Gaming The RedCafe General/Random Gaming Chat Thread

[Ainu]

I've been playing some Subnautica: Below Zero the last few days, it's basically Subnautica 1.5 and that's a good thing. I generally don't like survival games but Subnautica was the exception, I just couldn't get enough of exploring the depths, mining stuff and building an unnecessarily elaborate base, and now I'm doing it all over again. The only negatives for me are the fact that the map is more compact - I loved the wide open depths of the first game - and the increase in land-based exploration, which isn't where this game is at its strongest. The modular Seatruck is a cool addition, although I do miss the fast and nimble Seamoth.

Some other stuff I've played recently:

- Guacamelee 2. More of the same, which is fine. After two of these games I do think they're a bit too heavy on the combat and platforming trials and too light on exploration.

- Steamworld Dig. Found this in my library and decided to give it a go. I didn't like it at all and abandoned it after a couple of hours. It's just digging to find crystals, so you can improve your equipment and dig more efficiently. On paper that gameplay loop seems fine, but the process itself is boring and the controls don't help either. Apparently the second game should be a substantial improvement but I disliked this so much I doubt I'll give it a go.

- Yoku's Island Express. I'm still working my way through it so no final verdict yet, but it's been fun so far. It's a cute little 2D adventure-platformer with a lot of its movement based around pinball. It sounds weird but it works, though I'm not sure how much I'm going to enjoy the inevitable backtracking to complete side-quests and stuff.

 

[AaronRedDevil]

Not touching Expanse after it costing 40 quid and the episodes are only 30 mins long...the feck.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

I've been playing some Subnautica: Below Zero the last few days, it's basically Subnautica 1.5 and that's a good thing. I generally don't like survival games but Subnautica was the exception, I just couldn't get enough of exploring the depths, mining stuff and building an unnecessarily elaborate base, and now I'm doing it all over again. The only negatives for me are the fact that the map is more compact - I loved the wide open depths of the first game - and the increase in land-based exploration, which isn't where this game is at its strongest. The modular Seatruck is a cool addition, although I do miss the fast and nimble Seamoth.

Some other stuff I've played recently:

- Guacamelee 2. More of the same, which is fine. After two of these games I do think they're a bit too heavy on the combat and platforming trials and too light on exploration.

- Steamworld Dig. Found this in my library and decided to give it a go. I didn't like it at all and abandoned it after a couple of hours. It's just digging to find crystals, so you can improve your equipment and dig more efficiently. On paper that gameplay loop seems fine, but the process itself is boring and the controls don't help either. Apparently the second game should be a substantial improvement but I disliked this so much I doubt I'll give it a go.

- Yoku's Island Express. I'm still working my way through it so no final verdict yet, but it's been fun so far. It's a cute little 2D adventure-platformer with a lot of its movement based around pinball. It sounds weird but it works, though I'm not sure how much I'm going to enjoy the inevitable backtracking to complete side-quests and stuff.

The original Subnautica was one of the games of the last generation for me. Stunning game.

 

[Shane88]

Not touching Expanse after it costing 40 quid and the episodes are only 30 mins long...the feck.

Really? I remember Telltale's episodes were roughly 2 hours each in the days of Walking Dead/Tales from the Borderlands.

 

[Redlambs]

I've finally started the remake of System Shock properly today. Shaping up to be very decent.

 

[RedSky]

Subnautica is for me in my top 20 games. Terrific gem.

 

[AaronRedDevil]

Really? I remember Telltale's episodes were roughly 2 hours each in the days of Walking Dead/Tales from the Borderlands.

Yeah I played all the TT games back in the day, they were brilliant. But for some reason each one of the expanse eps are only a half hour. Plus I’m not hearing good things about the story or anything. Will definetly have to wait and see about all the reviews.

 

[KirkDuyt]

1 more shout out for Subnautica. Fecking brilliant game.

 

[Chairman Steve]

Anyone played Dave The Diver? I bought it in the Steam summer sales for my Steam Deck. Played about an hour of it last night after finally getting around to it. It seems a nice little game so far.

 

[Irwin99]

Played The Forgotten City on PS Extra and really enjoyed it. It was made by just three people and, being a bit of a history nerd myself, i was quite impressed how well written it was.

 

[Massive Spanner]

Played The Forgotten City on PS Extra and really enjoyed it. It was made by just three people and, being a bit of a history nerd myself, i was quite impressed how well written it was.

Quality game.

Anyone played Dave The Diver? I bought it in the Steam summer sales for my Steam Deck. Played about an hour of it last night after finally getting around to it. It seems a nice little game so far.

Not yet but it’s on my list. Looks like great fun. They loved it on Get Played.

 

[Dirty Schwein]

The original Subnautica was one of the games of the last generation for me. Stunning game.

Subnautica is for me in my top 20 games. Terrific gem.

1 more shout out for Subnautica. Fecking brilliant game.

I keep seeing this on sale on switch and tempted to get it but I then remember I hate water levels in games.

What's so good about it?

 

[AaronRedDevil]

I forgot I bought Ace Attorney. Is that any good? I've gotten so picky with what I play these days.

 

[Jev]

I forgot I bought Ace Attorney. Is that any good? I've gotten so picky with what I play these days.

Phoenix Wright? Yeah, I remember it as a very fun and unique experience.

 

[RedSky]

I keep seeing this on sale on switch and tempted to get it but I then remember I hate water levels in games.

What's so good about it?

The atmosphere and immersion.

 

[Dolf]

Just bought a pc again after not gaming for about 10 years (except a handful on ps4)
Any games i should definitely play? I just saw Kerbal Space Program 2 has been released but apparently the reviews aren’t that good?

 

[Dirty Schwein]

The atmosphere and immersion.

Is it open world so to say? Or are there clear missions and a clear path to where to go?

 

[RedSky]

Is it open world so to say? Or are there clear missions and a clear path to where to go?

Clear path, but the map is very big so it's very easy to get lost. The base building is good too. It's just a fecking excellent game and not too long either gametime wise so it's not a huge time sink.

 

[Dirty Schwein]

Clear path, but the map is very big so it's very easy to get lost. The base building is good too. It's just a fecking excellent game and not too long either gametime wise so it's not a huge time sink.

I may pick it up on my switch after I finish advance wars 2. Thank you.

 

[b82REZ]

Anyone played Dave The Diver? I bought it in the Steam summer sales for my Steam Deck. Played about an hour of it last night after finally getting around to it. It seems a nice little game so far.

Grabbed it in early access. Put about 6 hours in and decided to shelve it because they were updating it so rapidly it was obvious 1.0 was coming up. Saw all the great reviews so plan to get back on it. My girlfriend loves it and constantly mithers me to play it.

 

[KirkDuyt]

I may pick it up on my switch after I finish advance wars 2. Thank you.

How is the advance wars remake?

 

[Dirty Schwein]

How is the advance wars remake?

Never played the original but yeah it's decent. Wish the online multiplayer was more than 2 players though.

 

[Shane88]

Love odd little easter eggs like this in games that only get discovered years later.

https://www.gamesradar.com/after-th...ill-bite-your-ear-off-if-you-refuse-to-fight/

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[amolbhatia50k]

Played The Forgotten City on PS Extra and really enjoyed it. It was made by just three people and, being a bit of a history nerd myself, i was quite impressed how well written it was.

It was very enjoyable. Great premise and maintains a good level of intrigue throughout.

Is it open world so to say? Or are there clear missions and a clear path to where to go?

It’s technically a survival game about gathering resources and building but on the other hand, it’s about exploration and discovery. Some of the journeys into the deep blue sea I went on in Subnautica are the most surreal experiences I’ve had in gaming. The whole clear path thing is I’d say it’s only flaw as sometimes it’s overly obtuse - I think I even had to read up on things to find my way the odd time.

 

[Ainu]

I wouldn't say there's a clear path at all in Subnautica. Early on there's a significant visible landmark for you to investigate and beyond that the game gently tries to nudge you towards certain points of interest, but it's still really easy to miss crucial bits of information and equipment. It felt like I stumbled upon many of the major discoveries by accident.

I can't recommend it enough though. There's a sense of wonder and mystery that no other game I've played comes close to - except Outer Wilds. Exploring the shallows and seeing the ocean floor drop away into dark, unknown depths and knowing you'll have to eventually go there, or suddenly discovering an enormous new biome that goes way beyond anything you would've expected, that's when Subnautica is at its best. No game has ever done underwater exploration quite like this.

 

[RedSky]

Lords of the Fallen looks pretty good. There's a pretty long gameplay glimpse video that's just been released. Some interesting mechanics.

 

[Ainu]

Lords of the Fallen looks pretty good. There's a pretty long gameplay glimpse video that's just been released. Some interesting mechanics.

I get the same vibe from this that I got from Lies of P. It looks great and all, like it ticks all the boxes, but there's just something about the combat and level design that doesn't make it stand out to me. Any game trying to be a Soulslike, which this one is obviously going for, needs to nail those two things or at least truly excel at one of them (like Nioh and combat). I'm not really seeing it, but maybe it'll surprise me.

Anyway, I'm done with Yoku's Island Express (cool, unique game but traversal got annoying by the end) and Subnautica: Below Zero (I still prefer the original) and have moved on to Tormented Souls and Sundered: Eldritch Edition. Tormented Souls is basically Resident Evil 1 with a heavy dose of Silent Hill thematically. Still early to say but I think I'll like this one. It certainly has the mansion look and atmosphere down. It even has tank controls for those who miss the 90s.

Sundered is a weird mix of metroidvania and roguelite, which has both a rough outline of a map that remains static, with ability-gated points in typical metroidvania fashion, but also procedurally regenerated rooms on death. It also randomly throws hordes of enemies at you, instead of the more curated enemy encounters you'd expect in a metroidvania. You don't lose any progression on death though. I'm not sure about it yet, the controls and art style are pretty good so first impressions are positive.

 

[caid]

I get the same vibe from this that I got from Lies of P. It looks great and all, like it ticks all the boxes, but there's just something about the combat and level design that doesn't make it stand out to me. Any game trying to be a Soulslike, which this one is obviously going for, needs to nail those two things or at least truly excel at one of them (like Nioh and combat). I'm not really seeing it, but maybe it'll surprise me.

Anyway, I'm done with Yoku's Island Express (cool, unique game but traversal got annoying by the end) and Subnautica: Below Zero (I still prefer the original) and have moved on to Tormented Souls and Sundered: Eldritch Edition. Tormented Souls is basically Resident Evil 1 with a heavy dose of Silent Hill thematically. Still early to say but I think I'll like this one. It certainly has the mansion look and atmosphere down. It even has tank controls for those who miss the 90s.

Sundered is a weird mix of metroidvania and roguelite, which has both a rough outline of a map that remains static, with ability-gated points in typical metroidvania fashion, but also procedurally regenerated rooms on death. It also randomly throws hordes of enemies at you, instead of the more curated enemy encounters you'd expect in a metroidvania. You don't lose any progression on death though. I'm not sure about it yet, the controls and art style are pretty good so first impressions are positive.

I really liked sundered. Thought the bosses were pretty great, primarily due to art design to be honest but solid in every other regard too. Thought you got some really fun powers by the end and there was good variety based on which path you took. I still remember the horde gong years after playing it, sound design was neat too. The environments weren't the strongest if i was to go looking for a criticism.
I like the developer a lot really. Thought spiritfarer was really strong too, though very different.

 

[Ainu]

I really liked sundered. Thought the bosses were pretty great, primarily due to art design to be honest but solid in every other regard too. Thought you got some really fun powers by the end and there was good variety based on which path you took. I still remember the horde gong years after playing it, sound design was neat too. The environments weren't the strongest if i was to go looking for a criticism.
I like the developer a lot really. Thought spiritfarer was really strong too, though very different.

It's a lot of fun so far. The constant hordes can get a little exhausting, but with every death there's a strong sense of progression as no experience is ever lost, so no encounter, no matter how hopeless the odds, ever feels meaningless.

I just saw this is the developer behind the upcoming 33 Immortals, which is a bit of a shame as I'm not really interested in online co-op games, let alone with 32 other players. That feels like a game that will inevitably become practically unplayable at some point in the future, when player counts dwindle.

 

[DutchSerb]

They started renovations in my street and it's taking forever, so I needed something to do in my new temporary home. After a year I booted up Oldschool Runescape again and it has absorbed me completely

 

[Red_Aaron]

So, a little late to the party but finally giving Death Stranding a go

I'm a couple of hours in and I've wandered around, done a couple of deliveries and had a go on the bike.

I can generally indulge kojimas over complicated stories and mind numbing cut scenes because his action once he let's you play is usually top notch however I'm at the point already where I think this may very well be a load of bullshit

Is it bullshit? Is it worth sticking with? I'm finding the delivery hook incredibly boring

 

[Shane88]

So, a little late to the party but finally giving Death Stranding a go

I'm a couple of hours in and I've wandered around, done a couple of deliveries and had a go on the bike.

I can generally indulge kojimas over complicated stories and mind numbing cut scenes because his action once he let's you play is usually top notch however I'm at the point already where I think this may very well be a load of bullshit

Is it bullshit? Is it worth sticking with? I'm finding the delivery hook incredibly boring

It is bullshit but that didn't stop me from finishing it but that's because the delivery hook grabbed me and how other players left items and helpful tools/bridges around the world was cool.

It's a weird game, I remember nothing of the story only character names and faces. If the gameplay isn't grabbing you then you're not gonna miss some amazing story by dropping it.

 

[Red_Aaron]

It is bullshit but that didn't stop me from finishing it but that's because the delivery hook grabbed me and how other players left items and helpful tools/bridges around the world was cool.

It's a weird game, I remember nothing of the story only character names and faces. If the gameplay isn't grabbing you then you're not gonna miss some amazing story by dropping it.

Does it reach a point where getting around is a lot easier? I don't mind putting the grind in if there's eventually a fleet of flying stobart trucks but if the whole thing is spent tripping over tiny rocks and creeping past invisible enemies I'm not sure I can stomach it

 

[Ainu]

Does it reach a point where getting around is a lot easier? I don't mind putting the grind in if there's eventually a fleet of flying stobart trucks but if the whole thing is spent tripping over tiny rocks and creeping past invisible enemies I'm not sure I can stomach it

Yes, getting around will get a lot easier. How much easier depends on how much effort you want to put in.

 

[b82REZ]

Grabbed Gotham Knights as I wanted something mindless to button bash my way through after Tears.

It's so dull. Combat is slow and boring, the gameplay loop seems to be to explore an abandoned Gotham, get into a few fights, rinse and repeat.

I knew it wasn't an Arkham game but figured they must have taken some inspiration. Nope.

I may stick with it for a little while longer to see if the combat improves when I level up a bit but I'm seeing why it got slated at release and even for £15 I feel I've overpaid for it.

 

[Solius]

Played Road 96 recently which was pretty decent. I enjoyed the theme of the journey and meeting people along the way, and the different ways to cross the border. Kind of wish it had more of an Oregon Trail aspect to it though as although you can do a NG+ it mostly loses it's replayability.

 

[Vidyoyo]

I have nowhere else to put this but I'm in awe of how fecking good this sounds.

 

[Ainu]

Finished Tormented Souls yesterday, I really enjoyed that. Fans of the first few Resident Evil and Silent Hill games will find a lot to love here. It definitely comes with its share of flaws but this type of classic PS1/early PS2 era
horror-survival game is so underrepresented that it's easy to forgive them. It gets the atmosphere spot on, and that's the most important thing.

The voice acting is terrible but that feels more like a feature of the genre than a flaw.

 

[KirkDuyt]

Marvel's Midnight Suns is kinda fun. Sort of Xcom with Marvel characters.

I do have a bit of Marvel fatigue though. Yes, I get it Iron man, you're very witty.

 

[Snowjoe]

I bought Hades yesterday, so far it’s the most horribly addictive game I’ve played in a long time