of the game. So bright and beautiful.

 

Plays well too. I mean, it's basically just Bayonetta. So it's hard to go wrong!

 

Edit:

 

I have actually picked this up for the challenge modes after beating it once, and am even having a crack at the hardmode campaign. This is a REALLY good one of those Platinum Style games. There seems to be less juggling involved, but counters/vehicle attacks and guns make this a great version.

 

Seriously, the guns, are amazing. You can absolutely destroy anyone with a dodge-reversal-vehicle attack-shoot combo. Really loving this game, didn't realise how much I wanted a Platinum style game recently.

[Beasteh]

Finished the missions in The Crew. Which were actually not the best part of the game. In fact, many of them were controller-snappingly frustrating (e.g. those damn takedown missions, and if I ever have to play another game where I have to drive into boxes 100 times over, it will be too soon).  The plot's bizarre, trying to mix GTA and Fast & Furious but it feels like a contrivance to lead you through the lacklusture missions.

Also, for a dev team that seems passionate about cars, I was disappointed to see a lack of attention to detail (some of the cars have V engines when they should be inline, or you see rear wheel burnouts on FWD cars - it matters, dammit!).

Yet somehow I keep coming back to The Crew. Why? It's a pleasure to just drive around in, the mini-America setting lends itself so well to road trips. It's beautiful, spectacular at times. A great game for relaxation and exploration, familiar landmarks raising a smile - forget the missions, this is what The Crew is really about. A walking simulator with cars.

[Tanukitsune]

Wow, you guys should really try out Alone With You, from the same guy who made Home.

It's "sci-fi romance adventure", where you're the last human on a planet where colonization wen't pretty bad. The resident A.I. is doing it's best to get you off the planet and sends you off to other parts of the colony to get parts or data to help the ship's construction.

 

What makes it different from other games is that the computer is running a holo-deck like place were back-ups of some of the best scientists are still working on schematics and data to help you escape and to have someone to talk to and who knows maybe even fall in love?

 

I don't know why I'm putting this in a spoiler, but you obviously find their bodies and it's very... distressing to talk to them about it?

 

It's also an adventure, but the puzzles are usually just finding passwords or items to open something.

[Dewar]

I was just watching the Giant Bomb video for that today. I'm interested.

[Wrestlevania]

Currently about halfway through Gears of War 4 on PC. It's a surprisingly good conversion, with a ridiculous amount of graphics options. But even without spending hours fiddling with those, it's running extremely well on my i5-6300 + GTX 960 setup.

 

More importantly, where I hated the original trilogy for being so achingly earnest and serious, the 4th game's cast are refreshingly light. They even knock on the fourth wall occasionally, delivering sarcastic retorts when you fluff a reload and jam their/your gun.

 

The Coalition have evidently had a lot of fun with the script in other places too. The main protagonist and one of his sidekicks get into a debate about an in-game lift being “funicular” for example.

 

As noted in one review I read, the early robot baddies are a bit charmless, and add no character to the trademark cover-shooter combat. However, when the organic enemies turn up a couple of hours in, the AI kicks into high gear (yes I know what I did), and all manner of smart, panic-inducing flanking manoeuvres and sneak attacks become the series norm again.

 

I think the only thing that might make it even more enjoyable at this point would be co-op. But I'm finding it to be a lot of fun just playing solo.

Edited October 24, 2016 by Wrestlevania
Swypo'd on the train

[Dewar]

I found the robots to be a refreshing change of pace, and was a little bit disappointed when the organics turn up. It felt more like a Gears 3 copy, which still makes it pretty good and fun, but not revolutionary.

[Trip Hazard]

Not "recently completed" as I first completed the base game a long while back, but I've only just gotten around to the final piece of DLC for Dark Souls 2: The Crown of the Ivory King. I was thoroughly impressed with both of the other episodes, for various reasons, but mostly because they upped the challenge and featured intricate, compacted areas with plenty of twists and turns. In this aspect the Ivory King doesn't disappoint; initially it seems fairly linear, but an event happens that opens up a lot of previously inaccessible paths. There's a small part of me that cynically thinks that this is just a way for the devs to pad out the content, because unless you'd been paying close attention, you'd probably have to explore everywhere a second time, to ensure you found all those paths.

 

Still, how uncharitable an assessment! The devs do a lot with relatively little, and this DLC, like the previous two, strikes a fine balance when it comes to doling out bonfires at appropriate intervals. The edge of my seat has seen quite a lot of use, just recently...

 

The final boss of this DLC is, thematically, very interesting, despite being somewhat hamstrung by a limited moveset and mundane appearance. The other non-optional boss is also interesting, with some rapid flurries that can catch you off guard, and it's just pleasant to once again be fighting a beast in a game which generally favours humanoid foes. That usual tactics apply, mind you: stab it in the arse.

 

In short, I'm impressed, and I often wonder why there wasn't so much care applied to the main game. A metric shitload of areas, but not many that make you feel really involved. I'd highly recommend that everyone who has finished DS2 but hasn't tackled the DLC should do so. They're essentially the game I wanted all along.

[Bjorn]

1 hour ago, Trip Hazard said:

In short, I'm impressed, and I often wonder why there wasn't so much care applied to the main game. A metric shitload of areas, but not many that make you feel really involved. I'd highly recommend that everyone who has finished DS2 but hasn't tackled the DLC should do so. They're essentially the game I wanted all along.

 

My understanding of DS2 and its DLC is that the director of the game changed mid-course, and the DLC represents the only content that was entirely under the control of the second director, as much of the base game was already built when he took over, so you're seeing a distinct difference in skills and philosophies between the two. 

[Henke]

Finished Mirror's Edge Catalyst last night. It's good! Mostly! Truth be told the open world is a bit lifeless, and there's not much incentive to explore or do a bunch of sidequests, tho some of them are fun, like the gridnodes(Catalysts version of the Assassin's Creed "climb tower and synchronize"-mechanic). And the story is merely serviceable. However, all that is easily forgivable thanks to the solid and fun core mechanics of running and beating dudes up.

 

Perhaps it's the combination of futuristic architecture and a female protagonist pummeling dudes, but the combat gave me nice, nostalgic Oni-vibes. I wish there were more games coming out with this type of more "hands-on" hand-to-hand combat. Everything just seems to follow the Batman-template. And while I like the Bat-template just fine, I was glad to see Catalyst go for a more old-school system that doesn't have lock-on, but incorporates directional attacks and heavy use of the environment instead.

 

Score: 

 

But minus points for only featuring that Chvrches song in an entirely optional and easily missable jukebox near the start of the game. Boo! Why wasn't it in the end credits at least?

 

 

[twmac]

On 25/10/2016 at 0:21 AM, Wrestlevania said:

Currently about halfway through Gears of War 4 on PC. It's a surprisingly good conversion, with a ridiculous amount of graphics options. But even without spending hours fiddling with those, it's running extremely well on my i5-6300 + GTX 960 setup.

 

More importantly, where I hated the original trilogy for being so achingly earnest and serious, the 4th game's cast are refreshingly light. They even knock on the fourth wall occasionally, delivering sarcastic retorts when you fluff a reload and jam their/your gun.

 

The Coalition have evidently had a lot of fun with the script in other places too. The main protagonist and one of his sidekicks get into a debate about an in-game lift being “funicular” for example.

 

As noted in one review I read, the early robot baddies are a bit charmless, and add no character to the trademark cover-shooter combat. However, when the organic enemies turn up a couple of hours in, the AI kicks into high gear (yes I know what I did), and all manner of smart, panic-inducing flanking manoeuvres and sneak attacks become the series norm again.

 

I think the only thing that might make it even more enjoyable at this point would be co-op. But I'm finding it to be a lot of fun just playing solo.

 

 

I am living in Thailand right now but if you are curious in Co-Op or doing any of the Horde more - let me know. I am not working right now so could fit around your schedule.

[anarchobama]

Picked up THOTH after hearing it was the new thing by the guy who made 140 and liked it so much that influenced me to get a humble monthly sub (it was offered this month). Just a new twin stick shooter that introduces new mechanics  every four levels for the player to work through. The levels or short but the game only saves every four levels so if you die on the fourth in the set you're gonna be sent back to the first. People seem to hate this but I didn't mind it and sometimes playing through early levels in a set would improve my strategy for the level I was stuck on. Definitely a good use of three hours. 

[Tanukitsune]

I just finished Corpse Party: Blood Drive, just in time for the Steam Halloween Sale and with it, the Corpse Party trilogy and while I loved it, once again, it's one of those games you can't talk about without spoiling much, SPECIALLY since the first game just came out for 3DS, just explaining anything about the plot would ruin the first game.

 

What I can say, is that I kinda like what they added, it returns to it's more "adventure-y" origins and has you walk around the haunted school, which now has traps set by vengeful ghosts and the ghosts themselves who can and will chase you.

 

The game has a flashlight with a limited battery system, which you'll need to avoid traps while running from ghosts, but you know what? Just press Select and the batteries will NEVER die.

 

Like the original game, it's in chapters filled with "bad ends" and extra chapters to learn a little more about the characters.

 

I guess this really is the end of the series since it ends way too happy for a Corpse Party game, with people who were erased from existence being just dead now... it is still Corpse Party

 

I still have some extra chapters to dig through to get some extra info on the characters, but I'm pretty satisfied with the end of the series.

[elmuerte]

Knights of Pen and Paper +2

Better than the original, but it is a bit of a chore. A lot of quests do involve tedious traveling around returning to the same places just to kill a few more enemies. But unlike the first one I did finish this one to the end.

It has a lot of geek culture references. There's also a part where you have to buy DLC, which you can buy with in-game coins (it's actually part of the game). And then there's a real DLC which you can play towards to, and then you actually have to buy it.

[elmuerte]

Oxenfree

Quite an interesting game. The dialogue system is a bit weird, you have to respond fast, even before others are done speaking. It's like a QTE system. I hadn't realized the choices I picked had any influence in the outcome.

I wish there wasn't a collectable part in the game. Especially the letters are a shame as I didn't feel like strolling through the whole world to find 2 missing letters. Now I missed out on some interesting back story.

Anyway, the game was a really nice experience. The mystery, the art, the music, the awesome classic video effects. It made a wonderful game.

 

[dartmonkey]

This evening I finished up Tengami. It's been sitting on my HDD for ages but tonight I was in the right meditative mood. A lovely light game.

 

And Super Mario Land 2. That game was such a stellar leap over the original, which itself wasn't awful, just limited. This still feels like a mini SMB3. Really great. Best thing on GB?...

[twmac]

13 hours ago, elmuerte said:

Oxenfree

Quite an interesting game. The dialogue system is a bit weird, you have to respond fast, even before others are done speaking. It's like a QTE system. I hadn't realized the choices I picked had any influence in the outcome.

I wish there wasn't a collectable part in the game. Especially the letters are a shame as I didn't feel like strolling through the whole world to find 2 missing letters. Now I missed out on some interesting back story.

Anyway, the game was a really nice experience. The mystery, the art, the music, the awesome classic video effects. It made a wonderful game.

 

 

Agreed - the collectibles felt so gamey in a way that wasn't fun. The rest of the game was great though.

[Bjorn]

Victor Vran

 

Diablo-like ARPG that depends on entirely gear and loot rather than classes to build a character.  It's really good, and we really liked it. 

 

I don't have much else to say.  The story is typically dumb ARPG flair with a dash of Van Helsing thrown in.  I honestly think the balance of some weapon classes is badly broken, the game could use some more polish/tuning, but it was a ton of fun to put a bunch of hours into. 

[Tanukitsune]

I beat a few Halloweeny games:

Monster High: New Ghoul in School: All I'll say is that I saved the world with cheer... I mean FEAR-leading and looking fang-tastic while I did it.

Gabrielle's Ghostly Groove: An adorably "creepy-cute" rhythm game about a girl who sneezed so hard she came out of her body!

Zombie Incident: This game won an MSX gamedev contest before becoming a 3DS game, it's a simple platform where you jump on zombies until the die and you level up, you can destroy a zombie that's a higher level than you.

The Last Crown: Midnight Horror: I think this game was just a short promotion game for an upcoming or existing game. You ghost hunt on Halloween?

[Cordeos]

37 minutes ago, Bjorn said:

Victor Vran

 

Diablo-like ARPG that depends on entirely gear and loot rather than classes to build a character.  It's really good, and we really liked it. 

 

I don't have much else to say.  The story is typically dumb ARPG flair with a dash of Van Helsing thrown in.  I honestly think the balance of some weapon classes is badly broken, the game could use some more polish/tuning, but it was a ton of fun to put a bunch of hours into. 

Its on sale right now on Steam