What games are you playing atm? V2

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iwansquall
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Finished Bayonetta

Another platinum games that i bought recently, lets just say im not totally impressed with the games. People it supposed to be the top notch for action over the top hack n slash games, but there are too many issues with that games that im not happy with. Thus my playthrough on normal was kinda a struggle not just for the difficulty but combinations of several those issues. The story is kinda weird, combat is top notch, boss fights is superb, cut scenes have a lot of absurd stuff and lastly turn off your brain when you playing this game. Lets just say, if you like games about mastering combat and repetitive training, then this is game to you. But I will say a lot of negative things that affected me a lot on my enjoyment.

First issue is the inability to config your control. I dont care if you say this is old games that i need to just get used to the control, but i think this is terrible port compared to Vanquish, which have all more option. Second is, there is auto lock-on and camera movement that cant be turned off, which sometimes work well, but it was horrible in close quarter area. Third is the graphic, something about bayonetta art design that add way too many noises to game that make it hurt my eyes to play it, combined with frantic combat, i feel like i can get seizures on severals case (battle with jeanne on missile is the one i can remember). Fourth is the emphasize on QTEs, specifically the one after unit introduction and several boss fights. You are given way too small window that miss pressing it sometimes will lead to your death. Fifth, advance technique that is required to play this games, which is the ability to keep your combo while dodging. Because of the awkward control scheme, i cant get used to it. Thus it lead to button mashing to start your combo and most of the time, it tend to lead combat to more slower than supposed to be, especially if u have small frame windows of time to do combo on bosses. Lastly is the lack of proper progression in game, mostly on weapon choices and skill you can unlock, I feel like the game lack of choice and you are quite limited to buy several item especially in the beginning unless u grind certain chapter over and over again.

Overall, Bayonetta is a game that I just had enough by finishing the main story. I just cant put myself over again to play other difficulty. Again, it is a good game but have too many issues that lower my enjoyment with it. If you think you dont mind the issues i mention above, then i suggest you to try the game.

Alternative : DMC series obviously but if u want small scale indie japanese budget title, then i recommend Mitsurugi Kamui Hikae, which is pretty cheap. This also remind me so much of Killer is Dead games, although it is kinda slower pace games.

EDITED : Forgot to add that some part of the games have atrocious checkpoint that required you to clear enemy again or watching same cutscenes over and over again if you not good with the game. You can skip most of the cutscenes though.

EDITED no 2 : I also forgot to mention about certain enemy seem like able to break from your combo despite the animation showing they taking dmg. It lacked of communication for enemy parry / trying to counter so i just instinct use dodge after 1 or 2 hits. Specifically the 2 claw enemy and jeanne final fight.
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iwansquall
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I just bought and finished slay the spire

Actually im not yet stopping from playing this game because im will try to see if the achievement is doable or not. But I already cleared the game with all 3 characters and having a blast with it. I usually wont buy a game with only 50% discount on steam, but since i have been spending lots of time on other deck building game (hearthstone's dalaran heist) so i guess i need a proper deck building roguelike games.

The game is feel polished especially on art and animation part, feel fluid and the graphic quite clear & easy to read even when you playing like a speed runner. Each runs took me about 1 hour each, which is quite nice to play in 1 sitting. At least this game doesnt feel that bad when you lose because of RNG. Most of times, my lost is because Im trying to be greedy and playing recklessly. Each characters have their own unique playstyle and deck you can build.

Overall, im happy with my purchase. It took me 12 hours to finish all 3 characters, although mostly are time spent playing blindly. If you want to think fast but dislike slow gameplay of turn based strategy, then this game is good for you.

Alternative title : Monster Slayers is cheaper alternative. A more action oriented is Hand of Fate and Wizard of Legends (although different genre).
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iwansquall
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Cant believe i have been playing slay the spire for whole week.
At start I thought I want to finish all characters with true ending (heart in act 4)
but after tons of retries, i have been edging to completing all achievements.

So Im now left with achievement which required me to master the game until ascension 20
I no longer have to go for weird build because I was completing achievement last time and go for the best.
Not sure how long it will take me but steam timer already clock in like 90 hours (like whole time i used to complete Assassin Creed Origins recently)
Time do flies fast when you play this game, and urge to retry it again and again, day by day.

I hope i can clear this in next 2 weeks or i will go insane.
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EDITED :

After freaking 25 hours i finally beaten ascension 10. I was on strategy to rotate character around and rise up their ascension 1 by 1. Then i realized that I wasnt focused much to understand deep strategy & planning to beat act 3 (no way i can beat heart in high ascension....).
I dunno how long the last 10 ascension will take, but considering i got super duper lucky run just now, i guess it is matter of waiting for specific events and cards to align and allow me to beat the boss without issue.

EDITED 2:

After another long 15 hours, i just beaten ascension 15. It really tough and required a lot of RNG to get necessary relic and cards. Although personally i play greedy, but somehow i can feel like "this is the run" which made me play more cautiously than usual. If i couldnt assemble good combo by end of act 2, i know that run wouldnt end well. Although, my death is pretty much 80% in act 1 alone.
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iwansquall
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A new post for a new beginning.

I FINALLY DID IT, it was freaking tough especially with double bosses in ascension 20.
I almost didnt make it at start of Act3, which made me focused on healing rather than upgrading
But several key decision made help me alot to go through it.
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Finally i can start moving to another games, based from my previous 2 posts, seem like slay the spire took me like 2 weeks to finish it.
And im just bought 4 new AAA because of sale (dishonored 2, death of the outsider, prey and shadow of war)
Im probably will play small games first, felt burned out so much.
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iwansquall
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Finished Lust for Darkness

Nothing much to say about this aside from being a walking simulator + erotic stuff and half baked attempt to make some sort of other genre that not fit into this game. The game is pretty short which only take me 2 hours to complete it, but i spent extra 1 hour (with help of speedhack) to get all achievements because the game take way too much time than it supposed to. I finished everything in one setting.

When I said half baked attempt, it tried to implement stealth feature, which merely based on distance between you and enemy. Not some sort of vision detection on anything. Then you have weird mask system which showing stuff you arent supposed to see, wearing them too much will cause you insanity. Again this feature arent much, probably only several seconds needed each time. The worst part of the game for me is suddenly it became jump scare and you have to run from the enemy. It even try to add some terrible boss fight where you have to kite the boss around and he was pretty slow. The game however do try to tell about story and world building by observing individual objects, which is already staple in walking simulator genre.

While game is not bad, there nothing memorable from the game for me. It tried to shock and erotic (i havent it, but ppl said agony is the same) but as game medium? It is not boring, but felt average although production wise it is quite good.

Other recommendation : Soma is obviously a better choice, as well as other games made by the developed. If you want shock + mindfuckery games, the layers of fear is short and concise experience. If you want erotic... might as well just play a porn game.




EDITED

Finished Minit

Imagine a game where you have 1 minute that accomplish something and die when times run out? This game is basically can categorized like survival games on steroid. So instead of daily day / night cycle, you just have 1 minit instead. Once you reach middle of the games, you can have different hideout and even instant teleport in between hideout. The game doesnt exactly reset to square one when you died though, it retain most of stuff you unlocked in the world, but most of the you need to dedicated 1 specific run just to unlock 1 particular thing.

Game is short, where I finished it in 1 hour. It went blindly at first, but after getting frustrated in 3/4 of games, i just followed a speedrun walkthrough just to finish the games. The quirk of 1 minute deadline is that you kinda rushed to do everything fast. And when you thought you discovered new things to do, BAM! restart from checkpoint. If you a new player who play blindly, i can guaranteed that 80% of the game is pretty backtracking from check point to new areas. Although game do provided plentiful of shortcut for your convenience.

Is minit fun me? Only first couple minute, then Im getting tired of it. It remind me of games that required multiple tries until you figured out solutions. Worse part of the game is it that you going blind with this game with small-ish open area with just minor hints. I rather play a game with a proper direction or more meaning open world games.

Other recommendation : If you want to play a better games with limited time mechanic, play Sexy Brutale which executed it much more better. If you want to play more trial & error game, probably linear games like Limbo or Inside is better.
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Prime_Evil
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wolfenstein youngblood.

its bad. its cringey. its got a tacked on RPG element to it that only serves to gate off content until you hit a certain level otherwise the enemies are bullet sponges and one shot you if they are 5 levels above you. like assassin's creed odyssey, except worse because this one is a pseudo open world. it takes everything that we didnt like about New Order and New Colossus and mashes them together.

the ending is retarded as well and solves nothing. just another one of those "we will keep fighting these Nazi scum!!!!!!" and then cuts to credits.

yeah its not good. wait until its on sale for like , 15 euros or whatever to buy it because its not worth full price thats for sure.
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iwansquall
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It have been a week i guess, just finished Dishonored 2 which i bought recently.

I generally can I say that I was kinda disappointed with dishonored 2, not because it is terrible games but I feel like there isnt much changes from 1st entry. I admit I didnt play as it should with stealth and ghost, but I rather play the game rather than save scumming every failed attempt. However as I play Emily which is daughter of Corvo (first game protagonist), I dunno why Im not having fun with her skills compared to full chaos Corvo had in 1st game).

The game pretty much the same with difference maybe larger level design (assuming because modern console can handle bigger room) but there are not much optional side quest that was kinda important and expanding the lore that available in 1st game. Because of the level changes, each level is gigantic playground where your goal is simple : kill / eliminate your target and exit the level. There are rarely a mission where you need to move from point to point without having to kill somebody (only 1st and final mission iirc).

Dishonored 2 is kinda small attempt to make the world more interesting. There are nice looking environment, but as whole package, 1st game is much superior IMO. Get it once it quite cheap, I just dont feel it worth the cost to me, and i dont feel to do 2nd playthrough at all.

Alternative title : Deus Ex series specific Human Revolution & Mankind Divided. If you want hardcore stealth, go play Styx (1st game). But if you want to jump around and kill people, probably any shooter should fit that criteria more.
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iwansquall
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Another post instead of re-edit the previous because a specific reasoning.
I just finished Prey which made by same studio that make Dishonored 2 that I played before this.

If I couldnt stop playing for 2 days and finish in quickly, you will be dang sure that I super enjoyed this game. Despite I wont spent hundred of hours on this game to complete all achievement, I can safely say that it is one of best experience in gaming I had for past few months. My final stat is here, I was kinda playing blind, randomly trying to be a good guy and saving all humanity (too bad i screwed up on saving 1 person achievement and didnt know adding typhon ability deny me on another achievement)
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Yes, I played like until 4 am for 2 days to play as much as possible. I believe I completed 95% of possible stuff in single playthrough and cleared all of the maps. I wish I could spend more time playing this with different skill set, but I believe it is much better for me to move on to another game.

So what genre is Prey? It is by default is immersive sim, where you can use any combination of skill, ability and weapons at your disposal and try to progress through the game. Personally I think it is awesome metroidvania game, because generally this kind of games are linear narratively and level design, but Prey have several interconnected large area (whole space station) that required you to backtrack a lot and there is freaking SPACEWALK!. Because level are connected to each other, there arent any fast travel (you can travel from one location to location in just 2 minute i think). To make matter awesome (worse if you are playing the game), there area will changed throughout the main campaign to a point that there will be harder enemy spawned in area that you cleared earlier.

Gameplay loop for Prey is probably is one of most engaging I think with focus on exploration, then fighting new enemy, scavenging + recycling stuff you find and lastly crafting new badass weapon and skill / ability (yes you can craft skill point in this game). You will able to see how great your powerlevel when you fighting normal enemy. Next is weapon / skill choices, there are simply too much for me to say here but lets just say that enemy have different weakness / strength, so you need to bring a proper weapon to defeat them with ease. Since this is crafting heavy game, you cant simply just use 1 weapon type or you will be facing problem i had when i was 70% of the main mission, which is running out of resources. Thankfully I can just go pure melee and save a lot of resource that way. Weapon design is also super interesting, especially the GLOO gun, which freeze enemy, can great mini path way or block certain hazard. Another interesting weapon is recycling charge, which a bomb that deal dmg and recycle object in area into material. There are much more, but i think better if you guys figure it out yourself from playing like i did.

Last part I want to talk about Prey is about how Prey is all about choices. You will be given several moral / humanity choices that determined the ending. So you can be kind person or evil throughout the whole journey. I love when game asking a deep question about being a human, especially in science fiction setting.

So is Prey is so awesome that everyone should play? It depend. Basically this game click on me on many parts of game design that I really like. Multiple choices, a proper power progression, interesting game loop, meaningful story and artistic setting as well as several stuff that made me want to continue playing it non stop. The negative part I can see people hating is that the game is emphasize a lot on exploration, meaning if you dislike looking every corner scavenging stuff, then you will be probably weaken yourself since the game reward people who explore alot greatly. Lastly high emphasize on backtracking might turn off some people too. But personally, I really recommend you guys to play it. Oh btw, game is kinda on easy side (although i still died like alot, but it mostly because i didnt have enough resource)

Alternative title. Immersive sim is probably best comparison, Deus Ex Human Revolution / Mankind Divided, previously played Dishonored series and maybe the modern Tomb Raider. For a scifi adventure, you have Dead Space, Alien Isolation and Soma (I forgot to mention that Prey is clasified as Scifi Thriller)
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iwansquall
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Finished Dishonored Death of the Outsider (DotO)

Unlike dishonored 2, this is kinda stand alone title that is quite short (6 hours) with just 5 missions. Question is, it is worth the time / money to play this to expand you knowledge with the lore? Sadly I will have to say no. My assumption is that this game is prequel to Dishonored 2 (since you she her without power in that game) but after reaching the ending, make me curious if the developer shouldve made the game or not. I know dishonored 1 have DLC about of the other characters, but I dunno about buying this game as standalone tbh.

As for gameplay, it strictly the same game but with several other streamline. Several power and gadget are pretty fun to play around. It kinda hard to use to because it quite different to protagonist of other dishonored. So i think it is quite fun on that department, since i go for full cold blood murderer root with this game. Another addition is the side mission which is called contract, where you can do several minor thing in the level which gonna reward you gold at end. I think is kinda shallow to be honest, but nevertheless it is great addition since it was lacking in dishonored 2. One of the problem i had is the level design, 1st level was too small, level 2 & 3 is the same but slightly different, level 3 is revisit of Dishonored 2 main mission while the final level have FREAKING BACKTRACKING when you reach the end with more enemies added to the mix. Seem like the level design also tried to incorporated multiple paths for most of the level, but i feel dreaded where 50% of time it feel like linear level without choice.

As i just finished the game, I dont feel anything about the game at all. Aside from minor side story, and slightly more fun gameplay, i just didnt like it because it felt shallow and short. I personally would just recommend to play first dishonored and ignore the rest.

No alternative since you can just refer to previous posts.
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Prime_Evil
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I didnt like 2017's Prey all that much. The music (from Mick Gordon aka Killer Instinct and Doom's fame) and level design is top notch. I also liked the effort of trying to go System Shock with this game. However the A.I. is atrocious, i clipped through areas i wasnt supposed to without even trying and the voice acting is kind of mediocre. The twist at the end of who Morgan really is, is also kind of predictable by the beginning of the game when he has to go through those "tests" ...which baffles me because one of the writers is Chris Avellone aka a GOD of game writing...he mustve called in sick that day or something.

Overall it gets a 6/10 from me. Not good, not bad, just slightly above average.

Playing Remnant from the Ashes. It's...pretty janky, putting it generously...