Video Games

[mbenigni]

Nioh 2 is to me one of the best of the genre when it comes to boss fights. Each boss requires different tactics and there are only a few gimmick bosses or overly large "camera is the real enemy" bosses. Being able to cast debuffs on the boss, while managing your own buffs during the fight adds another layer. On top of you having a vastly bigger moveset than From games, and multiple stances to switch between slow but powerful and fast but wimpy attacks.

Nioh and Nioh 2 are so amazing. The management of stances, "manual reload" for stamina, and clever skill trees add a lot of depth to the core combat mechanics. I really hope Team Ninja gets around to a Nioh 3. I thought Wo Long would scratch that itch, but the feel is very different.

Is anyone here playing Rise of the Ronin yet? If so, what are your thoughts?

 

[laxu]

Nioh and Nioh 2 are so amazing. The management of stances, "manual reload" for stamina, and clever skill trees add a lot of depth to the core combat mechanics. I really hope Team Ninja gets around to a Nioh 3. I thought Wo Long would scratch that itch, but the feel is very different.

Is anyone here playing Rise of the Ronin yet? If so, what are your thoughts?

Yeah I skipped Wo Long because it felt like a step back. Rise of the Ronin seems like an equally mixed bag so it's on my "maybe play it at some point" list.

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

Almost level 60 in Helldivers 2. Freedom (and Democracy) carried me through...

 

[Aelred]

For me, the primary killer in all FROM games is Gravity, because the Platforming is so poor (and the run back to the gravity death spot tedious) but they inist upon it every time.

I didn't mind getting swiped by bears, spat on by lobsters, swooped by dragons and pecked by crows around the world. It's just that once you do it, the exploration factor disappears and you just sprint to the spots you know. Hence anticipation for a very large DLC chock full of beasties.

The ER Bosses were designed for co-op and spirit summons (as so many single-player reviews lament), especially in Late Game where the balance goes wonky. Before you emerge into Limgrave you get your co-op stuff, and a summoning pool before you encounter the Tree Sentinel (admittedly you first get a spirit summon at the Church soon after). Take the hint.

Fighting Maliketh with Tiche is different than with a Mimic (I loved the Mimic before they Nerfed it) or with Oleg or with the Dung Eater or with a whole variety of players online happy to have some fun.

Of course there will be similar Bosses in such a large game, but I never get sick of Dragon fights (and Fotissax and Placidusax are quite different) and the Tree Sentinels vary even with similar moves. When you co-op with people, all sorts of crazy things can happen at the same Boss fight, say the first Dragon in Limgrave. Hosts find all sorts of ways tyo die while I'm swatting or zapping Agheel.

YMMV. After assisting with a few thousand co-op bosses I still go back most days and enjoy.

Bring on Shadow of the Erdtree, so at least I get some new spells to test before they nerf them as badly as Dragon Magic.

 

[mbenigni]

When you co-op with people, all sorts of crazy things can happen at the same Boss fight...

Sometimes it feels a little ridiculous, though. Like when I'm speedrunning and I get to a boss I'm in no way prepared for, and I just summon and repeat until I get a couple of characters (usually casters) who are ridiculously overpowered. Just stay alive for the requisite 45 seconds and move on. It's basically a roll of the dice.

With you 100% on the insta-death falling damage thing.

 

[Aelred]

Sometimes it feels a little ridiculous, though. Like when I'm speedrunning and I get to a boss I'm in no way prepared for, and I just summon and repeat until I get a couple of characters (usually casters) who are ridiculously overpowered. Just stay alive for the requisite 45 seconds and move on. It's basically a roll of the dice.

With you 100% on the insta-death falling damage thing.

If you are speedrunning I don't see how a quick kill is unwelcome.

Summons depends on levels and gear unless using a password, but I do know how to get a Caster OP at low level and help in NG7. Glass cannon, but can deal the damages.

ER provides a massive base game I, or me and my firends, can play all sorts of ways. The DLC promises 8 more weapon classes, not just weapons, and I hope more spells, Ashes of War, Spirit Ashes, perfumes, pots - and one day I will take up a Bow and use all of these arrows or bolts I can craft or purchase. I used a bow a lot more in Souls.

 

[mbenigni]

If you are speedrunning I don't see how a quick kill is unwelcome.

I'm not saying it's unwelcome. On the contrary, it's exactly what I'm sitting there hoping for. All I'm saying is it's completely random.

 

[Jynx]

Can't wait for this one.

 

[laxu]

For me, the primary killer in all FROM games is Gravity, because the Platforming is so poor (and the run back to the gravity death spot tedious) but they inist upon it every time.

The trick is to carry those Rainbow Stones found in every Souls game. Thinking of jumping somewhere? Throw down a rainbow stone first. If it doesn't disappear, you can usually drop down to that place. If it disappears, you would die from the fall.

From also likes to use death planes in a lot of places to prevent players from going there, but it's often not clear what is a survivable fall and what is not.

I wish they would do something about the "landed on the edge of a platform and got pushed off it" though. That's really annoying when it always looks like you landed perfectly fine and then just slide off.

There's a lot of jankiness and inconvenience that From seems unwilling to address. This is somehow so typical of Japanese game devs in particular.

 

[BahamaDada]

I know you gaming guys are all 60 or 70 by now so not the primary focus group (me neither), but did anybody play the new Xdefiant?

Just asking bc ppl say it should (should!) resemble/bring back the oldschool CoD-gameplay from WhEn We WeRe YoUnG.

Played it (and played a lot of the older CoDs in their prime) and didn't like it at all.

 

[laxu]

In anticipation for the Elden Ring DLC, I went to check out my current character build and learn the controls again. I decided to give bows a try and holy hell, they are so much more fun than they were in the previous games! The enemies are still totally dumb when they haven't noticed the player, but the bows can actually be used in close combat now too. Combined with horseback you can really kite around enemies at speed while firing at them.

But I will be going to the DLC with a strength-dex-faith build with a big ass shield and an ice damage halberd for poking. I also have a lightning dagger when speed becomes paramount, or if I want to max backstab/staggered hit damage.

 

[laxu]

I know you gaming guys are all 60 or 70 by now so not the primary focus group (me neither), but did anybody play the new Xdefiant?

Just asking bc ppl say it should (should!) resemble/bring back the oldschool CoD-gameplay from WhEn We WeRe YoUnG.

Played it (and played a lot of the older CoDs in their prime) and didn't like it at all.

I haven't played it but I watched some footage. It looks definitely dated, which isn't necessary a bad thing. But it might not be what people expect from something like this today, and overall it seems like a mismash of ideas with little identity of its own. XDefiant to me looks like if you combined a 2000s military shooter with Overwatch visual style and skills.

I have a friend whose gaming preferences are the polar opposite of mine. We are both in our early 40s. I can spend 100h immersed into something like Like A Dragon games where I'm looking for exploration, story etc, whereas my friend plays multiplayer shooters pretty exclusively, so I'll have to ask if he has tried XDefiant the next time I talk to him. He has recently been playing The Finals and said he enjoys it because it tries to do something different.

These are all made by studios where they are carefully considered products designed around making a lot of money over time. They don't seem to learn that something like Fortnite started as something different and pivoted a lot to reach its success.

 

[Jarick]

Check out this new Metroidvania. It's free on PS Plus Extra if you have it. Currently 10/10 on Steam. Go in as blind as possible.

Okay I picked this up and it's pretty damn challenging but fun. It's like pure puzzle platformer. Really old school.

I'll be honest I got stuck about two minutes in and had to find a walkthrough. Had to look up a few different places I got stuck but getting better at it.

Watching a Twitch streamer playing the game and getting super frustrated right now, which is hilarious and reassuring.

 

[BahamaDada]

I haven't played it but I watched some footage. It looks definitely dated, which isn't necessary a bad thing. But it might not be what people expect from something like this today, and overall it seems like a mismash of ideas with little identity of its own. XDefiant to me looks like if you combined a 2000s military shooter with Overwatch visual style and skills.

I have a friend whose gaming preferences are the polar opposite of mine. We are both in our early 40s. I can spend 100h immersed into something like Like A Dragon games where I'm looking for exploration, story etc, whereas my friend plays multiplayer shooters pretty exclusively, so I'll have to ask if he has tried XDefiant the next time I talk to him. He has recently been playing The Finals and said he enjoys it because it tries to do something different.

These are all made by studios where they are carefully considered products designed around making a lot of money over time. They don't seem to learn that something like Fortnite started as something different and pivoted a lot to reach its success.

TBH a guy in his 40s playing exclusively MP shooters is very cool, yet rather exotic today. At least that's what I always read. I play some myself and always feel pretty...

Xdefiant definetly felt dated and too modern at the same time. It feels like old CoD where you lived like 5 seconds before some random grenade killed you and at the same time you have these abilities and ultras you can use.

Worst thing is the shooting, which... should be the best thing in a shooter. I am not crying for realisim, but unloading half a clip into my enemy and them still having 20% health... Annoying.

The Finals had a superb idea and the level destruction is amazing, but it falls short when you don't play with friends. I don't have gaming friends, so...

 

[PLX]

 

[Aelred]

The trick is to carry those Rainbow Stones found in every Souls game. Thinking of jumping somewhere? Throw down a rainbow stone first. If it doesn't disappear, you can usually drop down to that place. If it disappears, you would die from the fall.

I know that. The point I was making was about the tedious run-back to the spot that I died at - and some jumps are mandatory. Rainbow stones have nothing to do with it.

I am playing Stellar Blade at the moment, and when I fall I respawn at or near the fall spot, however many times I don't make it, until I do. Standard platforming. The jump mechanics in From games aren't the best, imho.

I still play them, but there are a few things From retain from title to title they maybe need to tweak or improve now. The Spell mechanics in Lords of the Fallen are SO much better than Souls games, for instance. 5 spells on the controller and I can change them on the run.

I can't see them tweaking any of that for Shadow, but I am looking forward to it.

 

[Devin]

Played through the demo for Enotria - it's like a janky version of Lies of P but I actually had fun with it; I'm sure I'll end up playing the full game.


Also started Another Crab's Treasure and it's cool as hell

 

[mbenigni]

Had to put my money where my mouth has been for the past 20 years, and buy Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door. It's still adorable, but I actually think I liked the original graphics better? Moving from 2D sprites to 3D models to better approximate a world made of paper... diminishing returns at best.

 

[mbenigni]

Played through the demo for Enotria - it's like a janky version of Lies of P but I actually had fun with it; I'm sure I'll end up playing the full game.


Also started Another Crab's Treasure and it's cool as hell

Thanks for the heads up(s)!

 

[Devin]

Finished Another Crab's Treasure yesterday - so damn good.

Indie devs are fuckin killing it these days