What Are You Playing: 9 Years since the Last Dragon Age

[Errorname]

I saw part of a playthrough, thought it looked fun, got it, ended up brutally stuck almost immediately since I couldn't get the rhythm combat to work and then watched the playthrough instead, which was more fun.

I ran through on a lower difficulty that was pretty forgiving of messing up the rhythm and still enjoyed it a lot, but was painfully aware of how much I sucked at the core gimmick of the combat.

[Anonymouswizard]

I saw part of a playthrough, thought it looked fun, got it, ended up brutally stuck almost immediately since I couldn't get the rhythm combat to work and then watched the playthrough instead, which was more fun.

I actually got surprisingly far, only failing because the game threw a chase section at me that needs multiple perfectly timed Assists, and I suck at getting the timing based ones off quickly.

It's a shame, because it was quite fun.

[Zevox]

Hi-Fi Rush is one of the games of which I saw a playthrough, but which I regretted watching instead of just playing the game myself. I held off on it because it's a rhythm game and I don't like rhythm mechanics in games, but for Hi-Fi Rush I think I should have made an exception. Chances are I'll give it a shot myself after all one of these days.

I saw part of a playthrough, thought it looked fun, got it, ended up brutally stuck almost immediately since I couldn't get the rhythm combat to work and then watched the playthrough instead, which was more fun.

Playing on normal I definitely got the impression that I could've beaten the game without engaging much with the rhythm element if I'd needed to - it mostly increases your damage output and score, few things are impossible without it. The only parts that really force you to are the parry sequences, which are mostly either easy (the drones) or not needed to win (other enemies).

There are some mandatory ones during bosses though, including one boss entirely based around that mechanic, so that could prove a problem. Those were wholly or partially responsible for several deaths in my case. But there is also an easy difficulty I didn't use, which would probably help there.

[Sermil]

My favorite rhythm game was Cadence of Hyrule -- because you could switch it to turn-based mode and not have to actually match the rhythm at all.

[DaedalusMkV]

I found Hi-Fi Rush weirdly stressful to play. I kept at it until I finished the story because I liked the characters and wanted to see what would happen, but even though I suspect I had less trouble with the rhythm game elements than some (I think I could pretty consistently manage about 80% Just Timing, and occasionally over 90%, by the end) I just couldn't relax with it. It felt like the game was constantly judging me - and finding me wanting. Even though I rarely died (only six or so times in my playthrough on normal difficulty), it felt like every time I finished a fight it would go "Your timing was okay, and you didn't take a lot of damage, but you weren't very stylish, you could have used more variety in your attacks and you definitely could have finished that up faster. B-" Combined with the sheer number of combos and super moves and mechanics the game just kept piling up on top of each other and I felt kind of smothered by the gameplay by the end. Super stylish, but probably a game I would have been happier just watching somebody play rather than doing myself.

I feel like if it hadn't had the letter grades after every segment like some sort of evil Guitar Hero with a plot I probably could have relaxed a bit more and had more fun with it. Maybe I'm just weird like that, because I don't think I've seen anyone else with the same complaint.

[Cespenar]

Personally, Crypt of the Necrodancer has apparently spoiled me to a degree that all other rhythm games feel and play poorly in comparison. Hi-fi Rush included.

Also finished something called Between Horizons. Indie oldschool adventure with pretty polished "2.5D" graphics and a Ace Attorney/lite Obra Dinn-ish deduction system. Pretty enjoyable realistic scifi story too. Two thumbs up from me.

[Zevox]

I found Hi-Fi Rush weirdly stressful to play. I kept at it until I finished the story because I liked the characters and wanted to see what would happen, but even though I suspect I had less trouble with the rhythm game elements than some (I think I could pretty consistently manage about 80% Just Timing, and occasionally over 90%, by the end) I just couldn't relax with it. It felt like the game was constantly judging me - and finding me wanting. Even though I rarely died (only six or so times in my playthrough on normal difficulty), it felt like every time I finished a fight it would go "Your timing was okay, and you didn't take a lot of damage, but you weren't very stylish, you could have used more variety in your attacks and you definitely could have finished that up faster. B-" Combined with the sheer number of combos and super moves and mechanics the game just kept piling up on top of each other and I felt kind of smothered by the gameplay by the end. Super stylish, but probably a game I would have been happier just watching somebody play rather than doing myself.

I feel like if it hadn't had the letter grades after every segment like some sort of evil Guitar Hero with a plot I probably could have relaxed a bit more and had more fun with it. Maybe I'm just weird like that, because I don't think I've seen anyone else with the same complaint.

That's something it inherited straight from Devil May Cry - and, ultimately, arcade games, since their influence on Capcom is likely why DMC has that to begin with. This sort of game doesn't just want you to beat it, but to do so with style and skill, and see that reflected in a high score and letter grade.

Edit: And I think my Hi-Fi Rush time is done. Did 7 of the 8 Spectra doors, and then ran smack into the goal of the last one: beat the enemy within a time limit with an 85% or higher just timing rate. Which I have literally never done. And the enemy in question is not a pushover either, it's a fire bird. Yeah, there's just no way that's happening. Guess I'll check Youtube to see what you get after finishing the eight doors just out of curiosity, then move on.

[Cespenar]

Also as a newbie to the Yakuza series: this (Like a Dragon) is written better than I expected. The mafia/political plot has some deep cuts for just being a tongue in cheek jrpg, and the japanese VAs bring it home as always.

[Anonymouswizard]

Going back for another attempt at Wrath of the Righteous with an Aasimar Magus (Sword Saint). Mostly as a critfisher build, although I'm having to delay Improved Critical (Estoc) until at least level seven, and Greater Spell Penetration until level Nine, but I'm very much doing well in Act 1.

Honestly while it takes a while for your AC to catch up Sword Saint seems ridiculous. One of it's drawbacks basically doesn't matter ('can only use their abilities with one weapon type', like I'd spend feats on a second weapon) and the fewer spells isn't that terrible. At worst it means I'll maybe take Abundant Casting before Last Stand.

The only thing now is to decide on my Mythic Path: do I try Azata again, Trickster, or go Demon->Gold Dragon? Probably won't do Trickster until I've actually beaten the game once, but both of the others are tempting.

[Rynjin]

Also as a newbie to the Yakuza series: this (Like a Dragon) is written better than I expected. The mafia/political plot has some deep cuts for just being a tongue in cheek jrpg, and the japanese VAs bring it home as always.

The plots have long been one of the major strongpoints of the series. Play Yakuza 0 when you get the chance.

[Errorname]

Been running through Hades again, and I want to shout out how amusing I find their inversion of the typical fantasy game enemy progression. You start the game fighting the damned souls of the Underworld's deepest depths and end it fighting giant rats.

[Bohandas]

Just bought a game called Maniac on Steam. It's like an updated version of GTA 1. Spent the last three and a half hours playing it. It's very good.

[Beelzebub1111]

I spent this weekend eradicating The Automaton Menace in the name of Democracy! I...don't enjoy fighting the bugs (especially the new invisible ones) so that means I'm off to play City of Heroes Homecoming until the menace returns.

[Eldan]

It seems we are getting Illuminates and possibly Cyborgs as new enemy factions, so you might be good, there.

There are now two new news broadcasts in the game: one says that a previously unknown Automaton fleet has arrived in Cyberstan and one that a "stellar object" was seen that looks like an Illuminate ship.

[Cespenar]

The plots have long been one of the major strongpoints of the series. Play Yakuza 0 when you get the chance.

That's on my list too, yeah.

[warty goblin]

Getting very close to finishing up Knight's Tale. The missions in the last chapter get really hard, with huge enemy counts, so a mistake in movement can have seriously painful consequences. The game does a good job of letting you mitigate long term damage in general, but if you over extend it's perfectly possible to have a pretty tanky guy go from just fine to nearly dead in one turn. As in-mission recovery is pretty limited, that renders them useless for the rest of the mission, leading to more damage on the remaining front liners and an inevitable death spiral.

But I do really like the combat. It develops quite well over the game, always keeping that heavy armored feel, but amping up to be a bit faster and more deadly and more flexible. The enemies get harder and more capable too, and, at least with the difficulty a notch above normal and my lack of hardcore optimization, actually keep pace. This is the rare tactics RPG that hasn't got an inverted difficulty curve, and, aside from actual mistakes, hasn't turned into rocket tag. You get that fun feeling of dumping some cracked OP kinds of abilities, but the game can still push back, hard. Not just boss fights either, but fairly normal encounters.

[NeoVid]

Can't play it yet, but I'm looking forward to Fallout: London. Just one issue... I know zilch about modding, so I'd like a 'For Dummies' list of must-have mods for Fallout 4. That way I can get used to working with mods well before London's release, instead of getting frustrated by the game not working when I try to play FO:L on release day.

[Triaxx]

Check out Gopher on Youtube. He's still a solid source for Fallout 4 modding. (Don't use Vortex though. Mod Organizer 2 for the win.)

[LibraryOgre]

Still avoiding BG3 for some reason. Got bored of Fallout 4, started playing Skyrim, just because.

[tonberrian]

Was playing Cyberpunk 2077, but dropped off cause i didn't want to progress to act 2. Then my laptop died and it's no longer a choice. Luckily it's still under warranty, but I have such terrible luck with laptops I'm likely going to have to purchase a new one.

[Kardwill]

The plots have long been one of the major strongpoints of the series. Play Yakuza 0 when you get the chance.

Yeah, it's cheesy, over the top, and I just loved it. Especially Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami 2. Didn't enjoy Kiwami 1 as much, but it may be because I played it too soon after Y0. Or because I wanted to slap Nishikiyama (and maybe Majima too) the entire game ^^


Right now, I'm playing Horizon : Forbidden West. I'm not quite as engrossed in it as I was in Zero Dawn, but it's quite fun to take apart Dynobots again, and the story has its nice emotional beats. :)

[Rynjin]

Yeah, it's cheesy, over the top, and I just loved Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami 2. Didn't enjoy Kiwami 1 as much, but it may be because I played it too soon after Y0. Or because I wanted to slap Nishikiyama (and maybe Majima too) the entire game ^^

Kiwami suffers from being the first game in a long running franchise. Narratively it is extremely simple, and the characters are pretty cookie cutter. It also doesn't yet have Yakuza's flair for the absolutely bat**** yet which shows up by the second game. The best stuff in Kiwami is the stuff ADDED in Kiwami (the flashbacks with Nishiki, Majima Everywhere), not the stuff native to Yakuza 1.

Narratively speaking 0, 2, 4, and 5 all have very good plots (except 5's ending, ugh). 1 is kinda bland and 3 tries to tell two stories at once, one of which is waaaay more compelling. Everything involving Kiryu being in Okinawa embroiled in local politics and trying to raise a gaggle of kids in his orphanage is solid gold, and everything involving the main plot in Kamurocho is garbagio.

6 has the distinction of being the only Yakuza game I started and didn't finish. It was largely uninteresting and kept interrupting me with guest stars trying to sell me on the Clan Builder minigame and I just did NOT care. I like the New Japan Pro Wrestling guys (Tiger Mask W is a fun anime and the cast is largely comprised of those guys in their wrestling personas) but damn they did not need to have so much of an obtrusive presence in 6.

[Kardwill]

Kiwami suffers from being the first game in a long running franchise. Narratively it is extremely simple, and the characters are pretty cookie cutter. It also doesn't yet have Yakuza's flair for the absolutely bat**** yet which shows up by the second game. The best stuff in Kiwami is the stuff ADDED in Kiwami (the flashbacks with Nishiki, Majima Everywhere), not the stuff native to Yakuza 1..

Yeah, the characters also suffer from it : Playing YK1 (remake of the first game of the series) just after Y0 (6th? 7th? 10th game of the series if you include for the spinoffs?) was quite the whiplash, since several characters feel like a "first draft" of the cooler characters they were in the prequel.
And the game felt "smaller" too (the city feel, the story, the minigames...)

But YK2 was just as glorious as Y0, so I know I'll be back to the series in a few month.
I just have to decide if I skip the older Y3 and maybe Y4? I heard jumping back to those older games after the Kiwami remakes could be pretty jarring.
Or maybe try one of the spinoffs (like Judgement), for a change of face before returning to the adventures of The Coolest Yakuza Ever.

[Rynjin]

I need to get back to Judgment; Yagami is a real neato protag.

As far as games go, I hesitate to suggest you skip any necessarily...though maybe WATCH a playthrough of 3? 3 suffers from having extremely clunky gameplay. It's called "Blockuza 3" for a reason; enemies block so much and so sturdily that you basically have to spam grabs to win, and it's not very fun. But the interactions with the orphan kids are great. Urgh.

Yakuza 4 is perfectly fine to play. I recommend playing it even if you end up bouncing off of 3. 4 and 5 play closer to 0 than anything else, and IMO 0 has the best gameplay of the bunch.

I do not really like the Dragon Engine combat introduced in 6 and also on display in Kiwami 2.

[Kardwill]

Yeah, some bossfights in Kiwami 1 against "block everything" big guys like Shimano were already pretty tedious. I will maybe skip 3 (although the idea of playing Okinawa-Kiryu is intriguing ^^. Maybe kinda-speedrunning the game on a lower difficulty just for the good bits could be a thing?)

Thanks.

[Anonymouswizard]

Still avoiding BG3 for some reason. Got bored of Fallout 4, started playing Skyrim, just because.

Same, although I've fled to more linear than more open. Honestly I found BG3 makes it very hard to make the character I want, mostly due to how 5e handles skills.

Liberated Drezen, now onto Act 2 of WotR. With a lot more spell slots, although I'm soon going to have to start shuffling level/rank up picks into more Arcane Pool

[Beelzebub1111]

City of Heroea Homecoming keeps calling me back. Playing the expansion packs I never got to try out. Specifically "Going Rogue". I made mirror universe versions of my original hero and villain as loyalist and resistance respectively. Treating it as a "what if they never leaned magic" scenario. Going for "full circle" on all accounts.

[InvisibleBison]

Right now, I'm playing Horizon : Forbidden West. I'm not quite as engrossed in it as I was in Zero Dawn, but it's quite fun to take apart Dynobots again, and the story has its nice emotional beats. :)

Forbidden West kind of reminds me of Mass Effect 2, in that compared to the original it's got better gameplay, a weaker story, and annoying changes to how ammunition is handled.

[Corlindale]

I'm in a busy time in my life right now, so I find myself gravitating towards the gaming equivalent of comfort food. Which in my case means it's time to replay all-time favourite Might & Magic VII for the nth time!

Last time I played I did a low-magic run. This time I'm trying a themed run, with 'the Devout' being the keyword. So I figured a party of Paladin, Monk, Cleric, Druid would make sense. Which is... actually a pretty decent party composition for a Light Side run. I'm going to miss having a Sorceror for late game and a Light Side Monk is not the best at Disarm Trap, but otherwise I feel my bases are covered pretty well. Although with both Cleric and Druid my Paladin's access to Self Magic is probably going to fall into the 'too little, too late' category. But I think about teaching him Mind just for fun. I figure my Druid will get Air and Water up to Master just for those juicy utility spells, and then go deep into Fire to be my AoE-specialist.

I haven't really touched the main quest apart from clearing my castle, but I got the Cleric and Druid promotions quests down so I can get the Fly spell and then I'll be off to clear out the Barrows and get the Monk promotion done. As a side note, I love how the game really makes you earn the power of flight by making you complete a quest where you'd really love to have had the power of flight to do it (both the Sorcerer and Druid promotion quests involve going to remote locations surrounded by dangerous monsters). I did kind of cheat a bit by using the Fly scroll from the Bracada Desert to get the druid circle in Avlee, which is clearly the most dangerous one. And I guess you could always hire a Wind Master NPC if you really wanted to make things easy.

Having a lot of fun so far. I don't know if it's nostalgia goggles, but the game holds up incredibly well in my opinion. After this run I plan to do another themed run with 'Shadow infiltrators' as the keyword. So Thief (->Assassin), Monk (->Ninja), Ranger (->Bounty Hunter), Archer (->Sniper). Dark side, obviously. It's going to be a bit more difficult with much delayed access to Master elemental magic and very little Self/Dark magic. But at least I won't have any issues with disarming traps, and I'll have much better bow users.

[LibraryOgre]

Same, although I've fled to more linear than more open. Honestly I found BG3 makes it very hard to make the character I want, mostly due to how 5e handles skills.

Liberated Drezen, now onto Act 2 of WotR. With a lot more spell slots, although I'm soon going to have to start shuffling level/rank up picks into more Arcane Pool

Then I got bored of FO4 and played Skyrim for like a day, before I got annoyed by it (I can't tell a follower that I'll think about making them Steward, then do it a day later?) and stopped that, too. So, I picked up Surviving Mars again to play way too late in the night. I am also annoyed by it. I may be getting depressed.