Currently Playing

[Wrathbone]

In advance of Elden Ring’s release I thought I’d give the Demon’s Souls remaster another bash. I did previously enjoy my time with it but had given up after being defeated by the Armour Spider numerous times. This time it’s clicked and good grief is there an amazing world beneath all the unrelenting challenge. The thing that made a huge difference was discovering the significance of equipment load and how being under 50% gives you faster movement and bigger rolls, which makes combat so much more manageable. I’d been decking myself out in the heaviest armour, thinking that anything under 100% was fine. If I had one criticism of the game (and the Soulsbourne games in general), it’s that critically important game mechanics are sometimes not just unadvertised but not mentioned at all. I appreciate the spirit of not handholding and letting you discover things for yourself, but there should be sensible limits to that coy silence. Apparently Elden Ring is making efforts to address this, which is good.

But yeah, what a game. Now I’ve a better grasp on things, I’ve forged my way through much of Stonefang, Latria and the Shrine of Storms, ticking off a variety of bosses which I previously would have considered infeasible. The Armour Spider got trounced once I figured out its routines and managed to not flounder with the controls. I’m not having much luck with the Flamelurker, though I’m reassured by knowing it’s regarded as one of the hardest fights in the game. Working through Latria at the moment, which has some of the best scenery I’ve seen in a game. Terrifying and breathtaking.

[Raid]

Soulsborne games are one of those franchises that have really just passed me by (with Jedi: Fallen Order the closest I've come to one). I've watched multiple full playthroughs of Dark Souls 1, 3 and Bloodborne on Eurogamer and Outside Xtra, because I feel like remotely cheering someone on without the stress and the frustration would be more entertaining than experiencing it myself, while still getting to experience the incredible atmosphere and worldbuilding.

I'm really tempted to pick up Elden Ring and finally give one a go myself.

[Wrathbone]

I’m broadly the same. The only other one I’ve played is the first Dark Souls, and while I did make some minor progress with it and started to enjoy it, it’s never grabbed me in the way Demon’s Souls has. I think one of its advantages over Dark Souls is that you’re not coerced down one ‘correct’ path (i.e. the only one where you’re not going to get totally annihilated), so if you get frustrated with one area then you can explore somewhere else for a bit and come back later. Elden Ring looks like that freedom of choice will be a big thing, so it’s probably a good one to start with.

[Rossell]

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart.

Don't want to spoil for anyone planning on playing it but the scene with The Fixer is one of the most awesome moments I've had in a game for a while.

[Animalmother]

Vampire Survivors
Surprisingly additive. My poor laptop nearly weeps when you start hitting the 15 minute point..so much shit on the screen

[Drarok]

Destiny 2: Witch Queen
I have a love/hate relationship with this game. The menus are insane. The layers and layers of different weapons, armour, mods, master-working, and the complete lack of any explanations of what anything means (I have a "Devour" buff or debuff... is that good or bad?)... It's one of my favourite shooters. You blow fools up, collect gear, ~~hoard~~ curate your loot, find that perfect set of gear to melt even-bigger fools for even better rewards.

And the new storyline is fun, too.

[Lenny Solidus]

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2

If you took Sniper Elite the Hitman series and Project I'm Going In whisked 'em all together Contracts 2 is pretty much what you would get as a result. Some of the game plays much like those distant sniping only maps from Hitman others you can get deep in the enemy base via a hidden tunnel or cave system and can be up close and personal sneaking taking out cameras and objectives complex affairs. Being able to extract after doing any particular objective is a cool feature and you can get everything done at your own unique pace. A purely engaging fun very well crafted often highly tense experience, cost the same price as a pizza too.

[Tommy]

Not sure this counts as a 'current playing', more of a 'going to play'. Decided to try and replay games I didn't have the patience for first time round.

First up is X3: Reunion. I remember being so excited to play it first time round and racking my brains, I'm unsure I even got further than installing it.

[Snowy]

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2

If you took Sniper Elite the Hitman series and Project I'm Going In whisked 'em all together Contracts 2 is pretty much what you would get as a result. Some of the game plays much like those distant sniping only maps from Hitman others you can get deep in the enemy base via a hidden tunnel or cave system and can be up close and personal sneaking taking out cameras and objectives complex affairs. Being able to extract after doing any particular objective is a cool feature and you can get everything done at your own unique pace. A purely engaging fun very well crafted often highly tense experience, cost the same price as a pizza too.

I have looked at this one a few times - I may well pick it up.

[Animalmother]

Giving Days Gone another go. Turned my PS4 on for the first time in about 6 months and there was a 22Gb update for the game which is pretty big. So far it seems to be running smoothly with no major glitches, the odd zombie just disappears into thin air but that's fine by me.
The main character is a whiny Edwin isn't he, not particularly likeable at all. The grind to get a single upgrade point is also a ballache but such it is that type of game I suppose. It's better than I remember playing it last time so will try and stick with it. Tend to avoid large enemy groups as I just don't have the gear to deal with them. Getting the motorbike to go more than a single kilometer without running out of fuel is my current concern

[Animalmother]

After putting several more hours into Days Gone I'm really enjoying it now. It keeps you busy moving between the 3 settlements I've found so far doing jobs and story missions. The little deserted towns you discover are nicely detailed and fun to silently pick off either freakers or human scavengers. There's still a bit of a grind and I've yet to get even the first level of trust in a single settlement meaning I'm stuck with the crappy weapons and gear. But somehow you make it work for you and it's fun dropping enemies with a suppressed .22 rifle. Huge freaker hordes are arse clenching and so far best avoided. Even typing this is making me want to get back into it. Takes a while to grab you but once it does the hours melt away.

[Snowy]

After putting several more hours into Days Gone I'm really enjoying it now. It keeps you busy moving between the 3 settlements I've found so far doing jobs and story missions. The little deserted towns you discover are nicely detailed and fun to silently pick off either freakers or human scavengers. There's still a bit of a grind and I've yet to get even the first level of trust in a single settlement meaning I'm stuck with the crappy weapons and gear. But somehow you make it work for you and it's fun dropping enemies with a suppressed .22 rifle. Huge freaker hordes are arse clenching and so far best avoided. Even typing this is making me want to get back into it. Takes a while to grab you but once it does the hours melt away.

It is a great little game, I really like it, whiny titwhistle of a protagonist notwithstanding

[Lenny Solidus]

FarCry 6

Game has been out near six months and it feels as if it never even existed it came and went so quietly, I could not pass the chance to play full release for 18 notes though and you know what, I'm having a good time with it now it's had a few updates. It's a good mix of FarCry 3 and that very old pc game I can't remember the name of, the one from the early 2000's Zenus or some such yes, it feels like a modern overhauled update of that in many regards. Not keen on third person camp game design it's a bit jarring going from one into the other but I guess it kind of works. Definitely enjoying my time on this more than FarCry 5 which I thought was well, dated not great best of all though no stupid poorly timed kidnappings. Combat is well rounded and the world is nice looking indeed. You have to love it when you don't get hit by the old buyers regret!

Shattered Tale of the Forgotten King & Blue Fire

One Souls-like I've fallen for pretty deeply Shattered: Tale of the Forgotten King fantastic gameplay and world areas. Blue Fire mixes Zeldaish game style with platforming and exploring both games take up hardly any space on my second ssd only a few gb each thanks to minimal art styles. Blue recently had a free update which you can create your own levels, goodo.

[Animalmother]

FarCry 6

Game has been out near six months and it feels as if it never even existed it came and went so quietly, I could not pass the chance to play full release for 18 notes though and you know what, I'm having a good time with it now it's had a few updates. It's a good mix of FarCry 3 and that very old pc game I can't remember the name of, the one from the early 2000's Zenus or some such yes, it feels like a modern overhauled update of that in many regards. .

Boiling Point?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiling ... ad_to_Hell

[Rusty]

FarCry 6
chance to play full release for 18 notes

Where did you manage to get that price? CDKeys has it at 28 pounds still.