Topic: Games you've recently beat

@LtSarge I quite want to pick P2 up at some point but it does seem playing the first game
is advised and it sounds like that feels pretty rough to play these days.

@Thrillho Honestly, as a whole, the first Psychonauts holds up pretty well in terms of controls and movement in my opinion. The thing that makes the game less appealing to play these days is the level design and difficulty spikes for some boss fights, particularly the final area. I'm sure you've heard of the "Milkman Conspiracy" level, I was extremely frustrated with that level because all of a sudden, you have to do all these things that the game never told you about. For example, all the PSI powers that you learn throughout the first half of the game are never utilised in order to progress through the levels until that level. But the game never tells you this, so you walk around and do everything that you know that you can do but you can't progress. Then you look up a guide and you find out that you need to burn that thing or do that thing with one of your PSI powers and I didn't even know they were mandatory to use in order to progress. I just thought they were optional to use in battles if you wanted some variety. If you ask me, this is clearly some Tim Schafer level of obtuseness as he is known for making difficult and unclear puzzle games.

But yeah in terms of platforming, I actually thought it was good. But I've definitely heard some people say that the game is rough around the edges in that regard too.

@Iver I'm surprised you out YK2 so low in your list though as I really liked that one. Good to see you put Like a Dragon so highly as I still have that to play (as well as the Judgment games).

@LtSarge I'm sure I'll get to them both at some point as I do love a platformer and good ones aren't that common these days. Good to hear you still (mostly) enjoyed the first game too though.

Just finished Genesis Noir and this has to be one of the most bizarre indie games I've ever played. It's a very, very surreal experience where the focus is more on the story and the visuals rather than the gameplay. As a result, it wasn't that fun to play but I came out very impressed by the cut-scenes. The theme is basically a mix of astronomy and noir, which I thought was very interesting and it made for some incredible visuals. Fact of the matter is that this game is more of an experience rather than an actual game. So if you're going in with that kind of expectations, then I think you'll have a great time. Although it's worth noting that I encountered a lot of bugs when playing it on my base Xbox One. I'd explore and wander into areas that basically wouldn't let me leave. Not to mention that some interactions just wouldn't get triggered. I'm rather shocked that it's been over six months since the game came out and these issues still haven't been ironed out. I don't know if they're specific to base Xbox One, but it's still worth keeping in mind.

Just finished DOOM 64. Man, it's so crazy to say that because I've been struggling to get through this game for the longest time now that I never thought I'd beat it. At first I was rather burned out on the series after having played DOOM 1 and 2, so I kept starting it up then putting it down for months on end without any noteworthy progress. However, I decided a couple of days ago to start it up again and it finally clicked with me. It was so much fun to play now after having taking a long break from the series, which is just what I needed. The game is really good, but it can get a bit formulaic. Still, I enjoyed it a lot and I'm glad that I finally finished it. It feels great to now be one step closer to playing the more modern DOOM games, such as DOOM 3 and DOOM (2016).

Before I move on from it though, I'm going to play through the additional Lost Levels campaign. I still want to experience more of this game, so I'm definitely looking forward to playing this extra campaign.

Scarlet Nexus

Other than some horrendous pop-in during pretty much the whole game and some frustrating "boss" battles, I had a pretty good time with it. Really dug the art style and thought it was an overall pretty good looking game, and I agree with the masses about the combat system being great.

The bond level system in the game was also pretty poorly executed in my opinion as well. It starts out fine by naturally progressing with presents on bond episodes aside from the Team Bond Level staying at 1 for the entire game up until the final couple of phases, but then you end up having to spam presents to people to get their bond level to rise. I was unable to get 2 of mine to Level 6 for no apparent reason even though I spammed them probably close to 10 presents each the final time the team was at the hideout. In the end, it doesn't matter a whole lot unless you want all of the achievements. Just pointing out a frustrating flaw in an otherwise pretty enjoyable JRPG.

I'm glad Microsoft added it to Game Pass so I could play it for "free", as I'm not sure when I would have ever played it otherwise (I was planning on buying it someday for my PS5, but was in no rush since the demo didn't click with me).

@LtSarge I agree that DOOM 64 is awesome, but only when played in isolation from its contemporaries. As much as I love me some old-school DOOM (or Wolfenstein for that matter) I can't play it for long, not after so many decades of gaming evolution. I played DOOM 64 alongside Marvel's Spider-Man and the contrast was so stark, but putting the two together definitely helped me appreciate and enjoy both games more. I'm glad you were finally able to find the fun!

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@KilloWertz Getting characters to like you is one of my biggest problems with RPGs, because I always feel like there's this arbitrary, undefined set of rules running in the background and I'm scared that I'll accidentally wreck my progress or lose somebody. Such systems definitely need better integration and explanation to become enjoyable parts of the overall game...

...but I'm grateful for the mental image of you throwing presents at a bunch of people, screaming "Why won't you like me?!" in a blind panic as some gargantuan final boss looms over the horizon.

@RogerRoger Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. There's not much depth to the classic DOOM games to make them enjoyable over a long period. However, I think that's what makes them so good in my eyes. It's kinda like old school Resident Evil, these games are just much simpler to play than the modern titles. Games from the 90s simply weren't as complicated to play and that's appealing in its own way. I would actually love to replay older games such as DOOM and Resident Evil because they're pure fun, but not as much with modern games such as The Evil Within because they're way more intricate and you have to be 100% focused when playing these games, which gets tiring.

Last week I finished Ys Seven for the PSP, which is the third Ys game I’ve played in a row this year. It looks like a PS1 game, but is surprisingly fast and fluid, with combat handling almost on par with that of the excellent system in Ys: Oath in Felghana and Ys Origin. Seven has a party system (I believe it was the first Ys game to utilise this feature), with the player able to switch between party members on the fly. Although regular enemies gave me no trouble, the bosses were a different matter entirely. The final boss took the piss a bit, necessitating a lot of grinding for items to make the best armour and weapons. Although the story is window dressing, it does have more of an emphasis than Felghana, and the music is wonderful, as to be expected. My favourite Ys game thus far is easily Origin, but Seven is a very enjoyable game in its own right.

Also recently completed Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris in co-op, along with all the challenges. It's fun, but not too different from The Guardian of Light and has some surprising performance hiccoughs on the PS4. One issue with the isometric viewpoint is it can be tricky to judge depth, so jumping towards tightropes occasionally caused Isis to plummet to her doom. Speaking of Isis, I came to loathe her voice performance. I get that they wanted an ancient Egyptian broad to sound commanding, but she's so monotone and overdone. Keeley Hawes' is great as Lara though.

@RogerRoger You're.... welcome? lol

I would say how it's actually done in Scarlet Nexus, but I don't want to ruin your mental image I suppose.

@mookysam I remember discussing the Ys series with you a long time ago (at least I think it was you, not many people here play the Ys games after all) so I'm glad to see that you're still going through this series! Ys Seven is one of my favourite games in the series and it felt so good to play it after coming off from Ys I & II Chronicles as well as The Oath in Felghana. Origin is great as well, I've been meaning to replay it one of these days.

Which game in the series are you considering playing next? Memories of Celceta would be my recommendation as it plays pretty much like Ys Seven, but if I recall correctly the characters were more likeable in MoC than in Seven.

On a side note, I actually played through Ys VIII earlier this Spring and it's become my favourite game in the series. It's so much more ambitious than any title before it: the story is better, the combat is better, the characters are definitely more memorable and so on. Not to mention that it actually feels like a full-length JRPG now, clocking in at about 40-50 hours of playtime depending on how much of the side content you choose to pursue. Definitely save it though for when you're done with the older Ys games.

@mookysam Ys Seven was just OK for me, the story was a step up but the overall world and dungeons felt a little bland. I agree about the final boss too, had to grind loads. I think I prefer Oath and Origin for sure. Glad to see you enjoyed it though!

@LtSarge Your point about older games is well-taken. I'm a bit of both; I do enjoy the simplicity of older games, but they also don't hold my attention as much as they used to, because I always feel like I could be playing something prettier, or more spectacular, or more responsive. Which I shouldn't do, because fun is fun and I love every game in my collection regardless of release date, but I guess it depends on what each of us is looking to get from each day's downtime. Sometimes simple is best. Heck, I'm testing that theory this month, as I'll be playing two PSone Classics in sequence!

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@KilloWertz Feel free to explain if you'd like! My mental image isn't going anywhere!

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@mookysam You ran into performance problems with Temple of Osiris on PS4? That's strange. I always thought it was one of the console's best, or at least most consistent. I do agree with you about the isometric viewpoint, so it's a shame that technical issues made things worse on top of that. As for Isis, well... personal preference an' all that, but then I do always pick Lara!

@RogerRoger Trust me, I understand that sentiment very well because I didn't grow up with old school games. My first console was the Wii, then I got a 360 and later on a PS3, so I've mostly known more modern games and that's where my preference lies. However, as you already know, I love variety and discovering new things, so naturally exploring retro games is always interesting to me. Most are not compelling to me, but then I'll find those that are and it makes me very excited to play them. It's just interesting to discover something new because there are so many different games and you'll always find something that stands out.

@RogerRoger Your squad has a hideout that you go back to after each phase/mission of the game. You can go back in the middle too if you want, but anyways, that's when you give squadmates presents to up their Bond Levels (along with Bond Episodes). In other words, it doesn't actually happen on the battlefield.

I wasn't able to get one of the achievements because of it being flawed, along with the items certain Others (what you primarily fight in the game) are supposed to drop when you kill them a certain way also being flawed because I could have likely tried to farm that particular item for an hour and probably would have come up empty. You need a particular item to trade it for another item that unlocks slots for abilities, and I'm guessing because I was only able to unlock 2 of their 3 slots, that is why I couldn't get their Bond Level maxed out no matter how many presents I gave the last 2 characters.

@LtSarge Yeah, I find it difficult going back further than the PSone, which was "my" first console (we had older consoles in the house, which is why I love Sonic, but they were for the wider family). Nostalgia for the era helps me a lot when checking out PSone games for the first time nowadays, though. I reckon it's awesome to at least try to be open to new experiences, regardless of their age, but I also wouldn't blame anybody for faltering. The further we get from each generation, the bigger the leap back.

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@KilloWertz Ah, gotcha. That makes a little more sense. Nobody wants to be unwrapping a pair of socks whilst simultaneously trying to swing a sword!

And urgh, I hate having to farm for random drops. It's never fun, and one of the reasons why I tend not to get along with RPGs, because they include that mechanic more often than not. Having said that, the last time I had to farm random drops for a platinum was Uncharted: Golden Abyss on PS Vita, and it was most definitely my least favourite trophy of the list. Sounds like you had to grapple with a far more complicated system there, though. A shame it locked out that achievement, but you've got to enjoy what you play regardless of the reward at the end, so I don't blame you for moving on. I'd have done the same!

Just beat The Rockin Dead, a cool little horror game just in time for Halloween.

@RogerRoger Yeah, I still enjoyed Scarlet Nexus. I'd probably give it an 8/10. Between not wanting to waste time since I wanted to start The Medium and get at least one horror game in this month, and also just wanting to get back to the fun of the rest of the game, it ended rather quickly. Maybe a half an hour or so.

I still like my RPGs, but it is nice when a game doesn't make you do that. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a nice example of that if I remember correctly.

If I wanted the platinum (if I played it on PS5) or in this case wanted to get 100% of the achievements, I would have kept going, but I only have 1 platinum and I think 1 game I've ever gotten 100% of the achievements. While I like getting trophies and achievements, obviously I don't put the extra time in often like some other people do.

Finished Superliminal earlier today. Great game! I love how creative the puzzles would get and the levels always felt refreshing and interesting to play through. I'm glad the game doesn't overstay its welcome either, it has a lot of great ideas and you get to experience all of them in just a couple of hours. It's definitely worth a playthrough.

I also just finished the Lost Levels campaign of DOOM 64. Highly enjoyed it as well! It's more of the same but that's honestly what I wanted after the main campaign clicked with me. I'm glad that I've finally completed this game and I'm excited to play through DOOM 3 next.

@LtSarge I found the "lost levels" in DOOM 64 to be reasonably challenging compared to the main game, which was pleasantly surprising. In general, that game had such fantastic level design.

Did you manage to collect all of the demon keys in the main game? They're a bit of a hassle, but they make the final boss hilariously easy to kill.