What other games are we all playing?

You have to really like "challenging" games. And danmaku-ish style games. And rouge-ish games. If those boxes are all ticked, then it's amazing (imo).
I wouldn't call Returnal relaxing per se, but it makes one's heart race, and i've not had something requiring such focus since probably Resogun.
Great atmosphere, i like the theming and mystery, RNG punishes you sometimes, but then it can be fun trying to play with what it generates.

It's really going to split opinions, as i can see loads calling it too hard, and dont like the core game design: but then they've probably never played Rogue / Nethack / Moria / Angband, like true rogues, as even Issac or Enter the Gungeon are kinda more forgiving.
So ponder hard, dont get it if you just like the idea of it.
What is danmaku-style?
 
What is danmaku-style?
Bullet-hell videogames. Like R-type, or more appropriately those that fill the screen with stuff to dodge between:

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Returnal isn't really that full on.
 

Craith

Volunteer Moderator
Apart from the Odyssey Alpha I've played quite a bit of Vermintide 2 lately. The new free expansion Chaos Wastes is good, I was skeptic at first, since I didn't really like Winds of Magic, that also had you start fresh, but Chaos Wastes is way less grindy and just long enough for an evening session to complete.

Valheim too, but it has peaked for now, went through all the current content, explored most of my map, and finished most of my building projects - still play it with my wife and my kids from time to time.
 
Oddly, was trying to find something as well, and ended up with a cocktail of Rocket League, and wait for it: Planet Explorers. They totally screwed that up multiplayer wise, and yet the single player is still quite refreshing. RL is frustrating and it properly tilts me, but PE, tranquil enough to stop me being a moody git. :LOL:

I still play Atlas as well, some allure about boats, and high seas. Looking forward to Odyssey though. Haven't touched Alpha, I'm being patient for the full experience!
 
Oddly, was trying to find something as well, and ended up with a cocktail of Rocket League, and wait for it: Planet Explorers. They totally screwed that up multiplayer wise, and yet the single player is still quite refreshing. RL is frustrating and it properly tilts me, but PE, tranquil enough to stop me being a moody git. :LOL:

I still play Atlas as well, some allure about boats, and high seas. Looking forward to Odyssey though. Haven't touched Alpha, I'm being patient for the full experience!

Oh wow, i got Planet Explorers years ago before the whole kerfuffle. IIRC bought copies for the kids as well. We played it a little then forgot about it. So the whole issue with multiplayer being dropped never really bothered us.
 
Oh wow, i got Planet Explorers years ago before the whole kerfuffle. IIRC bought copies for the kids as well. We played it a little then forgot about it. So the whole issue with multiplayer being dropped never really bothered us.
That intro music 🤩

Now it's free to play, it's really not half bad at all!
 
Finally took some time to play Alien:Isolation. What an astonishing anomaly of game design that turned out to be. It's like modern gaming developed along some alternate timeline, a far superior timeline in my opinion, where all the right lessons were learned from the past, all the right decisions were made with respect to the new opportunities afforded by the future, all the right iterations and departures made from established design tropes; and somehow ONE game from this alternate timeline slipped through an interdimensional portal into our world. Nobody makes games like this. Nobody is even trying to make games like this.

It is far from perfect, and it made a lousy first impression in the opening hour or so, but wow the authority with which all the elements of the game come together is just undeniable. Every nuance of every feature feels so well considered, and (most importantly) so utterly indifferent to what you are "supposed" to do in game design right now.

Limited savegame options and specific checkpoints? Got em.

Mission-critical text and expository story embedded in terminal screens which do not pause the game when you are reading them? Yes, and the resultant paranoid speed-reading creates a type of dramatic tension you never ever see in modern games.

Extensive inventory management with encumbrances and multiple combinatorial opportunities for different items? Uh, no thanks - we decided to seamlessly integrate our inventory and crafting system into a consumables-based inventory where you are continually assembling useful objects piece by piece as you scrounge suitable components.

Complex Immersive Sim systems which interact to allow for multiple emergent approaches to solving problems? Cool, but no we didn't need that for this type of game - we're just gonna use beautifully presented minigames ala WarioWare, and make them juuuust cognitively, mechanically, and time taxing enough that you're going to still be able to split your attention between doing them and listening fearfully for any signs of incoming danger, and feel super-relieved each time you successfully complete a task.

OK, well kickass guns? Ya gotta have kickass weaponry, right? Nah. Oh, so you're doing more of an Amnesia: The Dark Descent thing, where there are no weapons and no combat, just hiding and running away? Oh heck no, there's a surprising amount of combat and a number of classic iconic weapons, from shotguns to flamethrowers, it's just that conventional weapons are entirely the wrong tools for most of the situations your character has found herself in, and recognizing when and where to use said weapons will be a major part of your decision making. The weapons will be largely useless and almost never necessary, but you will nonetheless find yourself clinging to them like a security blanket.

And so on. Anyway yeah I've enjoyed it. Haven't finished it yet - took a break when I reached the Reactor Core because it got to be a bit overwhelming with how stressful it had become - but very impressed so far. I've heard some people say the game overstays its welcome so I guess we'll see.
 
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Finally took some time to play Alien:Isolation. What an astonishing anomaly of game design that turned out to be. It's like modern gaming developed along some alternate timeline, a far superior timeline in my opinion, where all the right lessons were learned from the past, all the right decisions were made with respect to the new opportunities afforded by the future, all the right iterations and departures made from established design tropes; and somehow ONE game from this alternate timeline slipped through an interdimensional portal into our world. Nobody makes games like this. Nobody is even trying to make games like this.

It is far from perfect, and it made a lousy first impression in the opening hour or so, but wow the authority with which all the elements of the game come together is just undeniable. Every nuance of every feature feels so well considered, and (most importantly) so utterly indifferent to what you are "supposed" to do in game design right now.

Limited savegame options and specific checkpoints? Got em. Mission-critical text and expository story embedded in terminal screens which do not pause the game when you are reading them? Yes, and the resultant paranoid speed-reading creates a type of dramatic tension you never ever see in modern games. Extensive inventory management with encumbrances and multiple combinatorial opportunities for different items? Uh, no thanks - we decided to seamlessly integrate our inventory and crafting system into a consumables-based inventory where you are continually assembling useful objects piece by piece as you scrounge suitable components. Complex Immersive Sim systems which interact to allow for multiple emergent approaches to solving problems? Cool, but no we didn't need that for this type of game - we're just gonna use beautifully presented minigames ala WarioWare, and make them juuuust cognitively, mechanically, and time taxing enough that you're going to still be able to split your attention between doing them and listening fearfully for any signs of incoming danger, and feel super-relieved each time you successfully complete a task. OK, well kickass guns? Ya gotta have kickass weaponry, right? Nah. Oh, so you're doing more of an Amnesia: The Dark Descent thing, where there are no weapons and no combat, just hiding and running away? Oh heck no, there's a surprising amount of combat and a number of classic iconic weapons, from shotguns to flamethrowers, it's just that conventional weapons are entirely the wrong tools for most of the situations your character has found herself in, and recognizing when and where to use said weapons will be a major part of your decision making. The weapons will be largely useless and almost never necessary, but you will nonetheless find yourself clinging to them like a security blanket.

And so on. Anyway yeah I've enjoyed it. Haven't finished it yet - took a break when I reached the Reactor Core because it got to be a bit overwhelming with how stressful it had become - but very impressed so far. I've heard some people say the game overstays its welcome so I guess we'll see.
Generally, the reactor core is where people have a nervous breakdown. Too much to bear in one go!
 
I am getting fed up with the driving licence points system in Project cars 2. Which is all based on how well/carefully you drive. But this also means, that it all goes out the window, if some idiot rear-ends you.

The funny thing is: You can cheat, the points system. Simply set up you own race and be the only one in the race.
 
Windows 7 on the 4TB drive, Manjaro on the 1TB drive, and 16TB storage drive.
Guess there's a new Proton version out. Might try E: D/+ in Manjaro again. SLI is trash in Linux though and my Titan Black cards are getting a bit old for single card use.

Recently I've been playing more on the Switch, when I play video games.
 
Finally took some time to play Alien:Isolation. What an astonishing anomaly of game design that turned out to be. It's like modern gaming developed along some alternate timeline, a far superior timeline in my opinion, where all the right lessons were learned from the past, all the right decisions were made with respect to the new opportunities afforded by the future, all the right iterations and departures made from established design tropes; and somehow ONE game from this alternate timeline slipped through an interdimensional portal into our world. Nobody makes games like this. Nobody is even trying to make games like this.

It is far from perfect, and it made a lousy first impression in the opening hour or so, but wow the authority with which all the elements of the game come together is just undeniable. Every nuance of every feature feels so well considered, and (most importantly) so utterly indifferent to what you are "supposed" to do in game design right now.

Limited savegame options and specific checkpoints? Got em. Mission-critical text and expository story embedded in terminal screens which do not pause the game when you are reading them? Yes, and the resultant paranoid speed-reading creates a type of dramatic tension you never ever see in modern games. Extensive inventory management with encumbrances and multiple combinatorial opportunities for different items? Uh, no thanks - we decided to seamlessly integrate our inventory and crafting system into a consumables-based inventory where you are continually assembling useful objects piece by piece as you scrounge suitable components. Complex Immersive Sim systems which interact to allow for multiple emergent approaches to solving problems? Cool, but no we didn't need that for this type of game - we're just gonna use beautifully presented minigames ala WarioWare, and make them juuuust cognitively, mechanically, and time taxing enough that you're going to still be able to split your attention between doing them and listening fearfully for any signs of incoming danger, and feel super-relieved each time you successfully complete a task. OK, well kickass guns? Ya gotta have kickass weaponry, right? Nah. Oh, so you're doing more of an Amnesia: The Dark Descent thing, where there are no weapons and no combat, just hiding and running away? Oh heck no, there's a surprising amount of combat and a number of classic iconic weapons, from shotguns to flamethrowers, it's just that conventional weapons are entirely the wrong tools for most of the situations your character has found herself in, and recognizing when and where to use said weapons will be a major part of your decision making. The weapons will be largely useless and almost never necessary, but you will nonetheless find yourself clinging to them like a security blanket.

And so on. Anyway yeah I've enjoyed it. Haven't finished it yet - took a break when I reached the Reactor Core because it got to be a bit overwhelming with how stressful it had become - but very impressed so far. I've heard some people say the game overstays its welcome so I guess we'll see.
I don't like horror in general but that game is a piece of g art. And if it's just for the retro-oriented prop details from the original movie.
 
I’ve gone back to Terminator: Resistance, given it another run as it was recently patched on PS4 ahead of this PS5 enhanced edition.

The better, tougher AI and item balancing in this patch have certainly improved the experience in line with the PC version.
The first 2/3 of the game, when you face off against say 2x Endoskeletons, it’s really tricky to not die, they are just as tough as you’d expect.

Pros:
  • Faithful to the source material, this feels like the ‘Terminator 3’ we actually wanted to see.
  • Set in the Future War.
  • Superb soundtrack and use of Brad Fiedels score.
  • The atmosphere during the night levels in particular, with the moody lighting is sublime.
  • They nailed the look and sound of all the plasma based weaponry.
  • H/K’s.
  • Various generations of the T units to take on.

Cons:
  • Very short campaign, it is possible to complete it in around 6 hours, 10-20 if you are a completionist.
  • Somewhat dated ‘PS3’ era graphics.
  • The voice acting ranges from serviceable/OK to downright terrible.
  • Fallout 3 stylised inventory management, but it is extremely light.
  • If you are not a fan of T1/T2 you probably will not enjoy this.
  • Levels set during daylight do not have the same atmosphere or impact as the night missions give.
 
Dyson Sphere Program. It's in Early Access and pretty unpolished but you can play right through to the primary goal. If forced to sum it up in five words, I'd go with "very Chinese 3D Factorio wannabe". I will probably put it to bed soon and return for another look when it leaves EA - it has potential and it's not bad value for money, but I don't see it ever having quite the same compulsive draw as Factorio.
 
Dyson Sphere Program. It's in Early Access and pretty unpolished but you can play right through to the primary goal. If forced to sum it up in five words, I'd go with "very Chinese 3D Factorio wannabe". I will probably put it to bed soon and return for another look when it leaves EA - it has potential and it's not bad value for money, but I don't see it ever having quite the same compulsive draw as Factorio.
I don't know about Chinese but I think it's a very neat concept and worthy indie game. I'm gonna revisit later because I want to see solar I painted the sky with sails glistening in suns. Factorio is top down and that is fine but Dyson Sphere takes it to the next level uncoupling form the top down lock. Just as Satisfactory did, but on a larger scale even. I like how the Factorio concept evolved. There is lots of inspiration drawn and I enjoy seeing that.
 
I don't know about Chinese but I think it's a very neat concept and worthy indie game. I'm gonna revisit later because I want to see solar I painted the sky with sails glistening in suns. Factorio is top down and that is fine but Dyson Sphere takes it to the next level uncoupling form the top down lock. Just as Satisfactory did, but on a larger scale even. I like how the Factorio concept evolved. There is lots of inspiration drawn and I enjoy seeing that.
I found Satisfactory to be literally unplayable a year or two ago (I think I had free temporary access to an alpha version or something). I'm aware that it's considerably more polished now but from what I've seen of how it plays out, I'm still not interested. DSP is an improvement on Satisfactory in that it's still essentially third person, even if it's not literally "top down" (because there is no "up"), and I agree it has the better concept and character. But for me both of those games are an object lesson in 3D vector graphics not automatically making a game "better". I'm not saying Factorio is flawless but of the three, I found it to have far and away the most compelling play, and it's essentially 2D sprites giving the illusion of 2.5D.
 
Got a discounted game for "May the 4th" so that will be taking up some free time spent on ED... Not good enough for full price but is Hotas Custom Key mapping enabled game on console,.. (Hey NAMCO yet another developer allows it, so can you for Ace combat 7... )
Has human team Vs AI (bots in CQC) which fdev wont do...
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I found Satisfactory to be literally unplayable a year or two ago (I think I had free temporary access to an alpha version or something). I'm aware that it's considerably more polished now but from what I've seen of how it plays out, I'm still not interested. DSP is an improvement on Satisfactory in that it's still essentially third person, even if it's not literally "top down" (because there is no "up"), and I agree it has the better concept and character. But for me both of those games are an object lesson in 3D vector graphics not automatically making a game "better". I'm not saying Factorio is flawless but of the three, I found it to have far and away the most compelling play, and it's essentially 2D sprites giving the illusion of 2.5D.
I didn't mean to say that 3D is superior. 2D games have absolutely their place. RimWorld and Oxygen Not Included are excellent examples - just like Factorio. It's more how others pick up a concept and find their own way to give a twist to it. As long as it is creative process and not a bandwagon - like the zombie game flood - it brings new ideas and concepts to the table.
 
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