Having finished with Vagrant Story (fun, compulsive game, but flawed by modern standards - could really benefit from a remake with some QoL improvements), I'm going to be playing Creaks this weekend. I've had my eye on Amanita Design ever since I played Machinarium ages ago - their quirky, playful and arty games really hit the spot for me. Like kids' storybooks brought to life.
More Vagrant Story for me this weekend. This game is the very definition of a game that is more than the sum of its parts. I'm hopelessly addicted to it. Please send help. I was not expecting to become this obsessed with a creaky PS1 game.
Speaking of creaky, also hoping to play Creaks at some point, if I ever pull myself away from VS.
@PuppetMaster Cheers for the advice. Slowly getting to grips with the mechanics and really loving it. Just wish there was a menu shortcut to switch weapons - going into the full menu to do it each time gets a bit tedious.
I'm still working my way through Vagrant Story. It's systems are convoluted and impenetrable; it's pacing is slow and either ponderous or methodical depending on your point of view; it treats the player almost with disdain in how little tutorial it gives on its mechanics. By all rights I should have bounced off this (I have so. many. games in my backlog), yet I can't leave it alone. I sit down meaning to just play for an hour and then find myself still there 3 hours later having lost track of time because I've been so engrossed. There's some magic ingredient in the game that is just plain addictive. It reminds me a lot of a tabletop board game. So that's what I'll be playing this weekend!
I also bought the Creaks/Machinarium bundle in the sale. I played Machinarium years ago on my PC and it's still one of the best point and clicks I've ever played. Looking forward to playing Creaks when I can tear myself away from VS.
Having finished with Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (utterly fantastic game), I'm moving onto something completely different this weekend and giving PS1 classic Vagrant Story a spin. I've heard the gameplay systems are pretty convoluted and in-depth. I've got a week off work this week so hopefully I'll have the time (and the energy) to get into it and enjoy it. I'm already impressed by the art style which is amazing by PS1 standards.
Continuing with Lorelei and the Laser Eyes this weekend. I'm at about 80% completion now. This has been one of my personal standouts of the year for me, it's just soooooo good. And best played knowing as little about it as possible going in.
My eldest daughter is also playing Lorelei at the moment so there's a bit of friendly competition going on as to who will solve it all first. She's in the lead at the moment, but she did get a head-start on me 😅
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes for me this weekend. What an absolute gem of a game. I don't think I've been this obsessed with a puzzle game since The Witness. Currently just over 50% completion, and finding it utterly mesmerising.
@nomither6 I'm playing from disc. It's odd, there's occasional gameplay pauses and music doing very short loops as well. Pre-rendered cutscenes play fine. Menus can take a few seconds to open. It does seem to be an issue with it streaming from disc, but there's no option to install and I'm not running a modified PS3. It's not game-breaking or anything, more just annoying.
More Ratchet and Clank Tools of Destruction for me this weekend. Now on my second playthrough, this time looking to find all the collectables, get the skill points etc. I'm still having a weird issue where only about half the cutscenes play correctly and half have stuttering sound. Looking online it seems to be an issue when playing the game on a PS3 slim. So have had to watch cutscenes on YouTube. A bit annoying, but the game itself is great fun as usual with R&C.
After the challenging, technical platforming of The Messenger, it's a nice contrast to play a good simple blast and let the weapons do most of the work.
I wrapped up The Messenger and it's DLC Picnic Panic during the week. Still have a few collectables to get on Picnic Panic, so I'll be dipping in and out of that, however, I have decided to largely switch from a fantasy comedy game to a sci-fi comedy game and have started Ratchet & Clank Tools of Destruction. So that's what I'm intending to play this weekend.
Well, if it works, that is. I unsealed my brand new copy last night and it was acting very oddly - unexplained gameplay pauses, slowdown and stuttering on cutscenes, and a little way into the second level it froze completely, I got what looked like some memory addresses appear on my screen, then my PS3 did what I can only describe as a 'weird restart'.
After that, it was significantly better, but still with problems with cutscene sound being out of sync. The game itself has been 'classic R&C' so far, muscle memory is coming back for the moves quickly and the game has already raised a chuckle or two (The Groovitron!), in spite of the issues. Fingers crossed the problems go away as I play.
Well, first of all, happy 600th edition of WAYP! That's an achievement and a half. This weekly article was a big factor in my signing up for a Push Square account - the friendly community of generally good-humoured gaming enthusiasts drew me in, and I've never regretted it. Reading everyone's gaming experiences here is something I look forward to every week.
As to myself this weekend, I will be continuing to play The Messenger, which has kept me enraptured throughout. Nearing the end now, but then just discovered there's a free DLC level to enjoy as well - which is fine by me! It's rapidly becoming one of my favourite games I've played this year. The 2D platforming action is perfection, with an almost puzzle element at times in the way you have to perform movements technically to surmount obstacles. Often I've realised I was having trouble with a particular section because I was approaching it with the wrong strategy. Even with the right strategy there are still times when you'll be retrying sections so often you'll start to mix-up the controls, but checkpoints are always close enough by that the net effect is 'one more go, I will beat this!', rather than rage quitting. Not that I haven't come close at times 😅
@Exerion76 What's pretentious about the word auteur? It's an accurate description of what Kojima is. A game director with a huge amount of creative control over the games he makes, and a unique vision.
Baby Steps sounds like an interesting idea and nice to see something a bit different getting a solid score. Not sure I have the patience for it, though.
@Dalamar The originals every time for me. Amazing atmosphere, no handholding, every level is like a giant puzzle that unravels as you explore. I even prefer the old controls to those in the more modern games. In the original Tomb Raider games you actually feel like you are making Lara do the work; every bit of progression is earned. They could be brutally hard at times (TR3 especially), but that just made them more rewarding, in my humble opinion.
@get2sammyb What changes do the various difficulty settings bring? Do attack patterns and enemy numbers change, or is it just damage is adjusted to make things tougher?
This looks seriously great. I've loved schmups ever since I watched an R-Type arcade cabinet being played back in the 80s and was absolutely mesmerised by it. Well and truly on the wishlist.
Continuing The Messenger this weekend - it's a game that's really blown me away with it's clever design, and it's fantastic platforming and boss challenges, which are tough but not to the point of wanting to smack my controller off the wall. There's been plenty of blue language though - some of the cloud-stepping stuff is insane until you get used to the mechanics.
I love how it turns from a linear old-school platformer to a Metroidvania part-way through - almost like two games in one. The retro visuals are perfection, the chip music is fantastic and the humour is the icing on the cake. It reminds me why I got into videogames in the first place, way back in the days of 16-bit. If you like your retro 2D platformers then this gets a massive recommendation from me.
@Angelus3K Ditto, played the original beginning of this year, and finished Second Chapter a couple of months ago. So glad I experienced them in their original form, such great games.
This remake is definitely on my to-play list... at some point! Probably after I've played all the other umpteen Trails games 😅
@DrVenture69 NMS has been in my backlog for ages. How does it compare to the Subnautica games? I imagine it's a bit less focused with being procedurally generated.
I played Elite 2 Frontier years ago and had a great time just living the life of a space explorer, taking on contracts, trading, improving my resources etc, so if it's anything like that I imagine I'm going to be playing it for quite some time (when I get to it!).
@gaston It probably depends on your tolerance for retro games/pixel art, but to me it looks fantastic on my telly. I grew up in the 80s though so 8-bit and 16-bit are where I fell in love with video games, so there's probably a bit of nostalgia going on there.
From the couple of hours I've played so far, it's a massive recommendation from me. Just pure old school fun.
Completed The Last of Us Part 2 the other day and still absorbing it all. Just like the first game, it has left me ruminating long and hard on the ending. What a fantastic game: well-designed, well-written, tense, emotional, with brilliant gameplay, and moments and imagery that will be seared into my memory forever. Loved every second.
Now it's onto something completely different, as I have chosen to play The Messenger next. Oh my gosh, it's like Ron Gilbert got to make a 2D Ninja Gaiden game. I'm instantly loving the retro aesthetic, the sarcastic humour, the story, the music, and the addictive as crack one-more-go gameplay. So that's going to be taking up much of my time this weekend.
Also returning to The Talos Principle to see if I can finally figure out the last of the hidden puzzles on the DLC. I was thoroughly stumped last time I tried it a few months ago, so hoping my subconscious has been working on the problem in the meantime. I'm determined not to look up the answer.
I was discussing the subject of video game adaptations with my daughter just yesterday, and we came to the conclusion that they are kind of pointless. With a book to screen adaptation you have the addition of visuals and music etc, seeing someone's vision of the story and how closely it matches what was in your head when you read the book. A videogame to screen adaptation is purely reductive; you already have a product with visuals, production design, music etc, and you are reducing that by removing the very thing that made it so unique and fun in the first place: interactivity.
It takes the game story from active to passive. And they very rarely nail the atmosphere and tone of the original product in any case.
These sorts of adaptations just seem to be a very expensive promotional material/merchandising opportunity.
Got other things going on this weekend, but continuing the Last of Us Part 2 hopefully, when I get a spare moment.
Haven't had a lot of playtime this last week so progress has been slow. However, had a couple of days off work Thursday and Friday so been catching up a bit. I had been expecting a certain character's phobia to be paid off at some point and nice to see Naughty Dog didn't let me down. Then got up to a certain section set in a hospital basement last night that was pretty darned intense... So that's where the thing from the end of Inside ended up 😅
Fair to say I'm still loving every second. What a great game.
I don't think there was ever any doubt that Team Cherry were going to pull this off, given that they've given it the time and care they wanted to.
However, I only played the first game last year, so I'm one of the few not clamouring to play this just yet... I haven't recovered from some of the boss fights and evil platforming in the original yet! It's on my list for the future though.
The Last of Us Part 2 for me again this weekend. Still thoroughly enjoying it, in a grim dystopian sort of way. Got a lot of other stuff going on at the moment, which has been limiting my playtime, but hey ho.
@Zuljaras I beat RE3 on PS1 back in the day, but I don't think I would have the patience for it nowadays. The tank controls put me right off. I tried Code Veronica a couple of years ago and bounced right off it because of the controls.
Continuing my first playthrough of The Last of Us Part 2 this weekend. What a rollercoaster it has been. The gameplay enhancements have been great and so far there has been none of what I call 'emergent frustration', which is a criticism I have of some other Naughty Dog games, where you feel like you're repeating a section over and over until you get lucky.
The tension and atmosphere have been fantastic with lots of close escapes and near misses, both scripted and from general gameplay, and I can't wait to see what the game throws at me next.
Not commented on here in a few weeks as I got tired of saying 'I'm still playing Trails in the Sky Second Chapter", ha. I finally finished that game a couple of weeks ago (it was great, just as much fun as the first chapter, but so looooong).
I then replayed The Last of Us (remaster) in preparation for finally playing Part 2. It's a few years since I last played the first one and I was surprised how janky it felt at times, but of course it's still an amazing game.
Now having my first run of Part 2, which I believe is pretty divisive. So far I'm having a great time, but yeah an early narrative decision definitely rankles as the big narrative hook of the first game has been discarded, but hey ho. I'm playing it with an open mind and we'll see where this all goes 😀
@Contimaloris Yes, someone could and probably has made that argument. Not me, though.
There are already parental controls available from broadband providers and adult websites have been unavailable through mobile data for some time now in the UK. What exactly does this law add to that?
@Contimaloris You're putting words in my mouth there, champ. I never said 'why bother?', I said (paraphrasing my previous posts), "This law is needlessly authoritarian and intrusive, won't work, is likely to make the thing being controlled more attractive not less, and has scope to be misused by the government further down the line depending on what they decide deserves to be 'age restricted'".
I have never once argued that there should be no age restriction on porn. I also don't believe I've made reference at any point to information being stolen, either.
To address your point about cigarettes and alcohol, kids can and do get hold of them in spite of age restrictions (and no, I'm not in favour of removing those age restrictions, before you accuse me of that).
I don't smoke or drink and neither do my kids (including the one who's in her 20s now). I had a discussion with them a long time ago about why those things are bad and then trusted them to make the right choices.
Government overreach is no substitute for good parenting.
@DaveTheRave Yeah, I've got two of them (one of them grown up now), and I did/do worry what they get exposed to, but mainly from other kids at school. And you can't legislate for that.
I'm not against protecting kids from this sort of stuff in principle, of course, but this sort of law is not the way to do it, in my opinion. It won't work anyway, kids will find a way around it, and the forbidden fruit factor will make kids seek it out even more if anything.
Better for parents to have a frank discussion about this stuff at an appropriate age, explain what it is, why it exists and why it is harmful.
@Olmaz I disagree with that, because the context you're speaking of is within the domain of a private family home. Within that context, this sort of thing is government overreach in my opinion, and unnecessarily infringes on civil liberties.
Stores selling cigarettes or alcohol are open to the public and subject to licensing laws, it's a completely different situation.
@Olmaz Laws making it illegal for children to be exposed to age-restricted content have been in place for a long time. The implementation is where the parental responsibility comes in.
@Olmaz My suggestion would be personal responsibility. Parents should be responsible for ensuring their children's online safety in the same way they are responsible for their children's safety in every other area of their lives.
Personal responsibility is the answer to most problems in life. Freedom-limiting authoritarian laws that open the door to more authoritarianism down the line are never the answer.
I wonder how long it will be before this 'safety' bill is extended to anything else the government decides it doesn't approve of - just like hate speech laws this is so open to misuse and doesn't even solve the supposed problem that was used as an excuse to push through this Draconian legislation in the first place.
Ironic that a country that is effectively going extinct from the lowest birth rate on the planet - way below replacement level - has produced a game that has generated so much controversy over it's perceived sauciness.
@nomither6 Come to think of it, the Gears art style was obviously heavily influenced by war films like Saving Private Ryan. The washed out colours really give the same feeling, as does the shaky camera on the roadie run.
I agree with you, the art style should serve the vibe of the story and setting as part of a coherent whole. The original Gears of War trilogy did that brilliantly, and it helped made Sera a memorable, believable setting. It was done so well that I really wanted to see what Sera looked like in it's glory days, before the Locust emerged.
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Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 609
Having finished with Vagrant Story (fun, compulsive game, but flawed by modern standards - could really benefit from a remake with some QoL improvements), I'm going to be playing Creaks this weekend. I've had my eye on Amanita Design ever since I played Machinarium ages ago - their quirky, playful and arty games really hit the spot for me. Like kids' storybooks brought to life.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 608
@Jrs1 R-Type Delta is one of my all-time favourite games. One of the best shmups ever made. And the soundtrack is just👌
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 608
More Vagrant Story for me this weekend. This game is the very definition of a game that is more than the sum of its parts. I'm hopelessly addicted to it. Please send help. I was not expecting to become this obsessed with a creaky PS1 game.
Speaking of creaky, also hoping to play Creaks at some point, if I ever pull myself away from VS.
Have a good one, folks.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 607
@PuppetMaster Cheers for the advice. Slowly getting to grips with the mechanics and really loving it. Just wish there was a menu shortcut to switch weapons - going into the full menu to do it each time gets a bit tedious.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 607
I'm still working my way through Vagrant Story. It's systems are convoluted and impenetrable; it's pacing is slow and either ponderous or methodical depending on your point of view; it treats the player almost with disdain in how little tutorial it gives on its mechanics. By all rights I should have bounced off this (I have so. many. games in my backlog), yet I can't leave it alone. I sit down meaning to just play for an hour and then find myself still there 3 hours later having lost track of time because I've been so engrossed. There's some magic ingredient in the game that is just plain addictive. It reminds me a lot of a tabletop board game. So that's what I'll be playing this weekend!
I also bought the Creaks/Machinarium bundle in the sale. I played Machinarium years ago on my PC and it's still one of the best point and clicks I've ever played. Looking forward to playing Creaks when I can tear myself away from VS.
Have a great weekend folks.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 606
Having finished with Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (utterly fantastic game), I'm moving onto something completely different this weekend and giving PS1 classic Vagrant Story a spin. I've heard the gameplay systems are pretty convoluted and in-depth. I've got a week off work this week so hopefully I'll have the time (and the energy) to get into it and enjoy it. I'm already impressed by the art style which is amazing by PS1 standards.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 605
@Czar_Khastik #lifegoals 😂
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 605
Continuing with Lorelei and the Laser Eyes this weekend. I'm at about 80% completion now. This has been one of my personal standouts of the year for me, it's just soooooo good. And best played knowing as little about it as possible going in.
My eldest daughter is also playing Lorelei at the moment so there's a bit of friendly competition going on as to who will solve it all first. She's in the lead at the moment, but she did get a head-start on me 😅
Have a great weekend, fellow gamers.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 604
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes for me this weekend. What an absolute gem of a game. I don't think I've been this obsessed with a puzzle game since The Witness. Currently just over 50% completion, and finding it utterly mesmerising.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 603
Lorelei and the Laser Eyes for me this weekend. Really looking forward to getting stuck into it. I've heard it's rather good.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 602
@nomither6 I'm playing from disc. It's odd, there's occasional gameplay pauses and music doing very short loops as well. Pre-rendered cutscenes play fine. Menus can take a few seconds to open. It does seem to be an issue with it streaming from disc, but there's no option to install and I'm not running a modified PS3. It's not game-breaking or anything, more just annoying.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 602
More Ratchet and Clank Tools of Destruction for me this weekend. Now on my second playthrough, this time looking to find all the collectables, get the skill points etc. I'm still having a weird issue where only about half the cutscenes play correctly and half have stuttering sound. Looking online it seems to be an issue when playing the game on a PS3 slim. So have had to watch cutscenes on YouTube. A bit annoying, but the game itself is great fun as usual with R&C.
After the challenging, technical platforming of The Messenger, it's a nice contrast to play a good simple blast and let the weapons do most of the work.
Enjoy your weekend everyone.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 601
I wrapped up The Messenger and it's DLC Picnic Panic during the week. Still have a few collectables to get on Picnic Panic, so I'll be dipping in and out of that, however, I have decided to largely switch from a fantasy comedy game to a sci-fi comedy game and have started Ratchet & Clank Tools of Destruction. So that's what I'm intending to play this weekend.
Well, if it works, that is. I unsealed my brand new copy last night and it was acting very oddly - unexplained gameplay pauses, slowdown and stuttering on cutscenes, and a little way into the second level it froze completely, I got what looked like some memory addresses appear on my screen, then my PS3 did what I can only describe as a 'weird restart'.
After that, it was significantly better, but still with problems with cutscene sound being out of sync. The game itself has been 'classic R&C' so far, muscle memory is coming back for the moves quickly and the game has already raised a chuckle or two (The Groovitron!), in spite of the issues. Fingers crossed the problems go away as I play.
Enjoy the weekend, fellow Push Squarians.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 600
@Czar_Khastik It'd be easier to beat a tag team of Ornstein and Smough and the Orphan of Kos!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 600
Well, first of all, happy 600th edition of WAYP! That's an achievement and a half. This weekly article was a big factor in my signing up for a Push Square account - the friendly community of generally good-humoured gaming enthusiasts drew me in, and I've never regretted it. Reading everyone's gaming experiences here is something I look forward to every week.
As to myself this weekend, I will be continuing to play The Messenger, which has kept me enraptured throughout. Nearing the end now, but then just discovered there's a free DLC level to enjoy as well - which is fine by me! It's rapidly becoming one of my favourite games I've played this year. The 2D platforming action is perfection, with an almost puzzle element at times in the way you have to perform movements technically to surmount obstacles. Often I've realised I was having trouble with a particular section because I was approaching it with the wrong strategy. Even with the right strategy there are still times when you'll be retrying sections so often you'll start to mix-up the controls, but checkpoints are always close enough by that the net effect is 'one more go, I will beat this!', rather than rage quitting. Not that I haven't come close at times 😅
Have a great weekend everyone.
Re: Random: Auteur Hideo Kojima Hopes to Win an Award by Scanning a Real-Life Ghost into His Horror Game
@Exerion76 What's pretentious about the word auteur? It's an accurate description of what Kojima is. A game director with a huge amount of creative control over the games he makes, and a unique vision.
Re: Who Is Playing Wolverine in Insomniac's PS5 Game?
Insomniac will change the face to Hugh Jackman when the game gets remastered for PS6 for 'better graphical fidelity/performance capture integration' 😜
Re: Baby Steps (PS5) - A Rewarding, Surrealist Odyssey for Those Willing to Fail
Ah, the old 'What's in a review score?' debate.
Apples=9/10
Oranges=5/10
Sue me 😜
Baby Steps sounds like an interesting idea and nice to see something a bit different getting a solid score. Not sure I have the patience for it, though.
Re: There's Even More Classic Tomb Raider Coming to PS5, PS4
@Dalamar The originals every time for me. Amazing atmosphere, no handholding, every level is like a giant puzzle that unravels as you explore. I even prefer the old controls to those in the more modern games. In the original Tomb Raider games you actually feel like you are making Lara do the work; every bit of progression is earned. They could be brutally hard at times (TR3 especially), but that just made them more rewarding, in my humble opinion.
Re: Earthion (PS5) - A Scorching Shmup That Soars Beyond Nostalgia
@get2sammyb What changes do the various difficulty settings bring? Do attack patterns and enemy numbers change, or is it just damage is adjusted to make things tougher?
Re: Earthion (PS5) - A Scorching Shmup That Soars Beyond Nostalgia
This looks seriously great. I've loved schmups ever since I watched an R-Type arcade cabinet being played back in the 80s and was absolutely mesmerised by it. Well and truly on the wishlist.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 599
Continuing The Messenger this weekend - it's a game that's really blown me away with it's clever design, and it's fantastic platforming and boss challenges, which are tough but not to the point of wanting to smack my controller off the wall. There's been plenty of blue language though - some of the cloud-stepping stuff is insane until you get used to the mechanics.
I love how it turns from a linear old-school platformer to a Metroidvania part-way through - almost like two games in one. The retro visuals are perfection, the chip music is fantastic and the humour is the icing on the cake. It reminds me why I got into videogames in the first place, way back in the days of 16-bit. If you like your retro 2D platformers then this gets a massive recommendation from me.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone.
Re: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter (PS5) - This Is How You Remake a Classic RPG
@Angelus3K Ditto, played the original beginning of this year, and finished Second Chapter a couple of months ago. So glad I experienced them in their original form, such great games.
This remake is definitely on my to-play list... at some point! Probably after I've played all the other umpteen Trails games 😅
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 598
@DrVenture69 Hey, cheers for the response. It sounds right up my alley - might have to bump it up the backlog list a bit!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 598
@DrVenture69 NMS has been in my backlog for ages. How does it compare to the Subnautica games? I imagine it's a bit less focused with being procedurally generated.
I played Elite 2 Frontier years ago and had a great time just living the life of a space explorer, taking on contracts, trading, improving my resources etc, so if it's anything like that I imagine I'm going to be playing it for quite some time (when I get to it!).
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 598
@gaston It probably depends on your tolerance for retro games/pixel art, but to me it looks fantastic on my telly. I grew up in the 80s though so 8-bit and 16-bit are where I fell in love with video games, so there's probably a bit of nostalgia going on there.
From the couple of hours I've played so far, it's a massive recommendation from me. Just pure old school fun.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 598
Completed The Last of Us Part 2 the other day and still absorbing it all. Just like the first game, it has left me ruminating long and hard on the ending. What a fantastic game: well-designed, well-written, tense, emotional, with brilliant gameplay, and moments and imagery that will be seared into my memory forever. Loved every second.
Now it's onto something completely different, as I have chosen to play The Messenger next. Oh my gosh, it's like Ron Gilbert got to make a 2D Ninja Gaiden game. I'm instantly loving the retro aesthetic, the sarcastic humour, the story, the music, and the addictive as crack one-more-go gameplay. So that's going to be taking up much of my time this weekend.
Also returning to The Talos Principle to see if I can finally figure out the last of the hidden puzzles on the DLC. I was thoroughly stumped last time I tried it a few months ago, so hoping my subconscious has been working on the problem in the meantime. I'm determined not to look up the answer.
Enjoy the weekend, fellow gamers!
Re: Hollow Knight: Silksong Difficulty to Be Toned Down Following Player Feedback
'Bug fixes' in more ways than one, then?
Re: Acclaimed 16-Bit Shooter Earthion Sets Sights on PS5, PS4 Next Week
This is totally up my retro avenue and looks fantastic. Definitely playing this at some point.
Re: Amazon's God of War TV Adaptation to Start Filming in Six Months
I was discussing the subject of video game adaptations with my daughter just yesterday, and we came to the conclusion that they are kind of pointless. With a book to screen adaptation you have the addition of visuals and music etc, seeing someone's vision of the story and how closely it matches what was in your head when you read the book. A videogame to screen adaptation is purely reductive; you already have a product with visuals, production design, music etc, and you are reducing that by removing the very thing that made it so unique and fun in the first place: interactivity.
It takes the game story from active to passive. And they very rarely nail the atmosphere and tone of the original product in any case.
These sorts of adaptations just seem to be a very expensive promotional material/merchandising opportunity.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 597
Got other things going on this weekend, but continuing the Last of Us Part 2 hopefully, when I get a spare moment.
Haven't had a lot of playtime this last week so progress has been slow. However, had a couple of days off work Thursday and Friday so been catching up a bit. I had been expecting a certain character's phobia to be paid off at some point and nice to see Naughty Dog didn't let me down. Then got up to a certain section set in a hospital basement last night that was pretty darned intense... So that's where the thing from the end of Inside ended up 😅
Fair to say I'm still loving every second. What a great game.
Happy gaming all.
Re: Review in Progress: Hollow Knight: Silksong (PS5) - A Silky Smooth Sequel Proving Well Worth the Wait
I don't think there was ever any doubt that Team Cherry were going to pull this off, given that they've given it the time and care they wanted to.
However, I only played the first game last year, so I'm one of the few not clamouring to play this just yet... I haven't recovered from some of the boss fights and evil platforming in the original yet! It's on my list for the future though.
Re: These 18+ New PS5, PS4, and PS Plus Games Are Coming Out Next Week (1st-7th September)
For a second there I was wondering why Silksong is rated 18+ 🤔
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 596
The Last of Us Part 2 for me again this weekend. Still thoroughly enjoying it, in a grim dystopian sort of way. Got a lot of other stuff going on at the moment, which has been limiting my playtime, but hey ho.
Have a great weekend, fellow Push Squarians.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 595
@Zuljaras I beat RE3 on PS1 back in the day, but I don't think I would have the patience for it nowadays. The tank controls put me right off. I tried Code Veronica a couple of years ago and bounced right off it because of the controls.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 595
Continuing my first playthrough of The Last of Us Part 2 this weekend. What a rollercoaster it has been. The gameplay enhancements have been great and so far there has been none of what I call 'emergent frustration', which is a criticism I have of some other Naughty Dog games, where you feel like you're repeating a section over and over until you get lucky.
The tension and atmosphere have been fantastic with lots of close escapes and near misses, both scripted and from general gameplay, and I can't wait to see what the game throws at me next.
Have a great weekend all.
Re: Bungie Boss Pete Parsons Departs as Sony Starts to Take Control of Flagging Dev
@get2sammyb My tagline would have been "Bungie jumped or Bungie pushed?" 😁
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 594
Not commented on here in a few weeks as I got tired of saying 'I'm still playing Trails in the Sky Second Chapter", ha. I finally finished that game a couple of weeks ago (it was great, just as much fun as the first chapter, but so looooong).
I then replayed The Last of Us (remaster) in preparation for finally playing Part 2. It's a few years since I last played the first one and I was surprised how janky it felt at times, but of course it's still an amazing game.
Now having my first run of Part 2, which I believe is pretty divisive. So far I'm having a great time, but yeah an early narrative decision definitely rankles as the big narrative hook of the first game has been discarded, but hey ho. I'm playing it with an open mind and we'll see where this all goes 😀
Re: UK Citizens Using Death Stranding 2 on PS5 to Bypass Porn Blocks
@Contimaloris Yes, someone could and probably has made that argument. Not me, though.
There are already parental controls available from broadband providers and adult websites have been unavailable through mobile data for some time now in the UK. What exactly does this law add to that?
Re: UK Citizens Using Death Stranding 2 on PS5 to Bypass Porn Blocks
@Contimaloris You're putting words in my mouth there, champ. I never said 'why bother?', I said (paraphrasing my previous posts), "This law is needlessly authoritarian and intrusive, won't work, is likely to make the thing being controlled more attractive not less, and has scope to be misused by the government further down the line depending on what they decide deserves to be 'age restricted'".
I have never once argued that there should be no age restriction on porn. I also don't believe I've made reference at any point to information being stolen, either.
To address your point about cigarettes and alcohol, kids can and do get hold of them in spite of age restrictions (and no, I'm not in favour of removing those age restrictions, before you accuse me of that).
I don't smoke or drink and neither do my kids (including the one who's in her 20s now). I had a discussion with them a long time ago about why those things are bad and then trusted them to make the right choices.
Government overreach is no substitute for good parenting.
Re: UK Citizens Using Death Stranding 2 on PS5 to Bypass Porn Blocks
@DaveTheRave Yeah, I've got two of them (one of them grown up now), and I did/do worry what they get exposed to, but mainly from other kids at school. And you can't legislate for that.
I'm not against protecting kids from this sort of stuff in principle, of course, but this sort of law is not the way to do it, in my opinion. It won't work anyway, kids will find a way around it, and the forbidden fruit factor will make kids seek it out even more if anything.
Better for parents to have a frank discussion about this stuff at an appropriate age, explain what it is, why it exists and why it is harmful.
Re: UK Citizens Using Death Stranding 2 on PS5 to Bypass Porn Blocks
@Olmaz I disagree with that, because the context you're speaking of is within the domain of a private family home. Within that context, this sort of thing is government overreach in my opinion, and unnecessarily infringes on civil liberties.
Stores selling cigarettes or alcohol are open to the public and subject to licensing laws, it's a completely different situation.
Re: UK Citizens Using Death Stranding 2 on PS5 to Bypass Porn Blocks
@Olmaz Laws making it illegal for children to be exposed to age-restricted content have been in place for a long time. The implementation is where the parental responsibility comes in.
Re: UK Citizens Using Death Stranding 2 on PS5 to Bypass Porn Blocks
@Olmaz My suggestion would be personal responsibility. Parents should be responsible for ensuring their children's online safety in the same way they are responsible for their children's safety in every other area of their lives.
Personal responsibility is the answer to most problems in life. Freedom-limiting authoritarian laws that open the door to more authoritarianism down the line are never the answer.
Re: UK Citizens Using Death Stranding 2 on PS5 to Bypass Porn Blocks
I wonder how long it will be before this 'safety' bill is extended to anything else the government decides it doesn't approve of - just like hate speech laws this is so open to misuse and doesn't even solve the supposed problem that was used as an excuse to push through this Draconian legislation in the first place.
Re: Ghost of Yotei Confirms Japanese Dub at Launch, Complete with Full Lip-Syncing
As someone who loved playing the original with the Japanese dub, I say, "Yoish!"
Re: Of Course Hideo Kojima Would Want to Make a Game in Space
Pretty sure Kojima is trolling the 'Hideo Kojima's so up himself' crowd at this point.
Re: Random: Stellar Blade Dev Gives Insane Anatomically Accurate Explanation of Why Butts Are Beautiful
@Exerion76 In modern society, the male sex drive is demonised, and the female sex drive is celebrated.
It's absolutely a double standard.
Re: Random: Stellar Blade Dev Gives Insane Anatomically Accurate Explanation of Why Butts Are Beautiful
Well, this comment section was a rollercoaster.
Ironic that a country that is effectively going extinct from the lowest birth rate on the planet - way below replacement level - has produced a game that has generated so much controversy over it's perceived sauciness.
Re: This Is How Gears of War Reloaded Looks and Plays on PS5 Pro
@nomither6 Come to think of it, the Gears art style was obviously heavily influenced by war films like Saving Private Ryan. The washed out colours really give the same feeling, as does the shaky camera on the roadie run.
I agree with you, the art style should serve the vibe of the story and setting as part of a coherent whole. The original Gears of War trilogy did that brilliantly, and it helped made Sera a memorable, believable setting. It was done so well that I really wanted to see what Sera looked like in it's glory days, before the Locust emerged.