Forums

Topic: Games you've recently beat

Posts 5,341 to 5,360 of 5,419

GirlVersusGame

@Th3solution What kind of ending do you get? I’m unlikely to play it again anytime soon so I had already gone ahead and looked up the alternate endings, so you won’t be spoiling anything for me.

  • I've had two endings so far. The first was I waited for those people on the roof of the Kondor, they never came and I died, that was 'I leave no one behind' and that was pretty typical. I then decided I'd reload that save and see if anything changed if I said 'fair enough, watch me leave without you' so I did and got into the pod thing and evacuated without them because I knew waiting was certain death Then I had to turn the game off and do another couple of hours of travel but now I'm back on normal hours at least and that will help with the next game. I would have continued through my second playthrough too, I will in the next hour once the coffee kicks in. I spent the whole flight asleep and of course dreamt about the ending of the game. I knew I would, I'd listened to that piece of music so many times and tried to explain how amazing the ending was offline but no one knew what I was talking about because hardly anyone watched me play it. I'm really curious to see what happens if I use the syringe I found

After one hundred percent I'll try Everyone's Gone to The Rapture. I normally wouldn't spend so many hours gaming, I had nothing else to do while we were away. The next game will take longer once the normal everyday study, lessons etc start up again. I don't want to spend all day zooming through games. I'd rather be productive and stay on task, especially with carefully crafted unique experiences which both The Invincible and Edith Finch were. I see them more as time-off, they were compared to the types of games I usually play. Very how you say sans souci, not relaxed but somewhere in-between there. I feel like I just grabbed three platinums in a very short amount of time and I really don't want to rush through every walking simulator available after just finding the genre. I'd be back to square one looking for the next game, I'm sure there are a limited amount of games like that.

The book definitely has me curious, I almost listened to it when traveling today but sleep was the top priority and I already feel better for it too. Trying to beat the high-score of Pong was a lot harder while in that half awake half asleep state, I just beat it now first try. It speeds up after level ten and twenty is what you need to beat, the A.I. is programmed to never miss. I checked and the platinum is ultra rare, I got very lucky with some of those choices I'd made. It looks like there were a lot of small factors that could have meant missing out on so many trophy prerequisites. I'd love to see that studio tackle another novel, imagine how amazing a War of The Worlds game could be. Especially if they included the score from the Jeff Wayne musical. I saw the more recent adaption with Liam Neeson not too long ago, amazing live show. I'd love to see it made into a game and a walking simulator would work brilliantly.

[Edited by GirlVersusGame]

These violent delights have violent ends & in their triumph die, like fire & powder Which, as they kiss, consume.

Bluesky: justkoshechka.bsky.social

Werehog

Wrapped up Uncharted 4: A Thief's End via the Legacy of Thieves Collection and immediately ran straight into The Lost Legacy, which I completed yesterday.

The latter is the superior game when measured by every conceivable metric, while I'm genuinely sorry to report that Nate's swansong continues to suffer from the same story, character, and pacing problems it always has. Thank goodness its excellent gameplay mechanics could carry forward and be used for the unparalleled greatness of Chloe and Nadine's Indian excursion. The Lost Legacy still shines as not just the perfect Uncharted experience, but also one of the best action adventures of all time.

If we never get another Uncharted game... well, at least the series ended on its highest note.

"If I let not knowing anything stop me from doing something, I'd never do everything!"

oliverp

South Park - Stick of Truth 2026 impressions

A turnbased Western RPG - made by Obsidan Entertainment

Right so after some time I managed to complete or beat this turn based RPG from Obsidian Entertainment (released in 2014). Now Iam not sure what to state about the game. But it feels like it could represent something of a landmark and maybe one of the better (modern turnbased RPGs around. Why? Well first I dont think that we have seen so many western style turn/based RPGs during the last few years., At least not very good ones. Guess that South Park the Stick of Truth might be one of not to many.

I also think that South Park the Stick of Truth, if anything, reminds me quite much about Advance Wars or Paper Mario in the sense that the games have quite cute Celshading graphics which also I guess is a resson why it reminds me of some older titles (like Zelda WW for exemple).. Beside the main quests, South The Stick of Truth alsolike features a quite large number of (cool) side quests which seemed very, very fun and of course also give the game some extra play time. I think like it’s like very, very impressive how much freedom and options the combat system in the game gives you. Speaking of freedom the game itself is set in the town of South Park where you are ”free” to explore the setting or town to your likein.
South Park have like a ton content in it.
And I dont think you have to be a South Park fan to enjoy the game (the game which I think in many aspects are top trier). But I guess of course that it could make sense to be aware of that the game has some sensitive content which of course may not be subtle for any age. Took some time but it feels cool now have beaten a turned based RPG. Was while ago and South Park Stick of truth demonstrate excellency imo.

[Edited by oliverp]

Handysugar05051

nessisonett

@Werehog I finally beat Tomb Raider IV last night. I have mixed feelings. I genuinely think it’s an impressive step forwards from III, but I don’t think everything lands. The puzzles are definitely more involved than in previous games, for better and worse. The more brain-teaser type ones are great, especially the scales puzzles in the final level where you empty and refill the water skins to get the correct weight. Felt like a Professor Layton puzzle. The ‘puzzles’ that amounted to wandering around about 3 or 4 levels looking for one key item to combine with another were not particularly fun however and felt like a way to sell strategy guides.

Think I’d just started Cairo when I last provided an update, and I wasn’t huge on it. The motorbike feels alright to handle but having to lug it around everywhere and then find the upgrades for it was a bit of a pain. Plus I just didn’t find the revolver and got stuck at a section with a turret that I couldn’t destroy until I finally caved, looked it up and realised I needed a revolver I didn’t have. That was fun. I did enjoy the more narrative focused sections though, it was nice seeing Lara interact with the soldiers without instantly jumping to murder them, and the cutscene where the captain guy blows up the massive dragon was great.

Giza though, now those levels were brilliant. I’m not sure how popular an opinion it is, but the Giza section is up there for my favourite areas in a Tomb Raider game. Every area flowed nicely into each other, with less backtracking and more as if you were passing between each level naturally. The platforming up the giant pyramid and across the pits is the best the series has done in my opinion, challenging but easy to get yourself into a nice rhythm making the jumps. The aforementioned puzzles in the Giza pyramids too, much better than previous levels. It’s funny, I mostly think the first 3 games dip towards the end but IV absolutely nailed the ending. Minus the rather abrupt final cutscene.

I’m glad I finished it finally, but the game does waver between good and utterly tedious for me at times. I’d place it above Unfinished Business for sure but as a whole, I’m not sure I could say it was better than any of the trilogy. The Times Exclusive was cute though, loved the cutscene of seemingly the real editor of The Times in 1999 and the level was paced nicely. Sort of impossible to actually rank though being that short! My ranking is now:

Tomb Raider 2: The Golden Mask
Tomb Raider 3: The Lost Artefact
Tomb Raider 3
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider 2
Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation
Tomb Raider: Unfinished Business

Honestly, I would put Giza at either the very top or alongside the two expansions there, it’s that good. IV is just too long for its own good and the negatives are standing out in my mind more than the great ending as of now. Maybe my mind will change!

[Edited by nessisonett]

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

Tjuz

@GirlVersusGame Haha, not surprised Yakuza had you in a whirlwind of what you were supposed to feel! That's prettty much what I've heard from everyone on the franchise, but I haven't played any myself. I've always been intrigued, but they've struck me as too front-loaded in side content more often than not. It sounds like the types of games I'd obsess over "finishing everything in", which for me is usually a recipe for disaster in terms of my enjoyment of a game. The more markers on a map, the more likely I know I'll be to drop it eventually without even finishing the main quest!

I'm glad you've been refamiliarising yourself with narratives in video games. Nothing wrong with a good ol' simulator or two here or there, but narrative is my bread and butter. It seems like you've had a good time dipping your toes back in between this, The Invincible and What Remains of Edith Finch! The last of which I've only played about an hour of at a friend's house on their Switch while very drunk, so I don't think I've given it a proper shot yet, haha. But yeah, huge games like the ones you mentioned don't necessarily attract me either for the reasons mentioned above. Something needs to be either really special or do something different from the typical open-world fare to catch my interest. Red Dead Redemption 2 was a great example for that in terms of open-world design in my opinion. I had no trouble finishing that exactly because it wasn't bombarding me with mindless drivel or markers everwhere on the map. The world felt more like set dressing to an epic story, where if you would run into a side quest, it'd be something meaningful. Not to mention all the random events that would occur that breathed actual life into the world rather than it just being a case of traveling from marker to marker with nothing worthwhile inbetween!

***

@oliverp Glad to hear you enjoyed Thief! I remember being very interested in it when it first came out, but my laptop at the time could hardly handle a game like that. In the years since, I've only heard very mixed opinions, so I'm happy to hear that you had a good time with it going back to it all these years later. Maybe I'll have to give it an overdue look myself at some point. Sounds promising still!

Tjuz

GirlVersusGame

[Edited by GirlVersusGame]

These violent delights have violent ends & in their triumph die, like fire & powder Which, as they kiss, consume.

Bluesky: justkoshechka.bsky.social

oliverp

@Tjuz Yeah it was such was a surprise (had no idea that I would like the game so much).

[Edited by oliverp]

Handysugar05051

Werehog

@nessisonett Bravo, buddy! Thanks for coming back and sharing your final thoughts. I can't fault anything you say about the game, despite it being my personal favourite. My perspective is that, when it does stumble, at least it stumbles because it's trying something new. There was only so much the developers could achieve when faced with such a brutal annual release schedule, so all of the innovation they hammered into that creaky old code is remarkable to me, regardless of whether it's a success or... well, slightly less of a success (and yes, rope swings, I'm looking at you when I say that).

Cairo is where most folks bail on the game, with apologies if I've told you that before. I don't think any of the classic Tomb Raider games get their vehicle sections quite right; some fare better than others, but you ain't wrong about that bike becoming a bit of a millstone by location's end.

I'm so pleased to see you loved Giza, though! It's definitely helped by the fact that it follows Cairo, so its levels feel like a welcome return to form at a point where most other games would have slapped on a final boss and called it a day. It's what Antarctica should have been in Tomb Raider III. Can't say whether we share a popular opinion or not, I'm afraid. Largely because as mentioned, most folks burn out on The Last Revelation mid-Cairo, so they never get to see Giza. Hey, you loved it, and that's what matters!

That continues to be a real interesting ranking (and yeah, I don't rank the Times Exclusive level, either... you're right, it's super-short, and while I liked it, I definitely expected a little more from it). Quite different from my own, but in a good and totally understandable way! Here's hoping your fond memories of Chronicles hold up, if you're planning on continuing the series anytime soon!

Oh, and Happy Lara's Birthday! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!

"If I let not knowing anything stop me from doing something, I'd never do everything!"

nessisonett

@Werehog I may have beaten Chronicles this afternoon after only a couple sittings 😂

I genuinely think it’s a good game. Yes, it’s clearly just a ‘greatest hits’, the plot is paper-thin and they don’t really try anything new but it’s a pretty consistent adventure with the levels all having their own gimmick, reminding me more of TR3 than anything. Ireland is still a bit of a stumbling block for me, with it having great atmosphere but never really feeling like Tomb Raider, and being pretty confusing at times. The VCI building was a lot better on the remaster, way less buggy than when I played it before and the controls were a lot easier to grasp on PS5 as the Vita didn’t quite have enough buttons.

Rome is one of the most consistently good locations in the series, with each level feeling like a hit of classic TR and the dialogue between Lara and Larson and Pierre being brilliantly funny, Lara is a riot throughout Chronicles actually, with some of the better cutscenes in the series. Trajan’s Market can get a little confusing as there’s a manhole cover that doesn’t look like you can grab it but once you realise that, it’s a fairly straightforward area that’s totally satisfying to blast through.

Russia is an interesting one. Being 4 levels, it tries a little more than Rome for starters. The base is a great little level, tightly mapped with each key opening up a little bit more of the level and having a decent amount of verticality as you jump around boxes and avoid a giant crane. The submarine being a stealth level can get a bit tricky but the claustrophobia is done well with winding corridors blending into each other and the guards being pretty scary as you’re unarmed for a lot of it. The underwater level is barely worth mentioning as I knew where to go this time, a simple trip to the Spear of Destiny and back. The sinking submarine was a great level though, revisiting the areas from the submarine levels but them being a lot more dangerous, with flames and electrified water to dodge. Meeting the admiral at the end and him staying with his sinking ship was pretty moving too, showing a softer side to Lara.

Ireland was a bit of a weird one for me the first time around too. I like the idea in theory, a more horror-tinged area with no weapons or combat that relies on exploration. I just find it less engaging to wander around looking for the right item, hence why I wasn’t huge on The Last Revelation. The remaster did it justice though, the graphics really pop with the darker skybox as opposed to being too dark to see. And the bit with rotating platforms is still incredibly confusing to me.

The VCI building was the biggest upgrade for me with the remaster. It can get incredibly hectic at times and the original game was super buggy in that area with save corruptions and all sorts. This was all fixed and it plays as intended now. I really enjoyed the banter between Lara and Zip, it funnily enough feels way more like a PS2 game in that regard with the stealthier gameplay, futuristic building design and having a navigator to help steer you in the right direction. As much as Core Design said they phoned in Chronicles, the VCI building is basically a blueprint for where the series could have gone next. Yes, the floors sort of mesh into one but I did enjoy the more urban setting and the grapple gun actually working this time was nice. Which brings me onto the two new mechanics in this game, tightropes and pole swinging. Tightropes suck. They’re super slow and you constantly have to balance Lara to stop falling off which gets tedious. The pole swinging is great though, again a very PS2 mechanic with how fluid it feels.

Overall, I just think Chronicles is a great bit of fun. Even if it’s not massively ambitious, it introduced some interesting mechanics and truly felt like a last hurrah for classic TR gameplay. And Lara is mother in this game. Her dialogue is top notch.

Updated ranking is now:

Tomb Raider 2: The Golden Mask
Tomb Raider 3: The Lost Artefact
Tomb Raider 3
Tomb Raider Chronicles
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider 2
Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation
Tomb Raider: Unfinished Business

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

Werehog

@nessisonett Sweet, nicely done! Although it's also easily done, given how short the game is!

But I agree with you, Chronicles doesn't deserve its reputation. Granted, a lot of that reputation is based on the broken PSone version and the developer's own honesty, but we're still left with an eclectic mix of one-shot adventures, all of which are very accessible (especially now, with the remaster). Along with Lara's unrestrained sass, the Larson / Pierre pairing and Zip make for very memorable additions, packed with personality. The whole game's script feels camp as Christmas, which I kinda love! When there was all that outrage over Zip being bisexual in The Legend of Lara Croft, I was like, "Tell me you never played Chronicles before without telling me you never played Chronicles before!" I also agree with you about Lara's interaction with the Russian admiral. Ireland tries its best with Father Patrick, but he's definitely the weakest of the supporting cast, which might contribute to Ireland being everybody's least favourite of the game's four outings (along with all the gameplay reasons you touch upon).

Aside from that thirty-second deepsea dive level, I reckon the Russia chapter is my favourite from a design and gameplay perspective, whereas I love the vibes of Rome and the VCI building pretty equally. I always enjoy it when a game transforms one of its previous environments to shake up a return trip, so backtracking through the sinking submarine is probably my favourite individual level. And unfortunately, you're right about the tightrope walking. I actually love its first instance, it feels tense (especially after Larson had just been taking pot-shots at you) but every subsequent time chips away at my patience for them, until I'm in full agreement with you by game's end. Again, I reckon it's a symbol of the crunch, chucking in something that sounded like a great idea on paper, but wasn't given the time to be properly implemented or refined.

Thanks for sharing your detailed thoughts, as it's a rare treat to see somebody being so kind to such a much-maligned entry! And what a great way to celebrate Lara's birthday!

So, onwards to The Angel of Darkness perhaps, or is it time to take a break...?

"If I let not knowing anything stop me from doing something, I'd never do everything!"

nessisonett

@Werehog Onto Angel of Darkness, which I think might actually control worse on PS5 than it did on PS2, the weird input lag when you move is bizarre and the jumping feels awful. I quite enjoyed the half of the game I played on the PS2 as well! It’s maybe just a question of adjusting my gameplay to suit the new engine. The graphical update it’s interesting, it’s obviously less drastic than the other games but it’s fairly impressive nonetheless. It’s so so janky as a game though, I did expect them to make a few more changes at least in an optional setting to make it more playable!

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

DemonStar89

I don't have my original disc copy of Tomb Raider 3 for PS anymore, but I did finally beat it on PC (original Steam release, not the remaster) after several decades of not managing to do it. Better late than never!
Thinking back the PS game was harder still (edit: more time consuming/tedious) as it had limited save crystals and longer load times so without the PC "handicaps" I don't think I'd have done it.

[Edited by DemonStar89]

'It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life." - Captain Picard

Werehog

@nessisonett At the rate you're tearing through the series, I'm fully braced for an, "Oh, I finished it days ago," but I'm still gonna ask... how goes The Angel of Darkness, buddy?

When I played the remaster, I'd waited long enough for them to patch in the 2003 Console (a.k.a. PS2) control scheme and found it to be the best option by a country mile. But you're right, since the game's running faster than it ever could on PS2, I still reckon the original felt better to play, because its sluggishness made it slower and more deliberate. It's a shame, apparently the remaster project's budget ran out while they were still polishing The Angel of Darkness. They spent so long restoring deleted features and content, they didn't have time to properly finish as much as they wanted to.

It's still a vast improvement, though, and unquestionably helps make the game feel finally finished after all these years. And yes, some parts look absolutely gorgeous now!

***

@DemonStar89 You are most certainly not alone in your approach to Tomb Raider III. So many folks who played the PC port react with dismay when they try the PSone original. It's a nightmare! Kudos for completing it on PC all the same, 'cause it's still a tough game no matter how you play it!

"If I let not knowing anything stop me from doing something, I'd never do everything!"

nessisonett

@Werehog It’s going a little slower, AoD is a more methodical game in a lot of ways! I actually do appreciate a lot of what the game attempts but the opening doesn’t really show off the game at its best with the janky fail states getting caught by the police etc. Von Croy’s death also lands a lot better having actually finished TR4 now too! I just think Angel of Darkness has a really cool vibe, it’s uniquely moody and the Paris suburbs are much cooler with the instantaneous loading.

Plumbing’s just Lego innit. Water Lego.

Trans rights are human rights.

LtSarge

Just finished Lost Judgment on PS5 after 56 hours of playtime. Another phenomenal LAD game! Compared to the main series, the Judgment series really feels like real-time Ace Attorney. The ending of Lost Judgment in particular where you partake in a trial was truly engaging!

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but the side content in this game is probably the best I've experienced out of any LAD game. The school stories are definitely the highlight and I'm glad that I soldiered through the rough Robotics Club story just to get to the ending of the overall plot. After having experienced this, I really want Atlus to come out with a new Persona game. Heck, I'll even take Persona 4 Revival at this point. School settings in video games are just so cozy and nostalgic for me.

The extra content from the season pass mixed well with the rest of the base game content, such as added side cases. I'll also be starting up The Kaito Files DLC today. Really looking forward to it as I've heard great things about it.

LtSarge

Doctor_BK

@LtSarge Sounds like you really enjoyed it! I’ve been powering through the Yakuza games the last two years and this one is coming up soon and I’m really excited for it. I’ve owned it physically for awhile now and have already purchased the Kaito Files DLC. Kiryu is my favorite character in the series but Judgements has some amazing characters as well.

"Flame, dear, flame."

PSN: GrzzlyWzrd

LtSarge

@Doctor_BK Very impressive that you've played through so many Yakuza games in such a short time! I've been trying to limit myself to one game a year in order to avoid burning out.

It's interesting that you mention the characters, as I didn't really care much for them in the first Judgment. But I really took a liking to them in the second game. You really get the "it's the boys!" feeling in this game like you do in Yakuza 4 and 5.

[Edited by LtSarge]

LtSarge

Thrillho

@LtSarge Glad to hear the robotics club stuff didn't sour your experience too much. I might have to bump this one higher up my backlog (so to speak).

Thrillho

LtSarge

@Thrillho Even though I looked up a video guide, your post definitely motivated me to keep playing the school stories, so I appreciate that!

LtSarge

Tjuz

@LtSarge Always happy to see more praise for Judgment! That duology really has my eye to the point I've already purchased the first entry, but have yet to start it. If ever I want to try getting into the overall Yakuza series, it has always struck me as the best place to start with how it's not a huge commitment to a long line of games, is highly praised by fans and appeals to me personally with the whole detective aspect. The fact that you mentioned you even get to partake in a trial at the end of the second game has raised my enthusiasm greatly! I'm a total sucker for legal narratives, and nothing gets me more than watching courtroom drama (or even comedy) play out. Is that ending the only time the game does that really, or is it a recurring thing throughout both games?

Tjuz

Please login or sign up to reply to this topic