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Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Got 'im! I took your advice and stopped playing peekaboo around the graves and instead just tore his ass apart offensively. Felt good. And the Molotovs definitely ruined his night. After he went beast, I just doused him over and over. Poor guy... Good fight.

Nice! That is a good one too, basically a sampler platter and test to show you what to expect out of human and beastly opponents.

I think it took me this long in the game to get a good feel for the range and timing of my own attacks (I'm using the cleaver). It still feels a bit wonky to me, how open you feel after each strike. But getting used to it.
Congrats! I used the cleaver for my first playthrough of Bloodborne as well.

It's like there's always a hitch in the motions of the transformed trick weapons you have to get used to, and for what it's worth I never stuck with the saw weapons, though they're perfectly capable of getting one through and excellent for the early parts of the game for the serrated bonus against beasts. I think I started out maining the Cane and Saw Spear (basically a double-serrated claymore with horizontal, vertical, and thrust attacks) but then never looked back once I got Ludwig's Holy Blade. That and the Cane for change of pace and range of motion could carry me through any fight. They both basically have AoE too, so you can kill enemies by accident with those things. =)
 
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If you're interested in the DLC get it for your first playthrough. It's a very difficult portion of the game and the new game+ really hurts in that section.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I'd take it a step further and say if you're really interested in playing the game through then the DLC is absolutely essential. They really managed to perfectly thread the needle between it being ancillary and really rounding out and deepening the game/story, plus just giving you a ton of new content and toys for the money. Basically, the base game is complete without it, but it's even better than the base game.
 
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Currently playing as a vault hunter in the chaotic world of borderlands, and having a blast. I´m replaying them, finished 1 along with all dlc (just before they released the remaster! :sad:) and am now firing my way through the second one.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Sounds like D2: Lord of Destruction.

That's a good comparison. Speaking of which, it's funny you mentioned this because Bloodborne, in addition to the main story areas, also has Diablo-style procedurally generated dungeons you can create with certain ingredients, and which contain unique items, weapons, enemies, bosses, and even its own story and final boss that ties into and rounds out the main plot. It's completely optional, but really cool, and you can basically increase the difficulty indefinitely with the ingredients you use (increasing enemy power, weakening your own, adding status effects, etc). There's still people exploring the depths and finding new enemies and loot down there. =)

https://kotaku.com/bloodborne-enemy-went-undiscovered-until-2017-1820656029

https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/20/17483630/bloodborne-tomb-prospectors-from-software-isz-dungeon

Thing is folks, Bloodborne is just an appetizer as I prep for Sekiro. :beast:

In food terms this is like fine sushi versus eating the flying spaghetti monster. You have to decide which is the more indelible experience. :guts:
 
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I started playing Minecraft again, after maybe 3 years since the last time I played. Haven’t kept up with updates. Just encountered a water zombie for the first time and nearly had a heart attack. Forgot how much of a chicken shit I am about this game.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
I started playing Minecraft again, after maybe 3 years since the last time I played. Haven’t kept up with updates. Just encountered a water zombie for the first time and nearly had a heart attack. Forgot how much of a chicken shit I am about this game.

I've been playing that with my son too (6 years old). He loves just building forts and designing elaborate things to do with red stones. He made a drawbridge the other day with sticky pistons that was pretty fucking cool.
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
Several missions into Wing Commander III, I realized something: I'm Wing Commandered out. I just can't play anymore space shooters for a while. It's the same thing over and over again, and the story just isn't enough for me to keep going. So, I played Mega Man V instead, and beat it in 24 hours (hehe).

Mega Man V was awesome. It's amazing what companies like Nintendo and Capcom could do on the Game Boy. If you're into old-school Game Boy games, I recommend checking MMV out. It's as good (if not better than) most of the NES games.

Next up is Earthbound! I've heard so many amazing things about this game, I can't wait to see it for myself.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Several missions into Wing Commander III, I realized something: I'm Wing Commandered out. I just can't play anymore space shooters for a while. It's the same thing over and over again, and the story just isn't enough for me to keep going. So, I played Mega Man V instead, and beat it in 24 hours (hehe).

Good call, one question though, did they ever fix the blue space thing in the version you played? Also, weird little piece of history the way it mixes live action and point and click. Privateer 2 is super weird but has a relatively all-star cast for an old game.

Mega Man V was awesome. It's amazing what companies like Nintendo and Capcom could do on the Game Boy. If you're into old-school Game Boy games, I recommend checking MMV out. It's as good (if not better than) most of the NES games.

Yep, it's the best one for GameBoy, and one if the best classic Mega-Man games period. The 4th GameBoy one was good too, but I don't remember if it or V introduced the shop. Influencial to this day.

Next up is Earthbound! I've heard so many amazing things about this game, I can't wait to see it for myself.

These are some good games you're playing! EarthBound was at one time my #1. If you like it I also recommend the Starmen.net fan-translated Mother 3. I followed that project from the beginning and it was awesome to see it, or any big ambitious internet project, pre-fundsites, come together so successfully. It'll be like when we release the SK.net editions of Berserk in genuine leather with gilded edges, translated by puella, forwards by Walter, and annotated by Aazealh. =)
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
Good call, one question though, did they ever fix the blue space thing in the version you played? Also, weird little piece of history the way it mixes live action and point and click.

They did not. I have to admit, though, the game has held up pretty well considering the live-action CD-rom videos. Ginger Lynn's acting, though... Yikes.

Yep, it's the best one for GameBoy, and one if the best classic Mega-Man games period. The 4th GameBoy one was good too, but I don't remember if it or V introduced the shop. Influencial to this day.

When I finish with The List (somewhere in the year 2030...), I may go back and play the earlier Mega Man games on GameBoy, but for now, they sound too similar to the NES games I played.

I loved the shop. It felt very RPG-like, knowing that even if you kept dying, you could at least rack up some credits to purchase more energy tanks.

These are some good games you're playing! EarthBound was at one time my #1. If you like it I also recommend the Starmen.net fan-translated Mother 3. I followed that project from the beginning and it was awesome to see it, or any big ambitious internet project, pre-fundsites, come together so successfully. It'll be like when we release the SK.net editions of Berserk in genuine leather with gilded edges, translated by puella, forwards by Walter, and annotated by Aazealh. =)

Yeah, I'm only an hour into EarthBound and it rules. I was late to work this morning because I couldn't put the controller down, haha (my boss doesn't care, because I basically set my own hours).

It's funny, you mentioning the Starmen.net fan-translation of Mother 3. I always read the Wikipedia article for the game I'm about to play, and there's an entire section dedicated to the fan-community surrounding the Mother games. The article mentions their translation of Mother 3, so I made a mental note to play that specific version when I get to it (that is, if Nintendo hasn't released it on the Switch, but I'm not going to hold my breath for that, based on the way they've treated the Mother games in America).
 
I've started Earthbound about 2 months ago, I need to get back to it and continue. I remember stopping right after the Giant Step.
It's a very cool RPG, I like the whole weird atmosphere. I also checked Starmen.net back then, very nice website. Got to do Mother 3 in the future as well.
Too many games to do... and not enough time to spent on them.
Playing to Dark Souls Remastered at the moment.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
They did not. I have to admit, though, the game has held up pretty well considering the live-action CD-rom videos. Ginger Lynn's acting, though... Yikes.

Her lair-mate will never be the Heart of the Tiger with that attitude.

When I finish with The List (somewhere in the year 2030...), I may go back and play the earlier Mega Man games on GameBoy, but for now, they sound too similar to the NES games I played.

I loved the shop. It felt very RPG-like, knowing that even if you kept dying, you could at least rack up some credits to purchase more energy tanks.

The shop definitely added another avenue for longterm progression if you just couldn't cut the mustard with 3 lives per continue. Definitely made Mega Man 9-11 more manageable. But yeah, V on GameBoy is the only must-play in its own right, the rest are largely increasingly admirable recreations of their NES counterparts.

Yeah, I'm only an hour into EarthBound and it rules. I was late to work this morning because I couldn't put the controller down, haha (my boss doesn't care, because I basically set my own hours).

It's funny, you mentioning the Starmen.net fan-translation of Mother 3. I always read the Wikipedia article for the game I'm about to play, and there's an entire section dedicated to the fan-community surrounding the Mother games. The article mentions their translation of Mother 3, so I made a mental note to play that specific version when I get to it (that is, if Nintendo hasn't released it on the Switch, but I'm not going to hold my breath for that, based on the way they've treated the Mother games in America).
I've started Earthbound about 2 months ago, I need to get back to it and continue. I remember stopping right after the Giant Step.
It's a very cool RPG, I like the whole weird atmosphere. I also checked Starmen.net back then, very nice website. Got to do Mother 3 in the future as well.

The game has a very special tone and atmosphere that's charmingly irreverent and relatable until it's suddenly that much more disarmingly heartfelt and earnest because of that relatability. Hope you both enjoy it.

Too many games to do... and not enough time to spent on them.
Playing to Dark Souls Remastered at the moment.

I thought the remaster could have been a lot better, so I only put 60 hours into it. =)

 
What is up my fellow skull knight web surfers! :badbone::ganishka:

I've heard that the video based game: Baldur's Gate (and II) are pretty great games.

So, is it true? Or did Puck play a prank on me?! :puck:
 
Holy crap, Earthbound was a major game changer for me as a kid. I had no idea games could have an actual long running story and world until I played that game. Game changed my damn life. Fuck yea to Earthbound.

I've been playing Dark Souls 2 finally. I have a lot of choice words for this game that makes me feel right fucking cross with it sometimes. Right off the bat it felt really damn odd in comparison to all the other games. The movement was weird and my character would do bizarre shit like barrel roll right the fuck off an edge when I tried to jump down from somewhere. It's easy for me to say for the first while, most of my deaths were to some whack ass character movement and not so much because the game is hard.

I also don't understand who the fuck decided that as a sequel to games like Dark Souls 1 and Demon's Souls, that the solution gamers wanted was to be constantly horded and mobbed by the same enemy that had agro to the extent that I got fucking Everquest flashbacks. Seriously, what is with this?? Hey, remember when players were shocked they had to fight two Bell Gargoyles at once?! Let's give'em 6 this time, they'll love that shit! And let's make sure to make it not actually that hard, just extremely tedious!

Special award for the boss run to the smelter demon. That shit was 10/10 for sure.

And the boss fights have been mostly stunningly weak. They remind me more of Demon's Souls when the series was still getting off its feet. Except smelter demon and I kinda hate him. Executioner's Chariot was pretty cool though. At least it tried, even if it was a gimmick boss that also resulted in a weak boss by the end of it.

But despite these gripes, I can still say I love the game a lot. The atmosphere and levels have been pretty amazing and I really love the variety. Heide's Tower gave me a feeling almost like Iritihyll. Just beautiful. I love the gloomy night feeling of Lost Bastille. I swear COIL did the soundtrack to the Shaded Woods.

I still have a ways to go, but at this point it feels like Dark Souls 1 and Demon's Souls had a bastard fanfiction love child. I still love it but it makes it really fucking hard sometimes.
 
The game has a very special tone and atmosphere that's charmingly irreverent and relatable until it's suddenly that much more disarmingly heartfelt and earnest because of that relatability. Hope you both enjoy it.
I'm on vacation for few days, so I plan to continue Earthbound. I think about back in the days when I would spend most of my free time on RPGs and I would finish them in a week or so... :guts:

I thought the remaster could have been a lot better, so I only put 60 hours into it. =)

Well, on my side I'm quite happy with the experience so far. I've done Dark Souls back in 2011 on PS3 and the DLC when it has been released but everything was super slow compared to the remaster (obviously) so I don't have to complain, it's a great game in any case.
I've beat Nito and did the Painted World of Ariamis yesterday.

By the way, I'm also part of the ones who loves Dark Souls 2. I still have to get the Old Paledrake soul...
 
So last week I picked up playing Dragon’s Dogma again after not playing for a while and did the final ending that leads to new game +. Basically ended up rushing through the main story quests and missing out on stuff because traveling the world was such a slog. The game has some neat mechanics but it’s very apparent that it needed more time to develop, there are a lot of problems that should have been identified and fixed.

Also, I’m not sure what the fuck happened in the ending.
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
So last week I picked up playing Dragon’s Dogma again after not playing for a while and did the final ending that leads to new game +. Basically ended up rushing through the main story quests and missing out on stuff because traveling the world was such a slog.

Not sure which version you played, but they actually added "free" fast travel via the crystal around the time of Dark Arisen.

The game has some neat mechanics but it’s very apparent that it needed more time to develop, there are a lot of problems that should have been identified and fixed.

I found the game to be endearingly unpolished. You can see the heart and soul they invested in making it, but obviously, not every aspect of the game got the same amount of love. It's got thick atmosphere, combat is fun, and dynamic because of how huge enemies can be grappled and mounted. There's a lot to love, and with it, a whole bunch to laugh at, for sure. :ganishka:
 
Not sure which version you played, but they actually added "free" fast travel via the crystal around the time of Dark Arisen.

I have the Dark Arisen version and I got the Eternal Ferrystone, but there only being a handful of portcrystals still made fast travel annoyingly limited. Running the same roads in a empty world and fighting the same mobs of goblins, wolves, and bandits over and over just made travel and exploration a chore.

I found the game to be endearingly unpolished. You can see the heart and soul they invested in making it, but obviously, not every aspect of the game got the same amount of love. It's got thick atmosphere, combat is fun, and dynamic because of how huge enemies can be grappled and mounted.

I enjoyed it enough that I’ve been playing around in new game+ today (glad that the portcrystals I places are still here). It just could have been much better. I would look forward to a sequel/spiritual successor if they fixed up the rough spots.

There's a lot to love, and with it, a whole bunch to laugh at, for sure. :ganishka:

The first time I did the quest where you follow Julien his path finding fucked up near the end and I watched him walk into a wall for about 5 minutes. Had to let him spot me so I could restart the mission.
 

jackson_hurley

even the horses are cut in half!
I started Cuphead on Nintendo Switch last week-end and am enjoying it a lot. Of course I swear a lot while playing it because I'm trying to have A+ on every boss level!
 

Walter

Administrator
Staff member
It just could have been much better. I would look forward to a sequel/spiritual successor if they fixed up the rough spots.

Absolutely, and I'm sure a sequel will come out soon enough. You should check out Deep Down, which was likely what they'd planned as a follow-up, but got (seemingly?) scrapped along the way.

 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Oooh, I like the look of Deep Down, too bad it's apparently not on the way. I never got into Dragon's Dogma, interesting and weird game though. Maybe I'll give it another shot one day, but I have a lot of games in that category.

Anyway, still plugging away at Sekiro, now in NG+ with the Kuro's Charm burden activated, which makes enemies stronger and means blocking only reduces damage, essentially changing the combat gameplay (again, the default IS easy mode, and I'm not man, or patient, enough to stack the Demon's Bell burden on top =). So, with it you better get that deflection timing down or you're taking damage. It also makes death blows more critical to healing during encounters, kind of like Bloodborne's rally mechanic. Overall, I like it better this way (I didn't do much blocking anyway and the death blow healing largely mitigates it if you're competent), but I'm also better at the game now. I'm almost to where you find Owl and am going for the Purification ending this time, then Return and Shura if I don't tire of it (poor Dad of War, just sitting useless in the disc tray, maybe I'll stick Nioh or Bloodborne in there, see what happens =)

I'm still wrestling with where, how or if to rank Sekiro against the rest of the Souls games. It's just unique enough I don't know how to rate it against the likes of DeS, DS3, DS2, or even Nioh, especially because I still prefer Souls, personally (but if I complete NG4 I might feel differently). I do think it's a smaller, simpler, more focused game but a case could be made against the lack of interesting and fantastical variety overall; weapons, enemies, environments, etc. It doesn't come close to Bloodborne in gameplay or story elements, which had the perfect blend of fast paced visceral action plus some linear storytelling like Sekiro with Souls-like lore.
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
I just finished EarthBound and I have one complaint: it wasn’t long enough. I’m joking of course, but that’s how much I enjoyed that game; I wish it had gone on for another 40 hours. It’s such a shame so few people played it when it first came out. They missed out on a true gem. It’s definitely in my top 10.

Next up is Mega Man X2!
 
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