Games you're playing right now, and my freetime's demise

[Lean]

(Finally) got a Switch yesterday, and currently playing Breath of the Wild. It's a damn gorgeous game, and the field of view just entices you to walk around and explore.

I also got Far Cry 4 on Steam, it was on sale last week. But... I think the game bugged out on me already, 4 hours into the game. After the cutscene for the first Balance of Power Mission, the prompt for choosing Amita or Sabal stays on-screen even if I chose a mission already. Since then, game triggers come way too late. Hopefully, I won't require me to start the game anew.

[Lean]

Finally had my first Lynel kill in Breath of the Wild, probably one that you can't avoid because it's part of the main quest. I am avoiding guides online to discover stuff myself, but boy Lynels are hard to beat. I may be missing something because my Stasis rune hasn't been upgraded yet, but when it does it would probably help fight harder enemies.

[Cpt(K)]

I've been playing Exanima lately, early access. I must say, it is both hilariously fun and frustrating at the same time.

I was really bad at the game when I first started, there is a very high learning curve . . . using the mouse to orient both the characters movement and attacks was hard to get used to.

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I'm a little better now, as you can see here:

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I can't wait until the devs deliver on local coop, the humorous adventures that could be had (running away from a monster, and tripping over the environment . . .)!


These two videos are what got me interested in the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uxE_CNfQ84 (hilarity in the gameplay)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Z23LSaA7g (some funny commentary, and little analysis)

[[Q]]

My friend got black ops 4 and I tried to hold off on it but I gave in since Live 19 isn't as fun as 18. My first COD game since Modern Warfare 3. Classic multiplayer is faster than I remember. Fortnite mode is fun with friends though.

[Lean]

Got through all of the Divine Beasts in Breath of the Wild and just finished the Champions' Ballad DLC. I like the twist near the end of the final dungeon of that DLC where you fight the otherwise very dead and mummified monk. Got the Master Cycle Zero as a reward. Got the Master Sword after I figured out how to get to the Lost Woods (and having lost in said woods repeatedly, but the end reward is very epic), 96 shrines completed, still missing 24 to complete the 120. Only 111 so far out of the 900 Korok Seeds (no plan in completing them, though), and haven't progressed yet in the 1st set of trials in Trial of the Sword.

Overall, the game gave me a lot of memorable moments. And a lot of distractions. Felt like the open-world was designed to fully distract you on what you really intended to do in a play session, and I'm not mad at it.

I'll say Nintendo would probably have a hard time topping this Zelda game.

[cavs4872]

My friend got black ops 4 and I tried to hold off on it but I gave in since Live 19 isn't as fun as 18. My first COD game since Modern Warfare 3. Classic multiplayer is faster than I remember. Fortnite mode is fun with friends though.

Yeah, I play Blackout as a lone wolf and it's still awesome and exciting.

[[Q]]

PS4? We can team up if you want to try duos or if I have a squad of 3 that needs one more

[Lean]

Very late on the news and I don't know where to put this, but I love how Blizzard was almost booed out of their own convention after the announcement of a mobile Diablo game.

[Andrew]

I heard about that. Definitely not what the fans were hoping for.

[[Q]]

Hadn't played Civ VI since the release date but I picked up the first expansion pack over the four day weekend. Holy crap I forgot how much time you lose when playing that game. "Just one more turn"

[Andrew]

Just one more turn/quest/mission/game...that immortal phrase that we all utter at some point.

[Lamrock]

I decided to give emulation another shot after getting a new computer and started playing Ocarina of Time. Other than the occasional stutter, it works pretty well. The PS4 controller isn't a perfect match, but it gets the job done. I never had a Nintendo growing up, so this is my first Zelda game.

It holds up pretty well for a 20 year old game! The graphics are definitely dated, but it doesn't look ugly like a lot of early 3D games do, and there is a certain charm to how it looks. I wanted to try this game because a lot of people have compared Dark Souls to it, and I can definitely see where they're coming from. The lock-on system, fantasy setting, interconnected world, mixture of combat and exploration, and way the story goes are very similar. Obviously the Souls games have a darker theme, and more of an emphasis on challenge. However, I find OoT to be just as hard as Soulsborne games due to the archaic controls and me not being smart enough to solve the puzzles in this E-rated game...

Is it the GOAT game like some people say it is? For me definitely not, but I know it would have rocked my world if I had played it when I was a kid.

[Lean]

Maybe if you've played it back in the day, it would definitely be your all-time favorite. Play Majora's Mask next!

I finished Breath of the Wild last Sunday, having to start my assault on Ganon from Hyrule Field. So I got Epona (via amiibo, damn it, Nintendo) and got rid of the Guardian Stalkers outside the castle gates, then shield parried my way against the next couple of Guardians inside Castle Town. I think I haven't fully explored the interior of Hyrule Castle, but yeah I found another shrine at the lower docks, hidden away A Link to the Past style.

Having freed all of the Divine Beasts, the fight against Calamity Ganon was... easier. Easier than a normal Lynel.

I finished the story with 29 heart containers, two stamina wheels, 107 shrines completed, 100+ Korok Seeds, and finished Trial of the Sword to permanently set the Master Sword to 60 damage, and completed the Champions' Ballad DLC.

Overall, it's an enthralling experience. The story's pretty basic, but I love how Link isn't just randomly picked by Zelda to be the chosen one, and this game's Zelda is probably the most human portrayal of the character ever.

EDIT: Might play it again in the future in Master Mode.

[Andrew]

I love Ocarina of Time, and it's definitely one of my all-time favourites. Greatest Video Game of All-Time is an even more contentious debate than Greatest Basketball Player of All-Time, since at least there are some common metrics and objective criteria that can be involved in the latter. With so many genres and different tastes, it's tough to give that title to any game.

Furthermore, OoT is a masterpiece, but it's definitely not flawless. No game is after all, and there are drawbacks to OoT, even if we're only talking about aspects of the game that are the way they are due to technical limitations. It is an exceptional game though, with one of the best stories of the franchise. If it were simply one telling of the legend rather than part of what's become an established timeline and canon, I feel it would be the definitive tale.

From a gameplay standpoint, it does hold up a lot better than many games from the early 3D era; I'd put it well ahead of Super Mario 64 in that regard. It was built to last, and the stylised graphics help it endure more than other games of the same vintage. Majora's Mask is definitely worth a play as well, though I do tend to prefer OoT.

[[Q]]

I've never been able to get anything N64/PS1 or beyond running without any stutter or lag. Any ideas?

[Andrew]

Sometimes using different graphics plugins can help.

[Lamrock]

I've been emulating the Gamecube port of the game. It stutters at times, but usually not in important moments so I don't mind too much

[cavs4872]

I grew up with Nintendo, but never played Ocarina until a friend of mine lent me the GameCube port well after the game's release. I don't know if it's GOAT status, but it's up there; I personally got to the Water Temple, had my fill and never continued it. I'd say it's better than Mario 64, but I prefer Mario 64, if that makes any sense.

I tried getting into BoTW, but just can't do it; it's like doing homework or something. That's how I felt trying WoW.

[Andrew]

The Water Temple is definitely tedious. It has a great theme, though. Really sounds like running water, or light shimmering on water. A bit of both. Either way, it fits really well. OoT has some great music in general.

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[cavs4872]

I love the chilling Forest Temple theme; really, there's too many great songs to name: Saria's Song, Song of Storms, Temple of Time, etc.

[Andrew]

Speaking of the Lost Woods theme...

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[Lean]

I like the Gerudo Valley theme, though.

I tried getting into BoTW, but just can't do it; it's like doing homework or something.

My problem with it is that I get easily distracted by something else in the open world.

[Andrew]

The Gerudo Valley theme is definitely up there as well.

[Lamrock]

Rented the Resident Evil 2 Remake and have been playing through the Claire A scenario this weekend. Holy cow did they knock it out of the park.

There are too many Resident Evil games to count, with all of them falling somewhere on a spectrum between action and horror. This one is definitely on the horror end of that. Hardcore mode is definitely where it's at. The scarcity of resources and reintroduction of the ink ribbons put you in a constant state of peril but it's balanced just well enough to where I haven't completely gotten stuck (though I'm only like halfway through the game). The graphics and sound design are absolutely on point, while the over the shoulder camera angle gives you decent control of your character without making you feel overpowered.

Mechanics like backtracking, inventory management and limited saves didn't make it into a lot of the more recent games in the series, but played a huge role in what made the early games scary. To get all that stuff back but with modern gameplay and graphics and done so well really gets gaming off to a strong start in 2019.

So yeah, if you like scary games, give this one a look for sure.

[sticky-fingers]

One of my favorites indie:

phpBB [video]

Really love the fact that You have to learn game mechanics, not the levels