Whatcha play'n?

[TheNesta]

Interested in more in-depth opinions of Nier from you Adol.

I've been playing a few things. I won't go too in-depth here, but just rapid-fire a few things.

Just finished playing Final Fantasy V for the Basically it's a little challenge that takes place every year for charity. There's a couple different rule sets, but the basic one is that you are randomly assigned one job per crystal that you can use, for a maximum of four different jobs you can have in the party at once. This was my first time doing the event, but it was a lot of fun.

Currently playing through the new Penny Arcade On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 3. As well as re-playing the first two episodes again. I really liked the first two games, and was excited to see that it was coming back, especially because Indie developers Zeboyd Games made it. If you're not familiar, they've made two funny little retrostyle JRPG style games. I'm digging it so far, and it only costs $5, so that's pretty rad too.

Also just started playing Spec-Ops: The Line. I'm interested to see the story play out, but so far some of the mechanics have been a bit frustrating. The cover system seems a bit clunky, and checkpointing is really bad. I could play it on easy mode, and not worry about either of those things really, but I found easy mode a bit too easy. So, I dunno, we'll see how that goes.

[Adol The Red]

Yeah I'm sure I'll have more to say on Nier once I finally get back to it, though it'll probably be a while unless I get a random mood.

Anyway, had a stock of XBox Live points, so I gots me some Dawnguard. It's pretty cool. I like the addition of a perk tree for werewolves, and being a Vampire Lord really does make you feel powerful. It's good fun and a nice addition, if only for having a place where you have an enchanting table, an alchemy lab, and a forge with a smelter all in one location. Of course now I have to move most of my stuff to make Fort Dawnguard my new base of operations (I still find it funny, the idea that I'm moving in a video game). Overall, it's pretty cool.

Glitches are back, though. I never had too much of a problem with the glitches in Skyrim. It's a huge game with a ton of area to travel and loads of quests. It would probably take a prohibitively long amount of time to debug the whole thing before launch, so a few glitches, some of which were only cause for amusement, didn't bother me. For some reason I didn't really expect too many glitches to return with Dawnguard, though I guess since they're adding a large chunk of new data it makes sense that there would be unexpected interractions. The flying Mammoths don't bother me. If a Mammoth wants to rise up about 20 feet in the air, float for a few minutes, and then fall back to the ground, that's no skin off my back. However, when I'm out questing with a new character you get with Dawnguard, and she gets stuck in a cave, that kind of bothers me. I normally don't even use followers, but I like this one as a character, and she's actually quite useful to have around. But now she is stuck in Broken Oar Grotto, and nothing I do will get her out. I haven't seen a ton of glitches, but this one is really disappointing. So now I just have her waiting in there until a patch comes out and I can hopefully go get her. To top it off, she doesn't really like caves.

Other than that one issue, though, Dawnguard has been pretty good.

[TheNesta]

Fun fact: Serana is voiced by my favorite Laura Bailey (Kaine, Rise, Cheria, you know the drill). That nearly justifies the purchase right there.

[Alexx]

I HAVE CHOSEN:

- So I played Transformers: War for Cybertron and beat it. It was fun! Little disappointing, though. I mean...a good half or more of the game is online multiplayer. Sooo...once I beat the single player: that was it. It was fun enough to go back to, but why the hell can't I get a split screen? My wife is around and expressed interest; my friends come over every saturday...can't I play with the people I know in the same room? BAH. Oh well. Still fun, but I'm finished and it went pretty quick.

- I moved on to 3D Dot Game Heros. If I had to give it another name, it would be "Here: We Remade Zelda." I figured it would be a homage to classic RPGs in general, but it seems to be mostly a Zelda homage. Could do with some more jokes thrown in to make it even more homage and less exact copy, but I've just started (and there are jokes; just could use more). Of course, in the long run the game is fun and they improved on some of the old Zelda standards, so I don't care HOW much they homage! I mean, it's not like I'm ever going to get another classic overhead Zelda on a major console anymore. They also give you a character creation tool, but it's from scratch, so I took a template and modified it to make my own dude. Overall it's looking like a good game for replaying down the line.

- Started Aliens: Infestation on my DS. Heard it was like Metroid and I'm like - BUYING. I am pleased to say that, though it IS like Metroid, they managed to actually stick more to the feel of Aliens than just copying the Metroid feel. You really feel like you need to walk slowly and carefully or an Alien is gona jump out and maul you. I mean, your radar has blips telling you where lifeforms are, but you still freak out when one of those bastards jumps at you - and it's just a side-scroller! The other neat thing is that once one of your characters die...that's it. They're dead. There are at least 15 or more other characters around to fill in your dead ones, though, and you can keep a total of four people. Still, they each have thier own personality and respond to the commander in thier own ways, so you feel bad when one dies! You wana keep 'em safe, ya know? Anyway, I just started but I am really enjoying it.

- Finally, I went to my Grandma's last weekend and we (my Mom, my wife, and I) always stop at this game shop on the way home (we also stop at a Fazoli's, but it turns out that is gone...). They have a TON of old SNES games, so I always search for a little gem. Didn't really find any "gems" this time, but I bought a curiosity in Ys III: Wanderers from Ys. If you couldn't tell: Adol likes Ys games. I've heard a lot about them (and seen them) but haven't played one myself. Both Adol and my wife have played quite a few of them, so at least I know how they work 'n all that. Well apparently this SNES game was the first and only Ys to be a side scroller! ...it didn't turn out so well. It's tough, but sadly not because they made a tough game. I believe I'll be fighting the game's system more than the game itself. Still, I'm having a good time (so far) and I'd like to continue. Of course...even right from the start, I can see why they remade this game back into the classic overhead style for Oath in Felghana (on the PSP).

The side scrolling would have worked, I think...they just didn't have experience with it. When you attack something, the enemy needs to be knocked BACK so you have some way of protecting yourself. Well...enemies don't stop. If one is running at you, you have to jump. Except that it'll just be running back as soon as it passes, so you HAVE to hit it! Your sword will hit it, but if it doesn't die, it'll just keep going. Straight through you. So every battle will give you damage unless you can kill the enemy in one hit. I'm still planning to go through the game...we'll just see if my patience will outlast it.

[Fixxxer 117]

Forza Horizon pre-order and LCE!

[Adol The Red]

I used to love grinding, but now that I'm an adult with a full time job and usually a few games I'd like to play, not to mention other interests like maybe writing a story at some freak'n point, I just don't like to spend time fighting just for some levels. I don't mind some grind, but I enjoy it more when a game is balanced enough so that normal play with maybe some time devoted to the grind will get you buy. The Ar Tonelico games do this well.

Anyway, the point is I love it when games with grinding give you options to help speed up the process. In Metal Saga you can find good spots to jump ten or so levels when you get to a new region. Of course the fights are dangerous at first, but if you find the right areas you can jump up and make some money. In Hyperdimension Neptunia your characters have different things they can do in the field. One such field ability is Monster Call, which has two functions. The first summons a series of chain battles which then gives you some time without random battles. However, if you find a glowing glyph on the ground you can summon a special enemy called a Clione. These are tough when you first find them, but the experience reward is well worth fighting them. There are multiple levels of Clione. The very first one gives you 1300 experience, and the latest I've found gives 2000000.

I love these things. I can find a good dungeon and run it over and over, fighting Cliones and leveling at a good clip. Just got the main character to lvl 100, but now she needs about 6 or 7 million experince per level, so I think I'll have to wait till I find a better Clione to start the next jump. You can unlock the level cap from 99 to 999, so I'm guessing that higher levels will require significantly more experience. Ah well. My real point is that enemies that help speed up the process are great.

[Fixxxer 117]

Ok, so there's been all this talk and hype about Slender recently so I thought I would check it out. Now, it's not scary, it just makes me angry because every time I get more pages I get caught by Slenderman. I can see why people find this scary but I just don't understand why. The only game that I have yet experienced that has truly made me scared is Amnesia, all other "scary" games use cheep gimmicks, mainly "jump-scares". There will be some parts that may get my heart racing, Dead Space for example and I love me some Dead Space, but nothing truly compares to Amnesia. I use headphones but I dare not turn off the lights. If you want a truly frightening experience, play Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

Also, to Bear and Pie, I hope the move goes well.

[Tehwilburforce]

Replaying Persona 3 in the hope of Let's Playing it. Hope I can beat it this time without life getting in the way. Only a few days in, mind, but I have been using a strategy guide in order to find stuff to show for people who want a video walkthrough.

[Adol The Red]

When Radiant Historia came out I managed to get me a copy before it disappeared, and I played a good way through it back then. Being the creature of mood that I am, though, I randomly stopped. Now, this is a great, great RPG, and I'm finally rectifying this matter. Since its been so long though I decided to restart, and I'm glad I did. I'm almost caught up to where I was, except that my levels are better (because you know that once you can disappear and run right by enemies that's sort of hard to not do) and I found a couple of sidequests I didn't the first time, including at least one of the main ones you need for the best ending.

I can't say enough good things about Radiant Historia. The fighting is fun. I've noticed that more and more I tend toward RPGs with more unique combat styles than the standard fare we're used to in most JRPGs. They're not all the same, of course, but lately I need something more if I'm going to put in the effort, and pounding enemies across the grid in RH is great fun. It's also a very strategic game, if you want it to be, and though I usually use the same party, there are a couple of spots where I want specific people for specific abilities. The best thing about that though is it's not hard to figure out who to use when you want to do something specific. I try to mix it up for the sake of mixing it up sometimes, but mostly I still use Stocke, Raynie, and Marco. Aht is the first stand in because those trap spells rock. I've finally used Eruca and Gafka more, too. For the life of me, though, I still haven't ever used Rosch. I got get him some game time.

The music is outstanding. I love all the various boss battles, and also how good this game uses music to set a mood. Obviously I love the story. I think its hard to love RH and ignore the story. I also really like Stocke as a main character. I identify with his more withdrawn personality (too bad not with all the badass stuff), and he's just a good change from a lot of the typical RPG heroes out there. Also, this game is good and making you feel like important things happened in peoples lives before you started playing the game. I'm mostly talking about personal relationships and stuff like that. The dynamic between Stocke, Rosch, and Sonja is great, and its all based on stuff in the past. I don't know if I can adequately explain why I like this little element so much. Its just, you have these three friends. Stocke and Rosch are best friends. Rosch and Sonja have a sort of brother/sister but needs to be more thing. Sonja is obviously an important person in Stocke's life, and he's also a friend to the relationship between Rosch and Sonja. The game starts you in the middle of this already established relationship and instead of explaining ahead of time it just lets you figure it out as you go. I don't know, I just like it. There are similar things for other characters, and its not like other games don't start with pre-existing relationships, but I just really like how this one is handled.

Anyway, playing that, and intending to finish this time. Also messing around with some of my Minecraft projects and doing a bit of Skyrim. Finally made my final gear for my main file, and Nord named Freydis. She's a mace and shield one lady wrecking crew, and after killing so many dragons she's now wearing them too.

[Pie]

@Nesta- Thanks for introducing us to the Final Fanatasy 5 Four Job Fiesta! =D It sounds like in interesting way to play the game. I probably would have liked to try the challenge out if I had time and if Bear wasn't already going through the game since FF5 is one of my childhood favorites. XD -though I admit I wonder if I'd be able to stick to playing through the whole game again. ^^; Getting stuck with a berserker class doesn't sound so fun either if you ended up having to choose it. >.<

@Alex- I was always interested in Transformers: War of Cybertron! =D I was really gushing over the re-imagined character designs and style and how the artists kept very faithful to the FEEL of how things were depicted in the original cartoon series. The character and mechanical designs of the Michael Bay movies really disappointed me. =/ I wanted to check out 3D Dot Heroes. XD I love how you can make/design your own characters. =)

@Adol- Thanks for your post on Radiant Historia! =D It's another game I've been really wanting to try out and have heard great things about. XD I've had my eye on it since it was in production simply because it involved time travel, branching time paths, and was by the creators of the Persona series. =) I hope we can get our hands on it one day. >.< I was a bit concerned a few months back when I read about its price skyrocketing on e-bay due to it being out of print and being really awesome, but was happy to hear that it was reprinted. =) I just hope that it will be easily available when Bear and I get the money. =)