What are you playing now? v2

[Slick_36]

One game I'm particularly in to right now is called Go! Go! Kokopolo 3D. I had never heard of this bizarre fever dream of a game until recently, so seeing the polished visuals, unique characters, and smooth gameplay was kind of surprising. It's by far the most 90's looking game of the decade and I mean that with love.

Essentially you're an asshole cat and you fuck with the innocent creatures around you so that they chase you, the goal being that you lead them to carnivorous plants who eat them and reward you with sweets. The story is a goofy mess, isn't related to anything you do, and is barely even touched on, extremely reminiscent of reading the manuals of the 8 and 16 bit eras.

It's almost like a cutesy Pacman with puzzle elements and a little Wario thrown in. One of those games you can explain until you're blue in the face and do it no justice, but looking at it immediately hits you with charm. I guess I'm a sucker for those modern retro games but it's just rare to see old style games that are this unique. I've never even seen it mentioned in any way and I've seen a ton of 3DS hidden gem lists.

 

[Valhoven]

Playing Sniper Elite 3 again.

I'm further in campaign now than I've ever been but I vividly remember why I originally stopped and lost interest – this title suffers from a gaming environment as one-trick, monotonous to navigate as it is dully presented and coloured; I sometimes at even moderate interval can't tell if I'm looking at enemy forces or part of a door threshold, palm stump, or whatever similarly-textured world object.

The series mechanics and slower, theatre-piece pacing are all there and I'm an unabashed fan of all of it, but bringing to screen the beauty and pizzazz of North Africa was a challenge they failed to rise to.

I'm playing on Elite (mode) with Stella – my custom Mosin-Nagant MMR w/ camo buffs, and enjoying bits and segments where I can. Immersive soundscapes and it being classically scored should help me see it through this time.

 

[Gregolian]

Playing Sniper Elite 3 again.

I'm further in campaign now than I've ever been but I vividly remember why I originally stopped and lost interest – this title suffers from a gaming environment as one-trick, monotonous to navigate as it is dully presented and coloured; I sometimes at even moderate interval can't tell if I'm looking at enemy forces or part of a door threshold, palm stump, or whatever similarly-textured world object.

The series mechanics and slower, theatre-piece pacing are all there and I'm an unabashed fan of all of it, but bringing to screen the beauty and pizzazz of North Africa was a challenge they failed to rise to.

I'm playing on Elite (mode) with Stella – my custom Mosin-Nagant MMR w/ camo buffs, and enjoying bits and segments where I can. Immersive soundscapes and it being classically scored should help me see it through this time.

I wish they would re-do V2 but with the stuff they had in 3 and 4. Much prefer the local of Europe for this game.

 

[HereticBD]

Slay The Spire


Was in the mood for something simple and addictive, and this fits the bill quite nicely. Took me a round or two to really "get it", but once it clicked, hoo boy, was I ever hooked. You just have to understand that it's a gradual card builder, where you're meant to look at the game like one big random, yet strategic run each time. I went in thinking it was a roguelike game where you make a run, grab some skills, die, and then start a new run with your acquired skills, and keep building on them, until you eventually have all you need to conquer it. Not so in this game. You start with basic shit every time out. The hook is unlocking more and more cards each time, to be thrown into the pile you choose from for your next round. It's a cool little twist, and even though I was a bit annoyed at the lack of immediate progression, once you play a few rounds, you realize that they made the right choice here, and that it works to make every run feel different, while still giving you a sense of progression. Whereas if they had gone the other route, you'd just build an amazing deck, beat the game and be done with it. The formula they went with, will keep even the most dedicated gamers coming back for years to come.

Only issue I have with it, is that it can feel a little too random at times. Sometimes, you'll think you've made all the right moves, and have prepared yourself for a boss, only to get screwed by the random draw, and have the boss pull out stupidly powerful attacks, that you can't really do anything about. You can only craft your deck so well, to deal with the occasional bullshit the game tosses at you. However, that randomness keeps you coming back and thinking that maybe this time will be where it all comes together.

Anyways, if you're looking for a simple, yet complex deck builder, that will sink it's hooks into you real quick, you can't really go wrong with this one. Great little game.

9/10

 

[Valhoven]

I beat Sniper Elite 3 last night on Elite and am surprised to have done it in just some 11 in-game hours. I had 4 times that in SE4 by time of wrapping up.

In an ironic twist of feeling previously compelled to beat it, I now want patiently to revisit this and that, uncovering sniper nests I missed or toppling select B objectives I blew off for stealth reasons in my first run. I stand by my original criticisms after having returned to the game but in all, good game and signature Rebellion.

I'm disappointed there are no trophies for double- and triple-penetration kills as I had a few moments where I engineered perfect scenarios for as much. Unrelated note – dynamite is a beast in SE3; you can with but little planning at chokepoints or encampments wreak what I'll liken to microcosms of mayhem and meat mignon.

Spoiler

 

[HereticBD]

Saw "Blair Witch" show up on Game Pass and immediately thought "Oh' boy, that's gonna be shit. I won't ever waste my time with that garbage."

Then I hit the old Youtube to check out some reviews...

Downloading now. LOL.

 

[HereticBD]

Blair Witch


My opinion may change depending on how nuts this gets, but my initial impressions are "meh". Mainly due to the gameplay mechanics. It feels like "Follow The Dog: The Game". Essentially, you're dropped into the woods searching for some kid who went missing. Fine setup, that gives you a purpose to be wandering around in the middle of nowhere. You've also got this dog with you though, that pretty much leads you by the hand, and I think it was a mistake by the game designers. The game wants you to get lost and fumble around looking for clues, but the problem is that the dog pretty much leads you to to all the hot spots. Whenever you want to just explore the environment by yourself, this dog is pretty much saying "Quit fucking around, and go this way. This is where the good stuff is."

Now, I'm not too far in, and maybe they're setting something up to where you can't trust the dog, and it's a total mind fuck, but I'm not getting that impression. I'm getting the impression that the dog is the safety net for the entire game. Like they weren't confident enough in letting the player figure shit out on their own, and wanted an AI guiding them through the experience. You even have to count on the dog to tell you where you should be aiming your flashlight, in the light "combat" sections of the game.

Other than that, it's typical "Bloober Team" atmosphere that works, but ultimately doesn't quite hit the mark. I think it would just be so much better without the damn dog giving you comfort. This is a horror game. Having a companion at all times helping you out, kind of robs it of it's horror elements. I can appreciate what they're doing in making you feel a connection to the dog, but I'm not playing it to be constantly comforted by a security blanket. I want to be scared. Every time the game hits those heights, there's a trusty dog companion to get you through it. Eh', I'll see how it goes.

 

[Valhoven]

I've been having a blast in the Sniper Elite 3 expansion. The mission is simple: save Winston Churchill from assassination by foiling the plan beforehand. My in-game hours have ballooned since last posting with trophying plus DLC, so I'm seeing more meat on 3's bone and liking it. Phrasing.

One complaint is mid-arc of the assassination attempt lands you in a mountain base in Timbuktu, Morocco. The base design and atmosphere to include experimental weapons lab and torture complex with chilling updates to our collective war journal, fuhgeddaboudit…plainly awesome. But whose base? Hitler's elite, in fact, the deadliest the Wehrmacht has to offer. My gripe is while these elite look the part, after an encounter or two, meh, it's but a reskin of campaign AI. Lame. Give me something. Make them smarter, faster, meaner…something. Give me evil – because I want to fight it. They could have done better here.

Some months back Rebellion revealed that Sniper Elite 5 is underway with a 2020 ETA. How can I put this – my mental shopping cart is not empty.

 

[TeTe]

Saw "Blair Witch" show up on Game Pass and immediately thought "Oh' boy, that's gonna be shit. I won't ever waste my time with that garbage."

Then I hit the old Youtube to check out some reviews...

Downloading now. LOL.

I started playing it the other night. It's okay... but the bugs are plentiful.

 

[Lovestorm]

Started Witcher 3 again. Forgot how gorgeous the game is.

 

[HereticBD]

I started playing it the other night. It's okay... but the bugs are plentiful.

I haven't run into many bugs, but that frame rate is pretty sad. It's a Bloober Team staple. All their games frequently dip to low teen and single digits. I'm not one to harp too much on frame rate, but it's really noticeable with their games, and there's really no excuse for it anymore.

 

[ModernMatt]

Finally have some good news for Iqaluit online gaming. Will be getting fiber optics internet connection by 2023! Will be able to play some online gaming with no lag!
The news article said should bring up speeds to 1GBps...which is way more than our 15MBps.

Just looking forward to playing games online after work. We're getting this a decade too late for me to try to become a professional gamer, hahahaha

 

[quadrunner]

I’m counting down the days until Blands 3 drops, I’ve been waiting a LONG time for this one. I will be taking that Friday off work and will accomplish absolutely nothing outside of gaming that weekend lol

 

[rikwebb]

Taking a mini break from FF14. Just started Dragon Quest XI, also picked up the FF8 remaster so will start that at some point soon.

 

[Minnja]

Finally hit the 100 hours played mark in Fire Emblem Three Houses. Still loving the game. Still have about 2.5 routes left to go through. This is probably my GOTY it's really awesome.

 

[jojoRed]

Finally hit the 100 hours played mark in Fire Emblem Three Houses. Still loving the game. Still have about 2.5 routes left to go through. This is probably my GOTY it's really awesome.

I have never played a Fire emblem game before but love RPGs, is it immersive? Great story? I personally like having RPGs on handhelds.

 

[Minnja]

I have never played a Fire emblem game before but love RPGs, is it immersive? Great story? I personally like having RPGs on handhelds.

Yes, I would consider it to be immersive since you have an avatar that is suppose to basically be the player and the story imo is really good at least in terms of JRPGs. There are multiple routes boiling down to which army you want to support.

The game is perfect in handheld mode too, and I've played a decent amount of it in that mode. The gameplay style is like a blend of Final Fantasy Tactics and Advanced Wars. There is a lot of character building and lore that can be discovered via the Support system and playing through each route. A significant part of the game is a basic Exploration option where you go around in a small hub and talk to people and do other activities which people compare to Persona 5 (personally I have not played that so idk how accurate that is to compare)

Character roster wise this is one of the best in the series imo which helps me want to play it more/be invested in the story.

 

[jojoRed]

Yes, I would consider it to be immersive since you have an avatar that is suppose to basically be the player and the story imo is really good at least in terms of JRPGs. There are multiple routes boiling down to which army you want to support.

The game is perfect in handheld mode too, and I've played a decent amount of it in that mode. The gameplay style is like a blend of Final Fantasy Tactics and Advanced Wars. There is a lot of character building and lore that can be discovered via the Support system and playing through each route. A significant part of the game is a basic Exploration option where you go around in a small hub and talk to people and do other activities which people compare to Persona 5 (personally I have not played that so idk how accurate that is to compare)

Character roster wise this is one of the best in the series imo which helps me want to play it more/be invested in the story.

Ill give it a go in the future. Thanks man.

 

[Sycho Sid]

Picked up the Grandia collection for the switch. Really looking forward to replaying the first one

 

[TeTe]

I haven't run into many bugs, but that frame rate is pretty sad. It's a Bloober Team staple. All their games frequently dip to low teen and single digits. I'm not one to harp too much on frame rate, but it's really noticeable with their games, and there's really no excuse for it anymore.

I'm on chapter 8 now and it's gotten better. It gets annoying at times walking in fucking circles constantly lol. From what I hear it gets better from here.