Topic: Has anyone played any good video games lately?

[Beorning]

Okay, okay, we'll see. I bought Civ: BE, there's not changing that. Now, we'll see if I enjoy it...

BTW. I bought Pillars of Eternity, too. Okay, now I'm gorged on PC games. I think I can stop spending money now...

[Life in Color]

I wandered back to Marvel Heroes this week.

They've made some great changes.

Toss me a PM if you play, too!

<3

[NicciKotor]

If you want a actual RPG challenge then Avernum is the place to go. It is a old school isometric RPG, with a four person party that you can fully customize with equipment and skills and spells. Combat is turn based on a grid, with the key mechanic in that being that enemies engaged in melee can only move one square while in melee. Which makes it so enemies cannot just run past your front line and stab your cleric.

Avernum itself is a series of very large caverns that the evil empire has been throwing criminals into for a long time. Long enough for the criminals to form a society in the caverns while fighting off monsters and rival races and dragons and zombies and so on. It's basically Underground Australia, where you do the normal hero stuff with killing everything and questing and more killing random enemies.

The games are hard because it doesn't coddle you. You can easily wander into areas where you do not belong and get curb stomped by way higher level enemies. Which makes it into a amusing game of, 'Oh shit, should I be here...?', moments of cold dread as you wander around. In especially tough fights the positions of your party is vital, in order to prevent flanks and get around AOE spells.

[Mathim]

Anyone play Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker? I got it cheap at a used media store and I have to say, it's more comprehensive than I would have thought. Usually I'm very picky about my puzzle games but this one allows freedom of movement about the little fields of each stage (minus the ability to jump or directly attack) which appeals to me since I'm all about being able to explore. Plus if you also have save data from Super Mario 3D World, you can unlock bonus stages so you get even more stages to play through. I can't tell if they just expanded on the idea of these stages from SM3DW to make a full game of Captain Toad, or if the game was already in development and they just also happened to put a few of them in SM3DW so players could get a taste of how that gameplay worked.

[Nachtmahr]

The story of an interplanetary package delivery team who just wanted to get the mail delivered and ends up fighting this evil floating head dude.

Take this out of context, and you've basically just described the overarching plot of Futurama. x)

Sadly I haven't really been playing a lot of games lately, but I've been spending my time being quite excited for some coming titles. Obviously Dark Souls 3 is at the top of my list at the moment, coming in a month and a half. I really can't wait to see how that ends up playing out!

Far Cry: Primal I'm hoping to get on release. I'm a fairly big Far Cry fan, but I remain firmly skeptic of this title, although reviews so far paint it in a very positive light. The series had been in dire need of a some fresh thinking in my opinion, so maybe it isn't bad? I just wonder if it really had to be a Far Cry game, because I can't really see how they're going to fit in the sort of.. Over-the-top and silly humor that the series has become known for.

Then there's of course World of Warcraft: Legion which I'm very torn on. I'm a 10 year veteran when it comes to WoW, and I hated this most recent expansion, and while Legion looks like it might be a lot better in terms of story and the amount of content, I'm somewhat unsure about quite a few of the mechanics and additions to it.

Last on my list (For now) is Mass Effect: Andromeda! Really looking forward to that game. Almost as much as I'm looking forward to Dark Souls 3. Of course, it's currently scheduled for a December release I believe, so it's quite a long way away still, but damn, am I excited!

But like I said, I've barely had time to play anything for a while now, but I have been tinkering a fair bit with Diablo 3, playing through the new season to get the tier-1 rewards and so on. It's still a good game, and I'm genuinely impressed that they keep adding content to it the way they are. Reaper of Souls ironically turned out to be a guardian angel. (That's almost funny if you know what Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls is about. Almost.) The new "Set Dungeons" are poop though. I really don't like them. But of course they're more or less entirely optional, outside of being needed for a meta-achievement.

[Inkidu]

Over the top silly humor in Far Cry? Are you sure you're not confusing it with Saints Row or something? I mean Farcry has always leaned really heavily on the willing suspension of disbelief and it kind of takes refuge in how audacious it can be, but over the top silly humor?

[Nachtmahr]

Over the top silly humor in Far Cry? Are you sure you're not confusing it with Saints Row or something? I mean Farcry has always leaned really heavily on the willing suspension of disbelief and it kind of takes refuge in how audacious it can be, but over the top silly humor?

Well, maybe "Over the top" is an overstatement, but I personally do think that humor is a very integral part of what makes a good Far Cry game. Vaas was a raving lunatic, Pagan was a narcissistic sociopath, but both characters were built on a foundation of amusing absurdity. And the kind of people you run into in the games are all so far removed from reality as well that it never felt to me like they were trying to take a realistic or serious approach.

In fact, that's one my biggest critiques of Far Cry 4: The ending and post-ending stuff felt kind of overly brutal and real compared to the feel of the game itself all the way through. Throughout the game you're just a crazy guy up in the mountains with an AK-47, doing drugs and killing stereotypical bad-guys, but in the end you get a rather rough and cold slap in the face.

That's of course just my opinion, but I don't see them carrying what I perceive to be Far Cry's silly humor over into a title like Primal.

[Inkidu]

Fair enough I suppose.

[CaptainNexus616]

I've been playing Metal Gear Solid V Phantom Pain. I'm not going to lie I enjoy the massive freedom that game gives a player. "Here's your target. You figure the rest out! Bye!"

Besides that I have been on a nostalgia trip playing some old Jak and Daxter, plus Sly. Great game franchises from my childhood...speaking of which.

[Mathim]

I've been playing Metal Gear Solid V Phantom Pain. I'm not going to lie I enjoy the massive freedom that game gives a player. "Here's your target. You figure the rest out! Bye!"

Besides that I have been on a nostalgia trip playing some old Jak and Daxter, plus Sly. Great game franchises from my childhood...speaking of which.

I love how they made those trilogy collections available on the PS3, already got the Jak and Daxter one, but the Sly Cooper one is 25 bucks and I've never played them before so I'm hesitant to plunk down that much for something I'm not sure I'll really enjoy.

[ThePrince]

Stardew Valley came out on Friday and I am addicted to it. It's a Harvest Moon game out with Terrera like gathering, crafting and combat. There are a lot of crops and animals to farm and a lot of different ways to play. Plus you can marry either sexes, something Harvest Moon fans have been wanting.

[Oniya]

I saw Generikb's first LP video on that one.  I'd say it's a smidge closer to Harvest Moon than Terraria (it was hard not to think of the Mayor as Tom Nook), but he hasn't quite gotten to the combat.  At least you aren't being whisked away to some strange town for no apparent reason. 

[Lustful Bride]

Apparently there is a new Master of Orion game out now. Ive never played the series before but it looks good and the factions all seem fun.

If I pick humans there is only on way to play.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

"I'm doing my part!'

These aliens will join us or be removed as we build our empire. *will do her hardest to get the race of alien cat women as allies* ...meh and maybe the bird people to

[SmokingCamels]

I really like the Rogue-like title, "This War of Mine" where you play civilians in the backdrop of a near future dystopian war torn environment.  It's a combination of personality management, resource management, base building, and scavenging all in one.  The graphics, to me, are insane.  I love the scratchy, charcoalish black and white feel.  The expansion was release not too long ago, which allows you to create your own civilians to add to the mix and includes 2 or 3 more locations, as well as the ability to determine how long the war lasts, what time of year it is, what the climate is like, what locations you can visit, and in some cases, who or what you will encounter at the various locations.  For instance, you can decide if a suburban home has civilians or rebel soldiers at it.

I also play Civ5 with all of the expansions on Steam if anyone is interested.
X-Com as well.
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is still one of my favorites.
I haven't gotten too far into Pillars of Eternity, but I have it all the way up to it's most recent version with all of the DLC.
Same thing with Wasteland 2.

I actively dislike zombie games, and the Borderlands franchise does little for me because my eyes don't like the visuals.  And as I've seen someone else mention, for whatever reason, Farcry doesn't do much for me either.

Any other suggestions?

[Atarn]

Stardew Valley, a spiritual inheritor to the Harvest Moon games. Out on PC now. It's beautifully rendered in retro-style pixel art that isn't shit, it has a very soothing and thematic soundtrack, and offers all the fun of my favorite game of all time, Harvest Moon for the SNES.

[SinXAzgard21]

Stardew Valley, a spiritual inheritor to the Harvest Moon games. Out on PC now. It's beautifully rendered in retro-style pixel art that isn't shit, it has a very soothing and thematic soundtrack, and offers all the fun of my favorite game of all time, Harvest Moon for the SNES.

Good game, I recommend it.

OT:  The Division and Black Desert Online.

[Inkidu]

I've gotten a resurgence of interest in Kerbal Space Program lately. A game where you get out what you put in. If you're willing to learn some conceptual rocket science you can have some fun. If you just want to go all sandbox and make monster rockets that's fun too.

[SmokingCamels]

I've backed up to Farcry 3, which I still like better than 4.  I also decided to mess around with Galactic Civs 3.

[Mathim]

A lot of Nintendo games have come out re-released as Nintendo Selects for much more reasonable prices lately, and I downloaded a demo of Pikmin 3. I like it a lot, it's beautifully animated, there's a lot of variety and somewhat simple controls, and I love the exploration elements supplemented by moderate puzzles. I just dislike the fact that you have a limited time during each day to accomplish objectives and a limited food supply so you have to be careful how much time you spend each day. I like to be allowed to take my time with things like that so it could get a little annoying in the full version.

[Emphatic Enigma]

I've recently been given Dishonored by a friend and I love it so far. Only issue I've had is having to buy the ammo and holding a small amount.

I have been playing The Secret World online and that's pretty fun. I love how open it is, you can run around and pick up any quests you like. You can even repeat certain quests once they refresh. The only thing I'm not keen on (maybe because I haven't found out how) is that you can't seem to change the points? Like, skill selection etc. It seems that you can choose your kind of play style but it doesn't seem too forgiving if you pick something then wish to change.

I enjoy the Sherlock Holmes game on the PS4, as well as 'Murdered: Soul Suspect', I'm still making my way through those along with Dishonored.

I'm curious, is anyone playing the Division? It looks really nice but I'm not keen on spending money unless I know it's really worth it; so I'm curious to hear from any of you that play it.

[Sara Nilsson]

I'm curious, is anyone playing the Division? It looks really nice but I'm not keen on spending money unless I know it's really worth it; so I'm curious to hear from any of you that play it.

I would wait for expansions, atm there is very little to do. And the whole pvp thing is fucked up, there is no incentive what so ever to go rogue. In fact if you do, you will love money and levels. Its fun for.. an hour or two after that it gets very very very repetitive with bullet spongy enemies that take multiple magazines to kill. Urgh.. not worth it at the moment in my opinion. It is pretty though, but.. that is about it

[Inkidu]

I would wait for expansions, atm there is very little to do. And the whole pvp thing is fucked up, there is no incentive what so ever to go rogue. In fact if you do, you will love money and levels. Its fun for.. an hour or two after that it gets very very very repetitive with bullet spongy enemies that take multiple magazines to kill. Urgh.. not worth it at the moment in my opinion. It is pretty though, but.. that is about it

Spongy enemies in a Tom Clancy game? The brand that made its name on being able to three-shot burst anything? (0_o)

[kakihara]

I would wait for expansions, atm there is very little to do. And the whole pvp thing is fucked up, there is no incentive what so ever to go rogue. In fact if you do, you will love money and levels. Its fun for.. an hour or two after that it gets very very very repetitive with bullet spongy enemies that take multiple magazines to kill. Urgh.. not worth it at the moment in my opinion. It is pretty though, but.. that is about it

Actually, a recent update has made it more advantageous to go rouge.  I think it depends on what you like and if you have others to play with.  I have a clan from Destiny that is bored out of or mind for some content to play and mess around with and we are loving the Division.  Every online game is going to have bullet/sword sponges, it's just the name of the game.  I've never played WoW but I doubt if you are going near equal level you are going to kill anyone with one swipe of a sword or spell.  If you are playing alone, it may not be the best.  I've had a few days where I had an hour or two to kill and no one on and it was basically doing some of the minor stuff.  I don't think the matchmaking works very well as I'd get one player added, and once a third but still, it seemed like it could use some work.

So, I'd say if you are going to play alone, then yeah, I probably wouldn't get it.  But if you got a good group to run with it's great.  In fact, a recent exploit has been found where you get get large teams on the same server so you can go in missions and DZ with like two or three full squads.

Also, you can switch out your play style, something you mentioned about with The Secret World, one that I wanted to try but don't really game on my computer.  With The Division, you can be a healer, a tank, a DPS monster, and you can adjust on the fly due to how skills are in the game, it's all based on your equipment and your selected talents and such.

[Sara Nilsson]

Yupp, even with good weapons such as a high powered rifled you have to just empty magazines into them. And when it comes to bosses it is just.. snore.. reload, shoot more, reload, shoot more, reload.. oh ffs die already! Seriously, even regular enemies can take a full magazine in them and not care. I expected a LOT more from a Tom Clancy game. I mean yeah.. some people will go: It is an RPG, of course enemies are bullet spongy.. group quests. raids....

Yeah but it still has Tom Clancy's name on it, that kinda carries some expectations after all the previous games. Also.. RPG? seriously where is the Role playing, guns having stats are not enough to make it an RPG! Borderlands has guns with stats I dont hear people call that an RPG.

here is an example btw



And kakihara, yeah of course it is more fun to play with friends. But I found I played with my friends because, I like doing things with my friends you know. Not because I liked the game, we might as well have played .. well anything, I was having fun because it is my friends and not because of the game. More despite of the game. As for the wow comment, well yeah but that isnt a Tom Clancy game. as I said before, tom clancy kinda comes with expectations. I dont pve .. like ever if i can avoid it. I am a pvp whore, I admit it. And wow pvp is a lot less bullet/spell/sword spongy then the Division. But I am glad you are enjoying it, for me though.. meh already uninstalled it and I doubt I will go back until a maaaajor update has been done.

I really really really wanted to like this game, I really did. But at the moment I can't recommend it. But hey dont take just my word for it, some have a blast. I wish more games would let you play for free for a bit so you can actually try them out before having to shell out a load of cash. I know, thats a dream and wont happen.. still :) Would be nice.

[kakihara]

And kakihara, yeah of course it is more fun to play with friends. But I found I played with my friends because, I like doing things with my friends you know. Not because I liked the game, we might as well have played .. well anything, I was having fun because it is my friends and not because of the game. More despite of the game. As for the wow comment, well yeah but that isnt a Tom Clancy game. as I said before, tom clancy kinda comes with expectations. I dont pve .. like ever if i can avoid it. I am a pvp whore, I admit it. And wow pvp is a lot less bullet/spell/sword spongy then the Division. But I am glad you are enjoying it, for me though.. meh already uninstalled it and I doubt I will go back until a maaaajor update has been done.

Well, that might be the difference in opinion then.  I don't PvP much, my first time really being in Destiny.  PVP implies player vs player and I call bull that players are bullet sponges in the Darkzone, only the enemies.  I've been one and two shotted in there. Only the NPCs are in there and... well, that's not PvP.  So, seems we are in a circle.  I also have never been a fan of Tom Clancy's games so I guess I didn't have the same silly expectations that they should all be the same.  I do agree it's not an RPG any more than Destiny is, which puts it in a sad middle ground that leaves it meeting low expectations for some.  I do wish they would get on with some other end game content but as the developers said, they designed to accommodate casuals so everything is on a slower schedule, just like Destiny had been.