Currently Playing

[Raid]

F1 2022

Snowy and I just finished our inaugural full F1 season, and I think it's safe to say that we've bloody enjoyed it. The game has some pretty glaring issues, particularly if, like me, you play in VR, but it's worth fighting past them because they've done a fantastic job of actually representing the sport. The presentation is superb, and while fans seemed to hate this version because of the handling physics (cars are terribly understeery), it's been an absolute blast doing full weekends (all three practice sessions if we've needed them, Q1, 2 and 3, and then a 25% race distance), learning the tracks, one-upping one another with our lap times, and complaining about the drivers. The AI is pretty crap, it must be said, with cars just steering into you if you're not on the racing line, and I think I had more luck with them than Ian did. We did turn off car damage early on, as we were just having races ruined by idiot competitors. And while the game in isolation has been great fun, it's helped us learn the real circuits, and we've gotten more out of the real sport in return.

I think we had a better season as Ferrari than Ferrari did in 2022. I did beat Ian by a sizeable margin, comfortably second in the championship which AI Verstappen ran away with early on (Ian and I both had a lot of DNFs in the opening races, many of which were rage-quitting after we'd been screwed over by the AI). We've both bought F1 2023, though I'm hesitant to start a new season until some of the game's issues are ironed out. Still, it's very promising, with a sizeable graphical overhaul and much improved handling.

[Rusty]

Proper steering wheels or controllers?

[Raid]

We both have wheels. Snowy uses a Logitech, I have, err, this.

[Sly Boots]

Dave The Diver

Been having a blast with this. It defies classification a bit, but essentially it's a retro-art game that sees you diving into an exotic part of the ocean and catching various kinds of sealife to then serve at night in your sushi restaurant. You don't cook the food, but you have to mix serving dishes to customers in time, pouring drinks and carrying out chores a bit like in Cook, Serve Delicious.

Everything in tinged with humour, and it's constantly throwing new ideas and gameplay elements at you to keep things interesting. A bit like something like Subnautica you're always looking to improve your equipment so you can not only catch better fish, but also dive deeper for longer and have greater capacity to carry stuff back to the boat.

I kind of love it, it's ridiculously fun.

[Snowy]

I picked Dave the Diver up too, it looked like it ticked a lot of boxes for me. It is a lot of fun, with a surprising amount of story to it, lots of little mini-games and a lot of humour.

For instance, there is one cutscene where, following upgrading a recipe, the Japanese sushi chef is pictured sharpening his knife, having a cherry blossom blow onto the blade and being cut in half. All very zen until the point the view shifts to one of the fish in the tank behind the chef looking absolutely terrified

Yeah, highly recommended.

[DjchunKfunK]

How does the oxygen mechanic work?

[Sly Boots]

How does the oxygen mechanic work?

Well, aside from being a timer for being underwater like you'd expect it also acts as your health bar, so if you get hit by something hostile you lose O2. However, after a couple of upgrades I've felt so comfortable it's ridiculous as there are plentiful O2 recharges to be found underwater.

There are also plentiful evac points, so you almost never have to make it back up to the surface to leave.

[Lenny Solidus]

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint Motherland/Conquest Update

A completely free update for all owners of the game the Motherland update that pretty much gave you a completely alternate single-player campaign that involved liberating the entire island territory by territory. Only the island now had now much more aligned with a true hardcore experience right along with it, only the bravest may enter. Enemies now super heavily armoured and kitted with weapons that can rip you apart in literal seconds, no-fly zones for any form of helicopter you find and if you do they get instantly taken down by a swarm of hardened drones, increased and sometimes even constant enemy helicopter flyovers plus more - let's just say making your way around the island in Mother Conquest is very much a survivalist game, you will get set upon and you will get hunted down if you so much as step a foot wrong.

Case in point I actually did once engage a group of enemies high up on a hill and after bringing down a circling enemy helicopter I ran way way off from the immediate crash site only for a single enemy to veer off from his comrades and track me down in full prone mode halfway up a different mountain, I was in shock I can tell you - shit my pants I did. We engaged a short while, and he won as I clambered severely injured and limping behind a rock to heal my wounds only to have a grenade land at my feet. Bravo that guy.

Many would have you believe that Breakpoint is only worthy of your time if you play it in co-op mode, I never found this to be true myself. I always found making my way through the games lush and rather lovely but deadly world a joy with or without someone at my side. This update in particular took the tension the game had solo and ramped it all up to 11 as just making your way across a simple hill or winding path you come across far more placements of enemies than ever before either patrolling in numbers or standing guard and it is not wise to engage with them at random, only from a safe distance rifle scope trained first and with a mind to strategically fall back to pick them off one by one.

I know a few of us here still play Breakpoint and you know who you are but I genuinely wish that this game got more love from the masses who all so quickly bought in on the game being a waste of both your money and time - though I do feel it has started to get more and more recognition/love on Youtube over time with some truly immersive expertly handled gameplay uploads. I know it was seen as a misfire by Ubisoft and a step in the wrong direction but man, I do so love it both solo and with my fellow Ghosts and do fully appreciate the undeniable vision the developers tried to give us all in it.

When you can get this lost within and this invested in your time spent on a game that just draws you in as much as this does for me personally via an update that didn't even cost me anything to experience - I can only appreciate Ghost Recon: Breakpoint all the more each time I fire it up. And as someone who was around with the originals and always wondered what they would become I for one am not disappointed in what it has actually become, and right before Ubisoft make a complete u-turn with it being a so-called disaster and make it into something I may *possibly who knows as yet* enjoy a whole lot less.

[DjchunKfunK]

How does the oxygen mechanic work?

Well, aside from being a timer for being underwater like you'd expect it also acts as your health bar, so if you get hit by something hostile you lose O2. However, after a couple of upgrades I've felt so comfortable it's ridiculous as there are plentiful O2 recharges to be found underwater.

There are also plentiful evac points, so you almost never have to make it back up to the surface to leave.

Hmm that doesn't sound too bad but it's the kind of thing I don't really like in games. Something about a consistent time pressure that just puts me off no matter the game.

[Wrathbone]

I'm the same, I can never relax in underwater areas of games where there's an oxygen meter. I quite often play as argonians in Elder Scrolls games simply because they can breathe underwater, so I can explore around at my leisure.

[Sly Boots]

How does the oxygen mechanic work?

Well, aside from being a timer for being underwater like you'd expect it also acts as your health bar, so if you get hit by something hostile you lose O2. However, after a couple of upgrades I've felt so comfortable it's ridiculous as there are plentiful O2 recharges to be found underwater.

There are also plentiful evac points, so you almost never have to make it back up to the surface to leave.

Hmm that doesn't sound too bad but it's the kind of thing I don't really like in games. Something about a consistent time pressure that just puts me off no matter the game.

I'm not exaggerating when I say it's a really chill experience, the first O2 upgrade is really cheap to get and after that you're laughing really.

In any case, my series on it starts tomorrow if you want to see it in action

[Raid]

the first O2 upgrade is really cheap to get and after that you're laughing really.

Is it cheap because it's actually N2O?

Sorry

[Sly Boots]

the first O2 upgrade is really cheap to get and after that you're laughing really.

Is it cheap because it's actually N2O?

Sorry

[Animalmother]

Arcade Paradise
Really enjoying this laundrette/arcade management sim. You start off with a laundry that has a couple of arcade machines and try and expand it into a full arcade. You need you load and unload the washing machines, pick up garbage and unclog the toilet as everyday tasks. This makes you cash to buy new games which in turn make you more money. Almost every task is a mini game in itself that earns you more cash the better you do it. You can also play all the arcade games which get more advanced the more you spend on the cabinets. Put in a jukebox and you can listen to music which I think attracts even more customers. I really hope you can hire extra staff at some point as I can see it getting chaotic the more you have to do.

Don't know if your planning to try this on your channel Sly?

[Sly Boots]

Arcade Paradise
Really enjoying this laundrette/arcade management sim. You start off with a laundry that has a couple of arcade machines and try and expand it into a full arcade. You need you load and unload the washing machines, pick up garbage and unclog the toilet as everyday tasks. This makes you cash to buy new games which in turn make you more money. Almost every task is a mini game in itself that earns you more cash the better you do it. You can also play all the arcade games which get more advanced the more you spend on the cabinets. Put in a jukebox and you can listen to music which I think attracts even more customers. I really hope you can hire extra staff at some point as I can see it getting chaotic the more you have to do.

Don't know if your planning to try this on your channel Sly?

Ooh, yeah, maybe! I saw the name and assumed it was some kind of arcade game emulator or something

That does sound like something up my alley though