A positive thread about what you're currently playing

Just Cause 3. Don't know why I bounced off of Just Cause 2, but Just Cause 3 is reminding me of the good old days of Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, though I thought World in Flames was okay and might get that again for PC at some point. So, Just Cause 3 keeps giving me a low RAM warning, but stuff is still blowing up real good.

Bought Celeste. Playing Celeste. Enjoying Celeste. It's good! Not revolutionary or anything, but definitely fun. On Chapter 3 I had over 300 deaths and my wrist was starting to hurt. The controls are pretty great. At first I had trouble getting the diagonal dashes to work consistently, but once I trained my brain to think in eight cardinal directions instead of trying to dash in other angles, it works fine.

The story is surprisingly well-done and thought provoking, though sparse. I like all of the characters. You could definitely read all sorts of metaphors into the story which may or may not be intentional.

After spending around 2 hours with the Monster Hunter character creator I was about ready to start again once I got in the game (typical), but thankfully you can change your appearance at any time. Convenient!

Also having a blast with DBF. Game makes me feel like I feel playing Dissidia. It's options over execution. Enjoying it quite a bit!

e: nevermind, u cant change ur face. started over lol.

Picked up wasteland 2 in the PSN sale. Its scratching that divinity itch nicly until divinity 2 comes to consoles.

Watch Dogs 2. Waaaaay better than the first game in nearly every way.

I'm replaying Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, on hard instead of normal this time. That's a kick-ass game. I might like it more than Bayonetta. Mechanically, it's mostly inferior. But I'm more into the setting, music, bosses and characters in this game, and I never get tired of turning a cyborg soldier into a minced salami mid-air.

Platinum have used a ton of different types of music for their Bayo-style combat at this point, and this stuff is by far my favorite. No jazzy Bayonetta tunes or odd Nier Automata vocals make me as hyped for a fight as this stuff, especially once the lyrics kick in as the fight turns more intense.

I'm having so much fun, this game feels so good to play and just makes me giggle and laugh at every turn.

Picked up Steamworld Dig 2 for VITA and it is SO FUCKING GOOD. I ignored the series, because I didn't enjoy digging games like Minecraft, but boy oh boy is it a good ass videogame. Can anyone recommend Heist or the original?

Also playing Fallout 4. The modsupport for the XONE is real cool, it gives that game life in a way that makes it super enjoyable.

Just blitzed through Dishonored 2; finished it in four three-hour sessions. I liked it a lot, but it feels almost identical in many ways to the first one and the Daud DLC; the gameplay loop is the same, and even the story is pretty much the same as both combined. You can even defeat the end boss in the same exact way... You also have the choice of picking a gang to side with in one mission, like in the... you get the picture. It never felt like a must-own at any point, but it's really fun to play. Nothing amazing about it outside of the wonderful Arkane vibe. I give it a solid 7.5.

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I'm also about fourteen hours into Odin Sphere, and that is one of the prettiest games ever. Some levels are breathtakingly beautiful, and the story is surprisingly tragic and touching (I wrongly assumed this was a very gameplay-focused thing, but it isn't).

Getting XP from meals you cook and produce you grow is satisfying as hell. I love unlocking recipes and looking at the delicious results the traveling chef knocks up for you. Closest my ass will come to a gourmet restaurant. Anyway, loving it.

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DB FighterZ is my fave of 2018 so far -- Monster Hunter is sitting waiting to be unwrapped still, so it's a contender in potentia. I will play this for as long as its servers stay online. Pure brain/eye candy. Frantic yet graceful. Needs more characters, stat!

Started playing Mass Effect Andromeda again after it won the worst game of 2017 and it is not that bad. It's perfectly enjoyable even if it is clearly not the best it is far from the worst.

They did around 10 updates post-release if I remember correctly, none of which Brad had installed during his playtime with it. Neither did I though, and it was one of my favorite games of 2017, but that's because the gameplay is super fun and the exploration in that game can be so stunning.

I recently went back to ME1 intending to play the trilogy again and it is really hard to get back into. The gameplay is really subpar and the exploration is, by comparison, a complete joke. Even worse is that in ME2 and 3 the exploration basically consists of exploring rooms that are supposedly on different planets.

I'm playing Nioh and I really dig it. The combat is so satisfying. The bosses are real SOBs though :D

Ive been playing Beat Cop, love the style of that game. Very simple but am enjoying it.

Still addicted to Max Payne 3. This is the highest altitude I've ever reached and survived. Dodged a rocket down there on the ground in the bottom left. That bottle of painkillers saved me.

The core gameplay of Full Metal Furies is really great co-op. The leveling is cool, too.

Monster Hunter World.

It’s Dazzlemazing!

Still trucking through Persona 4. I'm not sure how far in I am but just saw one of my favorite things in the game, Shadow Teddie. That thing looked pretty cool.

Subnautica is AMAZING

I normally stick with games for 5 hours and get bored. But i spend around 25 hours in monster hunter world already. Having so much fun. it took me 20 hours to finally get a weapon that i like. Felt the dual blades and the gunlance where a bit dull. sticking with the switch axe ATM.

Polished off some quick games, Tacoma and Scanner Sombre.

Tacoma had every quality Fullbright excels at, but wasn't as lonely or emotionally wrought under the surface as Gone Home. It had some shocking revelations, but there's a sense of determination and very human aspect about each mini-play you witness that grounds it all. Excellent acting; colourful, engaging environments; intriguing and satisfying story. Great stuff!

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Scanner Sombre's spooky spelunking is something you all should try, because it really is the epitome of atmosphere. Hard to describe well, but you basically reveal the environment with your scanning laser -- a beautifully simple mechanic -- and your brain adjusts to the weird contrast of utter blackness of a void and these colourful points of reference existing simultaneously. So neat.

The thin story attached to it is hilariously awful and clichéd. They try to make it tragic and thought-provoking towards the end, and it doesn't work on any level. A simple tale of getting lost in a cave and finding your way out would've been far superior. Still a cool, unique game.

I've been playing .hack G.U. Last Recode ever since it came out, and I FINALLY finished Volume 3. I'm going for the Platinum so I've still got some hours of playing ahead of me but I'm so ready to be DONE with it forever!!

Just finished Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. I'd rank it right behind UC2 as best of the five games. Light on story, but also cuts out a LOT of the bullshit that usually comes along with this series. Played this after platting UC4, and I gotta say...even though the open world sections were pretty lifeless, they did a great job with the terrain, especially the mud and winch elements....so much so, I now want a Naughty Dog developed Jurassic Park game.

Just beat the main story of Celeste. What a phenomenal indie title! The levels are tough but smartly designed, the simply moveset of dashing and climbing is very satisfying to use and the fact that story actually ties in to the game's difficulty is very impressive. Plus this is already a front runner for best music. Namely chapters 2 and 6 were big highlights. Thinking of searching for all the B side casette tapes to see how tough the B side levels are. Its very early in the year, but its going to be tough to top Celeste as its definitely my favorite game of 2018 so far.

I'm (stupidly) alternating between Yakuza 0, Dragonball Fighterz, and Monster Hunter World because they are all pretty damn good. Strong start to the year for me.

I am getting into Persona 5 and, while it is not Persona 4, it is still getting its hooks right into me. Let's see where my relationship with this shady back-alley doctor takes me.

Played through Persona 4. To be honest, I was kinda iffy on it but came around on it by the end and thought it wrapped up pretty nicely. Somehow by the end, I liked Teddie which in itself is an accomplishment. Yukiko over Chie/Rise/Naoto for life though Chie is cool.

I've now started watching the P4 Endurance Run and I'm glad I held off on it all these years. Jeff and Vinny are foul and their reactions are hilarious knowing what's going to happen in the game and so far it's been a really fun watch.

Also, that ending credits song is great.

I'm currently playing Gravity Rush Remastered and it's pretty much as expected. I played GR2 first so GR1 feels like GR Origins but in a good way. I'm seeing a lot of familiar faces but in different roles and it's fun seeing how things come together.

Also, the illustrations seem to look even better in this game. They have a painterly quality to them I don't remember seeing in the ones in GR2. I usually hate comic panels in games but the ones in this series are amazing.

@liquiddragon: LOOOOVVVEEEE the ending song! Still listen to it regularly on my phone ^_^

Also, glad you liked the game, but Chie for life! Though Yukiko was my second choice. Felt terrible choosing between two best friends and knowing that would probably put a strain on the friendship. Talk about roleplaying XD

Been playing Tokyo Xanadu Ex, Nihon Falcom Action RPG jobbie that borrows a lot from Trails on Cold Steel. Shares much with typical Nihon Falcom games (simple but charming graphics, great music and some quality world building). The story's a bit meh and the characters are tropey but I'm enjoying it a lot despite that, If you liked Cold Steel and have some tolerance for anime BS I would recommend.

I have an on-again-off-again relationship with Dark Souls, and it's on again. After a few hours (and I'm not going to lie: checking a guide) I finally made it to the bonfire and killed the firebomb giant so I pretty much have free reign of the rooftop area. I was feeling pretty good until Iron Golem one-shot'd me by knocking me off the side of the arena. Still, I know I can get to Golem pretty easily, so I'll give him another few go-arounds tomorrow.

@nicksmi56: haha, I've been listening it quite often as well and probably will for a long time to come! Chie was likable but I didn't really understand her beyond her desire to protect those around her, which is obviously a great quality. They did way more with Yukiko. The conflict of her duty as a heir to the family business vs. her own desires, I felt there was more of a person there. That, and I really like ppl that laugh uncontrollably. I think it's an adorable quality.

@liquiddragon: For me, I did really like Yukiko's Social Link (more than Chie's because, like you said, it gets a little one-note towards the later half) but realized that the actual act of hanging out with her would probably grow thin after a while. She didn't seem to have all that much going on besides the inn.

Chie is way more of someone I could see myself loving to hang out with and date in real life. A girl who's just as excited to stay in and watch action movies with me as she would be on an actual date, and is tough enough to kick monsters into the atmosphere? And as an added bonus, gets super flustered at the notion of anything romantic while also indicating that she's totally up for that stuff when you get her walls down, just like my real-life girlfriend?

Jackpot. But to each their own :)

@nicksmi56: It's true, Chie is probably more fun but it just seemed to me like there was more to her just underneath that wasn't being revealed or she wasn't revealing. I just don't totally buy her surface level self. I'm not saying she might be a terrible person or anything, just felt like she was hiding something 'til the end. lol But who knows, maybe that's really her. I had to go by what I knew, and I knew I didn't know enough about her.

@liquiddragon: Ahh, makes sense. I had the same thought process with Rise. The minute she started throwing herself at me just for existing, I immediately wrote her off because I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. By the time I found out she was still a pretty cool person underneath all the flirtiness, I had already gotten with Chie, but was happy with my choice so meh.

Sorry, idk why I enjoy talking about game romance paths with people so much. Don't wanna derail your thread ?

@nicksmi56: haha, I'm just glad someone is talking to me about the game, I'm so late to the party. I just found it a bit peculiar with Chie cause she's in the squad but way less forthcoming than pretty much all the social links. Everyone else seems to be so happy to divulge too much information! lol and yet, this happy, tough, positive chick in your party keeps it pretty close to the chest.

Been playing some Fortnite with some friends while I wait for my copy of Shadow of the Colossus to arrive. It's pretty good for what it is. I wouldn't play it solo though.

I have been working on MHW, and loving it. When I can't be in front of the TV, I have been going through NG+ on Persona 4.

I want to play and finally finish Persona 3. I am still unsure if I am missing out much if I play through P3P, instead of FES.

In between those 2, I have been excitedly playing Super Robot Taisen V. I even got a Singapore account, so I can get the others and the DLC.

@liquiddragon: Hey, I just beat it last year, so I'm super late as well :)

Oh, what did you think of the process needed to actually get one of the good endings?

Finally got stuck into Assassins Creed: Origins.

It’s the first one in a while I’ve really enjoyed and usually a game this size seems a bit of a hassle to play through but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed doing every side quest and activity.

Haven’t enjoyed an open world as much since Fallout: New Vegas.

I’m only around 2/3 through (I think) but it’s fantastic so far.

I re-installed Diablo 3 recently, because I realised I wanted something to play while watching streams but that's a little more active than some of my other stream-watching games, most of which are card games and turn-based strategy. Diablo 3 is perfect for that.

Anyway, I've been playing with the Necromancer, and I think it's awesome. Basically a much, MUCH cooler version of the Witch Doctor. I've now got a full set of Pestilence armour, two of which are ancient, and I basically run around greater rifts waiting for my cooldowns to end, then popping off a Land of the Dead and watching like a million corpse lances fire across the screen. It's really rad. I'm on Torment 11 now and am doing Level 50 rifts. I've also liked some of the builds that are more pet-oriented; found a build-guide for a Skeletal Mage character that I want to try. I think Necromancer is probably my second or third favourite Diablo 3 class (Monk is #1, Wizard and Necro are tied for #2 or Wizard is slightly ahead. That's tier 1, then Barbarian is tier 2, Witch Doctor and Demon Hunter are tier 3, and Crusader is bottom tier).

I've played like 99% of Diablo 3 solo, but I'm also starting to think that it'd be neat to play with a group.

@nicksmi56: I think the kid me would've thought it amazing to have this super esoteric, special true ending but the me now, idk, I don't think I like it. I'm not against having neat secrets in games, you know?, I love that kinda stuff, but it's not some really vague, bonus 1 minute cutscene tacked on to the end only the diehards can even figure out what it could mean, it's a freaking dungeon. Everyone should at least have a decent chance of seeing that stuff. It feels especially bad cause I don't know how else anyone could've gotten it without a guide. Maybe I would feel better about it if was easier to stumble on to it. To be fair, at first, I got the good ending cause I thought answering the questions correctly at the hospital was all you needed to do to get the true ending. So I experience the regular good ending and thought it was satisfying. But I was confused why I didn't get the true ending so I had to look it up again and noticed the few more steps needed to open up that part of the game. Idk, I guess I just don't understand why, as a developer, you wouldn't want everyone to see that stuff.

@liquiddragon: At least you got the good ending first. I screwed up the dialogue at the hospital so I got one of the bad endings first.

It was my girlfriend's first time watching me play. It was also her first time laughing her butt off as I devolved into seething rage at a game. I'd understand if it was just a small deviation in the game's story that was still satisfying in its own right. But straight up booting me out of the game like that after close to 100 hours of play? That's freaking ridiculous! Luckily, I had a save right before the hospital so I jumped back in and used a guide. From there, pretty much the same situation as you. Got the good ending and loved it, was all set to ignore the true ending, but once I read spoilers and realized I missed out on an entire dungeon and boss, it kind of deflated my feeling of being finished so loaded up a save and finished it off. And I totally agree that no first-timer is gonna get there without a guide or an incredible amount of luck. Hope Persona 5 is more intuitive about that when I get to it.

Storywise, I still say I prefer the good ending to the true one. As much as I liked fighting Izanami, I don't like her as a character or as the ultimate resolution of the story. I've never been a fan of the "It was me all along" trope since it's almost never done well, and that holds true here. I feel like the questions she's there to answer didn't need answering. Why did I get the power to go inside the TV? Because this is part of a series where teens randomly get supernatural powers. And the answer to the "Why didn't my Shadow attack me when I went inside?" question debunked a really cool theory I had in my head about how Teddie gaining human emotion threw the system out of whack because he was actually my Shadow. So I'm probably a little sore about that as well XD. I also really appreciated how the game slowed down and let you say goodbye and reflect before leaving in the good ending. The true ending just kinda tosses you into a "fate of the world" battle which I guess is more epic, but less fitting at the same time. So good ending is definitely the "canon" one in my mind.

Also not afraid to say it's one of two games to make me tear up at the end.

@nicksmi56: haha, that sucks. I saw the bad endings on youtube and while it's pretty cool they're there, they do feel anticlimactic and weren't really satisfying.

I don't think the game's fully sunk in for me. I played through it in an incredibly short time and there's a lot there to digest. Right now, my gut feeling says I tend to agree with you. While I did like some of the revelations in the true ending, the placement of it after saying goodbye and the whole "I was controlling the puppet that was controlling the puppet" didn't seem necessary. While the content there is substantial, it felt squeezed in and seemed like it was conceived separately at a later period during the production. It felt like something that's somewhere in between an extended cut and a retcon, which is weird cause I played the vanilla PS2 P4. I guess I lucked out by seeing the regular ending first and true ending second.

hmm...I think the one game that got me teary at the end was Okami. I feel like I have 1 or 2 more but I can't quite think of them atm. Persona-wise, I think I'm always going to be a P3 guy. Don't mean to compare to two, I was just moved more by that game. What's your other game?

@liquiddragon: Believe it or not, Okami ?

And sadly, my PS3's online has totally gone kaput, so I can't get P3. I am going through the animated movies as a substitute though, and got the game for one of my gf's Christmas gifts after she liked what she saw of 4. She got me 5 for Valentine's last year after hearing me gush about 4, so guess we're even ?

@nicksmi56: Nice! Yeah, that game ends super strong. Oh cool, I should probably check out the anime myself. When are you looking to play P5? I actually have it as well but the Persona games are super draining. I probably won't be up for another for a while.

@lightningzan: I think you're losing too much of the presentation with P3P. It's a good game for P3 fans but I suggest experiencing the console version first.

@liquiddragon: As of now, I'm planning for it to be my PS3's swan song before I stop actively playing it, and considering my PS3's giant backlog has been haunting me for years at this point, probably not for a good while.

I was originally thinking of playing it sooner, maybe in the middle of the pack, but then my younger brother got me Persona Q for Christmas (hence why I'm going through the P3 films), so 5 can wait for a while. I must've done a lot of gushing for two people to seperately decide I needed more Persona in my life now that I think about it ?

@liquiddragon: I figured as much. Thanks for the input.

I've been playing Divinity Original Sin 2. That game's real good! I just got to Driftwood. I've done two minor quests there but haven't made it very far.

One of the things that has made this CRPG stick way more than the others I've tried is the excellent controller support. This will make some people cringe, I know, but I have an easier time sinking into an RPG from a comfortable chair on a big screen. It all works surprisingly well for the kind of game that it is. There are some quirks that prove this game was designed with a m+k first, but nothing major.

I do think there's way too much inventory management here - does everyone really have to have separate inventories? What depth or complexity does that actually add? Also, I hope environments get changed up. Fort Joy was a run down prison surrounded by beaches and swamps, Driftwood appears to be a run down town surrounded by beaches and swamps.

I thought Minecraft Story Mode would basically be a Telltale game for kids, but I've been nothing but pleasantly surprised by it. It tells a surprisingly strong story about friendship and gets the joys of building things in Minecraft. The voice cast is superb too, with Patton Oswalt being the standout in a crowd of voices I faintly recognize from various TV projects. It also gets a big thumbs up from me for one of the more shocking, saddening moments in Telltale's long history of them. The moment is terrifically well done, even if the events following it are sort of done way too fast. Anyways, check it out if you want something strongly narrative focused.

@sparky_buzzsaw: They killed my pig. I will never forgive them. I'm sick of writers manipulating emotions by killing beloved pets. It's lazy and always expected. I shouted, "REALLY?"

Other than that, I loved it, and the Adventure Pass episodes were even better; such a Star Trek vibe to them. Ivor is my fave character, in no small part because he's voiced by Pee Wee.

I beat VA-11 HALL-A on PC which I loved, so I decided to start Prey on PS4 that I got on the recent PSN sale for like 13,99 eur. I love immersive sims (dishonored, deus ex etc.) and also sci-fi and mysterious stories. So far this is awesome, I played for around 3 hours and it's great. The whole mimic thing is really incredible and I'm constantly on edge because even a coffee cup can be an enemy. I try to be as thorough as possible so I'm exploring every corner. The music and the sound design is also crazy good. The ambient stuff in particular. Can't wait to dive in more, but so far it is as good as I expected.